Multicultural & Ingredient-Driven
Peruvian recipes reflect the diverse climate and cultural landscape of Peru. The large variety of produce and seafood available means that Peruvian food is especially ingredient-driven. The history of the area also plays a role. The history of Peruvian food starts with the Inca and pre-Inca, who cooked with corn (maize), potatoes, and spices. After the Spanish conquest of Incan King Atahualpa in the 1500s, European-style foods like stews, sauces, and baked casseroles were introduced to Peru. Then in the 19th century, immigrant workers from China’s Guangdong Province introduced stir-frying in woks and other elements of Cantonese cuisine. African and Japanese immigrants have also influenced Peru’s rich and varied cuisine. Over time, these various influences have blended into a multicultural cuisine driven by local ingredients and frequent innovation. Corn, grains, seafood, and ají chilies are all frequently called for in Peruvian recipes. Rice, chicken, pork, and lamb are primary ingredients as well. Potatoes are of particular significance – Peru is the birthplace of the potato and there are over 3,000 varieties to choose from! If you’re interested in Peruvian dishes but can’t go visit, don’t worry – you can still take a culinary journey to Peru by way of your kitchen! We’ve rounded up the best Peruvian recipes for you to try at home. Ready to get started?
#1 Ceviche
We couldn’t make a list of the best Peruvian recipes without ceviche! Considered the national dish of Peru, ceviche is light and refreshing, yet complex. This classic Peruvian recipe is traditionally made with a firm white fish like mahi mahi, sea bass, sole, or grouper. Popular modern twists include ceviche made with shrimp, salmon, or tuna. However, if you’ve never had classic Peruvian ceviche, we highly recommend trying it out! It’s flavored with ginger, garlic, lime, habanero chile, cilantro, celery, and red onion and served with sweet potatoes and crunchy toasted corn. It’s topped with an aromatic pureed sauce that forms the perfect dressing for this no-cook recipe (the fish is “cooked” in the citrus juice via a process called denaturing). Ready to enjoy a taste of Peru in your kitchen?
#2 Salchipapas
This Peruvian “fast food” dish is sold by street vendors all over Peru. It’s filling, tasty, and indulgent. It’s also really easy to make! Stir-fried sausages are sliced up and combined with French fries and…well, that’s it! Salchipapas is one of the easiest Peruvian recipes to make. Several sauces are served alongside the dish, including ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, and ají chili sauce. You can dip bites into the various sauces, making this a great recipe to serve to kids (or kids at heart!). Ready to whip us this easy Peruvian recipe in your home kitchen?
#3 Papa a la Huancaína
Papa a la Huancaína, meaning “potatoes Huancayo style,” is an extremely popular Peruvian recipe. The dish takes boiled yellow potatoes, covers them with a spicy, creamy cheese sauce, and serves them alongside hard-boiled eggs and black olives. The sauce is so tasty that it’s often used for other purposes as well, including as a dip, as a pasta sauce, and over steak! Want to try making Papa a la Huancaína at home?
#4 Lomo Saltado
Flavorful but not spicy, impressive but not complicated, lomo saltado makes for an undeniably delightful meal. It’s a Chifa dish, which is the name for a type of fusion cuisine that combines Peruvian and Chinese culinary traditions. Strips of marinated sirloin steak are stir-fried with soy sauce, red onion, tomatoes, crispy French fries, and ají amarillo, a Peruvian chili pepper. The dish is served with rice on the side and comes together in less than 45 minutes. Ready to try this flavorful Peruvian recipe yourself?
#5 Causa
This Peruvian recipe is easy to make and absolutely addictive. Causa refers to spicy mashed potatoes that are seasoned with ají amarillo and lime. Traditionally, causa includes a bit of mayonnaise on top to balance out the spice factor and is served with a hard-boiled egg. If you’d like to up the wow factor, you can also serve causa in an impressive-looking stack with chicken salad, tuna salad, avocado, shrimp salad, or ceviche layered in. This is one of the best Peruvian recipes for entertaining since it looks impressive but isn’t really that hard to make. We highly recommend giving it a try!
Bonus!
#6 Pisco Sour
This cocktail is the national drink of Peru and Chile. It was invented in the 1920s by an America bartender in Lima, Peru. The base of this light and refreshing cocktail is made from a combination of simple syrup, key lime juice, pisco, and angostura bitters. The pisco sour also includes a signature frothy top, which is made from egg whites. The resulting cocktail is tart, refreshing, and bold. If you’re looking for the perfect cocktail recipe to accompany your Peruvian feast, this is it! Ready to mix up your own pisco sour?