Cuban papas rellenas are little orbs of perfection – deep fried, breaded mashed potato balls stuffed with a ground beef picadillo hash. A guaranteed hit at every party!
This recipe begins with my authentic Cuban picadillo recipe, which is what these delicious little balls are stuffed with. We all have my partner’s Cuban family – and the cookbook that is their treasure trove of secrets – to thank for that recipe. Cuban picadillo is consistently one of the most popular recipes here at Stovetop Diplomat and it only gets better inside fried potatoes. I have left that recipe largely intact with one exception. Instead of leaving the olives whole, I like to chop them roughly into small pieces. Because they spread out more this way, I have also reduced the number of olives included.
(As a side note, olive size and placement is hotly contested in this dish! There are two camps in this conflict: to chop the olives or to leave them whole. I initially tested this recipe with whole olives, placing one in the middle of the potatoes and then piling ground beef around it. All of my instincts – and a few Cubans – told me this would be the best way. But using this recipe and these amounts, I didn’t feel the reward was worth the extra work and I thought the meat-to-olive ratio was off. But if you prefer making them this way, by all means go for it! Just skip the olive chopping step.)
However, this recipe itself actually didn’t make it into the family home cook book. Papas rellenas are considered more of a party food than something you would typically make at home for your family. Any birthday celebration and any get together, these are sure to make the table. And these are also a staple of any Cuban bakery if you are looking to enjoy one on a more individual level!
You will see in my recipe that I call for 100% grass-fed ground beef. I love grass-fed ground beef for a variety of health and deliciousness reasons and I strongly recommend it! You can find more information about that here. However, you are absolutely welcome to use any conventional ground beef you have. While I think 85% lean is just about the optimum fattiness, this recipe works just as well with leaner or fattier ground beef.
Most of the ingredients in this recipe should be familiar, with the possible exception of two – adobo con pimienta and vino seco. Adobo con pimienta is a dry spice blend, NOT to be confused with the canned chiles in adobo sauce sold in many grocery stores. You can find this spice in the Spanish section of most well-stocked grocery stores, or in most any Spanish mercado. You can find more information about what this spice blend is, where to find it and how to use it here.
Vino Seco is a dry golden cooking wine and the key for that truly authentic Cuban flavor. While I always recommend finding yourself a bottle, it can be tough to find. If you absolutely can’t find any, you can substitute in a dry white wine. To get some more info on vino seco- where to find it and how to use it – click here.
This recipe is fairly labor intensive, not in difficulty but in time consumption. Between preparing the picadillo, boiling the potatoes, letting them cool, mashing said potatoes and rolling the balls – this can take a while. I prefer to split up making this recipe into two days by preparing the Cuban picadillo on the first day, and then dealing with the potatoes and rolling on the second. I have also had success with making the picadillo and boiling the potatoes on the first day; and then mashing the potatoes and rolling the papas rellenas the next day. The only thing you may have to watch out for is your potatoes getting dry- but another small splash of milk can fix this!
One of the keys to success in this recipe is mashing the potatoes by hand. It sucks and it’s tempting to cheat, but don’t! The reason for this is that mashing potatoes with an electric mixer or stand mixer creates something more akin to whipped potatoes. Mashing at high speeds incorporates too much air and not only will your papas rellenas be much more difficult to shape but they will fall apart when frying. You need a final product that’s a little sturdier and denser. Also – be vigilant with getting out all the lumps! Lumps in the potatoes crack your final product while frying which will cause them to cook improperly.
Cuban papas rellenas refrigerate and freeze beautifully. Freezing is optimum for long term storage, but I have kept them covered for up to three days in the refrigerator as a matter of convenience and they still fry up beautifully. They may dry out a bit but they will still work! If planning to freeze, don’t skip the 2-3 hour refrigeration step – it’s crucial to texture and structural integrity. After that, simply place the tray in the freezer and freeze until solid. Rotate occasionally to keep from sticking. Then you can just put them all in a large freezer-safe bag and store for up to 4 months! When ready to eat, fry as you would normally – no need to defrost. You may need to add another minute or so to the cook time.
