Cuban style potato croquettes filled with savory ground beef and fried to perfection!
The holiday season is here and with it comes the hosting season. This means that weโre having family and friends over along with a ton of food! One of my favorite appetizers to serve are Papas Rellenas. They are Cuban Style Papa Rellenas aka potato croquettes that are filled with savory ground beef and fried to perfection!
One of the many great things about this finger food is that they are a crowd favorite. My sister alone can eat the whole tray every time that I make them. More excitingly, is that you can make Papa Rellenas ahead of time and freeze them once guests arrive.
Additionally, like most traditional dishes, there are tons of different ways that you can prepare this fried delight. You can season and cook the ground beef filling a few ways. I myself have shared several different ways on how to make Carne Molida and how to make Cuban Picadillo. I urge you to make the filling using a recipe that you know and love.
Tips and Tricks to Making The Best Cuban Style Papa Rellenas (Potato Croquettes)
Now before we jump right into the recipe, here are a few tips and tricks to making sure that you make these perfectly each and every single time. Believe it or not, things can get pretty tricky anytime youโre making Papa Rellenas!
- Tip #1: Use russet potatoes. These potatoes are very starchy and you can easily dry them out. This will help whenever youโre making the potato dough for the croquettes
- Tip #2: Use lean grass-fed ground beef for the filling. The important part to note is that we want the filling to be saucy and not oily. This will ensure that the filling doesnโt ooze out once we fry them
- Tip #3: Add flour or cornstarch when making your potato dough. This will keep the dough together and prevent it from falling apart
- Tip #4: Use a potato ricer to make sure that potatoes are perfectly smooth and mashed when making your dough. You want to prevent clumps from forming because this will cause the croquettes to fall apart
- Tip #5: Use fresh oil to fry your papa rellenas. Nothing ruins a fried dish like using oil and stale oil
- Tip #6: Donโt be afraid to season your potato dough for more flavor
- Tip #7: If youโre freezing the papas rellenas before frying them, make sure that you allow them to fully thaw in the refrigerator first. This will allow the potato croquettes to fry evenly throughout. No one wants to bite into a potato croquette thatโs still cold in the center
Recommended Tools for Making Cuban Papa Rellenas – Potato Croquettes
Outside of being insanely fun and delicious to eat, Papas Rellenas can be paired with your favorite dipping sauce. Some of my favorite sauces to dip the potato croquettes are my Cuban Mojo and my Mango Habanero Hot Sauce if I want a spicy kick. You even dip these in Chimichurri Sauce or a Peruvian Green Sauce. All of these dipping sauces add an extra layer of flavor thatโs truly amazing.
If you love finger foods and you’re planning your next menu for your next party, make sure that you also check out How to Make the Best Beef Empanadas and Cuban Style Pastelitos de Carne!
Are you hungry, yet? Letโs cook!
Ingredients
- Meat Filling
- 1 lbs Grass-fed Ground Beef
- ยฝ White Onion
- ยฝ Green Pepper
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tsp Dominican Orรฉgano
- 2 tbsp Sofrito *optional
- ยผ tsp Cumin
- 1 tbsp Cilantro
- 3 tbsp Tomato Paste or ยผ cup Tomato Sauce
- ยฝ tbsp Sazรณn con Achiote
- 2 tbsp Diced Olives *optional
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- Potato Dough
- 5 Idaho or Russet Potatoes
- 2 ยฝ tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Salted Butter
- 1 ยฝ tsp Garlic Powder *optional
- 2 cups Plain Bread crumbs
- 2 Eggs
- All Purpose Flour
- Vegetable Oil for Frying
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- Season grass-fed ground beef with onions, peppers, garlic, sazon con achiote, kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, and cumin. Optional, you can also use your favorite sofrito seasoning to season the meat
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Then add ground beef and brown on all sides. As the meat is browning, mash meat with with the back of a wooden spoon or meat masher. Make sure to break up any clumps of meat. Note that the meat will also release it's own juice and begin to braise
- Once the meat is evenly browned and mashed, add water and let stew for 20-30 minutes. You want to make sure that the meat is thoroughly cooked and velvety smooth. if the meat is still chewy, add more water and continue to stew until smooth.
- When 85% of the water has evaporated, add tomato paste and mix it in until well combined. Afterwards, add chopped cilantro. Optional - you can also add chopped green Spanish olives. Once the meat done, turn off flame and set aside.
- Rinse and peel russet potatoes and cut in half. Then transfer to a large pot with cold water and kosher salt. Boil potatoes until they are fork tender. Afterwards, drain potatoes and allow them to air dry for 5 minutes
- Place potato until potato ricer and press down hard making sure the potato has been fully riced. Do this until all of the potatoes have been riced. Afterwards, add butter, cornstarch, and garlic powder (optional). Mash until well combined. Make sure to full work in the cornstarch while the potatoes are still hot. Taste dough and adjust for extra seasoning if needed. Note that the dough shouldn't be salty, but it also shouldn't be bland
- Now it's time to form the potato croquette, and you can form them as big or as small as you'd like. Roughly take about 2tbsp of the dough and flatten into a roughly 3 inch dish into the palm of your hand. Then add 1-2tsp of the meat filling. Afterwards, gently fold the sides of the discs to create a ball. Roll the ball into your hand until it forms a potato croquette. Repeat until you've created all of the croquettes. Set aside once you're done.
- Create a dipping station by adding flour into one bowl, whisked eggs into another, and breadcrumbs into a third bowl. One by one, dip papa rellena into flour, then the whisked eggs, and then into the breadcrumbs. Make sure that the papa rellena is fully covered with the breadcrumbs. This will help it fry evenly without bursting. Repeat these steps until all of the croquettes have been dipped in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Store in the fridge for 20 minutes while frying oil comes up to temperature. Note that this is also when you can freeze or store the papa rellena if you're frying them on a different day
- In a large pot, heat oil up to 350 degrees. Carefully place papa rellena into the oil and fry until golden brown. Drain any excess oil onto a paper towel. Enjoy while warm with your favorite dipping sauce. Note that if you're frying frozen papa rellena, allow them to fully thaw before frying.