19+ Best Puerto Rican Recipes to Make at Home

Puerto Rican cooking is about deep, patient flavor. Pork that falls apart after hours in the oven, rice that pulls up flavor from a good sofrito, beans simmered until creamy. These dishes come from generations of home cooks who knew how to make simple ingredients taste incredible.

This collection pulls together the dishes you’ll find at any Puerto Rican table, from holiday centerpieces like pernil to everyday comfort food like habichuelas guisadas. Some recipes take all day. Others come together in 20 minutes. All of them taste like someone’s abuela has been perfecting the recipe for decades.

Puerto Rican food rewards patience and good seasoning more than fancy technique, and pernil, arroz con gandules, and mofongo are the three dishes every home cook should master first.

Quick picks:

• Best for a holiday feast: Pernil, the slow-roasted pork shoulder that anchors any celebration
• Best for weeknight cooking: Pollo Guisado, a one-pot chicken stew ready in under an hour
• Best sweet finish: Coquito, Puerto Rico’s answer to eggnog
• Best for beginners: Tostones, crispy fried plantains with just three ingredients

1. Pernil

Pernil is slow-roasted pork shoulder rubbed with garlic, oregano, and adobo, then baked low and slow until the skin crackles and the meat falls apart. It’s the centerpiece of Puerto Rican Christmas and New Year’s tables.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 lb bone-in pork shoulder, skin on
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp adobo seasoning
• 1/4 cup white vinegar

Method:

1. Mash garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and vinegar into a paste.
2. Poke holes all over the pork and stuff with the paste. Rub skin with olive oil and adobo.
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Roast at 325°F for 5-6 hours until internal temp hits 195°F.
5. Rest 20 minutes, then shred or slice.

Serves 8-10.

2. Arroz con Gandules

Arroz con gandules is Puerto Rico’s signature rice dish, studded with pigeon peas and colored golden by sofrito and achiote oil. It sits next to pernil on nearly every holiday plate.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups medium-grain rice
• 1 can (15 oz) pigeon peas, drained
• 1/4 cup sofrito
• 2 tbsp achiote oil
• 1 packet sazón
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Sauté sofrito in achiote oil for 2 minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce, sazón, and pigeon peas. Cook 3 minutes.
3. Stir in rice to coat, then add broth and salt.
4. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes.
5. Fluff and serve.

Serves 6.

3. Mofongo

Mofongo is mashed fried green plantains pounded with garlic, olive oil, and crispy pork cracklings (chicharrón) into a dense, savory mound. It often comes shaped into a bowl and filled with shrimp or stewed meat.

Ingredients:

• 3 green plantains, peeled and sliced
• Oil for frying
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chicharrón or crispy bacon, chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, as needed

Method:

1. Fry plantain slices in 350°F oil until golden, about 6 minutes.
2. Mash garlic and salt into a paste with olive oil.
3. In a mortar, pound fried plantains with garlic paste and chicharrón.
4. Add broth a splash at a time to loosen if needed.
5. Shape into mounds and serve warm.

Serves 4.

4. Pasteles

Pasteles are Puerto Rico’s answer to tamales: a masa made from grated green banana and plantain, filled with seasoned pork, wrapped in banana leaves, and boiled. They take effort, which is exactly why families make them together around the holidays.

Ingredients:

• 6 green bananas, grated
• 2 green plantains, grated
• 1/2 cup pumpkin, grated
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 lb pork shoulder, diced and seasoned
• 1/4 cup sofrito
• 1/4 cup achiote oil
• Banana leaves, softened over flame
• Kitchen twine

Method:

1. Cook diced pork with sofrito until tender, about 40 minutes.
2. Mix grated bananas, plantains, pumpkin, milk, and achiote oil into a smooth masa.
3. Spread masa on a banana leaf, add pork filling, fold and tie.
4. Boil pasteles in salted water 1 hour.
5. Drain and unwrap to serve.

Makes 12.

5. Pollo Guisado

Pollo guisado is a one-pot chicken stew built on sofrito, tomato sauce, and potatoes, simmered until the chicken is fork-tender. It’s the dish most Puerto Rican households make on a regular weeknight.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup sofrito
• 1 packet sazón
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup green olives
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Season chicken and brown in a large pot, 5 minutes per side.
2. Add sofrito and sazón, cook 2 minutes.
3. Stir in tomato sauce, broth, potatoes, and olives.
4. Cover and simmer 35 minutes until chicken is tender.
5. Adjust salt and serve over rice.

Serves 6.

6. Tostones

Tostones are twice-fried green plantain slices, smashed flat between fries for a crackly outside and soft center. Serve them hot with a sprinkle of salt and a garlic dipping sauce called mayo-ketchup.

