The Kitchen Everything

19+ Best Cuban Recipes

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by

CeCe Jones
in , , , , , , , ,

Cuban food cooks with confidence: a hot skillet, a sour orange marinade, and a pile of garlic that would scare off lesser dishes. These are the recipes Cuban grandmothers pass down at the kitchen table, built on slow-braised meats, black beans, and rice that soaks up every bit of flavor nearby.

This list pulls together the dishes that show up again and again in Cuban home kitchens, from the shredded beef of ropa vieja to the crackling pork skin of a proper lechón asado. Some take all afternoon. Others land on the table in twenty minutes flat.

Quick picks:

  • Best for a Sunday feast: Lechón Asado, slow-roasted pork with crisp, garlicky skin
  • Best weeknight dinner: Picadillo a la Habanera, ready in under 40 minutes
  • Best sandwich: Cuban Sandwich (Cubano), pressed, cheesy, and tangy with pickles
  • Best sweet finish: Flan Cubano, silky custard with a deep caramel layer

1. Ropa Vieja

Ropa vieja is Cuba’s national dish, and the shredded flank steak in tomato-pepper sauce earns that title. The name means “old clothes,” a nod to the way the meat pulls apart into soft, ragged strands.

Yield: 6 servings | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 2.5 hours

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs flank steak
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Simmer the steak in water to cover for 1.5 hours until tender.
  2. Shred the meat with two forks.
  3. Sauté onion, peppers, and garlic for 5 minutes.
  4. Add tomato sauce, wine, cumin, bay leaf, and shredded beef.
  5. Simmer 30 minutes. Season and serve over rice.

2. Lechón Asado

Lechón asado is roast pork marinated in a bright, garlicky mojo, and it’s the centerpiece of Cuban holiday tables. The skin turns crackling and salty while the meat underneath stays tender enough to shred with a fork.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 30 minutes plus overnight marinating | Cook: 4 hours at 325°F

Ingredients:

  • 5 lb pork shoulder
  • 1 cup sour orange juice (or lime and orange juice mixed)
  • 10 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Method:

  1. Blend marinade ingredients and pour over pork in a large bag.
  2. Refrigerate overnight, turning once.
  3. Roast at 325°F for 3.5 to 4 hours until internal temp hits 195°F.
  4. Rest 20 minutes before shredding or slicing.

3. Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con pollo is chicken and rice cooked together in one pot, stained golden with saffron or achiote. This dish turns simple pantry staples into something that tastes like a celebration.

Yield: 6 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6 bone-in chicken thighs
  • 2 cups long-grain rice
  • 1/4 tsp saffron threads or 1 tbsp achiote paste
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup beer or white wine
  • 1/2 cup green peas

Method:

  1. Brown chicken in a large pot, then set aside.
  2. Sauté onion, pepper, and garlic in the same pot.
  3. Add rice, broth, wine, and saffron. Return chicken to pot.
  4. Cover and simmer 25 minutes.
  5. Stir in peas and rest 5 minutes before serving.

If you love one-pot chicken dinners, this dish pairs naturally with other our best chicken recipes worth keeping in rotation.

4. Picadillo a la Habanera

Picadillo a la Habanera is a savory ground beef hash studded with olives and raisins, striking that classic Cuban balance of salty and sweet. It cooks fast enough for a Tuesday night.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/3 cup green olives, sliced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp capers

Method:

  1. Brown beef with onion, pepper, and garlic.
  2. Drain excess fat.
  3. Stir in tomato sauce, raisins, olives, cumin, and capers.
  4. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes.
  5. Serve over white rice.

5. Moros y Cristianos

Moros y Cristianos is black beans and rice cooked together until the grains turn a deep, smoky gray. The name references Spain’s Moorish and Christian history, but at the table it just means comfort food done right.

Yield: 6 servings | Prep: 10 minutes (plus soaking beans) | Cook: 1 hour

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight
  • 1.5 cups long-grain rice
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 3 cups water or broth
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

  1. Cook soaked beans in water until tender, about 45 minutes.
  2. Sauté onion, pepper, and garlic in olive oil.
  3. Add rice, cumin, bay leaf, beans with their liquid.
  4. Simmer covered 20 minutes until rice is tender.

Pair it with other hearty grain dishes from our best rice side dishes when building a full Cuban spread.

