Rellenos de Papa has a golden crispy crust that covers a layer of smooth potato with flavorful meat. Perfect to satisfy a craving for delicious comfort food!
Rellenos de Papa is one of many delicious street foods in Puerto Rico. These rellenos are not exclusive to Puerto Rico, many countries make them.
The real difference is in the stuffing used and their flavor. The Boricua version is stuffed with ground beef in a Puerto Rican style.
They’re so good just like wichitos. Have you ever had one? They’re also a fried potato street food from Puerto Rico.
This is a recipe that you eat by itself as a snack, as lunch, or even dinner. But if you are in a chinchorro you can also get an alcapurria from yuca dough, or a Puerto Rican bacalao.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Is a quick and delicious recipe made with simple ingredients.
- This recipe will not break when you fry it!
- It is the perfect recipe for finger food just like breaded deep fried meatballs.
Recipe Ingredients
- Potatoes- I used russet potatoes but you can also use yellow potatoes.
- Cornstarch- This is key to preventing the rellenos from falling apart. It is also what I use to coat the potato balls. But you can also use flour to coat but cornstarch tends to make a crispier shell.
- Ground beef- This is the most popular stuffing. But you won’t go wrong when using chicken. Corned beef can also be used but is a more popular stuffing when doing rellenos de pana.
How to Make Rellenos de Papa
- Photo 1: The first step is to cut your potatoes into small ½-inch cubes. The smaller you cut the potatoes, the quicker they’ll be cooked.
- Photo 2: Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes or until they’re tender. But don’t leave the potatoes boiling for too long because they’ll absorb a lot of water.
- Photo 3: Mash the potatoes then add the salt and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Make sure to mix everything well.
- Photo 4: Take ½ cup of potato and flatten it. Add beef in the center and close the dough to make a ball.
- Photo 5: Cover each ball in cornstarch and remove any excess. Keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to fry.
- Photo 6: Take a big enough pan to fit all the rellenos you want to make. Don’t overcrowd the pan because they can stick together. Fry for 5 minutes or until they have a golden color.
Recipe Tips
- You can make bigger or smaller size rellenos.
- Best to make this recipe the same day you are planning to eat it because it doesn’t freeze well.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use different meats or stuffing you prefer. I have stuffed them with ham and cheese and they taste so good!
The most important part in avoiding them from splitting is to make sure the frying oil is very hot. The other key component is adding cornstarch to the dough.
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Puerto Rican Rellenos de Papa
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 4 ounces cooked ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch for the dough
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 cups oil for frying
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes. Add water to a big pot and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Mash the potatoes and add salt and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Mix until everything in well incorporated.
- Take ½ cup of potato dough and flatten it a little, enough to add the filling. Add 2 tablespoons of meat in the middle. Close the dough together and shape it into a ball. Repeat until you make all your rellenos.
- Take the rest of the cornstarch and cover all the rellenos.
- In a big pan add oil over medium-high heat. Fry the rellenos for 6 minutes or until they have a golden color. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- You need to make sure the oil is hot before frying. This resolves the number issue when making rellenos which is breaking while they cook.
Stephenie says
To be honest Irene, I have never done them in the air fryer. But since they hold they’re shape so good while frying I think you’ll have no problem. The only thing i’l do is spray them with a nonstick oil spray to help with the crispiness. Let me know the outcome if you try it.
Irene says
Hi, can these be made using an air fryer? They look delicious! Thanks
Stephenie says
Uhhh carimañolas are delicious. They are also similar to Puerto Rican Alcapurrias de yuca they only difference between the 2 is that one is done with cooked yuca and the other raw. Thank you for the visit Sherry 😁.
Sherry says
These remind me of Panamanian Carimañolas!