Puerto Rican food is full of flavor and color. It mixes Spanish, African, and Native American cooking styles. You’ll find tasty dishes with rice, beans, meat, and seafood.
These 12 Puerto Rican recipes will help you make authentic meals at home. They include classic stews, rice dishes, and desserts. You’ll learn to use key ingredients like sofrito, adobo, and sazon. These recipes are great for family dinners or trying something new.
1. Mofongo
Mofongo is a classic Puerto Rican dish made with fried plantains. To make it, you’ll need green plantains, garlic, and oil.
Start by peeling and slicing the plantains. Fry them until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes per side.
Next, mash the fried plantains with garlic in a mortar and pestle. Shape the mixture into balls or mounds.
Serve your mofongo with beef stock or garlic sauce. Some versions include pork cracklings for extra flavor.
This hearty dish is often paired with meat or seafood. It’s a filling meal that showcases Puerto Rico’s culinary heritage.
2. Arroz con Gandules
Arroz con Gandules is a classic Puerto Rican dish that combines rice and pigeon peas. To make it, you’ll start by sautéing sofrito, a flavorful blend of herbs and vegetables, in oil.
Next, add tomato sauce, olives, and spices like sazon and adobo. Stir in the pigeon peas and let the flavors meld together.
Pour in water or broth and bring it to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 25 minutes. The result is a savory, colorful dish that’s perfect as a side or main course.
3. Pernil
Pernil is a beloved Puerto Rican dish featuring slow-roasted pork shoulder. You’ll love the tender, juicy meat that falls off the bone.
The pork is marinated overnight in a flavorful blend of garlic, herbs, and spices. This creates a rich taste that permeates throughout the meat.
As it cooks, the skin turns crispy and golden brown. This adds a delightful crunch to each bite.
Pernil is often the star of holiday meals and special occasions in Puerto Rico. You can serve it with traditional sides like arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) for a complete feast.
4. Pastelón
Pastelón is a Puerto Rican dish that’s often called “plantain lasagna.” You’ll love this hearty casserole that combines sweet and savory flavors.
To make pastelón, you layer fried plantains with seasoned ground beef and cheese. The plantains should be ripe, with black spots on the peel. This ensures they’re sweet enough.
The beef filling typically includes sofrito, tomato sauce, and olives for a rich taste. You can add raisins for extra sweetness if you like.
Layer these ingredients in a baking dish, top with beaten eggs, and bake until golden. The result is a delicious blend of textures and flavors that’s uniquely Puerto Rican.
5. Tostones
Tostones are a beloved Puerto Rican dish made from green plantains. To make them, you’ll need to peel and slice the plantains into thick rounds.
Fry the slices in hot oil for about 3 minutes per side until lightly golden. Remove them from the oil and flatten each piece with a tostonera or the bottom of a glass.
Fry the flattened plantains again until they’re crispy and golden brown. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot.
For extra flavor, try adding garlic powder or dipping your tostones in a garlic sauce. These crispy treats make a great side dish or snack.
6. Alcapurrias
Alcapurrias are tasty Puerto Rican fritters you’ll love. They have a crispy outside and a flavorful meat filling inside.
To make alcapurrias, you need a dough made from yautia (taro root) and green plantains. This mixture forms the outer shell.
For the filling, cook ground beef with sofrito, spices, and olives. This savory mix is called picadillo.
Shape the dough into ovals, stuff them with the meat filling, and seal them up. Then deep fry until golden brown and crispy.
Alcapurrias make a great snack or party food. You can find them at street fairs and beaches in Puerto Rico.
7. Pollo Guisado
Pollo Guisado is a hearty Puerto Rican chicken stew. You start by browning chicken pieces in oil. Then you add sofrito, tomato sauce, and spices to build flavor.
Next, you pour in chicken broth and add vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and olives. The stew simmers until the chicken is tender and the flavors meld.
Some recipes include a touch of brown sugar for sweetness. Others use pumpkin or sweet potatoes for extra richness. You can adjust the ingredients to your taste.
Serve Pollo Guisado over rice for a comforting meal. It’s even better the next day as leftovers.
8. Asopao de Pollo
Asopao de Pollo is a comforting Puerto Rican chicken stew. You’ll love this hearty dish on cold nights or when you’re feeling under the weather.
To make it, you sauté chicken thighs with sofrito, garlic, and onions. Then you add rice, broth, and adobo seasoning. Green olives give it a tangy flavor.
As it cooks, the rice absorbs the flavorful broth. The result is a thick, soupy stew. You can serve it with avocado slices and tostones on the side.
Don’t forget the pique (Puerto Rican hot sauce) for an extra kick!