Looking for other delicious Cuban recipes? Try my Ultimate Fricasé de Pollo recipe (LINK), picadillo stuffed plantains (LINK) or Yuca Frita con Mojo recipes!
Cuban Papas Rellenas (Fried Stuffed Potatoes)
Ingredients
For Cuban Picadillo:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 8-oz can no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 1 tsp adobo con pimenta
- 1/2 tsp ground oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1.5 lb 85% lean grass-fed ground beef
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 5.75 oz jar pimiento stuffed manzanilla olives + 1/4 cup brine (use about 3/4 of the olives)
- bay leaf
- salt + pepper to taste
For Papas Rellenas:
- 6 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- canola or other neutrally-flavored frying oil
Instructions
Cook Cuban Picadillo:
- Add olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot and turn heat to medium.
- Add diced onions and cook for about 1.5 minutes, until just starting to turn translucent.
- Add diced bell pepper and minced garlic. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. You aren't aiming to completely soften the vegetables - you want them to still retain their crunchy texture.
- Add tomato sauce and stir to combine. Turn heat down to medium low. Add adobo con pimento, oregano and cumin. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce turns a deep red. Stir occasionally to keep from burning.
- Return the heat to medium. Add ground beef and paprika and stir to combine. Cook until the beef is browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Roughly chop olives. Add olives and 1/4 cup of their brine to the pot. Add vino seco and a bay leaf. Reduce heat to low. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off heat and let picadillo cool completely. Feel free to make this part of the recipe the night before you plan to roll Papas Rellenas.
Roll and Fry Papas Rellenas:
- Fill a large pot with water and turn heat to high. Peel the potatoes. If they are large, cut them in half.
- When the water begins to boil, add peeled potatoes. Boil until fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain the water from potatoes and let cool completely. Add salt and milk and mash with a potato masher BY HAND - don't use an electric mixer! Mash potatoes until no lumps remain.
- Flatten about 1/4 of potato mixture into the palm of one hand. (You can reference the guide below during the next few steps!)
- Spoon about 1 tbsp of picadillo into the center of the potato. Use your free hand to squeeze the picadillo a little to help condense it.
- Begin rolling the potato mixture up evenly on all sides to begin shaping a ball.
- Connect the sides together and smooth the seal to form a uniform ball. It should be somewhere between a golf ball and a tennis ball in size. Set aside on a baking tray lined with wax paper. Repeat with the remaining picadillo and potatoes.
- In a medium bowl, mix eggs and water together vigorously - until frothy - for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
- In another bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and all-purpose flour. Place this bowl next to the bowl containing the egg mixture.
- Dip each potato ball first into the eggs, then into the breadcrumbs, making sure to evenly coat. Place back on wax paper lined baking tray. Repeat with remaining balls.
- Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or up to overnight. If you are planning to freeze your papas rellenas, continue to the next instructions. If planning to serve, continue to "Fry Papas Rellenas" section.
If Planning to Freeze:
- After refrigerating, place baking tray with papas rellenas into the freezer, making sure none of them are touching. You may have to do this in batches. Occasionally lift each potato to make sure they aren't sticking to the wax paper.
- Freeze until solid. Transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 4 months. You can fry them while still frozen - no need to defrost. You may have to add a minute or so to the cooking time.
Fry Papas Rellenas:
- Fill a dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with enough frying oil to submerge the balls about halfway - an inch or so. Turn heat to medium-high. Wait until oil is hot enough to shimmer (about 350 degrees).
- Fry batches of 3-4 papas rellenas at a time, turning occasionally to ensure even browning. Fry for 3-5 minutes or until rich golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Repeat this process with the rest of the potatoes. Serve!
Notes
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