30 Cuban Classic Recipes (2024)

Your family and friends will love these Cuban classic recipes! Here are more than 30 of my all-time favorites and hopefully, you’ll love them just as much.

You’ll find everything from beans, rice, soups, dessert recipes, and everything in between.

30 Easy Cuban Recipes

1. Ropa Vieja

Flank steak pressure cooked to perfection then shredded and simmered in a spiced tomato sauce. Ropa vieja is the national dish of Cuba.

2. Sopa de Pollo

A hearty chicken noodle soup made with corn, potatoes, egg noodles, spices, and bone-in chicken. Just like Abuela makes it!

3. Vaca Frita

Crispy shredded flank beef made with lots of lime juice and fresh garlic. Super easy to make, delicious, and requires just a handful of ingredients.

4. Rabo Encendido

Cuban braised oxtail made with carrots, potatoes, spices, and beef oxtails. An authentic and very popular recipe.

5. Arroz con Leche

Super creamy, perfectly sweet, and the ultimate Cuban dessert. This rice pudding is made with sweetened condensed milk, lime, coconut milk, and rice.

6. Cuban Picadillo

This traditional Cuban recipe consists of ground beef, raisins, olives, and spices. A personal favorite of mine!

7. Arroz con Salchichas

Yellow fluffy rice with Vienna sausages and corn. A sweet and savory dish that can be served as a side dish or main course.

8. Papas Rellenas

Deep-fried mashed potato balls stuffed with ground beef. The perfect appetizer!

9. Churrasco with Chimichurri

Grilled skirt steak topped off with homemade chimichurri. This recipe is a must at every Cuban barbecue!

10. Cuban Shrimp Creole (Enchilado de Camarones)

This meal cooks in under 30 minutes and requires minimal ingredients. Goes perfectly with white fluffy rice.

11. Pan con Bistec

A popular steak sandwich made with caramelized onions and potato sticks. The ultimate lunch or dinner recipe.

12. Arroz con Pollo a la Chorrera

A soupy chicken and rice made with beer, chicken, rice, and veggies. Super flavorful, delicious, and easy to make.

13. Frituras de Malanga (Malanga Fritters)

Deep-fried fritters made with malanga, eggs, garlic, and fresh parsley. A great appetizer or snack option.

14. Enchilado de Langosta ( Cuban Lobster Creole)

This lobster dish is packed with flavor and goes great with white rice. The easiest lobster recipe you can make.

15. Congri

Although my Cuban family calls this dish “congri” other folks call it “Moros y Cristianos”. A vegetarian rice and bean dish that can be served as a side dish or main course.

16. Pernil

This is pork shoulder is marinated and roasted to perfection. Pernil is typically served on Christmas Eve but most people enjoy it year-round cause it’s that good!

17. Carne con Papa

This meal is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. A Cuban beef stew made with beef, potatoes, spices, and lots of garlic. The beef is super tender and just melts in your mouth.

18. Cuban Spaghetti

Easy weeknight-friendly pasta and sauce made entirely from scratch! This is made with ground beef, spaghetti, peppers, onions, and olives.

19. Tostones

Crispy and savory fried green plantains with garlic sauce. Most Cubans serve tostones with almost every single meal.

20. Cuban Red Beans (Frijoles Colorados)

There’s nothing more comforting than a warm bowl of Cuban red beans. I like to make these at least once a week and they taste even better the following day!

21. Pastelitos de Carne

These have a sweet flaky crust and a savory filling. The best breakfast, snack, or lunch you can have! I enjoy these with hot coffee or tea.

22. Pastelitos de Guayaba y Queso

These pastries are made with guava paste, cream cheese, and puff pastry. The ultimate breakfast or dessert.

23. Cuban Black Beans

These are my go-to beans! Made in the instant pot entirely from scratch with dried black beans, garlic, spices, and dry white wine.

24. Fricase de Pollo

Cuban chicken stew simmered until the chicken falls off the bone. This goes perfectly with white rice.

25. Cuban Stuffed Peppers

These bell peppers are stuffed with ground beef and rice. They’re so satisfying and very easy to make.

26. Arroz Imperial

This rice dish is made with shredded chicken, mayo, cheese, and rice. A Cuban classic recipe that never dissapoints!

27. Arroz con Pollo Cubano

This chicken and rice is the ultimate one-pot meal. I like to make this often because it’s easy to make and packed with flavor!

28. Flan

A creamy custard dessert made with sweetened condensed milk, eggs, evaporated milk, and cream cheese. This is easily one of my favorite desserts!

29. Chicharos Cubanos

These chicharos can be served as a soup or a side dish with rice. Made with smoked pork, potatoes, green split peas, and butternut squash.

