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    Home » Recipes

    Traditional Puerto Rican Classics

    Puerto Rican cuisine is built on a foundation of rich flavors, hearty ingredients, and deep-rooted traditions. These recipes are the heart of the island’s food culture, passed down through generations and found in every home and fonda. From slow-cooked stews to crispy fritters, these dishes represent the true essence of Boricua cooking.

    You’ll find classics like Arroz con Gandules, the ultimate Puerto Rican rice dish, which is often served at holiday celebrations. Another must-try is Mofongo, a mashed green plantain dish mixed with garlic, pork cracklings, and other savory ingredients, which is a staple across the island. For a hearty stew, Bacalao a la Vizcaína, a flavorful salt cod dish, captures the essence of Puerto Rican cuisine, especially during Lent. And no meal is complete without Sancocho, a rich, slow-cooked stew with root vegetables and meats, or Funche, a simple but comforting cornmeal porridge that has been loved for generations.

    • Top view of a molded pistachio tembleque garnished with shredded coconut and chopped pistachios on a white plate.
      Pistachio Tembleque
    • Overhead view of Puerto Rican ropa vieja (shredded beef stew) with white rice, stewed beans, and tomato slices, on a plate.
      Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef Recipe)
    • 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)
    • Plates of biftec encebollado with onions, avocado, and yuca served family-style.
      Biftec Encebollado (Puerto Rican Steak and Onions)
    • Close-up of a forkful of arroz mamposteao, Puerto Rican rice and beans, held above a bowl on a blue patterned cloth.
      Mamposteao, a Puerto Rican Leftover Rice Comfort Food
    • 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 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
    • Overhead view of Puerto Rican Crab Rice (Arroz con Jueyes) in a red Dutch oven, showing rice simmered with crab meat, olives, red peppers, and sofrito. A wooden slotted spatula rests beside the pot on a terrazzo countertop.
      Puerto Rican Crab Rice, Arroz con Jueyes
    • 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
    • Overhead view of a skillet filled with Mojo Isleño, a chunky Puerto Rican tomato sauce with olives, onions, and garlic, simmering on a striped wood board.
      Mojo Isleño, Puerto Rican Tomato Sauce for Fish and Seafood
    • Close-up of a creamy pistachio limber topped with cinnamon, shredded coconut, and chopped pistachios, partially popped out of its plastic cup on an orange surface.
      Creamy Limbers de Pistachio, Homemade Ice Pops
    • Close-up of Puerto Rican chicken paella with bone-in chicken thighs, longaniza sausage, pigeon peas, and sliced plantains, garnished with fresh cilantro in a large paella pan.
      Puerto Rican Chicken Paella with Sausage and Plantain
    • Close-up of a Limber de Coco topped with cinnamon and shredded coconut in a clear plastic cup.
      Limbers de Coco, Creamy Puerto Rican Coconut Ice Pops
    • Close-up of Seafood Pomodoro pasta with linguine, topped with culantro gremolata and shredded Parmesan in a white bowl.
      Seafood Pomodoro Pasta with Linguine
    • 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)
    • 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 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
    • 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
    • A hand holding a white bowl of funche topped with a dab of butter.
      Funche, Puerto Rican Grits
    • Puerto Rican Bacalao a la Vizcaina
    • Caldo santo served in a bowl with tostones.
      Caldo Santo, Puerto Rican Coconut Seafood Soup
    • 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
    • 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)
    • Plate of Pecan Crusted Cheesecake and Guava Berry Coulis.
      Pecan Crusted Cheesecake with Guava Berry Coulis
    • 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
    • Large pot with cooked yellow rice.
      Arroz Amarillo, Puerto Rican Yellow Rice
    • 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
    • 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
    • Pasta bowl with chicken chorizo stew and white rice.
      Chicken and Chorizo Stew
    • Two plates of eggplant lasagna were served on a table with the casserole near the plates.
      Lasaña de Berenjena, Puerto Rican Eggplant Lasagna
    • A hand holding a bowl full of carne guisada.
      Carne Guisada, Puerto Rican Beef Stew
    • 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)
    • Wooden spoon with cooked beans hovering over a pot of rehydrated beans.
