Name: Papa rellena
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 95 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 1100 g floury potatoes, peeled, large chunks; 1600 ml water, to boil potatoes; discard; 350 g lean ground beef, refrigerated; 120 g red onion, finely diced; 12 g garlic, minced; 30 g ají panca paste; 30 g raisins, chopped; 65 g black olives, pitted; chopped; 2 eggs, large, hard-boiled; chopped; 1 egg, large, raw, for potato dough; 60 g plain wheat flour, for coating; 400 ml neutral vegetable oil, 20 ml filling; 380 ml frying supply, ~60 ml absorbed overall; 6 g fine salt; 2 g ground cumin; 1 g black pepper

Papa rellena — Peruvian beef-filled potato croquettes

Yield 6 filled potatoes

Prep 30 minutes

Cook 45 minutes

Passive 20 minutes

Total 95 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Papa rellena — Peruvian beef-filled potato croquettes

Papa rellena consists of a cooked potato shell wrapped around a seasoned filling and then fried. Peruvian versions often include minced beef, chopped boiled egg and dark olives, with raisins appearing in many household preparations.

Choose potatoes with a relatively floury texture and press them while warm. A wet purée is hard to close, while an excessively dry mixture cracks along the seam. The filling should already be fully cooked before it goes inside the potato so frying is largely about crisping the shell and heating the middle.

Keep the parcels oval and compact. A thin flour coating encourages even colour, and turning with a broad spoon protects the seam. Smaller individual potatoes are easier to heat through than oversized ones, particularly when the filling has been chilled before assembly.

Ingredients

1100 g floury potatoes, peeled, large chunks
1600 ml water, to boil potatoes; discard
350 g lean ground beef, refrigerated
120 g red onion, finely diced
12 g garlic, minced
30 g ají panca paste
30 g raisins, chopped
65 g black olives, pitted; chopped
2 eggs, large, hard-boiled; chopped
1 egg, large, raw, for potato dough
60 g plain wheat flour, for coating
400 ml neutral vegetable oil, 20 ml filling; 380 ml frying supply, ~60 ml absorbed overall
6 g fine salt
2 g ground cumin
1 g black pepper

Method

Boil and press the potatoes.Simmer all 1100 g potato pieces in the listed 1600 ml water for 20 minutes. Drain completely and pass through a ricer while hot. The potato pieces crush without hard lumps and the mash looks dry and fluffy.
Cook the seasoned mince.While potatoes cook, heat 20 ml of the oil in a frying pan. Soften the onion for 4 minutes, add garlic and ají panca for 2 minutes, then brown and break up the ground beef with salt, cumin and pepper for 8 minutes. The filling is moist but not watery and all beef has reached 71 °C.
Finish and cool the filling.Stir 30 g raisins, 65 g chopped olives and both chopped hard-boiled eggs into the beef. Transfer to a shallow container and refrigerate the filling for 20 minutes before shaping; let the mashed potato steam off heat. The filling is no longer hot or runny, and the potato mash holds a mound.
Bind and form six parcels.Mix the one raw egg into the mashed potatoes with a spoon; divide into six equal portions. Flatten one portion in your palm, add one sixth of the filling, close the seam and shape an oval. Repeat, then roll all six in the 60 g flour. Every filling portion is enclosed, with no cracks showing through the thin flour dusting.
Fry in two batches.Heat the remaining 380 ml frying oil in a deep-sided pan to 175 °C. Fry three parcels for 5 minutes, turning halfway; drain, then fry the other three for 5 minutes. Each oval has a continuous golden crust without openings; the middle reaches 74 °C.
Drain and serve.Lift the six croquettes to a wire rack, let excess oil run off for 1 minute and serve while the shells are still crisp. The coating feels firm and dry, not greasy.

Practical

Serving, storage and substitutions

Cool the filling before it touches the mash; hot, wet meat makes the potato layer tear. The egg in the mash binds the shell, but too much mixing can turn the potatoes gluey. A potato ricer gives a useful dry texture without requiring extra flour in the dough. The 380 ml frying oil is not counted as eaten in full. Only an estimated 60 ml remains in the complete batch for the nutrition calculation. Keep a thermometer clipped to the pan and lower the heat if flour begins to burn before the filling reheats. Chill cooked parcels promptly in shallow containers at 4 °C or below and use within three days. For best texture, reheat in an oven at 180 °C until the centre reaches 74 °C. The crispness will be less pronounced after storage.

Control points

A potato splits in the oilThe seam was poorly closed or the mash was too wet. Drain and press the potatoes thoroughly and seal all openings before frying.
Filling makes the shell sagFilling was warm or liquid. Cook off excess liquid, cool thoroughly and assemble compactly.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1 of 6 pieces (about 290 g)
Calories440 kcal
Carbohydrates48 g
Protein18 g
Fat19 g
Fibre5 g
Sodium650 mg

Allergens and food safety

Wheat (flour) and eggs. Check shop-bought olives and chilli paste for other declared allergens. Fully cook ground beef to 71 °C; once filled, heat the centre of each potato to 74 °C. Keep filling cool before assembly; protect against splashes from hot frying oil.

Closing

Each papa rellena has a crisp potato shell and a savoury centre of beef, olive, raisin and egg. Dry the mash well, chill the filling and fully seal the parcels before frying.

Papa rellena — Peruvian beef-filled potato croquettes

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Practical

Serving, storage and substitutions

Control points

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Closing

Peruvian National Dishes

Seco de cabrito

Arroz con pato

Carapulcra