Papas Rellenas Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes (starchy variety of potatoes like russet or Yukon Gold work best) (peeled and cubed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
• 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
• 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 3 large eggs (divided)
• 2 cups dry breadcrumbs
• Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with water and add a little salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, which should be about 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool for a minute or two. Move the potatoes to a large bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and mash until no lumps remain. Set them aside to cool to room temperature.

3. 3

   Heat the 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic into the hot pan and stir while cooking until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add in the ground beef.

4. 4

   Continue stirring and cook the beef until it is well crumbled and no longer pink. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, pepper, tomato paste, and vinegar until the tomato paste has dissolved. Transfer the beef mixture into a mixing bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

5. 5

   Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside. Once the potatoes and beef have cooled, add one egg into the mashed potatoes and mix well.

6. 6

   Place two eggs in a shallow dish, scramble, and set aside.

7. 7

   Pour the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish, mix them with 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and then set them aside.

8. 8

   Next, form the potato balls by taking a small ball of mashed potatoes, roughly a heaping tablespoon in size. Roll it into a ball and flatten it into a round disk in your hand, using a little water as needed to prevent sticking.

9. 9

   Place a little of the beef mixture into the middle of the potato ball, making sure you have enough potato to wrap around the beef. Form the potato mixture around the beef mixture by lifting up the edges and pushing them to the middle so they will meet at the top and cover the beef mixture.

10. 10

    After the meat mixture is fully covered, gently roll the ball in your hands to form a nice round ball. Dip the ball into the beaten egg so that it is fully covered in the egg, let any excess egg drip off, then gently roll in the breadcrumbs so that it is fully covered in breadcrumbs. Place the breaded potato balls on the prepared baking sheet. Continue making and breading the rest.

11. 11

    To cook, preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Place a single layer of potato balls in the air fryer with some space in between, and cook for about 10 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Repeat the process as needed to cook all the potato balls to perfection.

12. 12

    Optionally, chop the cilantro leaves finely and sprinkle over the top as garnish. Serve warm and enjoy!