Llapingachos are a traditional Ecuadorian dish of potato patties or thick potato pancakes stuffed with cheese and cooked on a hot griddle until crispy.
Llapingachos, also called yapingachos, are typically served as a side dish for many Ecuadorian main courses. Llapingachos also make a great breakfast or brunch dish, and can be served on their own as an appetizer or even as a full meal accompanied by a tasty peanut sauce or salsa de mani, fried egg, chorizo style sausages, pickled onion and tomato salad, some lettuce, avocado slices and aji criollo hot sauce.
These potato patties can be a little bit “tricky” to make (to quote my 5 year old), but I have a few tips from having failed to get them right several times that can help make the preparation relatively easy. And of course the more you make them, the better you become at getting them just right.
First of all, the type of potatoes that are used are very important, I tried making them with Yukon gold potatoes and it wasn’t working out, the flavors were great, but the consistency was just too soft. So, I recommend using Russet potatoes or a potato that is very starchy. Once you’ve practiced with the Russet potatoes you can try with the Yukon golds. They taste even better, but just need a little extra care.
Next, let the potato mixture rest for at least an hour before making the patties. When preparing the patties and filling them with cheese, make sure the cheese is stuffed well enough to keep it from seeping through to the surface; if not it will burning during the cooking process. Once the patties are formed, let them also rest for at least 30 minutes.
Finally, when cooking the llapingachos, try to avoid using any oil or grease, this will help prevent them from breaking up. It helps to use a griddle, but regardless of whether you use a griddle or a frying pan make sure it is well heated. Kind of like making that first pancake you can assess how hot and how long the llapingachos needs to cook on each side to have that nice crispy golden brown finish.
I used to turn them several times back and forth, but if you let them cook long enough on each side and just turn them once the results are much better, and since the patties are pretty delicate you have to be very careful when turning them.
The ingredients below should make about 12 medium sized llapingachos; you can make the patties smaller if you are serving them as appetizers.
Llapingachos or Ecuadorian stuffed potato patties
Ingredients
- 5 large Russet potatoes about 3 lbs, peeled and cut in chunks
- 2 tbs sunflower or avocado oil
- ½ cup finely chopped white onion
- 2 tsp ground achiote
- 1 cup grated quesillo or mozzarella cheese
- Salt to taste
To serve:
- Salsa de mani or peanut sauce
- Tomato and onion curtido
- Avocado slices and lettuce leaves
- Fried eggs
- Grilled or fried chorizo or sausages
- Hot sauce or aji criollo
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes until soft.
- Heat the oil over medium high heat to make a refrito, add the onions and achiote, cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes, mix in the onion refrito and salt to taste.
- Cover the potato dough and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour.
- Make small golf size balls with the potato dough.
- Make a hole in the middle of each ball and fill with the grated or crumbled cheese.
- Shape the dough into thick patties and let rest in the refrigerator for about ½ to 1 hour.
- Cook the patties on a hot griddle until browned on each side, be careful when turning them as they will be very delicate.
- Serve with a fried egg, peanut sauce, tomato and onion curtido, avocado slices and hot sauce.
Step by step preparation photos for Ecuadorian llapingacho potato patties with cheese
Thank you for this recipe. My husband is from Ecuador and requested this for his birthday. I made it once years ago from your recipe so he knew I could do it. The llapingachos and the salsa de mani turned out just right.
Wonderful recipe Laylita! I live in the US.. Do you happen to know where I can find the achiote?.
Thanks. You should be able to find it at any Latin or Mexican grocery store. Even some of the larger US supermarkets usually carry it – check the spices or Latin section. If not you can also find it on Amazon.
Thank you very much for your response Laylita ? I am looking forward to making this recipe!!
My husband made these the other night, and they were so tasty! Thanks for sharing your recipe :)
Hello,
Would it be possible to make these into the patties with cheese the night before and cook them the next day? Will they keep overnight?
Thanks!
Hi Cassandra – Yes, absolutely. I do this frequently. Just place them on a plate or platter lined with wax paper, it will make them easier to remove for cooking.
Hello. I think I am not able to get anatto where I live. Is it a must for the recipe (flavor)? Or is it more for the color? Can I substitute it with something else like smoked paprika? Thank you in advance!
Hi Mai – Yes, the anatto is more for color, it’s flavor is very subtle. You can omit it or use a little bit of paprika as a substitute, but very little because smoked paprika has more flavor than anatto.
I have made this recipe for my Ecuadorian husband and he loves them as do I! However what would be the reason every time I make them it’s so hard to stuff them with cheese they crumble so easy? I still manage to do it and form them and they still taste delicious it’s just so frustrating and hard to do.
Hi Angela – Try refrigerating them for a few hours before cooking them, it helps them keep their shape. And don’t overcrowd the cooking pan, it will make easier to flip them.
These were so delicious! I absolutely love the melted cheese center. The salsa de mani and curtido de cebolla y tomate toppings were perfect.
Hello I have a question I don’t have a griddle am I able to fry them if so how? Olive oil medium Heat? I was thinking of maybe baking them but didn’t know if that would work.
Yes, you can cook them in a frying pan also, just use very little oil (just enough to grease the pan lightly), and let the pan get hot (then lower to medium while cooking them), and be extra careful when turning them (the frying pan edges make it harder to turn them).
I belong to an International Foods group. I am on the committee planning an Ecuadorian meal. I have never visited Ecuador. When I Googled Ecuadorian recipes, yours was the 1st website to pop up, Laylita. The recipe for Llapingachos sounds fabulous. I am pleased that you also have recipes for making the toppings. Our committee is going to have to test this recipe (we have a tasting dinner to make sure the recipes actually work and to be sure all the foods we prepare go well together). Your photographs are especially useful so we know what the recipe should look like each step of the way. Thank you, in advance. I look forward to the publication of your cookbook!
Hi
I can only get Achiote paste from where I am.
Can I substitute it for the Achiote ground powder?
If so, how do I use the paste and how much do I need for this recipe and the peanut sauce?
Thanks!
Yes, you can use the paste instead of the powder. As far as how much it really depends on the concentration of the paste (which varies from one brand to another) and if it has additional condiments in the paste, I would recommend starting with a teaspoon, stir it in, take a tiny taste of one of the onions cooking in it, and based on the flavor and color, add more as needed. The achiote flavor should be very subtle, but the color should be bright orange.