Ingredients:

• 3 green plantains
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Method:

1. Peel plantains and cut into 1-inch rounds.
2. Fry at 325°F for 3 minutes until just softened.
3. Smash each piece flat with a tostonera or cup.
4. Fry again at 350°F for 2 minutes until golden and crisp.
5. Salt immediately and serve with mixed mayo-ketchup and garlic.

Serves 4.

7. Asopao de Pollo

Asopao de pollo is a brothy, loose rice and chicken stew, thicker than soup but looser than risotto. It’s the dish Puerto Rican families reach for on rainy days or when someone’s feeling under the weather.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken thighs
• 1 cup medium-grain rice
• 1/4 cup sofrito
• 1 packet sazón
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• Cilantro for garnish

Method:

1. Brown chicken in a pot, then set aside.
2. Sauté sofrito, add sazón and tomato sauce.
3. Return chicken, add broth, and simmer 25 minutes.
4. Stir in rice and peas, cook 15 minutes until rice is tender but soupy.
5. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Serves 6.

8. Habichuelas Guisadas

Habichuelas guisadas are stewed pink or red beans simmered in a tomato-sofrito base until thick and creamy. Spoon them over white rice for one of the most comforting combos in Puerto Rican cooking.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (15 oz each) pink beans, undrained
• 1/4 cup sofrito
• 1 packet sazón
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 potato, diced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Sauté sofrito for 2 minutes in a pot.
2. Add sazón, tomato sauce, and oregano.
3. Pour in beans with their liquid and the diced potato.
4. Simmer 20 minutes until thickened and potato is tender.
5. Salt to taste and serve over rice.

Serves 4.

9. Alcapurrias

Alcapurrias are fried fritters made from a grated green banana and yautía dough, stuffed with seasoned picadillo beef. The outside turns deep golden and crunchy while the filling stays juicy.

Ingredients:

• 4 green bananas, grated
• 1 yautía (taro root), grated
• 1 tbsp achiote oil
• 1 lb ground beef, seasoned and cooked with sofrito
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix grated bananas and yautía with achiote oil and salt.
2. Scoop a portion, flatten in your palm, add a spoonful of picadillo.
3. Fold and shape into an oblong fritter.
4. Fry at 350°F for 6-8 minutes until deep golden.
5. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Makes 10.

10. Pastelón de Plátano Maduro

Pastelón de plátano maduro is Puerto Rico’s answer to lasagna, layering sweet fried ripe plantains with seasoned ground beef and cheese. The sweet-savory combination makes this one of the most requested dishes at family gatherings.

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe plantains, sliced lengthwise
• Oil for frying
• 1 lb ground beef, cooked with sofrito and tomato sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 4 eggs, beaten
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Fry plantain slices until golden, about 3 minutes per side.
2. Layer plantains in a greased baking dish, top with picadillo and cheese, repeat.
3. Pour beaten eggs over the top layer.
4. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until set and golden.
5. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8.

11. Bacalaítos

Bacalaítos are crisp, lacy codfish fritters, deep fried until the edges turn brown and crunchy. Street vendors near Puerto Rico’s beaches sell these hot out of the fryer, and they’re worth recreating at home.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb salted codfish, soaked and shredded
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp sofrito
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Soak codfish in water for 8 hours, changing water twice, then shred.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, water, garlic, and sofrito into a thin batter.
3. Fold in shredded codfish.
4. Ladle batter into 350°F oil, flattening thin.
5. Fry 3-4 minutes per side until crisp and golden.

Makes 8.

12. Rellenos de Papa

Rellenos de papa are mashed potato balls stuffed with seasoned picadillo, breaded, and fried until golden. They’re a popular appetizer at Puerto Rican bakeries, and the inside stays molten and savory.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups mashed potatoes, cooled
• 1 cup picadillo (ground beef cooked with sofrito)
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Scoop mashed potato, flatten, and add a spoonful of picadillo in the center.
2. Shape into a ball, sealing the filling inside.
3. Roll in flour, dip in egg, then coat in breadcrumbs.
4. Fry at 350°F for 4 minutes until golden brown.
5. Drain and serve warm.

Makes 10.

13. Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con pollo cooks chicken and rice together in one pot, soaking up sofrito, sazón, and broth until every grain turns golden. It’s simpler than asopao and firmer in texture, closer to a Puerto Rican paella.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken thighs
• 2 cups medium-grain rice
• 1/4 cup sofrito
• 1 packet sazón
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup green olives

Method:

1. Brown chicken, then remove from pot.
2. Sauté sofrito and sazón, add tomato sauce.
3. Return chicken, add rice, broth, and olives.
4. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low 20 minutes.
5. Let rest 5 minutes, fluff, and serve.

Serves 6.