6. Yuca con Mojo

Yuca con mojo is boiled cassava root drenched in a sizzling garlic and sour orange sauce. The starchy, slightly nutty yuca soaks up the tangy mojo like a sponge.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs yuca, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup sour orange juice
  • 1 tsp salt

Method:

  1. Boil yuca in salted water 20 to 25 minutes until fork-tender.
  2. Drain and keep warm.
  3. Heat olive oil, add garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
  4. Stir in sour orange juice.
  5. Pour hot mojo over yuca and serve right away.

7. Cuban Sandwich (Cubano)

The Cubano is a pressed sandwich stacked with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on crusty bread. Tampa and Miami both claim it, and both cities press it just as well.

Yield: 4 sandwiches | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf Cuban bread, cut into 4 sections
  • 1/2 lb roast pork, sliced
  • 1/2 lb ham, sliced
  • 8 slices Swiss cheese
  • Dill pickle slices
  • Yellow mustard
  • Butter, softened

Method:

  1. Split bread and spread mustard on both sides.
  2. Layer ham, pork, cheese, and pickles.
  3. Butter the outside of the bread.
  4. Press on a griddle or panini press 4 minutes per side until golden and cheese melts.

Explore more pressed and stacked favorites in our best sandwich recipes for weeknight lunch ideas.

8. Vaca Frita

Vaca frita means “fried cow,” and it turns leftover boiled beef into crispy, garlicky strands with charred edges. It’s a sharp contrast to the soft, saucy texture of ropa vieja.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cooked, shredded flank steak
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Method:

  1. Toss shredded beef with lime juice and garlic. Marinate 15 minutes.
  2. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat.
  3. Add beef in a single layer, pressing down to crisp edges, 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Top with sautéed onion before serving.

9. Fricasé de Pollo

Fricasé de Pollo is chicken stewed in a tomato-wine sauce with potatoes and olives until the meat falls off the bone. It’s the kind of one-pot dinner that tastes better the next day.

Yield: 6 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs bone-in chicken pieces
  • 2 potatoes, cubed
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/3 cup green olives
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 cups chicken broth

Method:

  1. Brown chicken in a large pot, remove.
  2. Sauté onion, pepper, and garlic.
  3. Add tomato sauce, wine, broth, cumin, and chicken.
  4. Simmer 25 minutes, add potatoes, cook 15 more minutes.
  5. Stir in olives before serving.

10. Tostones

Tostones are green plantains smashed flat and fried twice until golden and crisp outside with a soft center. They’re salty, starchy, and best eaten hot off the stove.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1.5-inch pieces
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Fry plantain pieces in 350°F oil for 2 minutes per side, until pale gold.
  2. Remove and smash flat with a plate or tostonera.
  3. Fry again at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes per side until crisp.
  4. Drain and salt immediately.

11. Maduros

Maduros are ripe, blackened plantains fried until caramelized and sweet, the exact opposite of a tostone’s crunch. The sugars inside caramelize into a sticky, almost dessert-like bite.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 very ripe (black-spotted) plantains, sliced diagonally
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

  1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  2. Fry plantain slices 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden brown and caramelized.
  3. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

12. Tamales Cubanos

Tamales Cubanos are made with fresh corn masa studded with pork, wrapped in corn husks, and simmered until tender. They’re softer and wetter than Mexican tamales, almost like a savory corn pudding.

Yield: 10 tamales | Prep: 40 minutes | Cook: 1 hour

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups fresh corn kernels, blended
  • 1 lb pork shoulder, cubed and seasoned
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Corn husks, soaked
  • Salt and cumin to taste

Method:

  1. Sauté pork, onion, and garlic until cooked through.
  2. Mix blended corn, cornmeal, oil, and seasonings.
  3. Spoon masa and pork filling onto husks, fold and tie.
  4. Simmer tamales in water 1 hour until firm.

13. Camarones Enchilados

Camarones Enchilados is shrimp simmered in a spicy, garlicky tomato sauce, closer to a Creole-style sauce than a fiery enchilada. The sauce practically demands a side of white rice to soak it up.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Sauté onion, pepper, and garlic 5 minutes.
  2. Add tomato sauce, wine, paprika, and cayenne.
  3. Simmer 10 minutes.
  4. Add shrimp, cook 4 to 5 minutes until pink.
  5. Serve over rice.

