Looking for authentic Cuban recipes to spice up your dinner ideas? From ropa vieja to mojo pork, these dishes are easy to make and simply irresistible!
If you’ve ever been to Cuba, then you know their food is amazing. Cuban dishes are simmered and heavily marinated, which gives them a lot of flavor.
Cuban cuisine
offers a blend of African, Caribbean, native Taino and Spanish cuisine. So many
bold flavors come together in every Cuban dish!
In the United States, the Cuban sandwich is the most popular food associated with the country. But there’s more to Cuba than its tasty sandwiches.
You can prepare delicious Cuban meals directly in your own kitchen.
I have gathered 24 Cuban recipes that will transform your dining room into a paladar (private Cuban restaurant).
Let’s dig deeper!
1. Ropa Vieja
To get to know Cuban cuisine better, let’s start with one of the national dishes:
ropa vieja.
This tasty Latin dish contains a tasty hit of shredded meat with vegetables
.
With a little olives and capers, ropa vieja will give you a slightly salty taste
.
Traditionally, this dish uses flank steak. But since this part doesn’t work well in low, slow cooking, you might want to try chuck steak.
When cut correctly, chuck steak will produce soft, flavorful, moist shredded meat for your old clothes.
2. Cuban Fried
For a delicious burger that you can have at any time of the day, look no further than the Cuban fried!
Warning: this is not your typical burger. Imagine a well-seasoned empanada infused with chorizo butter and paprika.
Now, take your imagination to the next level by adding strings of potato chips on top of the
burger.
I’m sure every bite of this burger will give an excellent crunch!
3. Cuban Creole Shrimp
This quintessential Cuban dish is spicy and slightly spicy. It’s perfect for adding a little warmth to your tummy.
The main ingredient here is shrimp, so a seafood treat awaits you!
Simmered in a tomato and fresh Latin spice-based sauce, this dish is perfect when served over white rice
.
Feel free to dip some bread in the sauce. Honestly, it’s so good, you won’t be able to resist.
4. Cuban chicken with yellow rice
Looking for that food to keep you full and satisfied? This Cuban chicken with yellow rice is just the ticket!
Ready in
40 minutes, everything in this dish quickly comes together. The best part? The ingredients you need are probably in your pantry right now.
This dish is also known as arroz con pollo.
Remember this name whenever you want moist yellow rice topped with seasoned and scorched chicken breasts.
To make the dish more vibrant and tasty, don’t forget to add red peppers, green peas, and also slices of chorizo if desired.
5
. Cuba Libre
Cuba Libre is a cocktail party that celebrates the end of oppression and war in Cuba. It has the classic combination of rum, cola and a slice of lime.
The original rum used for this drink was Bacardi Carta de Oro. Still, any type of rum (light or dark) should work unless you want the authentic taste.
Cuba libre is light with a timeless flavor. It’s as strong as a glass of wine, and it’s perfect for a cocktail or girls’ night out!
6. Pulpeta
Pulpeta
is a Cuban-style meatloaf that combines ground beef, onion, vinegar, eggs, breadcrumbs, tomatoes, wine and spices
.
The authentic pulpeta is not baked, but scorched and simmered in a tasty Cuban-style sauce. Sometimes this meatloaf is full of hard-boiled eggs.
Whether eggs are necessary to make the dish plentiful or visually appealing, I don’t know.
But one thing is for sure: this meatloaf is tastier than the American version!
7. Roast Piglet
The roast piglet, or simply known as Cuban-style roast pork, owes its delicious flavor to the marinade of the mojo
.
This marinade combines large amounts of cumin, garlic and oregano. Roast meat oozes acidic citrus juices.
Roast suckling pig leftovers are also great in sandwiches. Be sure to crush the pork, add sliced onions, and drizzle some mojo sauce on top.
8. Tamal en Cazuela Tamal en cazuela
is a dish that will remind you of your grandmother’s kitchen. It will fill your kitchen with a bright and comforting aroma.
This dish is the Cuban version of polenta. Expect a mixture of soft, creamy, porridge-like cornmeal.
For
the ingredients, you can’t go wrong with pork ribs, fresh parsley and lime slices
.
To make variations of this dish, feel free to use seafood or chicken instead of pork
.
9.
Cuban breaded steak
Fancy a good fried chicken? This breaded Cuban steak is the answer! But the truth is, it’s more than a fried chicken steak.
This dish owes its fantastic flavors to the spicy marinade made with orange juice, vinegar, olive oil and Cuban seasonings.
Dredging pork marinated in flour, egg whites and seasoned cookie crumbs is also a crucial step.
Once done, fry the meat to golden perfection, and you will have a wonderful chicken meal for lunch or dinner!
10
. Fried Cow
Fried Cow is said to be a cousin of the classic Cuban dish, ropa vieja. Both use shredded meat but involve different cooking styles.
For fried cow, the result is shredded tender meat with a crispy exterior.
Using mojo marinade is also an important step in infusing exciting flavors into meat.
Simply put, fried cow is a dish where citrus and garlic flavors meet.
An extra point goes to its crunchy goodness. Serve white rice and black beans for a traditional Cuban meal!
11
. Cuban stuffed potatoes
Stuffed potatoes are known as the classic Cuban snack. They are fried potato balls stuffed with meat and tons of spices! Potato balls are
covered with eggs and crumbs. Double dredge for a crunchier crust!
Take a bite and you will find a tasty ground beef mix that is so tasty
.