14. Sancocho

Sancocho is a hearty root vegetable and meat stew, loaded with yuca, plantain, corn, and calabaza pumpkin in a rich broth. This is the dish Puerto Rican families make for a crowd on a cool evening.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef or pork stew meat
• 1/4 cup sofrito
• 1 yuca, peeled and cubed
• 1 green plantain, cubed
• 1 cup calabaza (pumpkin), cubed
• 2 ears corn, cut into pieces
• 8 cups beef broth

Method:

1. Brown meat in a large pot with sofrito.
2. Add broth and simmer 1 hour until meat is tender.
3. Add yuca, plantain, calabaza, and corn.
4. Simmer 30 minutes more until vegetables are soft.
5. Season to taste and serve hot.

Serves 8.

15. Sofrito Puertorriqueño

Sofrito is the aromatic base of nearly every savory Puerto Rican dish, a blend of peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, and culantro pulsed into a fragrant paste. Keeping a jar in the freezer means flavorful cooking is always a spoonful away.

Ingredients:

• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 Cubanelle pepper
• 1 onion
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 6 culantro leaves
• 2 ajíes dulces (optional)

Method:

1. Roughly chop all ingredients.
2. Pulse everything in a food processor until finely minced but not pureed.
3. Transfer to ice cube trays or small containers.
4. Freeze, then pop out cubes as needed for cooking.

Makes about 2 cups.

16. Tembleque

Tembleque is a chilled coconut milk pudding, silky and lightly sweet, dusted with cinnamon on top. Its name means “wobbly,” and a good one jiggles when you tap the plate.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Ground cinnamon for topping

Method:

1. Whisk coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about 8 minutes.
3. Pour into a mold or individual cups.
4. Chill at least 3 hours until firm.
5. Unmold or serve in cups, dusted with cinnamon.

Serves 6.

17. Coquito

Coquito is Puerto Rico’s creamy coconut eggnog, spiked with rum and warmed by cinnamon and clove. Families pass down their own versions, and it shows up at every holiday gathering starting in December.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 oz) cream of coconut
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup white rum
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients except garnish cinnamon until smooth.
2. Pour into bottles.
3. Chill at least 4 hours, or overnight for best flavor.
4. Shake before serving and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Makes about 6 cups.

18. Flan de Queso

Flan de queso is a cream cheese flan, denser and tangier than classic flan, topped with a deep amber caramel. It’s the dessert that disappears first at any Puerto Rican party.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar (for caramel)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

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

Serves 8.

19. Quesitos

Quesitos are flaky puff pastry rolls filled with sweetened cream cheese, baked until golden and glazed with a light sugar syrup. Puerto Rican bakeries sell these fresh every morning, and they taste best warm.

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus more for glaze
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp honey

Method:

1. Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
2. Cut pastry into rectangles, add a spoonful of filling, roll and tuck ends.
3. Brush with beaten egg.
4. Bake at 400°F for 18 minutes until golden.
5. Brush warm pastries with honey and dust with sugar.

Makes 8.

How to Build a Puerto Rican Meal

A classic Puerto Rican plate balances rich protein, starchy sides, and something acidic or crisp to cut the richness. Start with a main like pernil, pollo guisado, or arroz con pollo as the anchor.

Add rice as a base. Arroz con gandules works for special occasions, while plain white rice pairs well with habichuelas guisadas or asopao. A side of tostones or mofongo brings crunch and starch without repeating the rice.

Round things out with something bright: pickled onions, avocado slices, or a simple green salad. Finish the meal with a small dessert like tembleque or flan de queso, and pour coquito for a holiday table.

Dish Type	Role on the Plate	Pairs Well With
Pernil	Main protein	Arroz con gandules, habichuelas
Pollo Guisado	Weeknight main	White rice, tostones
Arroz con Gandules	Starch/side	Pernil, roasted chicken
Tostones	Crunchy side	Mofongo, any stewed dish
Habichuelas Guisadas	Starch/side	White rice, pernil

For more ideas on rounding out a spread, this site’s collection of our best rice side dishes covers other grain pairings that work well alongside stewed meats. If you’re craving more island flavor beyond Puerto Rico, our best tasty caribbean recipes and our best cuban recipes offer close cousins to these dishes.

Finding and Substituting Puerto Rican Ingredients

Most Puerto Rican staples are available at any large grocery store, and the rest turn up easily at a Latin market. Sazón, adobo, and achiote oil sit in the international aisle of most major chains now.

Green plantains and green bananas can be tricky to find ripe or unripe depending on the season. Look for plantains with no yellow at all for tostones and mofongo; let them yellow and soften for pastelón.

Culantro, used in sofrito, looks different from cilantro but tastes similar and stronger. If your store doesn’t carry it, double the cilantro in your sofrito and the flavor stays close.

Yautía and yuca show up frozen or fresh at Latin and Caribbean grocers. Frozen yuca works fine for sancocho and saves peeling time.

No sofrito on hand? A quick substitute is sautéed onion, garlic, and green bell pepper with a pinch of cilantro, though it won’t have the same depth as the real blend. For deeper reading on building a broader Latin pantry, our best spanish recipes and 12 puerto rican recipes cover more dishes that lean on these same staples.