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Home » Recipes

Frituras and Appetizers

Puerto Rican frituras (fried foods) and appetizers are pure snackable heaven. Perfect for parties, beach days, or anytime you want something crispy and loaded with flavor.

Grab bites like Alcapurrias (Fried Plantain and Meat Fritters), Bacalaitos (Salt Cod Fritters), and Empanadillas de Carne (Meat Turnovers) - street food favorites you can easily recreate at home.

  • Overhead view of golden roasted cauliflower florets on blue and white patterned plate with spicy brava sauce in orange checkered bowl.
    Roasted Cauliflower Bravas
  • A close-up of pumpkin fritters coated in cinnamon sugar, one with a bite showing its bright orange, fluffy center, on a white plate over a green dotted napkin.
    Pumpkin Fritters, Barriguitas de Vieja (Old Lady Bellies)
  • A hand grasps a blue-rimmed glass of piña colada, garnished with toasted coconut and cherries, next to a bowl of shredded coconut.
    Puerto Rican Piña Colada
  • Whole Puerto Rican fried red snapper on a plate with tomato sauce, lemon slices, and plantains.
    Puerto Rican Fried Red Snapper, Chillo Frito
  • Pot of Puerto Rican fish broth on a wooden cutting board, showing its golden color and clean, simmered appearance.
    Puerto Rican Fish Broth, Caldo de Pescado
  • 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
  • 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)
  • Bananas in a bunch are still hanging off the plant.
    Guineos, Platanos, and Banana Leaves: Puerto Rican Staples
  • A fully cooked tortilla Española garnished with chopped parsley, served on a wooden cutting board.
    Easy Tortilla Española, Spanish Omelette
  • 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
  • A bottle of mojito sauce surrounded by a bottle of pique (hot sauce), Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining sauce.
    Puerto Rican Mojito Sauce, Savory Sofrito Ketchup Sauce
  • 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
  • pinchos served with potato salad and collard greens
    Pinchos de Cerdo, Puerto Rican Pork Kabobs
  • Wooden mortar stuffed to the top with mofongo.
    Puerto Rican Mofongo Recipe
  • Two rock glassed filled with pistachio coquito and decorated with cinnamon sugar on the rims. A Puerto Rican Christmas decorated bottle sits behind them along with a bottle of regular coquito and a bottle of rum.
    Pistachio Coquito
  • empanadas inside a paper towel lined bowl.
    Puerto Rican Empanadillas
  • Two bowls with Crispy eggplant boats topped with shrimp stew and shredded parmesan cheese
    Chart A New Dinner With Delicious And Crispy Eggplant Boats
  • two ceramic blue dipping saucers with api-li-mojili
    Ají-li-mojíli
  • A bowl of picadillo with pieces of green olives, onions, capers, and pimentos mixed throughout.
    Puerto Rican Picadillo
Woman holding a wooden spoon and smiling in a kitchen with hanging utensils and a vase of flowers on the counter.

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 →

Puerto Rican Christmas

  • Hand holding a peanut butter chocolate chip blondie broken in half to reveal a dense, chewy interior with visible chocolate chips, pecans, and peanut butter pieces, with a full tray of cut blondies on parchment paper in the background.
    Peanut Butter Blondies
  • Three stacked panetela de guayaba bars on a gray plate showing the guava paste layer, with a blue linen and striped wood cutting board in the background.
    Puerto Rican Guava Cakes (Panetela de Guayaba)
  • Overhead view of Puerto Rican arroz con habichuelas (rice and beans) in glass bowl and two white bowls with avocado slices and peach peonies.
    Arroz con Habichuelas (Puerto Rican Rice with Beans)
  • Cooked gandules (pigeon peas) with split skins draining in wire mesh strainer over a stainless steel pot.
    Gandules (Pigeon Peas)
  • Arroz con gandules covered with banana leaves, served alongside carne frita on a holiday table.
    Arroz Con Gandules Recipe (Puerto Rican Rice and Pigeon Peas)
  • Collage of traditional Puerto Rican Christmas dishes including pernil, arroz con gandules, coquito, tembleque, arroz con dulce, and guineitos en escabeche, with a banner that reads “15 Essential Puerto Rican Christmas Recipes.”
    15 Puerto Rican Christmas Essentials (And a Few Delicious Extras)
See more Christmas Recipes →

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)
  • 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)
  • Close-up of a roasted chicken thigh served with guineos en escabeche, cherry tomatoes, and a side of macaroni salad partially visible.
    Puerto Rican Pollo Asado, Oven-Roasted Chicken
  • Close-up of shrimp and scallop stew over white rice, black beans, and fried sweet plantain, with a side of avocado and extra stew in the background.
    Quick Shrimp and Scallop Stew
  • 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)
  • A hand holding a white bowl of funche topped with a dab of butter.
    Funche, Puerto Rican Grits

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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