Peru and Latin America boast many delicious traditional dishes, but few are as popular as Peruvian Salchipapas. Whether or not you’ve heard of this savory classic, you’re sure to enjoy the salty, satisfying combination of sausage, potatoes, and flavorful sauces made popular by 1970s Lima street vendors. Though it is sometimes made with some variation of garnishes and sauces, this simple concoction is beloved in its most basic form.
Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or a shareable dish sure to please your party guests, Peruvian Salchipapas are an excellent option. This dish is also one of the easiest traditional plates to make!
The Origins of Peruvian Salchipapas
Although the inventor of Salchipapas is unknown, people generally recognize this dish as having originated as a poor man’s dish in Lima. In the 1970s, street carts sold plates of steaming fries and sausages in the evenings, wafting the irresistible aromas of salt and fat into crowds of people headed home from work. They quickly grew in popularity. After only a few years, Peruvian Salchipapas could be found in restaurants. Not long after this, entire establishments dedicated to serving varieties of Salchipapas popped up throughout Peru and the surrounding regions. They were traditionally served with four dipping sauces, including ketchup, mustard, aji sauce, and mayonnaise, but they were soon modified to include additions like cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and fried eggs. The dish quickly became a staple item throughout Colombia, Bolivia, and Ecuador as well!How to Eat Salchipapas
In order to experience a burst of flavor in every bite, be sure to eat Salchipapas in a very particular way: however you can fit every ingredient in your mouth at once! Seeing as this dish is often eaten on the go, you can eat it easily with your hands. However, it can get quite messy, so use a fork if you’d prefer to keep your hands clean.Variations of Salchipapas
My Peruvian Salchipapas recipe is traditional yet uniquely adjusted according to my tastes! My flavorful additions make Salchipapas a true meal; with extra hearty ingredients and savory spices, my recipe is one of the best versions of this dish. You are welcome to doctor it with alternate add-ins if you’d like! Over the years, people have added salsa, nacho cheese, crema, pickled vegetables, and other various condiments and toppings. You can also add different types of chicken or sausage. Salchipapas variations are sold all over Latin America; perhaps check restaurant menus online for inspiration as to what you can add to make it your own!
Classic Peruvian Salchipapas
Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or a shareable dish sure to please your party guests, Peruvian Salchipapas are an excellent option. This dish is also one of the easiest traditional plates to make!
Ingredients
Salchipapas
- 3 large potatoes
- 2 sausage links of your choice (I’m using chicken hotdogs and chorizo)
- 1/2 head lettuce
- Mayo and ketchup for sauce
Aji Verde Sauce
- 1/2 cup plant-based mayo
- 1 lime squeezed
- 1 bunch of cilantro chopped for topping
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1-2 jalapeños
Instructions
- Cut 3 potatoes into fry shapes, however thick or thin. Any fry shape of your choice is fine. Soak the potatoes in cold water for 10 minutes to remove the starch. Heat your oil to 325 degrees Fahrenheit in a pan, then throw the fries into the oil for 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan, then place them back into the oil for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Using that same oil, toss in your sausages of choice (sliced diagonally) and fry until cooked through and slightly crispy. You can absolutely air fry both the fries (400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 min) and the sausages (390 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes) to cut down the calories in this dish.
- For the sauce: blend ½ cup mayo, 1 bunch of cilantro with the stems, 2 cloves of garlic, 1-2 jalapenos with the seeds for spice, about a ¼ tsp salt, and squeeze one lime until smooth. You should NOT need to add oil or water to liquefy.
- To make mayo ketchup sauce: I like to mix equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup (ex: 1 tbsp ketchup & 1 tbsp mayo).
- To assemble, place a bed of lettuce down, followed by the fries, then the sausage. Drizzle as much sauce as your heart desires, and enjoy!
