30-Minute Puerto Rican Potato Salad (Ensalada de Papa)
This Ensalada de Papa combines all of the classic elements of a potato salad with zesty Puerto Rican flavors. Yukon gold potatoes give the salad a buttery rich base, perfect for sharing at potlucks or serving alongside your favorite BBQ protein! Comes together in about 30 minutes and makes 4 servings.
Listen, I’m not knocking your basic potato salad but this Puerto Rican style Ensalada de Papa definitely takes things up a notch in the flavor department.
It’s one of my favorite simple salad recipes that keeps things pretty traditional, with the addition of a little island flavor and flair!
Eggs and potatoes are boiled, diced and then gently folded into a bright and tangy salad dressing seasoned with sazon and a hint of lime juice.
It’s just enough to give this classic Puerto Rican salad lots of flavor, without taking away from all the elements we love in a classic potato salad.
And if you’re looking to round out the BBQ menu, pair with this Ensalada de Coditos (Mac Salad) and some Pinchos de Pollo (Grilled Chicken Skewers).
Grocery List
How to Make This Potato Salad
Hard boiled egg pro tip: Toss the eggs into a bowl of ice cold water directly out of the boiling water to make peeling easier.
Optional add in: If you’d like to you can also mix in some cooked and diced bacon or ham.
3 Tips for A Crowd Pleasing Salad, Every Time
- Taste as you go! When prepping the dressing, taste it. Do the same thing after combining everything. It’s crucial yet simple step that will take your salad to the next level!
- Play with your ratios. This tip plays off of the first tip – Could the dish benefit from more sazon? Mustard? Or even some more mayo? Trust your gut and your taste buds.
- Don’t skip the garnish. If you’re using cilantro in your salad, reserve some of the minced herbs to use as a garnish. This helps people to identify what kinds of flavors to expect, but it also adds to the presentation.
Rounding Out the BBQ Menu
Ensalada de papa is a complete meal, perfect for serving all by itself. It also makes a fabulous side dish, or filing sandwiched in between your favorite bread (I recommend this fluffy pan de agua).
More perfect pairings:
Buen provecho,
30-Minute Puerto Rican Potato Salad (Ensalada de Papa)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Entree, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: American, Puerto Rican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Ensalada de Papa combines all of the classic elements of a potato salad with zesty Puerto Rican flavors. Yukon gold potatoes give the salad a buttery rich base, perfect for sharing at potlucks or serving alongside your favorite BBQ protein! Comes together in about 30 minutes and makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 4–5 yukon gold potatoes
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup of chives and/or cilantro, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, minced finely
- 1/3 cup red pepper, diced (bell pepper or canned peppers work)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp sazon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes & eggs. Fill a medium sized pot 3/4 of the way with water and add a few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil before adding the potatoes and eggs. Boil the eggs for 10 minutes and the potatoes for 20-25, or until fork tender.
- Prep the salad dressing. While the potatoes and eggs cook/cool, add the herbs, onion, pepper, lime juice, mayo, mustard, and sazon to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Chop the potatoes and eggs. Peel the skins off the potatoes before dicing into bite sized pieces. Peel the eggs and chop as well.
- Combine everything. Add the chopped potatoes and eggs into the bowl with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste and fold everything together to evenly incorporate, being gentle to not break the eggs and potatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage: This salad will last for 5 days when stored in the fridge in an air tight container.