Llapingachos
Ecuadorian highland potato patties stuffed with cheese, griddled in achiote oil and served with peanut sauce and a fried egg.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 45 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Llapingachos are mashed-potato patties with a pocket of cheese inside, cooked on a griddle in achiote-stained oil until the outside browns and the cheese softens. They come with salsa de maní, a gentle peanut sauce made with milk and onion, plus a fried egg, slices of avocado and a tomato and onion salad. In Ecuador they usually share the plate with fritada or hornado; at home they stand alone as a meal. The potato must be floury and dry, mashed with no milk, so the patties hold. Chill them before cooking and they will not fall apart.
What you'll need
11 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Potato, floury, peeled and chunked1 kg
- Queso fresco, crumbled; or half mozzarella for more melt150 g
- Onion, half finely chopped for the patties, half for the sauce1 medium
- Achiote, ground, warmed into the oil7.4 ml
- Neutral oil59 ml
- Peanuts, roasted unsalted, ground; or 3 tbsp natural peanut butter80 g
- Milk250 ml
- Egg, fried, to serve4 large
- Avocado, sliced, to serve1 large
- Tomato, sliced, with a little red onion and lime, for the salad2 medium
- Salt9.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Boil the potatoes in salted water until very tender, drain and leave in the colander 5 minutes to steam dry. Mash smooth with no liquid.
30 min
Step 2
Warm 2 tablespoons of oil with the achiote until the oil turns orange. Fry half the chopped onion in a spoon of it until soft and beat into the mash with salt. Cool until you can handle it.
8 min
Step 3
Form the potato into 8 balls. Press a well in each, fill with crumbled cheese, close and flatten into patties about 2 cm thick. Chill 30 minutes.
15 min
Tip: Cold patties hold together on the griddle. Warm ones slump.
Step 4
For the sauce, soften the remaining onion in a spoon of achiote oil, add the ground peanuts and milk and simmer, stirring, 8 minutes until it coats a spoon. Season. Keep warm.
10 min
Step 5
Heat the rest of the achiote oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Cook the patties 5 minutes a side without moving them until a dark golden crust forms. Fry the eggs in the same pan.
15 min
Watch: Turn only once. The crust is what keeps them whole.
Step 6
Serve two patties per plate with peanut sauce spooned over, a fried egg on top, avocado and the tomato salad beside.
3 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 660 kcal
- Protein
- 21.7 g
- Carbs
- 62.4 g
- Fat
- 38.4 g
- Saturated fat
- 6.7 g
- Fibre
- 12.4 g
- Sugar
- 10.4 g
- Sodium
- 1099 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Eggs
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Queso fresco → Low-moisture mozzarella
More stretch, less salt. Season the mash a little harder.
Tips
- Waxy potatoes make gluey patties that fall apart. Use a floury variety and mash while hot.
- Peanut butter works as long as it is unsweetened. The sauce should taste of peanut and onion, not of a sandwich.
History & culture
Ambato and the Tungurahua highlands claim them, and every market in the sierra sells them from a wide iron plate alongside fritada. Lunch food, market food, and a standard plate in Quito's huecas. The peanut sauce is not optional in the highlands, though coastal cooks leave it out.
The name comes from the Quechua llapi, to mash or squash. Potatoes were domesticated in the Andes, and stuffed potato cakes are old there; cheese and the griddle fat came with the Spanish. Peanut sauce in the sierra is a reminder that peanuts grow on the warmer coast and travelled up.
Traditional — The restaurant plate adds fritada (fried pork) or chorizo. Written here as the vegetarian plate with egg and avocado, which is also how many families eat it.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Llapingachos take?
1 hr 45 min all in — 30 min prep, 45 min cook, 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk, Peanuts, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Frying pan, Blender, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Queso fresco → Low-moisture mozzarella. More stretch, less salt. Season the mash a little harder.
What should I watch for?
Turn only once. The crust is what keeps them whole.
Any tips from this recipe?
Waxy potatoes make gluey patties that fall apart. Use a floury variety and mash while hot. Peanut butter works as long as it is unsweetened. The sauce should taste of peanut and onion, not of a sandwich.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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