9. Rellenos de Papa
Rellenos de Papa are a beloved Puerto Rican dish. These stuffed potato balls are crispy on the outside and filled with savory meat inside.
To make them, you start by boiling and mashing potatoes. Then you form the mashed potatoes into balls and stuff them with a flavorful meat filling called picadillo.
The stuffed potato balls are then coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden brown. When you bite into one, you get a delicious mix of crispy exterior and soft potato with seasoned meat.
Rellenos de Papa are often served as appetizers or snacks. You can find them at parties, street fairs, and restaurants throughout Puerto Rico.
10. Tembleque
Tembleque is a beloved Puerto Rican coconut pudding dessert. You’ll love its silky smooth texture and rich coconut flavor.
To make tembleque, you mix coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Cook the mixture while stirring until it thickens.
Pour the pudding into molds and chill until set. When ready to serve, unmold the tembleque onto plates.
Sprinkle some ground cinnamon on top for extra flavor. The name “tembleque” means wobbly or wiggly in Spanish, referring to the pudding’s soft, jiggly texture.
11. Bacalaitos
Bacalaitos are crispy Puerto Rican codfish fritters. To make them, you’ll need to soak salt cod overnight to remove excess salt.
After soaking, simmer the fish briefly and flake it. Mix the flaked cod with flour, baking powder, water, and seasonings to form a thin batter.
Popular additions include sofrito, garlic, cilantro, and bell peppers. Let the batter rest briefly before frying spoonfuls in hot oil.
The result is golden, crispy fritters with a savory cod flavor. Bacalaitos make a tasty appetizer or snack in Puerto Rican cuisine.
12. Carne Guisada
Carne guisada is a beloved Puerto Rican beef stew. It features tender chunks of beef simmered in a flavorful gravy. The meat becomes so soft it melts in your mouth.
This hearty dish typically includes potatoes and carrots. Olives add a tangy twist. The key to its taste is sofrito, a blend of aromatic herbs and vegetables.
You’ll find carne guisada seasoned with sazon and adobo spices. These give it that authentic Puerto Rican flavor. It’s often served over rice for a comforting meal.
Try making carne guisada for a taste of Puerto Rican comfort food. It’s perfect for chilly days or when you want a satisfying dinner.
Culinary Techniques
Puerto Rican cooking relies on time-honored methods and modern innovations. These techniques bring out rich flavors and textures in traditional dishes while also allowing for creative new twists.
Traditional Cooking Methods
Slow cooking is key in many Puerto Rican recipes. You’ll often simmer meats and stews for hours to develop deep flavors. Sofrito, a blend of herbs and aromatics, forms the base of many dishes. You fry it in oil before adding other ingredients.
Roasting is another common technique. You’ll use it for dishes like pernil (roast pork). The meat cooks slowly, creating a crispy exterior and juicy interior.
Grilling adds smoky notes to foods. You might grill meats, vegetables, or even fruits for added depth.
Modern Twists
Today’s Puerto Rican cooks often use faster methods while keeping traditional flavors. Pressure cookers speed up cooking times for beans and stews. Air fryers create crispy textures with less oil.
Fusion dishes blend Puerto Rican flavors with other cuisines. You might find mofongo (mashed plantains) stuffed with Korean BBQ or tostones topped with sushi-grade tuna.
Some chefs use molecular gastronomy to reimagine classic dishes. Mango spheres or deconstructed arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) offer new textures and presentations.
Ingredient Highlights
Puerto Rican cuisine relies on unique flavors and staple ingredients. These elements give the dishes their distinct taste and character.
Local Spices and Herbs
Sofrito is a key flavor base in Puerto Rican cooking. It’s made with peppers, onions, garlic, and cilantro. This aromatic mix adds depth to many dishes.
Adobo seasoning is another must-have. It’s a blend of garlic powder, oregano, salt, and other spices. You’ll find it in meat rubs and marinades.
Sazon gives food a vibrant color and savory taste. It often contains coriander, cumin, and annatto seeds. This spice mix is used in rice, beans, and stews.
Culantro has a stronger flavor than cilantro. You can use it fresh or dried in soups and stews. It’s a common herb in Puerto Rican kitchens.
Staple Ingredients
Rice is a cornerstone of Puerto Rican meals. White rice is most common, but you’ll also see yellow rice colored with annatto.
Beans, especially pink beans, are eaten daily. They’re often served with rice or used in soups.
Plantains are versatile. You can fry them when green for a savory side dish. Ripe plantains are sweeter and used in desserts.
Yuca, also called cassava, is a starchy root vegetable. It’s boiled, mashed, or fried as a side dish.
Coconut milk adds richness to desserts and some savory dishes. It’s key in arroz con dulce, a sweet rice pudding.