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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Potatoes

Canarian Potatoes (Papas arrugadas)

Nov 4, 2024 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 11 Comments

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Diet: Gluten Free / Vegan
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A plate of Canarian potatoes with a text title overlay.

Papas arrugadas, also known as Canarian Potatoes, basically means 'wrinkled potatoes' and it's a traditional potato dish that you will find across all the Canary islands. Boiled and salted new potatoes smothered in a spicy and smoky red pepper sauce (you can use a green mojo sauce instead if you want it more mild).

A plate of cooked new potatoes smothered in an orange coloured sauce.

They are called wrinkled potatoes because they are cooked in very salty water so they shrivel up and then they are left to steam in the pan once drained, so the salt gives them a bit of a crusty skin. They are then covered in a delicious sauce that you will want to put on everything!

Just because you might not be on holiday now, doesn't mean you can't enjoy all the same flavours.

For more Spanish recipes, try our delicious Albondigas Meatballs, quick Gambas Pil Pil or our super easy Spanish Rice.

Jump to:
  • What are Canarian Potatoes?
  • Why You Will Love Them
  • Ingredients and Substitutions
  • Step by Step
  • What Potatoes to Use
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Extra Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Potato Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

What are Canarian Potatoes?

Canarian potatoes are basically salty small potatoes and then they are smothered with a sauce - either Mojo Picon (which is what we have used) or Mojo Verde (which is a milder herby sauce).

The reason why they are so salty is because when they were originally made, they were made with seawater because fresh water was often short on the Canary islands and they made the best they could with what they had. Luckily it resulted in super delicious potatoes.

If you have had them when you have been in the Canaries, then these might not taste exactly the same. The recipe will differ depending on the potatoes and salt used and the water to salt ratio used.

Why You Will Love Them

  • A delicious way to use potatoes
  • A great side dish for a BBQ
  • Easy to make sauce
  • Just one saucepan and a blender needed

Ingredients and Substitutions

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.

A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  • Potatoes - For this dish, you need small, quick cooking potatoes like new or baby potatoes.
  • Roasted red pepper - We have used roasted red peppers in a jar, as they are just as good and it makes the sauce much easier to make. You could roast your own peppers if you prefer though.
  • Garlic - There are 6 garlic cloves in this recipe, but it really does need it. The sauce is garlic heavy but that is a good thing. You could always reduce it if garlic isn't your thing. Fresh is always best, but you could use ready crushed in a jar if you prefer.
  • Chilli - We have used 2 small red chillies, and this sauce has got a really kick of heat in it. If you don't like anything spicy, then you could just use one, or leave it out completely.
  • Oil - Try to use the best quality olive oil that you can as you really will be able to taste the difference. This is a lot of oil, but that is the base of the sauce.
  • Salt - There is a lot of salt in this recipe, but it is to get the wrinkly skins on the potatoes. Most of it is drained off, so the nutritional information for the salt in this recipe won't be accurate. Use coarse sea salt for best results.
  • Vinegar - We used apple cider vinegar, but you could use malt or white.
  • Cumin and paprika - This is what adds lots of flavour to the sauce and the paprika adds a nice smokiness to it.

More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.

Step by Step

A pan of small potatoes and salt.
  1. Step 1: Put the potatoes into a pan with all the salt.
Water added to the pan.
  1. Step 2: Cover with boiling water. Bring back to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes until softened.
Red peppers, garlic and spices in a blender jug.
  1. Step 3: Meanwhile, put the rest of the ingredients into a blender.
An orange sauce blended in the blender jug.
  1. Step 4: Blend until smooth to make the sauce.
Wrinkled potatoes in a saucepan.
  1. Step 5: Once the 20 minutes are up, drain the potatoes and then put them back in the pan and on a very low heat for about 5 minutes, shaking regularly so the skins wrinkle.
Cooked new potatoes on a plate covered in mojo picon sauce.
  1. Step 6: Put the potatoes on to a plate and pour over the red mojo sauce.

What Potatoes to Use

Traditionally, Canarian potatoes use a type of potato called Papas Antiguas. These can be difficult to find outside of the Canary Islands, so we used new potatoes, as they are the first potatoes of the season grown on the UK mainland.

You can use small new potatoes, baby potatoes or even fingerling potatoes - just don't use anything too big. About golf ball size is perfect.

Cooked new potatoes in mojo picon sauce.

Serving Suggestions

This is a great side dish that goes with almost anything. Here are some of our favourite recipes to serve it with:

  • Perfect Roast Chicken
  • Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
  • Stuffed Chicken Breast
  • Pesto Salmon
  • Peri Peri Chicken
  • Lemon and Rosemary Chicken
  • Caprese Chicken
  • Halloumi Skewers
  • BBQ Chicken Salad
  • Lemon and Herb Chicken
  • Greek Chicken Skewers

Extra Tips

  • Turn it into a main dish by adding some chopped up vegetables and chunks of chicken breast (or thighs/legs) or halloumi and roasting them at the same time (timing may vary though).
  • The nutritional information for this recipe won't be accurate, and will be an overestimate. This is because they don't keep all the salt on them.
A plate of Canarian potatoes in front of a blue towel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to peel the potatoes first?

