Papa a la Huancaína
Boiled potatoes under a cold ají-and-cheese sauce — a yellow plate from the highlands that became a national starter.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Medium heat
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Huancaína is a blender sauce: ají amarillo, fresh cheese, milk, crackers or bread, poured over sliced boiled potatoes, with egg and olive. It should be thick enough to coat and cold. If it tastes only of mayonnaise, you skipped the chilli.
What you'll need
8 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Potato800 g
- Ají amarillo44 ml
- Melting cheese, queso fresco or feta-like150 g
- Milk80 ml
- Bread, or soda crackers40 g
- Neutral oil44 ml
- Egg, boiled, to serve2 large
- Salt2½ ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Boil potatoes until just tender. Cool and slice.
25 min
Step 2
Blend ají, cheese, milk, bread, oil and salt until smooth and thick. Pour over potatoes. Egg and olive.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 421 kcal
- Protein
- 17.3 g
- Carbs
- 42.3 g
- Fat
- 20.5 g
- Saturated fat
- 7.1 g
- Fibre
- 4.9 g
- Sugar
- 4.3 g
- Sodium
- 625 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
- Eggs
- Wheat
- Vegetarian
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 → Feta plus a little extra milk
Saltier. Taste before you salt the blender.
Tips
- The sauce is better after 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Lettuce under the potato is the restaurant bed.
History & culture
A starter everywhere in Peru. Huancayo is the name; Lima restaurants made it famous.
Highland cheese and chilli meeting boiled potato — Andean logic on a plate.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Papa a la Huancaína take?
40 min all in — 15 min prep, 25 min cook. 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?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Medium heat.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk, Eggs, Wheat. 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.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Blender.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at ½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Queso fresco → Feta plus a little extra milk. Saltier. Taste before you salt the blender.
Any tips from this recipe?
The sauce is better after 30 minutes in the fridge. Lettuce under the potato is the restaurant bed.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
Similar dishes
Causa limeña
A cold yellow potato terrine with lime and chilli, layered with chicken or tuna — Lima's starter that is not mashed potatoes.
Medium
Ají de gallina
Shredded chicken in a bread-thickened yellow chilli sauce — Lima comfort that looks rich and is.
MediumMedium heat
Ceviche
Peruvian lime-cured fish with chilli, red onion and coriander. Your fishmonger matters more than your knife skills.
MediumMedium heat