Top 10 Cuban Recipes You Need to be Making Now has all the traditional cuban recipes you need all in one place.
There is so much to love about Cuban food. There is so much simplicity in it, yet it is layered with history and tradition and of course just the right hit of spice. The great thing about learning to cook Cuban food is how similar most of the dishes are. It gives you a good baseline for how things should look and taste as you take on new recipes. This means that after a few dishes you will basically be a pro. Then you can really start to get creative and make these dishes your own.
When you think of Cuban food there are certain dishes that come to mind. We wanted to compile a list of our top 10 Cuban recipes that you need to be making right now. These are recipes that are so quintessentially Cuban but also so accessible and easy for you to do right at home.
Let’s jump right in:
1- Ropa Vieja
This Cuban Ropa Vieja Recipe is the perfect guide to a classic feel good meal. Ropa Vieja is one of those dishes that is at the heart of Cuban cuisine. It is built from a classic sofrito with layers of flavors that always hits home.
2- Picadillo
Abuela’s Picadillo is simply delicious. In fact, we would argue that a good plate of the Perfect White Rice, topped with this picadillo, and a perfectly runny egg on top is one of the best bites on the planet.
Abuela’s Picadillo is not just delicious. It is planted deep at the center of Cuban tradition. There is not a Cuban restaurant in town, or a Cuban family that doesn’t have some version of Picadillo on the menu or in the weekly rotation.
We think picadillo is actually one of the more approachable recipes for you to try out. There are not too many steps, and each step is very forgiving. Also there are so many flavors working together here that your mistake will be easy to hide.
3- Flan
Flan is the pinnacle of Cuban dessert. It is a custard with the perfect caramel top that will make you sing when it is done right.
There is something about making a flan that feels intimidating. There is no way that anything that tastes as good as flan can be easy to do. It just has a high maintenance vibe. You are always impressed when someone brings the flan to a potluck or gathering.
We took all of the fear into consideration when writing this recipe. Abuela’s Classic Cuban Flan Recipe is a step by step breakdown that will help you conquer your fear of the high maintenance flan, and see that it is totally approachable.
4- Arroz con Pollo
Cuban Arroz Con Pollo is just so classic. In most Cuban families, this is a dish that is prepared pretty regularly. This is the “go-to” for larger family gatherings. It does make sense. It can all be done in one pot, and you can really make a lot of food with so little.
Cuban Arroz Con Pollo also happens to be a pretty intimidating dish to someone who just started cooking. We have all been there. The good news is, this recipe is definitely a lot easier than it seems. It’s also pretty forgiving of mistakes, so if anything goes wrong you can just make adjustments and still end up with something pretty delicious. So we would definitely suggest giving it a try.
5- Bistec de Palomilla
Bistec de Palomilla is a classic cut of steak in Cuban cooking. It is a thinly cut top sirloin. Top sirloin is a very tender lean cut of meat, which is perfect for the traditional thin cut of the palomilla. It’s incredible how tender and flavorful your steak can be considering how thin it is and fast it cooks.
The reason the palomilla is so flavorful is because of all the marinating and seasoning. They are usually marinated anywhere from 30 minutes to a full day ahead. They are also usually very generously seasoned. It’s a thin cut, so give it that injection of flavor that it so desperately wants.
The ability to cook and serve a good Bistec de Palomilla should be considered an art form. A classic Cuban Steak is it’s own love language. There was no greater expression of love, than a perfectly cooked Bistec de Palomilla covered in onions served over white rice and covered with freshly cooked french fries.
6- Tostones
Tostones are a smashed and fried plantain. A plantain, or a green plantain, is a type of cooking banana. Cooking bananas are a group of starchy banana that is commonly used in cooking as they are not as good when left raw.
They can be be steamed, baked, or broiled. The absolute best way (In our opinion) is to fry them. Fried plátano, or Cuban Tostones, are an essential part of any Cuban diet.
Tostones are a savory, starchy side dish. crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and just the right amount of salty on top. You might say, “What do they pair well with?” and the answer is Absolutely Everything!
7- Frijoles Negro
Cuban Black Beans are a staple. There is not a meal we can remember that didn’t have black beans on the table. There is a reason for it of course. First they are delicious, but secondly is because they are a dish that makes large amounts. As with most Cuban food, it is made with humble ingredients. The sofrito made from the onions, peppers and garlic are the base for the beans, which are cooked and braised until all the flavors have married together so beautifully.
Black Beans are delicious on their own, but they are made to be on top of a bed of The Perfect White Rice. We use white rice and black beans often in our weekday cooking, and are a staple at a big event like Noche Buena. There is much debate about whether you should use fresh beans or canned beans. We very clearly stand on the side of DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! There is no wrong way to make black beans as long as you make them!
8- Sopa de Chicharo
Potaje de Chicharos Cubanos is at the heart of the humble kitchen. It takes modest ingredients and brings them together to make something hearty and nourishing. Essentially it is bringing together fresh split peas, sofrito, vegetables and an array of smokey and salty pork products into one beautiful delicious bowl. It’s such a comforting staple, and continues the pattern of hearty meals that can feed many.
As the split peas cook, they will absorb all the different flavors and breakdown. Instead of chorizo you can use bacon or small pieces of ham instead of a whole ham hock. The carrots and potatoes can be paired with sweet potato, pumpkin and leafy greens for more nourishing vegetables. The idea is to bring together a combination of textures and flavors with simple ingredients. It’s a must try recipe!
9- Vaca Frita
Cuban Vaca Frita, which translates to “fried cow” is one of our all time favorites. Shredded beef is flavored with garlic, lime and oranges and crisped up with onions. It’s so simple. The bold flavors can’t be beat. One of the signature features of Vaca Frita is when some of the shreds of beef are crispy. It brings such a fun texture to the dish that brings it all home.
Vaca Frita is another example of how you can take an ingredient and multiply it. The brisket or flank steak shred down to make big portions for the whole family to share. This recipe takes a little time, but the results are worth it. We promise!
10- Boliche
Cuban Boliche, last but certainly not least. Boliche is a beautiful Cuban style pot roast that is simmered to absolute tender perfection. It brings together the traditional sofrito with the added chorizo and olive flavors that all marry together so beautifully.
Our biggest gripe with Boliche is how long it usually takes to make, so we decided to play around with the Instant Pot, and we found a great shortcut to making a delicious Cuban dish. Try our easy to do Instant Pot Boliche Recipe the next time you are looking for something to wow the crowd, or just gather the family on a Sunday dinner.
There you have it, a list of our top ten essential Cuban dishes. This was such a hard list to make, because it truly leaves out so many other dishes that we feel really encapsulate so much of what Cuban cooking is. However we understand that sometimes difficult decisions have to be made.
As a consolation (mostly to ourselves) here area few more recipes that we think could have easily been on this list. Who knows maybe we make a new top twenty list sometime in the near future, because who doesn’t love a list of delicious food.
Try some of these other classic Cuban dishes