No, don't peel the potatoes. The skin has lots of fibre in it and the wrinkly skins is what makes this recipe so special.

What size do you need to cut the potatoes to?

This will depend on the size of your potatoes. As we have used new potatoes, we cut the bigger ones in half and leave the small ones whole.

How do I know when the potatoes are cooked?

The cooking time will depend on the size you cut your potatoes. However, you will know your potatoes are cooked when they are tender when you put a fork through them.

Can you make Canarian potatoes in advance?

Yes, you could cook the potatoes in advance and then just reheat them and add the sauce when you are ready to serve. You could also make the sauce the day before and then cook the potatoes fresh and then add the sauce.

Can you reheat Canarian potatoes?

Yes, you can put them back in the oven for about 15-20 minutes to reheat. However, if we have any leftovers of this (which doesn't happen very often), then we just eat it cold as it tastes just as good that way. If you do reheat it, add a squeeze of lemon before serving to freshen it up a bit.

How to store.

If you have any leftovers, they will store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Beware, the sauce does get spicier the next day.

More Potato Recipes

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    Easy Slow Cooker Jacket Potatoes
  • A bowl of Four Herb Roasted Potatoes in a red rimmed white bowl
    Four Herb Roasted Potatoes
  • Loaded potato skins on a wooden surface.
    Super Greens Loaded Potato Skins
  • Two air fryer jacket potatoes on a wooden board.
    Air Fryer Jacket Potato

If you’ve tried these Canarian Potatoes, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

A plate of Canarian Potatoes smothered in mojo picon sauce.

Canarian Potatoes (Papas arrugadas)

By: Dannii Martin
Papas arrugadas, also known as Canarian Potatoes, means 'wrinkled potatoes' and are a traditional potato dish popular across all the Canary islands.
A circular logo saying GF.
Gluten Free
An illustration of a v-shaped plant in a pot.
Vegan
4.88 from 16 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Tapas
Cuisine: Spanish
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 25 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 308kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a wine glass.
Sulphites

Ingredients

  • 750 g (1.66 lb) Cornish new potatoes
  • 1 Roasted red peppers - jarred
  • 6 Garlic clove
  • 2 Red chilli - small
  • 80 ml (0.33 cups) Olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
  • 0.5 teaspoon Cumin
  • 0.25 teaspoon Paprika
  • 0.25 teaspoon Cayenne pepper - optional
  • 3 tablespoon Sea salt

Instructions

  • Put 750 g Cornish new potatoes into a pan with 3 tablespoon Sea salt and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes until softened.
  • Meanwhile, put 1 Roasted red peppers, 6 Garlic clove, 2 Red chilli, 80 ml Olive oil, 2 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar, 0.5 teaspoon Cumin, 0.25 teaspoon Paprika and 0.25 teaspoon Cayenne pepper into a blender and blend until smooth to make the sauce.
  • Once the 20 minutes are up, drain the potatoes and then put them back in the pan and on a very low heat for about 5 minutes, shaking regularly so the skins wrinkle.
  • Put the potatoes on a plate and smother with the red sauce.

Recipe Tips

  • Turn it in to a main dish by adding some chopped up vegetables and chunks of chicken breast (or thighs/legs) or halloumi and roasting them at the same time (timing may vary though).
  • The nutritional information for this recipe won't be accurate, and will be an overestimate. This is because they don't keep all the salt on them.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 5450mg | Potassium: 910mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 379IU | Vitamin C: 75mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

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Comments

  1. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

    June 22, 2021 at 4:54 pm

    5 stars
    These potatoes are incredible - the sauce is so flavourful and delicious and these make such a wonderful side dish!

    Reply
  2. Beth Sachs says

    June 22, 2021 at 4:47 pm

    5 stars
    The first thing I order when we go to Tenerife! Love these potatoes.

    Reply
  3. Jess says

    June 22, 2021 at 4:41 pm

    5 stars
    Practically licking the sauce off the plate!!

    Reply
  4. Jenn says

    June 22, 2021 at 4:38 pm

    5 stars
    I'm always looking for new potato recipes and these look amazing! I wonder if I can use baby red potatoes instead. Love roasted red pepper so I'm sure I"ll love these potatoes!

    Reply
  5. Jenny says

    June 21, 2021 at 5:39 pm

    5 stars
    Can't wait to try this cooking technique for potatoes, and the sauce looks incredible and easy to make. I love garlic and heat, so the red sauce is exactly the type of thing I love.

    Reply
  6. Petro says

    June 21, 2021 at 5:38 pm

    That sauce sounds incredibly, I'll have to give this recipe a try! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  7. Sandhya says

    June 21, 2021 at 5:22 pm

    5 stars
    That is a delicious side to Pasta mains. My kids will happily dig into them!

    Reply
  8. Katherine says

    June 21, 2021 at 4:38 pm

    5 stars
    Oooh I love all the bold flavors in the sauce! These potatoes look incredible.

    Reply
4.88 from 16 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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