30. Camarones al Ajillo

Garlicky shrimp made with just a handful of ingredients in under 10 minutes! Enjoy this as an appetizer, side dish, or main course.

Tried any of these recipes? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me onFacebook,Instagram,orPinterest!

30 Cuban Classic Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are traditional Cuban meals? ›

10 Cuban Dishes To Try On Your Next Trip Abroad
  • Ropa Vieja. ...
  • Vaca Frita. ...
  • Tostones. ...
  • Arroz con Pollo. ...
  • Moros y Cristianos. ...
  • Medianoche. ...
  • Picadillo. ...
  • Fricase de Pollo.
Aug 26, 2022

What do Cubans eat for lunch? ›

Lunch often consists of empanadas - a half-moon shaped pastry, typically baked or fried, containing various fillings, depending on sweet or savory preferences. Also popular and common is Pan con bistec, a thin slice of steak served on Cuban bread with lettuce, tomatoes and fried potato sticks.

What is Cuban picadillo made of? ›

Cuban Picadillo consists of flavorful ground beef, spices, green olives, boiled egg and raisins cooked in a delicious tomato sauce, and then served over a bed of rice. This is the ideal weeknight meal because it can be made in under 30 minutes!

What is healthy Cuban food? ›

Fresh vegetables: Cuban dishes often feature fresh vegetables, such as tomato, onion, bell pepper, and avocado, which provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Healthy fats: Cuban cuisine often includes ingredients such as olive oil and avocados, which are good sources of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

What are 4 unique Cuban foods? ›

Tuck in and enjoy our foodie's guide on the 6 must-try dishes in Cuba:
  • Ropa Vieja.
  • Picadillo.
  • Yuca Con Mojo.
  • Tamales.
  • Boliche.
  • Platanos Maduros Fritos.
Jan 13, 2022

What do Cubans eat most? ›

Traditionally, Cubans are meat lovers and consume some type of meat at almost every meal. The most popular meat is pork, which usually is served as lechon asado (roast pork), masas de puerco (fried pork chunks), or as pan con lechon (in a sandwich) (Boswell and Curtis, 1984).

What sandwich is Cuba known for? ›

In Cuba, there is a popular street food called “sandwich mixto”. The sandwich consists of roasted pork, ham, pickles, cheese, and mustard served on Cuban bread. The sandwich mixto served as the foundation for the Cuban sandwiches that developed in Tampa and Miami.

What's the difference between Ropa Vieja and picadillo? ›

My two standbys were picadillo (made of chopped meat) and ropa vieja (using shredded meat - and meaning "old clothes").

Which ingredients are used in most Cuban dishes? ›

Spices: garlic, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and cilantro. These ingredients are used in virtually all savory Cuban cooking and are a must-have in your kitchen. Vegetables, Grains, and Legumes: onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, beans, and rice. Common agricultural staples of mainstream Cuban cuisine.

What kind of bread are Cubans made of? ›

Cuban bread is a soft white bread made with lard. Look for it in Latin bakeries or groceries. If unavailable, use any not-too-crusty, soft white rolls, preferably with some lard or fat baked into them. Salami is a traditional ingredient in Tampa-style Cuban sandwiches, but can be omitted.

What is Cuba's most famous dish? ›

Ropa vieja is the national dish of Cuba, a hearty stew made with shredded beef, tomato sauce, onions, and peppers.

Why are Cubans so healthy? ›

Cuba's health policy emphasizes prevention, primary care, services in the community, and the active participation of citizens. These emphases have produced an impressively high ranking on major health indicators, despite economic handicaps.

How does Cuban food compare to Mexican food? ›

Unlike Mexican cuisine, Cuban food is not spicy because it's a mix of Spanish, African, and other Caribbean cuisines. Chilies are not even grown in Cuba which is why 'heat' has never really been a key ingredient in Cuban cuisine. Cuban food is not bland though.

What is the main meal of the day in Cuba? ›

Cubans tend to eat their main meal in the evening, usually a hearty dose of meat, rice, beans and viandas. Restaurant and paladar menus are pretty much the same at any time of the day.

What is a traditional Cuban breakfast? ›

Basic Cuban Breakfast

There's no formal name for this, but a very typical Cuban breakfast may consist of any combination of the following: Coffee. Pan con mantequilla (bread with butter) Fresh tropical fruit like papaya, guava, and more. Fresh fruit juice.

What defines Cuban cuisine? ›

Cuban cuisine is a vibrant tapestry of flavors, blending influences from indigenous Taino, Spanish, African, and Caribbean cultures. Known for its bold spices, tropical ingredients, and hearty dishes, Cuban cuisine reflects the country's rich history and diverse culinary traditions.

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