Papa Rellena (Peruvian Stuffed Potatoes)

By
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
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Updated on 09/15/23
A plate holding four Papa rellenas

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Chill Time: 4 hrs
Total: 5 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Papa rellena, translating to "stuffed potato," is delicious comfort food, combining mashed potatoes with ground beef. A seasoned ground beef filling, similar to an empanada filling, is enveloped in a layer of mashed potatoes, which is then formed into an oblong oval shape and deep-fried until it's golden brown and crispy. Kids love this meal, especially with ketchup on the side.

A key ingredient in Peruvian cooking is the aji pepper, which makes its way into the filling, adding a bit of spice along with a subtle fruity flavor. Other ingredients like raisins, olives, and hard-boiled egg are included, adding to the authenticity of the dish. Papa rellena is an excellent use for leftover mashed potatoes, but the recipe does include steps for preparing them. It's important to note that the mashed potatoes need to be refrigerated for several hours before they are molded around the beef filling, so make sure to plan ahead.

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Ingredients

For the Potatoes:

  • 3 pounds yellow potatoes (or about 6 medium potatoes)

  •  Kosher salt, to taste

  • Pepper, to taste

  • 1 large egg

For the Filling:

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon minced aji pepper, aji pepper paste, or minced jalapeño to taste

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

  • 3/4 pound ground beef

  • 3/4 cup beef broth

  • 1/3 cup raisins

  • 1/3 cup chopped green olives, optional

For Assembling and Frying:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting, or more as needed

  • Vegetable oil, for frying

For Serving:

  • Ketchup, optional

Steps to Make It

Make the Mashed Potatoes

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for papas rellenas gathered
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the unpeeled potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. 

    Six potatoes submerged in water in a pot

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga 

  3. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander.

    Cooked potatoes drained in a colander

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. When they are cool enough to handle, peel and mash the potatoes thoroughly (or pass them through a potato ricer).  

    Mashed potatoes in a white bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Season the mashed potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Chill the potatoes uncovered for several hours, or overnight.

    Mashed potatoes in a bowl sprinkled with salt and pepper

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Once the potatoes are very cold, stir the egg into the mashed potatoes until well mixed. 

    Mashed potatoes with an egg stirred in

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Make the Filling

  1. Cook the egg in boiling water until hard-boiled and set aside.

    An egg resting in a pot with water
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet. Add the onions, garlic, and aji pepper and cook until soft and fragrant.

    Onions and garlic cooking in a skillet
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add the cumin and paprika and cook 2 minutes more, stirring.

    Cumin and paprika added to the onions and garlic
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Add the ground beef and cook until browned.

    Ground beef cooking on a skillet
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Add the beef broth and the raisins and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until most of the liquid is gone.

    Beef broth and raisins added to the cooking ground beef
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Stir in the green olives, if using.

    Green olives stirred into the ground beef mixture
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and let cool.

    Beef mixture cooking and seasoned with salt and pepper
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Peel the hard-boiled egg and chop it into about 6 pieces.

    A hard-boiled egg being cut on a wooden cutting board
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Assemble and Cook

  1. With floured hands, place about 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes in one hand, and make a well in the center.

    A hand holding mashed potatoes that have been shaped and flattened
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Fill the well with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the beef mixture and a piece of hard-boiled egg. 

    Beef mixture and a section of hard-boiled egg placed in the center of the mashed potato circle
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Mold the potatoes around the beef, adding more potato if necessary to fully enclose the filling. Shape into an oblong oval with slightly pointy ends, about the size of a medium potato.

    A molded mashed potato that has covered the fillings inside
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients; you should be able to make 6 croquettes. Coat each papa rellena generously with flour.

    Six uncooked papa rellenas resting on a plate
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. In a deep skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat 2 inches of oil to 360 F. Set the oven to 200 F.

    A skillet with oil in it
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Fry the potatoes in batches until they are golden brown.

    Three papa rellenas being fried in oil on a skillet
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Drain them on a plate lined with paper towels. Keep the papa rellena warm in the oven until ready to serve.

    Papa rellenas resting on a paper towel
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Serve with a side of ketchup, if desired, and enjoy.

    Papa rellena on a plate next to a bowl of ketchup
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
703 Calories
39g Fat
66g Carbs
25g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 703
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 50%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 112mg 37%
Sodium 265mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 66g 24%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 24mg 122%
Calcium 78mg 6%
Iron 5mg 30%
Potassium 1597mg 34%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)