Papas a la Huancaina

S Sunflower Updated May 29, 2022

It hardly gets any more Peruvian on the dining table than enjoying the simplicity and fresh local flavors of Papas a la Huancaina.

Served cold as an appetizer, small lunch or side dish, Huancayo-style potatoes are one of the key dishes of the Peruvian cuisine and highly popular, especially in the Andes mountains and coastal regions of the country.

This absolutely delicious typical Peruvian food is actually just made of boiled and then sliced potatoes - yellow or white, preferably rustic and flavorful – that are covered with a spicy cheese sauce made of simple Peruvian ingredients and decorated with black olives and hardboiled egg. That’s all? Yes!

However, what makes Papa a la Huancaina so special and so characteristically Peruvian is the spicy (not hot!), creamy sauce called Salsa Huancaina which main ingredients are fresh Peruvian white cheese (queso fresco), milk and of course aji amarillo, the Peruvian yellow chili pepper with its distinctive flavor that gives the sauce its characteristic color and taste.

Absolutely delicious and addicting! Peruvian comfort food at its best.

And the good news: With our classic recipe below, preparing Papas a la Huancaina at home is really easy and done in no time, even if you are far away from Peru or have to feed a large crowd.

Please note that we dedicated an additional article solely to the delicious and versatile Huancaina sauce, where you find detailed info and an easy to prepare recipe.

LimaEasy's Recipe for Papas a la Huancaina

Ingredients:

6 medium-sized potatoes (yellow or white, preferably rustic and flavorful)
Huancaina Sauce
some lettuce leaves
2 hardboiled eggs
some black olives

Preparation:

Wash the potatoes and cook them in water until tender. Let cool. Leftover potatoes are fine as well.
Prepare the Huancaina Sauce.
Once cooled, peel the potatoes and cut them into slick slices or large cubes.
Arrange the potato slices or cubes on a plate and cover generously with the Huancaina sauce.
Decorate with some lettuce leaves, hard-boiled egg and black olives and sprinkle with some black pepper.
Serve at room temperature or cold. Indulge!