If you’re a fan of potato dishes, think about making an extra batch of these joy balls. I’m pretty sure they’ll go away fast!
12. Cuban Picadillo
Cuban-style picadillo is a homemade dish with ground beef, ground pork, or sometimes both
.
For this recipe, you’ll focus on using ground beef. But feel free to use pork if that’s what you like.
The Cuban picadillo will not be complete without the addition of capers, olives and raisins.
Tomato sauce and various other spices also add to the layers of flavors that ooze from this dish.
For sides, black beans and sweet bananas are great choices. Add more protein to this dish by topping it off with fried eggs.
13. Congri Rice
While this Cuban dish may not be the most appealing, it’s definitely interesting!
I love the aroma, texture, and flavor that comes out of black beans, vegetables, bacon, and spices
.
The tasty taste of this rice and black makes it a perfect match for ropa vieja
.
You can also enjoy it as a vegetarian main course with a salad on the side
.
14. Tostones Tostones
are banana slices that you have to crush, fry (twice) and season with
sea salt.
With just a few ingredients (green bananas, salt, and vegetable oil), you’ll have these snacks ready in no time
.
Don’t forget to dip the tostones in your favorite sauce for an extra delicious bite!
15. Roasted Mojo de Mojo Cubano The Cuban
mojo roast is a
summer meat dish with herbaceous mojo sauce, garlic and citrus
.
Add some potatoes and carrots for flavor and texture
.
It’s also a single-pan dish, which means less work in the kitchen. But still, you’ll get a full meal for the whole family.
Add some rolls on the side to absorb the delicious sauce!
Mojo sauce is traditionally made with sour oranges
.
But if you don’t have access to them, you can use lemon juice or orange juice. Citrus fruits like grapefruit also work.
16. Elena
Ruz Sandwich The Elena Ruz sandwich proves that the mixture of sweet and savory flavors is not strange at all
. For a Cuban-style snack, this is the
sandwich
you need. Includes turkey, cream cheese and strawberry jam.
Imagine all these ingredients packed inside lightly toasted midnight bread. The sandwich is served hot but not pressed.
17.
Cuban stuffed
peppers Stuffed peppers are very popular in different countries. Of course, Cuba’s version is not to be dismissed.
For this recipe, the peppers are stuffed with the always so tasty Cuban picadillo and cooked rice.
The meat filling is the star of the show, with flavors coming from Latin spices, olives and raisins.
You can omit adding rice if you want a low-carb version of this dish.
18
. Diabolical crab croquettes
If you like spicy food, these diabolical crab croquettes are for you. From the name of the recipe itself, you might have guessed that it features a spicy crab filling.
More than that, the filling is wrapped in bread dough and then dipped in seasoned crumbs, flour and eggs.
The final step is to fry them to golden perfection, so that they are crispy on the outside and tenderly delicious on the inside.
19. Habanero Eggs
Start your morning with this tasty and delicious
Cuban breakfast, huevos habaneros.
In simple terms, this is a habanero-style egg dish swimming in a spicy tomato sauce
.
Serve grilled chorizo and fried plantains for a lively Cuban breakfast!
If having fried, boiled or scrambled eggs is a bit bland for you, this is THE breakfast recipe worth trying
.
20. Slow cooker Cuban Mojo Pork
This recipe
produces slow-cooked shredded pork with garlic and citrus flavors
.
Because your slow cooker will do most of the work, it’s the easiest way to prepare pork.
This recipe is also super versatile! You can place it on a bed of white rice for a full Cuban meal or use it as a dressing for your nacho party.
Once again, the spicy and well-seasoned mojo sauce is your secret to creating this delicious dish.
It will be your marinade, but you can also use it as a sauce or sauce. Impressive, right?
21
. Cuban Lentil Soup
Cuban lentil soup is a comforting dish of brown lentils and vegetables. Whenever it’s cold, this is one of my favorite foods!
This hearty meal offers smoky, warm flavors. Plus, it’s also a one-pot dish, so there’s less cooking work (and less clutter).
Serve the soup with hot, crispy bread or muffins. Happy wet!
22. Cuban Sandwich Pork sandwich
is a classic Cuban combination. It’s so good that even in movies, the Cuban sandwich steals the spotlight.
Check out the movie “Chef” for reference. The sandwich is unlike anything I’ve tried before.
Inside, the pork marinated with mojo is topped with ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. Other versions also make use of salami.
Everything goes into the bread and then pressed, so all the flavors melt into every bite. Serve with some chips because it’s a perfect combo!
23. Cuban Chicken Noodle Soup
Looking for something hot to pair with your Cuban sandwiches? Well, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
This Cuban chicken noodle soup is what you need!
This dish is the best Cuban homemade food in the form of soup. It’s so filling, with all the bite-sized chicken chunks swimming in a light, well-seasoned soup.
The addition of angel hair paste makes the dish more filling. You may only need half of the Cuban sandwich.
But that’s definitely not the case for me. I can’t get enough of that sandwich!
24. Cuban
pumpkin flan
Of course, after going through all those salty, hot, citrus dishes, there’s always room for dessert!
Cuban pumpkin flan with caramel cream is served on a white plate. This is the kind of dessert you’ll find in most Cuban homes.
For the rich, creamy cream, feel free to use fresh roasted or canned pumpkin.
Don’t forget to add some cinnamon, nutmeg and other autumn spices to bring out the best flavor.
