Papas Rellenas

Papa rellena is a delicious traditional dish from Peru. It consists of mashed potatoes stuffed with a seasoned ground meat filling, then fried to a golden crisp.

Ingredients

For the mashed potatoes

2lbs (about 1 kg) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Sea salt, to taste

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

For the filling

1 lb (about 500g) ground beef or a mix of ground beef and pork

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

For breading and frying

1 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

Oil for frying

Instructions

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender. Drain and mash the potatoes with the milk, butter, and salt. Set aside to cool.

In a skillet, cook the ground meat over medium heat until browned. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft. Remove from heat and let it cool.

To assemble the papas rellenas, take a scoop of mashed potatoes and flatten it in your hand. Add a spoonful of the meat filling in the center and wrap the mashed potatoes around it, forming a ball. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Roll each potato ball in flour, then dip in the beaten eggs, and finally coat with breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a deep pan or fryer to 350°F (180°C). Fry the potato balls in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.

Serve the papas rellenas hot with aji sauce or salsa criolla on the side.

Enjoy!

Thank you for trying this recipe. Please let me know how you liked it.

If you enjoyed this recipe, please take a look at other recipes on my fast, simple and good beef and appetizer pages.

Papas Rellenas