If you’re searching for something delicious and different to complement your meals, look no further.
I’ve put together a collection of Peruvian-inspired recipes for you.
These 10 flavorful side dishes will add excitement to any dinner table.
1. Peruvian Mixed Bean Salad
With a variety of beans, this recipe earns its title. However, there’s more than just beans in it.
Grape tomatoes, jalapeños, yellow peppers, avocado, parsley, garlic cloves, and seasonings also find their way in. It is a vibrant salad of greens, reds, browns, and yellows. I find all those colors exciting and festive, making it great for cookouts and barbecues.
2. Salchipapas
Make this tasty Peruvian dish in around a half-hour with under 10 ingredients.
It is meaty, starchy, and tastes like real street fare. (That’s intended as a huge compliment. Excellent street food is hard to come by.)
It might have an unusual name, but it’s just sausage and french fries with great condiments.
3. Peruvian Rice
This straightforward Peruvian staple calls for only six things: rice, garlic, olive oil, water, lemon juice, plus salt. It requires about 35 minutes to prep.
This is a mild dish that is not too intense. The garlic, salt, and lemon juice add a little complexity, but the flavor is not strong or too much.
It is usually served with marinated meat, onion relish, peppers, or roasted veggies, so it should be mild and unassuming.
4. Yuquitas Fritas (Peruvian Yucca Fries)
Although these take an hour to cook, you can prep them with just four easy ingredients in 15 minutes or less.
Think of these as the Peruvian version of french fries. They are crispy, crunchy, salty, and just plain delicious.
5. Peruvian Potato-Chicken Salad (Causa Rellena)
You might not recognize this dish as chicken-potato salad. If done right, it resembles flan.
Even so, it is indeed potato-chicken salad. It is creamy, cool, and savory, not to mention very spicy, thanks to the aji amarillo chili paste.
It is a multi-layered recipe that will take a while to cook correctly. If you do it right, everyone will be amazed.
It not only looks great but is incredibly tasty.
6. Papa a la Huancaina
Of all the options here, this recipe is the best example of contrasting flavor profiles. Traditionally served as a starter, papa la Huancaina has slices of potato with Huancaina sauce.
This sauce is cheesy, velvety, rich, smooth, with a hint of spice. The eggs, olives, parsley, and lettuce somehow make the recipe salty, cheesy, savory, bitter, and fresh all at the same time.
7. Fried Plantains
Since I mentioned plantains, I can’t leave these out.
They have delicious soft insides and wonderfully crisp outsides. They have just a bit of sweetness, but they are not too sweet.
Even though the name includes “sweet,” that does not mean they are a dessert. Typically, folks serve these with savory foods like rice and beans, soups, stews, and other dishes. Consider adding cinnamon, nutmeg, or sugar if you wish to make them a dessert.
8. Peruvian Pan de Anis (Anise Bread)
Should you want a new sweet bread, consider this one. Besides typical ingredients such as eggs, water, yeast, and flour, it also features anise seed along with a third of a cup of sugar.
The bread is fluffy, warm, and amazing with strong tea or black coffee.
9. Peruvian Chopped Salad
I’m starting with this simple, 20-minute salad.It is a dense, filling recipe similar to corn salad.
It has the sweetness and tartness of corn, red wine vinegar, and tomatoes, plus lemon zest, sea salt, and olives, along with fresh mint, parsley, onions, and radishes.
It also includes jalapeños for a bit of heat!This recipe is a lesson in contrasting flavors.It is also incredibly delicious.
10. Tacu Tacu
At first glance, this recipe might seem intimidating. It seems like there are a lot of ingredients and the cooking time looks lengthy.
However, tacu tacu is easy to cook. As long as you can sauté and soak beans, you will be able to prepare it.
It is the Peruvian spin on rice and beans. You will shape the cooked beans into a patty that resembles a hash brown. The patty gets served with fried plantains, a fried egg, plus zesty onion relish.
What’s not to love about fried food, garlic, and onions?