Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (2024)

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by Mike Hultquist · · 8 Comments · Jump to Recipe

This papas arrugadas recipe (wrinkly potatoes) is a hugely popular dish in the Canary Islands, with small new potatoes boiled in water with coarse sea salt. Serve them with mojo sauce for huge flavor!

Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (1)

Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkly Potatoes)

We're serving up some small plate dishes here in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen tonight, my friends, so pull up a chair if you please. If you've been looking for a new dish to add some excitement to your tapas menu, this is a perfect addition.

We're talking Papas Arrugadas, and I think you're going to love them as much as I do.

Papas Arrugadas means "wrinkled potatoes" in Spanish. Essentially, small new potatoes are boiled in salt water that evaporates, leaving the potatoes with a thin layer of salt and wrinkled potato skins.

The dish hails from the Canary Islands, where the potatoes are served with a sauce called mojo, such as mojo verde, mojo rojo, or my favorite, mojo picon, which is an extra hot version.

Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (2)

I love all of the sauces, though I definitely lean toward the hot version, which is entirely shocking, I know.

Make sure you order up a plateful the next time you visit the Canary Islands along with your tour of Canarian cuisine! Or, if you'd like to save yourself a plane ticket, we can make them at home instead.

This recipe works great as a small plate, an appetizer, or even a side dish, though it's so good, you may want to serve them as your main course.

Let's talk about how to make papas arrugadas, shall we?

Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (3)

Papas Arrugadas Ingredients

  • Potatoes. Use 2 pounds small potatoes for this recipe, though you can easily scale it to your needs. Fingerling potatoes are good, as are any new potatoes with thinner skins.
  • Salt. Use 1/4 cup coarse sea salt for a good salt crust on the skins.
  • Water. Use just enough to cover the potatoes so they can be cooked through.
  • Mojo Sauce. Papas Arrugadas are often served with either mojo verde, mojo rojo, or mojo picon, which are flavorful pepper sauces. They're also delicious with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a touch more salt. See my recipe for Mojo Picon, or use a store bought version.

How to Make Papas Arrugadas - the Recipe Method

Boil the Potatoes. Clean the potatoes and add them to a large pot, then cover them with water. Add in the salt, set the water onto the burner and bring to a quick boil.

Boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are nicely softened.

Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (4)

Form the Salt Crust. Drain the water, then return the potatoes to the same pot. Heat them back to medium-low heat and let the remaining risidual water evaporate from the pot.

You should see a light salt crust form on the potatoes from the process of evaporation.

Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (5)

Serve. Transfer the boiled potatoes directly to a serving platter and serve them with your sauce or sauces on the side.

Or, you can toss them in the sauce to cover them and serve them up that way.

Boom! Done! This is such an easy recipe, isn't it? The perfect side dish or little appetizer. I love them so much.

Make them for your next gathering.

Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (6)

Recipe Tips & Notes

  • The potatoes. Use fingerling potatoes, petite Yukon gold, any smaller baby potatoes or new potatoes. You can make this recipe with larger potatoes, but make sure they are cooked all the way through. If you do, I suggest slicing them into more bite-sized pieces before serving.
  • The Salt. Use a generous amount of salt water to get a good crust. Try using sea water for a truly authentic experience.

Storage and Leftovers

Store any leftover potatoes in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Do the same for any leftover sauce, though in a separate container.

You can also freeze the potatoes as well as the sauce in separate containers for 3 months.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this papas arrugadas recipe. They are seriously delicious, and they will surely be requested often by your discerning friends. Let me know if you make them. I'd love to hear how the dish turned out for you.

Try Some of My Other Popular Potato Recipes

  • Patatas Bravas
  • Twice Baked Jalapeno Popper Potatoes
  • Potato Salad Recipe
  • Papas con Chile
  • Papas con Chorizo
  • Papa a la Huancaina (Peruvian Potatoes in Spicy Cheese Sauce)
  • Salchipapa
  • Baked Cajun Fries
  • Aloo Gobi (Indian Spiced Potato and Cauliflower)
  • Bombay Potatoes
Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (7)

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (8)

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Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes)

This papas arrugadas recipe (wrinkled potatoes) is a hugely popular dish in the Canary Islands, with small potatoes boiled in water with coarse sea salt. Serve them with mojo picon for huge flavor!

Save Recipe

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Spanish

Keyword: appetizer, potatoes

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Calories: 44kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 16

Tap or hover to scale

5 from 3 votes

Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds small potatoes
  • 1/4 cup coarse sea salt
  • Mojo Sauce for serving

Instructions

  • Clean the potatoes and add them to a large pot.

  • Cover them with water, then add in the salt.

  • Boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until softened.

  • Drain the water, then return the potatoes to the pot. Heat back to medium-low heat and let the remaining water evaporate from the pot. You should see a light salt crust form on the potatoes.

  • Serve with mojo sauce!

Notes

Papas Arrugadas are often served with either mojo verde, mojo rojo, or mojo picon, which are flavorful pepper sauces. They're also delicious with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a touch more salt.

Calories calculated without mojo sauce.

This serves 8 as a larger portion, 16 as an appetizer.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 44kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1772mgPotassium: 239mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg

Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (9)

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

  1. lorie roe says

    Hey! Great website - what are the last two photos on the wrinkled potatoes page?? Thanks! You embellished them with something - maybe the sauce?

    Reply

    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      Thanks, Lorie. Those are just the wrinkly potatoes dipped in the mojo sauce. Ready for me to eat!! Enjoy!

      Reply

  2. Michael says

    Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (10)
    Thank you for publishing this simple but tasteful recipe from the Canary Islands. Adding lemon zest is indeed a local variant.
    ¡Buen provecho!

    Reply

    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      Thanks, Michael! Yes, ¡Buen provecho!

