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    Puerto Rican and Caribbean-Inspired Recipes

    Experience the Puerto Rican culinary heritage as we share easy recipes, expert tips, and fascinating stories. We invite you to savor the true essence of Puerto Rican cuisine. Delight in a symphony of bold flavors, tropical ingredients, and cultural fusion. Explore our collection of Puerto Rican-inspired and Caribbean-twist recipes.

    4th of July with Puerto Rican Flavor

    Celebrate summer and the long weekend Puerto Rican-style! Whether you're heading to the beach, firing up the BBQ, or gathering with family, these recipes bring bold island flavors to your Fourth of July.

    From Pinchos and Bacalaitos to refreshing Tropical Sangria and Tembleque, these dishes are perfect for a relaxed cookout, a beach picnic, or simply enjoying good food and good company.

    • Steamed mussels and clams served in a rustic terracotta dish, with crusty bread and a small bowl of sofrito sauce on the side.
      Puerto Rican Steamed Mussels With Sofrito White Wine Sauce
    • Guineitos en escabeche served in a bowl with onions and green olives, a traditional Puerto Rican green banana salad
      Guineitos en Escabeche, Puerto Rican Pickled Green Bananas
    • Bananas in a bunch are still hanging off the plant.
      Guineos, Platanos, and Banana Leaves: Puerto Rican Staples
    • A bowl of ceviche is in the center, with two smaller bowls of ceviche and forks. A large bowl of tostones is at the top right, with small lemon wedges at the top left.
      Ceviche de Pescado y Camarones, Grouper and Shrimp Ceviche
    • Bowl lined with paper towels and filled with fried mero chunks. A small bowl with cut lemons and a small bowl with tartar sauce.
      Grouper Bites, Chicharrones de Mero
    • Two highball glasses of sangria decorated with a fruit skewer of maraschino cherries, oranges, kiwi, and plums.
      Tropical Red Sangria with Rum
    • A hand holding a fried bacalaito.
      Bacalaitos, Puerto Rican Cod Fritters
    • A fork holding a buffalo chicken meatball dipped in buffalo sauce.
      Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

    Barbacoa

    Puerto Rican-style BBQ, or barbacoa, is all about bold marindates, open flames, and unforgettable smoky flavors. Whether it's pinchos by the beach or pork roasting for hours, BBQ brings people together around good food and good vibes. Try Pinchos de Cerdo, Chuletas, or Pan-seared Lamb Chops.      

    • pinchos served with potato salad and collard greens
      Pinchos de Cerdo, Puerto Rican Pork Kabobs
      Cook Time40 Minutes
    • Small mason jar filled with Puerto Rican Garlic Paste with a jar of oregano and a jar of coriander seeds at either side of it. A small wooden bowl with garlic paste sits in front of the mason jar with garlic paste as well as a few garlic cloves.
      Puerto Rican Garlic Paste
      Cook Time10 Minutes
    • mason jar filled with freshly made mojo. There is a blue kitchen towel on the right and leftover lime and lemon juice behind the jar of mojo.
      Mojo Marinade
      Cook Time15 Minutes
    • A fork full of Pernil with a large serving bowl, avocados, dinner rolls, and small serving bowls with meat on the background.
      Instant Pot Puerto Rican Pernil (Pork Roast)
      Cook Time10 Hours 10 Minutes
    See more Barbacoa →

    Sides and salads

    Puerto Rican meals wouldn’t be complete without crispy sides and vibrant salads. These dishes balance out the richness of the mains and bring a pop of color and freshness to the table.

    Think Tostones, Amarillos (Fried Sweet Plantains), and Ensalada de Coditos (Macaroni Salad), or lighter options like Ensalada Verde con Aguacate (Green Salad with Avocado).

    • A hand holding a smashed plantain. The rest of the plantains are in a towel-lined bowl sits behind it.
      Tostones de Plátano (Puerto Rican Smashed Fried Plantains)
    • A hand holding a white bowl of funche topped with a dab of butter.
      Funche, Puerto Rican Grits
    • Large pot with cooked yellow rice.
      Arroz Amarillo, Puerto Rican Yellow Rice
    • There are three containers with cooked white rice: the top right is an orange Pyrex container with rice. Below to the left is a bowl of white rice, and at the bottom right is a small wooden bowl with "pegao," the rice that sticks to the pan.
      Arroz Blanco, Puerto Rican White Rice
    See more Sides and Salads →

    Popular Recipes

    These are the go-to recipes and receive much love from the community! I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy making them. Buen Provecho!

