Papa a la Huancaina is a Peruvian appetizer from the region of Huancayo. The creamy spicy sauce is poured over cold slices of potato, a bed of lettuce and garnished with black Peruvian olives and boiled egg.

Welcome to my favorite childhood meal. As a kid, I remember my mother making this sauce and me sneaking cubes of queso fresco. It was served so regularly in our house, alongside Lomo Saltado, Tallarines Verdes, and my favorite all-time beverage, Chicha Morada.

Where is Papa a la Huancaina from?
This Peruvian cold appetizer originated from Huancayo, Peru; the place where my great grandmother and grandmother were born. Huancayo is a city high in the Andes, the place where the indigenous population, the Incas, live.
And while this dish is from Huancayo, papa a la huancaina is made and eaten all throughout Peru. And every city, town, village has their own tweaks and additions to it. This version is what is very typical of what you would see and be served in Lima, Peru.

What does Papa a la Huancaina consist of?
- Boiled and then chilled potatoes. Peru is a very rich in its varieties of different potatoes.
- A few layers of lettuce. Typically you’ll see the potatoes fanned out onto a bed of iceberg lettuce. I often times like to use red leaf lettuce to be a bit fancier.
- Huancaina sauce. This yellow sauce makes the entire dish. It’s a spicy, creamy sauce that has aji amarillo in it, queso blanco/fresco, oil, saltine crackers (yes, that’s right!) and evaporated milk.
- Black olives. This briny garnish adds a nice bite/acid to an otherwise creamy dish. I like to use Peruvian black olives which tend to be larger than a kalamata olive but I say use what you can find!
- Boiled eggs. This is also a garnish and is SO delicious dipped in the sauce.

How to Make Papa a la Huancaina
- Saute the ajà amarillo in some olive oil and add to a blender. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt to the same pan and saute until softened. Add to the blender.
- To the blender, add the queso blanco or queso fresco, evaporated milk, a pinch of kosher salt, and turmeric (if using).
- Start the blender.
- As it blends, pour in the remaining olive oil.
- And then, add a saltine cracker crushed up to give it body and thickness. Give it a taste and add more if needed.
- Salt to taste.
- Assemble!
- Add a few pieces of lettuce to a plate. Top with sliced boiled potatoes.
- Pour the sauce on top and garnish with quarters of boiled egg and black Peruvian olives.

Tips and Tricks
- What should I use if I can’t find aji amarillos? You can use scotch bonnet or another red/yellow colored pepper.
- Where can I find aji amarillos? You can often times find aji amarillos in any Latin market. I like to buy them in the frozen department. This way I can thaw what I need. You can also buy the paste on Amazon.
- What if I can’t find queso fresco? In a pinch you can always use feta cheese. It will have more of a tart flavor to it so I would only use this as a last option.
- Can this sauce be frozen? Yes! It’s a really good sauce to freeze. I would freeze it for up to 3 months.


