Description
Crispy Papas Rellenas are delicious Puerto Rican-style croquettes made with a seasoned ground beef filling encased in a smooth mashed potato dough, then fried to golden perfection. These stuffed potato balls offer a delightful combination of crispy exterior and savory, flavorful filling, making them a perfect appetizer or main dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/3 cup sofrito
- 1 tsp sazon seasoning
- 1 tsp adobo seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup pimento olives, sliced in half
Potato Dough
- 3 lbs potatoes
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp sazon seasoning
- 1 tsp adobo seasoning
Frying
- 4 cups canola or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Make the picadillo: In a pan, add the ground beef, diced onion, and diced red bell pepper. Brown the meat while breaking it up. Add the sofrito, sazon seasoning, adobo seasoning, and bay leaves. Once the mixture is fragrant, stir in the tomato sauce and pimento olives. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes until the beef is fully cooked. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Prepare the potatoes: Peel the potatoes and chop them into halves or quarters depending on size. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the potatoes and cook for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a bowl.
- Mash and season the potatoes: Mash the cooked potatoes thoroughly until smooth and free of lumps. Stir in the corn starch, sazon seasoning, and adobo seasoning until the mixture has a dough-like consistency that can be shaped easily.
- Form and stuff the papas rellenas: Using a ½ cup measuring cup or small scoop, form large balls of the potato dough. Flatten each ball gently and place a tablespoon or two of the cooled picadillo filling in the center. Carefully mold the potato dough around the filling to fully encase it. Add more potato mixture as needed to seal the filling inside.
- Fry the croquettes: Heat the canola or vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep pan or fryer. Fry the stuffed potato balls in batches until they are golden brown and crispy all around, about 3-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- If the potato dough isn’t sticking, add another teaspoon or two of corn starch to improve binding.
- Leftover picadillo filling can be enjoyed over rice or with bread for additional meals.
Keywords: Papas Rellenas, Puerto Rican croquettes, stuffed potatoes, fried potato balls, picadillo, ground beef croquettes