14. Boliche Cubano

Boliche Cubano is a whole eye round roast stuffed with chorizo and slow-braised until it slices into neat, flavorful rounds. It’s a showstopper for a holiday table without much hands-on work.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 25 minutes | Cook: 2.5 hours

Ingredients:

  • 3 lb eye round roast
  • 1/2 lb chorizo, cut into strips
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 bay leaf

Method:

  1. Cut a pocket into the roast and stuff with chorizo.
  2. Sear the roast on all sides.
  3. Add onion, garlic, tomato sauce, wine, broth, and bay leaf.
  4. Cover and braise at 325°F for 2.5 hours until fork-tender.
  5. Slice and spoon sauce over top.

15. Croquetas de Jamón

Croquetas de Jamón are creamy ham and béchamel fritters, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried until the shell cracks to a molten center. They’re a staple at Cuban bakeries for good reason.

Yield: 20 croquetas | Prep: 30 minutes plus chilling | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups finely chopped cooked ham
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 1.5 cups milk
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

  1. Melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute.
  2. Slowly whisk in milk until thick.
  3. Stir in ham, chill mixture 2 hours.
  4. Shape into logs, dip in egg, roll in breadcrumbs.
  5. Fry at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes until golden.

16. Sopa de Frijoles Negros

Sopa de Frijoles Negros is a thick black bean soup simmered with ham hock and sofrito until deeply savory. A splash of vinegar at the end wakes up every spoonful.

Yield: 6 servings | Prep: 15 minutes (plus soaking) | Cook: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb dried black beans, soaked overnight
  • 1 ham hock
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 6 cups water

Method:

  1. Sauté onion, pepper, and garlic in oil.
  2. Add beans, ham hock, bay leaf, and water.
  3. Simmer 1.5 hours until beans are soft.
  4. Remove ham hock, shred meat, return to pot.
  5. Stir in vinegar before serving.

17. Pastelitos de Guayaba y Queso

Pastelitos de Guayaba y Queso are flaky puff pastry pockets filled with sweet guava paste and tangy cream cheese. They’re the pastry case favorite at every Cuban bakery counter.

Yield: 8 pastelitos | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes at 400°F

Ingredients:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
  • 4 oz guava paste, sliced thin
  • 4 oz cream cheese, sliced
  • 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
  • 2 tbsp sugar

Method:

  1. Cut pastry into 8 squares.
  2. Place guava and cream cheese on each square, fold into triangles, seal edges.
  3. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
  4. Bake at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes until puffed and golden.

18. Flan Cubano

Flan Cubano is a silky baked custard topped with a deep amber caramel that pools over the top when flipped. The texture should be dense and creamy, closer to cheesecake than a jiggly pudding.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 50 minutes at 350°F

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sugar (for caramel)
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

  1. Melt sugar in a saucepan until amber, pour into a baking dish to coat bottom.
  2. Blend eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla.
  3. Pour custard over caramel.
  4. Bake in a water bath at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes until set.
  5. Chill 4 hours, then invert onto a plate.

For more silky, caramel-based desserts, check out our best spanish desserts for similar flavors.

19. Arroz con Leche

Arroz con Leche is Cuban rice pudding simmered slow with cinnamon and lemon peel until creamy and thick. A dusting of ground cinnamon on top finishes it just right.

Yield: 6 servings | Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white rice
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 strip lemon peel
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Ground cinnamon for topping

Method:

  1. Simmer rice in water with cinnamon stick and lemon peel 10 minutes.
  2. Add milk and sugar, simmer uncovered 25 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Stir in vanilla once thick and creamy.
  4. Remove cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
  5. Serve warm or chilled with a dusting of cinnamon.

Tips for Cooking Cuban Classics at Home

Sour orange juice makes a real difference in mojo and marinades. Mix fresh lime and orange juice two parts to one if you can’t find it bottled.

Build sofrito first for almost any stew. Onion, garlic, and green pepper cooked slow in oil form the base of ropa vieja, fricasé, and black bean soup alike.

Don’t rush the caramel for flan. Watch it closely once it starts to turn amber. It goes from golden to burnt in under a minute.

Keep plantains at different ripeness stages on hand. Green ones make crisp tostones, black-spotted ones turn into sweet maduros.

Rice dishes like arroz con pollo and moros y cristianos need a tight lid and low heat for the last 20 minutes. Lifting the lid too soon lets steam escape and leaves rice undercooked.

If you’re building out a broader Latin cooking rotation, browse our best latin food recipes to enjoy for dishes that pair naturally with these Cuban staples. For a deeper well of options, 21 cuban recipes rounds out the pantry with a few more weeknight ideas.

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