Papa a la Huancaina Recipe
Ingredients
Huancaina Sauce:
- 2 whole ajà amarillo chiles or 1 tablespoon ajà amarillo paste
- Olive oil
- 1/4 yellow or white onion roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- Kosher salt
- 12 ounces queso fresco cut into cubes
- 1 (5-ounce can) evaporated milk
- Pinch ground turmeric (optional)
- 4 to 5 saltine crackers
For Serving:
- 4 to 5 leaves iceberg lettuce or butter lettuce for plating
- 5 boiled and peeled russet or yellow potatoes cooled and peeled
- 1 large boiled egg quartered
- 3 to 4 pitted Peruvian black olives or kalamata olives
Instructions
To Make the Huancaina Sauce:
- If using whole ajà amarillo chiles, thaw them if necessary. And begin by slicing them in half. Remove the stem and seeds.
- In a small sauté pan, set over medium heat, add a teaspoon of oil, reserving the rest of the olive oil. Cook the ajà amarillo chiles until softened. Transfer to a blender. If you’re using paste, you can simply add the paste to a blender and proceed as instructed below.
- To the same small sauté pan, add the onion, garlic, and pinch of salt. Cook until mostly softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the blender, along with the cubed queso blanco, evaporated milk, and ground turmeric (if using); blend until mostly smooth. With the blender running, slowly add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add about 3 to 4 crushed saltine crackers and blend again until it reaches a thick rich consistency. Add another cracker if the consistency seems too thin. Salt to taste.
For Serving:
- Slice the peeled potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. To plate the dish, arrange the leaves of lettuce on a large plate. Fan the sliced potatoes atop the lettuce, and pour the sauce over the potatoes. Garnish with eggs and olives.
Notes
- What should I use if I can’t find aji amarillos? You can use scotch bonnet or another red/yellow colored pepper.
- Where can I find aji amarillos? You can often times find aji amarillos in any Latin market. I like to buy them in the frozen department. This way I can thaw what I need. You can also buy the paste on Amazon.
- What if I can’t find queso fresco? In a pinch you can always use feta cheese. It will have more of a tart flavor to it so I would only use this as a last option.
- Can this sauce be frozen? Yes! It’s a really good sauce to freeze. I would freeze it for up to 3 months.
Equipment
Nutrition
Enjoy this step-by-step video of How to Make Papa a la Huancaina:
*Also if you dont see the video you wouldnt know the peppers and onions have to be cooked before blending, just a thouhgt!
Hi, my husband is from Peru and I am Cuban and love all this food! but I have a question, in the video I see you add cooked onions but in the recipe you dont have onions listed, so can you tell me how much onion to add please, love your recipes and how you can change the serving to help you make more. Thank you so much!
This looks amazing and your photos are so appetizing! My boyfriend has eaten this before and was telling me how amazing it is. I want to make it this weekend for him. Looking at the recipe I am a bit confused as to where the habanero pepper goes – is it for garnish or does it get blended in with the sauce? Is the sauce quite spicy? I love your blog!
Oh yes! I have wanted this recipe for a while but I couldn’t spell it. Thank you, thank you! Also I agree with the last comment. Lomo Saltado, Peuvian comfort food. Wonderful. I knew about this for many years and now living in Miami I have total access to it. It would be great to have the recipe!:::fingers are crossed:::
Let me know how it turns out! I love lomo saltado, too. I need to make it for the blog soon!
I live in Peru and this is one of our most delicious appetizers! Your recepie is very well done, that’s how i make it too! You should try to make “Lomo saltado” it’s one of my favourite peruvian meals!
I meant Costa Rica 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe! I lived in Costa Rice for a period of time and I absolutely loved this sauce! Wow! Thanks a million for the memories 🙂
Yum! That looks amazing! I’ve never had anything like that before. I’ll have to give it a try!
http://fromdenimtodessert.blogspot.com/
Cecy, I considered buying the chilies and freezing them but all of the little stores that carry them are a bit too far from my house. I’ll definitely have to stock up the next time I head up north!
George, Thank you! I remember you always being sensitive to butter, cream and cheese! Ha!
Lillian, that’s a really good idea. I never thought of substituting with cottage cheese. An awesome healthy option!!
I make this dish with low-fat cottage cheese. It’s just as creamy but with a lighter texture and lower in fat.
You can also garnish it with a sprinkling of finely chopped parsley.
This is one of my favorite Peruvian dishes.
I love the variety of recipes on this site.
Adrianna, Love the new look! Easy to navigate. I must admit, I was never a fan of this dish. I just remember everyone loved it! Your photographs look fabulous! Makes me want to try it, but I know I will be disappointed. Awsome presentation!
Love
~George
Wow!
I would usually not order something like this but from these photos and description totally want to try!
I like the new look!
This dish is one of my favorite Peruvian dishes all around. Your presentation is exquiste, appitizing and I’m certain its quite delicious. I would have never thought of using the huancaina sauce as a dip. All this talk is really making me hungry.
Note the habanero chili is over 100,000 times hotter (SR scale) than the ajà amarillo. There are latin american markets that may carry ajà amarillo in SCal.
I know of a market here in SF that carries ajà amarillo. Next time you come for a visit we’ll shop there. Thai peppers may be a good substitute. Also Chiles freeze well.
Happy cooking!
Love~Cecy