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    Home » Appetizer » Papas Rellenas from Cuba

    Papas Rellenas from Cuba

    Published on May 27, 2020 Modified: Aug 6, 2020 by The Foreign Fork This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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    Papas Rellenas are stuffed mashed potato balls, popular in Cuba and many other countries. They come filled with picadillo, a beef filling, and then fried. They are crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and absolute heaven. 

    Close up of Papas rellenas filled with picadillo

    “Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!”

    I’m a lover of all things mashed potatoes. My mom used to say that if I was thrown into a swimming pool of mashed potatoes, I could eat my way out. 

    Surprisingly, I’ve only ever made one mashed potato recipe on my website (ooooh but it’s a doozy!). Until today. 

    These Papas Rellenas are making me want to pack my bags and visit Cuba! Gosh, I would be so lucky…  Keep reading for the delicious recipe 🙂 

    Hand holding a papa rellena

    What are Papas Rellenas? 

    Papas Rellenas are stuffed mashed potato balls. They are popular in Cuba, but they’re also popular in many other places as well, such as Puerto Rico, Peru, or Spain.

    To make this recipe, you stuff the mashed potato balls with picadillo, a Cuban beef and tomato mixture. You can make my version of picadillo in the Instant Pot, but you can also choose to make it on the stove as well if you’d like!

    The next step is to fry the mashed potato balls on the stove, giving them a crispy exterior with a creamy interior. They are spectacular! 

    What Ingredients are in this Recipe?

    Russet potatoes
    Water
    Milk
    Garlic
    Salt
    Pepper
    Cuban Picadillo 
    Breadcrumbs
    Eggs
    Sunflower oil or Vegetable Oil for Frying

    For full ingredient measurements and instructions, visit the recipe card at the bottom of the page. 

    plate of papas rellenas from afar

    How to Make this Recipe

    Stovetop Potatoes Method 

    Place the potatoes in a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover the potatoes. Cover with a lid and bring the water to a boil. Allow to boil until the potatoes are easily pierced by a fork, about 15 minutes.

    Instant Pot Potatoes Method 

    Place 2 cups of water and your chopped potatoes into your Instant Pot and secure the lid. Turn the pressure to HIGH and cook for 6 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, perform a Quick Release.

    When the potatoes are tender, drain the water. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Add the milk, garlic, salt and pepper. Use the masher to mash until the potatoes are smooth.  

    In your hand, use about 2 tbsp of mashed potatoes. Form them into the shape of a bowl in your hand. Place a spoonful of picadillo in the center of the bowl. Fold the mashed potatoes over, closing the picadillo inside. 

    Whisk the egg in a separate bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. 

    Roll each mashed potato ball in the whisked egg. Then roll it in the breadcrumbs. 

    Heat the oil to about 375 degrees. Place each breaded mashed potato ball in the oil and allow to fry for about 2 minutes on each side until it turns golden brown. Enjoy! 

    close up of papa rellena

    Can I Bake Papas Rellenas? 

    Yes! Papas Rellenas typically come fried, but you don’t have to fry them if you don’t want to! 

    You can bake the Papas Rellenas instead by placing them on baking sheets and baking at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes. 

    The mashed potatoes and picadillo are already cooked when you fry/bake them, so you don’t need to worry about truly cooking the potatoes or meat. You simply just need to crisp up the outside! 

    Baking the mashed potatoes is the healthier option, but it takes a lot longer and they’re never quite as crispy. It’s up to you how you’d like to make them! 

    Did you like this Cuban Papas Rellenas Recipe? If so, leave a comment on this post letting me know what you thought! And don’t forget to post a photo on Facebook or Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork. 

    If you liked this recipe, you might also like these other yummy recipes that I picked out just for you: 

    • Picadillo 
    • Medianoche
    • Cuban Black Beans
    • Potato Recipes from Around the World 
    • Belgian Frites
    • Potato Pancakes from Belarus 
    Papas Rellenas
    Plate of Papas Rellenas

    Papas Rellenas

    Papas Rellenas are stuffed mashed potato balls, popular in Cuba and many other countries. They are filled with picadillo, a beef filling, and then fried. They are crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and absolute heaven.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, street food
    Cuisine: Cuban
    Prep Time: 35 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 22 Papas Rellenas
    Calories: 108kcal
    Author: The Foreign Fork

    Ingredients

    • 2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into eighths
    • Water
    • ¼ cup milk
    • 1 tsp chopped garlic
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • Pepper to taste
    • ½ recipe for Cuban Picadillo
    • 1 cup breadcrumbs
    • 2 eggs
    • Sunflower oil or Vegetable Oil for Frying

    Instructions

    Stovetop Potatoes Method

    • Place the potatoes in a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover the potatoes. Cover with a lid and bring the water to a boil. Allow to boil until the potatoes are easily pierced by a fork, about 15 minutes.

    Instant Pot Potatoes Method

    • Place 2 cups of water and your chopped potatoes into your Instant Pot and secure the lid. Turn the pressure to HIGH and cook for 6 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, perform a Quick Release
    • When the potatoes are tender, drain the water. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Add the milk, garlic, salt and pepper. Use the masher to mash until the potatoes are smooth.
    • In your hand, use about 2 tbsp of mashed potatoes. Form them into your hand, in a bowl shape. Place a spoonful of picadillo in the center of the bowl. Fold the mashed potatoes over, closing the picadillo inside.
    • Whisk the egg in a separate bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl.
    • Roll each mashed potato ball in the whisked egg. Then roll it in the breadcrumbs.
    • Heat the oil to about 375 degrees. Place each breaded mashed potato ball in the oil and allow to fry for about 2 minutes on each side until it turns golden brown. Enjoy

    Notes

    Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only. 
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Papa Rellena | Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheForeignFork or tag #TheForeignFork!

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    Appetizer, Cuba, Street Food

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    Comments

    1. David Martin says

      February 14, 2021 at 3:02 am

      Forget the mess and expense and unhealthyness of deep frying. But an oven isn’t even a close substitute. However, the Air Fryer version is perfect, fast, ‘fried’ and healthy IF you know the secret: after breading let your rellenas sit and the batter firm up a few minutes. Then spray with a light mist of oil – I have a pressure mister and use olive oil, but you can use store bought cooking spray if you want. Then air fry @400 about 10 minutes. I promise, this is game changer. No one would ever guess these aren’t traditionally deep fried unless, well maybe, doing a side by side comparison…

      Reply
      • The Foreign Fork says

        February 15, 2021 at 2:39 pm

        Thanks for the tips David! I unfortunately don’t have an air fryer (it’s on my wishlist!!) but this would be great for readers that have one and don’t want to deep fry 🙂

        Reply

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