This “Wrinkled Potatoes” Recipe Is Perfect For Sharing!
For a classic tapas idea, Spanish wrinkled potatoes with their spicy red sauce – often known as papas arrugás con mojo picón – are a delicious option!
Papas arrugás or papas arrugadas means “wrinkly potatoes”. It is a simple recipe from the Canary Islands, usually served with Mojo Picón sauce, a delicious hot sauce made with just a few ingredients.
Papas arrugás are soft on the inside with a satisfying salty and wrinkly outside. They are super easy to make and make a delicious appetizer or tapa. And if you don’t like spicy sauces, you can serve the potatoes with allioli or another sauce of your choice!
The mojo picón sauce is easy to make at home and super easy to customize, so you can make it more or less spicy depending on your taste.
I like mine strong, but not to the point of tears, so remember to adjust it to your taste.
Ingredients
Here are the papas arrugadas ingredients that you will need for this simple recipe:
- Small potatoes – Papas arrugás are traditionally made with a specific variety called “Bonita”, but it is difficult to find outside the Canary Islands. So you can use any variety that is good for boiling, just make sure you use small potatoes (they should be one or two bites when you eat them).
- Water – To boil the potatoes. You’ll need enough to just about cover them.
- Coarse salt – Traditionally, coarse white salt is used, but you can use whatever salt you have on hand.
- Garlic cloves – Use fresh garlic cloves for the best taste. Adjust the amount based on your personal preference.
- Cayenne peppers – For the mojo picón sauce. Instead of dried cayenne peppers, you can also use other dried hot peppers or even chili flakes.
- Cumin seeds – I like to use cumin seeds instead of ground cumin to ensure freshness, but you can also use ground cumin if you prefer.
- Paprika powder – Mild paprika for the mojo picon sauce. You could use hot paprika if you want the sauce to be very hot.
- Vinegar – I use wine vinegar, but you can use any vinegar of your choice (except for balsamic vinegar since it has a very distinct flavor).
- Olive oil – If you don’t like the olive oil flavor, you can also use a neutral-tasting oil such as sunflower, avocado, or canola oil. Don’t use coconut oil.
- Salt – Regular table salt to season the mojo picón sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Make the sauce while the potatoes are cooking. You can use a food processor or blender, an immersion blender, or even a mortar and pestle.
- Adjust the heat of the sauce by adding more or less garlic cloves and more or less cayenne peppers. Some people like to add a whole head of garlic, but I like Mojo picón a little less pungent and find two medium-large garlic cloves (with stem removed) to be the perfect amount.
- If you notice the oil separating in the sauce, just stir it again before serving.
- If you like your sauce thicker, you can leave it to rest and then just skim off the excess oil, but don’t throw it away! You can use it to dress a salad or for cooking.
- After boiling the potatoes, the pan may look like it’s burned, but don’t worry, it should be easy to clean after soaking it for a bit.
- If you don’t like spicy sauces, you can also enjoy the potatoes with mojo verde, a milder sauce, or allioli.
How to Make Spanish Wrinkled Potatoes – Step by Step Instructions
This section of the post is all about the visuals and seeing just how to make this recipe. We’ve included the recipe photos so you can follow along with each step.
The recipe card with all the details is at the bottom of this post, so you can skip ahead if you don’t like process photos!
First, thoroughly wash the potatoes as they will be eaten with the skin on. Scrub them well to remove any dirt if necessary.
Then place the cleaned potatoes in a pot and add enough water to almost cover them. Add the salt and mix well.
Cook the potatoes over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until a knife can easily pierce through.
In the meantime, make the mojo picón sauce. Of course, you can also serve the potatoes with other sauces of your choice, so this step is optional.
To make the sauce, combine the peeled garlic cloves (with stems removed), olive oil, vinegar, paprika, cumin seeds, and salt in a blender or food processor.
An immersion blender or mortar and pestle will also work.
Blend everything until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency. You can adjust the heat by adding more dried cayenne peppers and/or more garlic if desired.
When the potatoes are tender, drain almost all the water, but leave about 1-2 fingers’ height in the bottom.
Then reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until all the water has evaporated and the potatoes have a whitish and slightly wrinkled appearance.
Occasionally shake the pot to turn the potatoes (do not turn them with a spatula because they are quite fragile and can break easily).
Remove the potatoes from the pot and serve them with the spicy sauce or other sauce of your choice.
Papas arrugás are best when eaten hot right after being made or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
If you have leftover potatoes, you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can reheat them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
The mojo picón sauce can be stored in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for no more than a week since it contains garlic and oil (read more about this on this USDA page).
The oil will separate from the rest of the sauce, but you can easily remix it with a fork.
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed these Canarian potatoes and sauce, here are some other Spanish recipes you may want to try:
- Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp)
- Calamares a la Romana (Fried Calamari)
- Patatas Bravas (Spanish Fried Potatoes)
- Croquetas de Jamón (Spanish Ham Croquettes)
Papas Arrugadas (Spanish Wrinkled Potatoes)
Ingredients
For The Potatoes
- 1 pound small potatoes
- water, enough to cover the potatoes
- 4 tablespoons coarse salt
For The Mojo Picón Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 to 2 cayenne peppers, dried
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
The Potatoes
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly as they will be eaten with the skin on. Scrub to remove any dirt if necessary.1 pound small potatoes
- Place the cleaned potatoes in a pot and add enough water to almost cover them. Add the salt and mix well.water, 4 tablespoons coarse salt
- Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until a knife can easily pierce through.
- Drain almost all the water, but leave about 1-2 fingers' height in the bottom.
- Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until all the water has evaporated and the potatoes have a whitish, slightly wrinkled appearance. Occasionally shake the pot to turn the potatoes (do not turn them with a spatula as they are quite fragile and can break easily).
- Serve them hot with the mojo picón sauce.
The Mojo Picón Sauce
- In a blender or food processor (an immersion blender or mortar and pestle also work), combine the peeled garlic cloves (with stems removed), olive oil, vinegar, paprika, cumin seeds, and salt.2 garlic cloves, 1 to 2 cayenne peppers, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon paprika powder, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Blend everything until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency.
Notes
- Papas arrugás are traditionally made with a specific potato variety called “Bonita”, but it is difficult to find outside the Canary Islands. So you can use any variety that is good for boiling, just make sure you use small potatoes (they should be one or two bites when eaten).
- If you dislike the taste of olive oil, you can also use a neutral-tasting oil such as sunflower, avocado, or canola oil. Don’t use coconut oil.
- Instead of dried cayenne peppers, you can use other dried hot peppers or chili flakes. Adjust the amount to taste.
- Adjust the heat of the sauce by adding more or less garlic cloves and more or less cayenne pepper.
- If you notice the oil separating in the sauce, just stir it again before serving.
- If you like your sauce thicker, you can let it stand and then skim off the excess oil, but don’t throw it away! You can use it to dress a salad or for cooking.
- After boiling the potatoes, the pot may look burned, but it should be easy to clean with water and soap after letting it soak for a bit.
- If you don’t like spicy sauces, you can also enjoy the potatoes with mojo verde, a milder sauce, or allioli.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