    • A plate of polvorones cookies with three semi-stacked cookies on top of the table resting in front of the plate.
      Puerto Rican Polvorones (Shortbread Cookies)
    • close-up-of-roasted-chicken-thighs-on-a-serving-platter
      Puerto Rican-Inspired Roasted Chicken Thighs
    • A hand holding a white bowl of funche topped with a dab of butter.
      Funche, Puerto Rican Grits
    • empanadas inside a paper towel lined bowl.
      Puerto Rican Empanadillas
    • A blue and white dessert plate with a slice of bread pudding and caramel sauce on top of it.
      Budín de Pan (Puerto Rican Bread Pudding)
    • pinchos served with potato salad and collard greens
      Pinchos de Cerdo, Puerto Rican Pork Kabobs
    • an overhead view of a table set with two plates of arroz habichuelas and pan seared chicken thighs
      Puerto Rican Rice with Beans
    • Large pot with cooked yellow rice.
      Arroz Amarillo, Puerto Rican Yellow Rice

    Chicken, turkey, and Duck

    • Red Dutch oven filled with chicken in a stew-like broth with vegetables and rice. Serving bowls are placed near the pot.
      Asopao de Pollo, Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice Soup
    • Pasta bowl with chicken chorizo stew and white rice.
      Chicken and Chorizo Stew
    • Green Dutch oven filled with cooked arroz con pollo. There is a wooden spoon resting on the handle of the Dutch oven as well as a black kitchen towel on the other handle.
      Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo, Chicken and Rice
    • Sancocho served in two bowls, with the large Dutch oven full of the soup and raw vegetable ingredients decorating the table.
      Sancocho, Puerto Rican Stew
    See more Chicken Turkey and Duck →

    Recently Updated Recipes

    • Close-up of Seafood Pomodoro pasta with linguine, topped with culantro gremolata and shredded Parmesan in a white bowl.
      Seafood Pomodoro Pasta with Linguine
    • A fully cooked tortilla Española garnished with chopped parsley, served on a wooden cutting board.
      Easy Tortilla Española, Spanish Omelette
    • Completed Sofrito sitting on a table with other ingredients to make sofrito.
      Puerto Rican Homemade Sofrito
    • A slice of carrot cake on a plate with the rest of the cake and another slice in the background.
      Tropical Carrot Cake with Banana and Coconut
    Zoe standin in the kitchen smiling

    Hola! I'm Zoe. I love all things food and enjoy cooking. I created this site to reconnect with my Puerto Rican heritage while living in the United States. This is a great place to reconnect if you are floating in the diaspora. I would love to hear from you!

    About Zoe →

    Mother's Day Favorite Recipes

    • Puerto Rican Bacalao a la Vizcaina
    • Caldo santo served in a bowl with tostones.
      Caldo Santo, Puerto Rican Coconut Seafood Soup
    • Plate of Pecan Crusted Cheesecake and Guava Berry Coulis.
      Pecan Crusted Cheesecake with Guava Berry Coulis
    • Two plates of eggplant lasagna were served on a table with the casserole near the plates.
      Lasaña de Berenjena, Puerto Rican Eggplant Lasagna
    • A bottle of achiote oil is at the center of the image, with a mason jar full of achiote seeds and a bottle of oil behind it.
      Achiote Oil
    • A spoon full of stewed beans hovering over a bowl of cooked beans.
      Habichuelas Guisadas, (Puerto Rican Stewed Beans)

    Popular Recipes

    • A plate of polvorones cookies with three semi-stacked cookies on top of the table resting in front of the plate.
      Puerto Rican Polvorones (Shortbread Cookies)
    • close-up-of-roasted-chicken-thighs-on-a-serving-platter
      Puerto Rican-Inspired Roasted Chicken Thighs
    • A blue and white dessert plate with a slice of bread pudding and caramel sauce on top of it.
      Budín de Pan (Puerto Rican Bread Pudding)
    • empanadas inside a paper towel lined bowl.
      Puerto Rican Empanadillas
    • an overhead view of a table set with two plates of arroz habichuelas and pan seared chicken thighs
      Puerto Rican Rice with Beans
    • pinchos served with potato salad and collard greens
      Pinchos de Cerdo, Puerto Rican Pork Kabobs

    I’d love to hear from you! Did you try this recipe? Leave a review and rating below. Let’s connect on Instagram, and don’t forget to join my weekly email list for fresh new recipes.

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