      Rehydrated Beans
    • A plate of chuletas (pork chops), white rice, navy beans, and sliced tomatoes.
      Chuletas Fritas, Puerto Rican Fried Pork Chops
    • Wooden mortar stuffed to the top with mofongo.
      Puerto Rican Mofongo Recipe
    • 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)
    • Two small plates with individual tembleques dusted with cinnamon and toasted coconut garnishes. Plates sit over a golden glitter fabric.
      Authentic Puerto Rican Tembleque de Coco
    • Hand holding a rock glass full of coquito and ice with rim decorated with cinnamon sugar.
      Puerto Rican Coquito
    • Bowl of butternut squash bisque garnished with cooked shrimp.
      Shrimp and Butternut Squash Bisque
    • 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
    • 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
    • empanadas inside a paper towel lined bowl.
      Puerto Rican Empanadillas
    • Bowl of Caldo Gallego served in bowls.
      Caldo Gallego, Galician Broth
    • 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
    • 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
    • Servings of arroz con dulce.
      Arroz con Dulce, Puerto Rican Rice Pudding
    • image of a serving of a roasted eggplant boat stuffed with shrimp and scallop pan stew.
      Easy Roasted Eggplant Boats
    • Two bowls with Crispy eggplant boats topped with shrimp stew and shredded parmesan cheese
      Chart A New Dinner With Delicious And Crispy Eggplant Boats
    • A heaping full fork of cauliflower yellow rice.
      Puerto Rican Inspired Keto Cauliflower Yellow Rice
    • a bowl of cauliflower tossed in a brava sauce
      Cauliflower BRAVAS, A Keto Twist To The Beloved Patatas
    • a close up of pasta with creamy sauce and shrimp
      Low-Carb Linguini In a Creamy Parmesan Sauce with Pan-Seared Shrimp
    • Plate with seared lamb chops and serving tongs.
      Pan-Seared Lamb Loin Chops
    • A blue and white plate sitting on a table, with Tembleque
      Quick and Easy, Guilt-free Puerto Rican Tembleque
    • Zucchini en escabeche in a platter
      Zucchini en Escabeche, Pickled Zucchini
    • A half eaten polvoron
      Delicious and Nutty Keto-firendly Puerto Rican Polvorones
    • A plate of beer braised short ribs
      Tender and Lucious Dutch Oven Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
    • a cake plate filled guava delight cakes
      Spongy and Moist Puerto Rican Guava Delight Cakes
    • 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
    • Close up of roasted vegetable bisque in a bowl with shredded asiago cheese and culantro chiffonade
      Roasted Vegetable Bisque, an Incredibly Soul Soothing Recipe
    • 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)
    • two ceramic blue dipping saucers with api-li-mojili
      Ají-li-mojíli
    • two bowls of arroz con gandules.
      Puerto Rican Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)
    • an overhead view of a table set with two plates of arroz habichuelas and pan seared chicken thighs
      Puerto Rican Rice with Beans
    • A slice of pastelón plated on a plate with the skillet with pastelon in the background.
      Sweet Plantain Lasagna (Pastelón)
    • flight of artisan rums
      Tour to Ron del Barrilito
    • a close up of Ropa Vieja Philly sub
      Ropa Vieja Philly
    • Picture of Susan Bulloch
      My favorite BBQ sites!
    • A picture of a slice of hojaldre with a fork inserted in it about to take a piece out.
      Puerto Rican Spice Cake; Hojaldre
    • a spoon full of black beans
      Puerto Rican Black Beans. Frijoles Negros
    • Cochinita Pibil. The Way This Puerto Rican Makes It.
    • Puerto Rican Picadillo
    • Green Tomatillo Chicken Enchiladas, Guaranteed to Amaze!
    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 →

    Summer Sizzlers

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      Cochinita Pibil. The Way This Puerto Rican Makes It.
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      Green Tomatillo Chicken Enchiladas, Guaranteed to Amaze!

    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 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
    • empanadas inside a paper towel lined bowl.
      Puerto Rican Empanadillas
    • A hand holding a white bowl of funche topped with a dab of butter.
      Funche, Puerto Rican Grits
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    • A blue and white dessert plate with a slice of bread pudding and caramel sauce on top of it.
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    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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