      Reply

  3. Jeremie says

    Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (11)
    I just bought new potatoes for this recipe before I knew you were going to publish it! but of course you had published before the mojo picon recipe!
    Several recipes I've found add lemons to the cooking water, either lemon zest or quarters of lemons; so I'm gonna try all that!

    Reply

    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      Enjoy, Jeremie! These are delicious for sure.

      Reply

      • Jeremie says

        Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (12)
        Papas Arrugadas with mojo picon: an extraordinary recipe; salty, sour, bitter and hot. All the flavors are exacerbated! not to put between all the palates, my dear friend! but my palate loved it. Unfortunately I didn't have pimiento palmera peppers (I had never even heard of it) and I used piri-piri...

        Reply

        • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

          Yep, such a perfect combination, Jeremie! The palmera peppers are definitely hard to find outside of the Canary islands. My personal connection had to send me some. LOL.

          Reply

Papas Arrugadas Recipe (Wrinkled Potatoes) (2024)

FAQs

Can I still use wrinkled potatoes? ›

No, shriveled or wrinkled potatoes should not be eaten.

What to do with shriveled potatoes? ›

So if you find shriveled potatoes in the pantry, chuck them directly into the compost or toss them in the trash.

Why are my potatoes wrinkled? ›

Changes in a potato's texture, including wrinkling, often indicate that the vegetable has started to deteriorate and should be discarded. As potatoes spoil, the concentration of an alkaloid compound called solanine increases.

What is papas arrugadas in english? ›

Papas arrugadas ([ˈpapas aruˈɣaðas] lit. 'wrinkly potatoes') is a traditional boiled potato dish eaten in the Canary Islands. It is usually served with a chili pepper garlic sauce, called mojo rojo, or as an accompaniment to meat dishes.

When should you not use old potatoes? ›

Potatoes that have green spots or sprouts can contain toxins, so unless you can completely cut those parts out, it's best to toss them. Store potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place to prevent sprouting and premature spoilage.

When should you no longer use potatoes? ›

At what point do potatoes go bad? Potatoes have gone bad if they show visible signs such as mould, green parts, sprouts, soft or mushy texture, musty smell, or changed taste. Can potatoes last six months? Yes, they can!

Can I use wilted potatoes? ›

Yes, it's OK to bake or boil slightly soft potatoes. I am assuming they don't have large sprouts (if you can knock off the sprouts with your finger or a brush that's fine too). Potatoes are 80% water on average, so some of that moisture drying up is natural.

Does dehydrated potatoes last? ›

When stored according to USDA commodity specifications, the shelf life of dehydrated potato products is one to two years. Their reconstitution ratio makes them efficient for storage and convenient for the end-users.

Can you eat potatoes that have sprouted and are soft? ›

Sprouted potatoes that are still firm, have relatively small sprouts, and don't show any wrinkles or shriveling are okay to eat, as long as you cut off the sprouted parts and soft spots. However, there's still a chance you could get sick. If your potato is sprouted and shriveled up, then it's too far gone. Toss, it.

What is potato poisoning? ›

Despite their nutritional value, potato tuber may harm human health by virtue of their toxic glycoalkaloids (solanine). Acute solanine poisoning can happen from ingesting green or sprouted potatoes. The toxicity of Gas in humans causes mainly gastrointestinal disturbances such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Can you cook wrinkled sweet potatoes? ›

If the sweet potato has only a few small sprouts, you can simply remove them and use the potato as you normally would. However, if the potato has large sprouts or the skin is wrinkled or discolored, it may be best to discard it.

What does a diseased potato look like? ›

Sunken and often shriveled areas on the surface of infected tubers are the most obvious symptom. When tubers are cut through the affected areas, tissues appear brown and collapsed, often with a white, pinkish, or yellow fungal growth, which may extend into the center of the tuber.

How do you eat papas arrugadas? ›

Papas arrugadas is a traditional boiled potato dish from the Canary Islands. The small new potatoes are boiled in salt water and often served with a spicy sauce like mojo picon or mojo rojo, a chili pepper garlic sauce. Traditionally, papas arrugadas are served as a side dish accompanying a meat main meal.

What does papas mean in potatoes? ›

Both mean potato. In most of Spain it is “patata”, in Andalucía, the Canary Islands and all of Spanish-speaking Latin America, is “papa”. Sweet potato is “batata” in Spain and Argentina, “boniato” in Uruguay and “camote” in most other places.

What does papas mean in English? ›

Other forms: papas. Definitions of papa. an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk. synonyms: dad, dada, daddy, pa, pappa, pop. type of: begetter, father, male parent.

Is it OK to use potatoes that are a little soft? ›

Can I use potatoes that are too old and are a little soft? A: If they don't have an offensive smell and the softness is from losing some of the moisture, you are probably fine. However, if in doubt, throw them out.

Can I still use potatoes if they are soft? ›

But what if they're just a little soft, or have a few sprouts? As long as the potatoes are still mostly firm, they're fine to cook. Potatoes are 80 percent water, so softness is usually just a sign of dehydration. But if they're extremely mushy or shriveled, do not pass go.

Is it OK to use potatoes that are getting soft? ›

Raw potatoes should be firm to the touch with tight skin that's free of large bruises, black spots, or other blemishes. If a potato has become soft or mushy, you should throw it out. Though it's normal for potatoes to smell earthy or nutty, a musty or moldy odor is a hallmark of spoilage.

Can you still cook soft potatoes? ›

If your potatoes are already soft, they may not hold up well in certain cooking methods that require firm potatoes, like roasting or frying. However, there are still several ways you can use soft potatoes: Mashed Potatoes: Boil the soft potatoes until they are fully cooked.

References

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