This Salchipapa recipe features a pile of crispy seasoned homemade French fries topped with fried slices of beef hot dogs. Enjoy this easy Peruvian street food at home with all your favorite condiments!
Whenever I hear about another country’s street food, it gets my attention. Because I’ve learned through traveling, that traditional street foods are a fantastic way to get to the heart of an area’s culture. For example, this Salchipapa recipe. This dish of sausages (“salchichas”) and potatoes (“papas”) is a popular Peruvian recipe, not that different than my mom’s pan-fried potatoes and sausages. It’s total comfort food, fun and delicious!
Why You’ll Love It
You can now find this popular street cart food on restaurant menus, in home kitchens, and beyond. Here’s why so many people like this dish:
- Comfort food. I’ve always loved a big ol’ skillet of fried potatoes and sausage. This is just another version, in the form of French fries!
- Easy on the wallet. With a very small ingredients list, composed mainly of potatoes and beef hot dogs, this recipe is budget-friendly.
- Filling. This is a hearty dish that can be shared as a snack or eaten as a family meal.
What Is Salchipapa Peruana?
Salchipapa, also known as salchipapa peruana, is a dish that originated in Lima, Peru – first enjoyed as quick, grab-and-go street food. It consists of a mix of french fries (“papas” or potatoes) and sausages (“salchichas” or hot dogs). You’ll find variations in other South American countries, with different sauces and ways to prepare the fries and sausages, but the base ingredients remain the same.
Salchipapa can be served with sauces and dips like ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. In Peru, salsa de aceitunas, a briny black-olive mayo, is common, as well as spicy aji amarillo sauce.
You can keep to the recipe included in this post, or have fun experimenting – see some of my variation ideas below.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to make this recipe. Find the exact ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Vegetable oil – To fry the potatoes.
- Potatoes – I use Russet potatoes to make the fries, just like I do with my truffle fries recipes.
- Hot dogs – All-beef hot dogs are the traditional, most-used sausage.
- Spice mix – A mix of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper flavors the fries.
- Garnish/Dip – Fresh parsley is sprinkled over the top for fresh garnish. Mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard can be offered as dips.
How to Make Salchipapa
Follow along with my method for homemade salchipapa below. The detailed instructions are included in the recipe card.
- Fry the potatoes. Cook the potatoes in hot oil until they’re browned and crispy, then place them on paper towels to drain away excess oil.
- Season. Sprinkle fries with the seasoning mix.
- Cook the hot dogs. Brown the sliced hot dogs in a skillet.
- Serve. Top the seasoned fries with the browned hot dog slices, then sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with mayonnaise, ketchup, and Dijon or yellow mustard.
Tips & Variations
Make this dish in the traditional fashion, or branch out a bit. Here are a few tips and variation suggestions for this salchipapa recipe:
- Use the air fryer. If you like to make French fries in your air fryer, go right ahead!
- Try sweet potato fries. Swap out regular potatoes for sweet potato fries.
- Frozen french fries. Nothing beats the taste of a fresh French fries. However, you can pick up a bag of frozen French fries. Prepare them according to the package directions and use them in place of the homemade fries.
- Make it spicy. Add chili powder to the spice mix, or simply drizzle hot sauce over the finished plate of salchipapa.
- Add different meat. Another famous version called choripapas uses chorizo. You can also use other kinds of sausage such as chicken sausage.
- Add these… Sometimes a fried egg or cheese is added on top.
What to Serve with Peruvian Sausage and Potatoes
Here are a few serving options:
- Salad. For something fresh and green, serve my mom’s broccoli salad or a simple cucumber salad.
- Coleslaw. Sometimes coleslaw is served with salchipapa – try my creamy coleslaw, Mom’s vinegar coleslaw, or this irresistible jalapeno coleslaw.
- Pickled vegetables. For a briny, crunchy side, try pickled jalapenos or pickled carrots for color and flavor. Pickled red onions are also a great choice
- Dips/Sauces. Try honey mustard dipping sauce, or simply go with ketchup, mustard, and/or mayo.
Proper Storage
Here’s how to store any leftover salchipapa:
- Fridge – Place the salchipapa in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat – Spread the salchipapa out on a baking sheet and place it in a 350°F oven to reheat, or use an air fryer.
More Latin American-Inspired Recipes
Salchipapa
Ingredients
Spice Mix for Potatoes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Potatoes ("papas")
- 2 pounds large potatoes
- 2 cups vegetable oil
Sausages ("salchichas")
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound beef hot dogs, cut into thick slices on the diagonal
To Serve
- ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, all optional for dipping
- chopped fresh parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
Spice Mix for Potatoes
- In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to create the spice mix for the potatoes. Set aside.
Potatoes ("papas")
- Peel potatoes and cut them into French fry shapes – either thick strips or thin shoestring fries, depending on your preference.
- Place cut potatoes in a large bowl of cold water to remove excess starch. Allow them to soak for 15 minutes, then drain and pat them very dry with a kitchen towel.
- Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet or deep-fryer, to around 375°F.
- Carefully add potato fries to the hot oil in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Fry until they are golden brown and crispy, which usually takes about 5-6 minutes per batch, depending on size of potato fries. Remove fries from oil using a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain any excess oil.
- Transfer fries to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the spice mix over them. Toss fries gently to evenly coat with the spices.
Sausages ("salchichas")
- While potatoes are frying, cook the hot dogs. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Once hot, add beef hot dogs slices. Cook 3-5 minutes per side, or until they are nicely browned.
To Serve
- Spread seasoned fries on a serving platter, then top with sausage slices. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Offer ketchup, mustard, and/or mayonnaise for dipping.
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