18 Cuban Recipes, From Ropa Vieja to a Classic Cubano
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Ropa-Vieja-with-Whipped-Goat-Cheese-and-Grilled-Focaccia-FT-RECIPE0323-202e071d16c44537b6e1594b908411e8.jpg?w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "18 Cuban Recipes, From Ropa Vieja to a Classic Cubano")
Rooted in Spanish cuisine and accented by African, Caribbean, and Indigenous Taino flavors, Cuban cuisine is beloved for its fresh ingredients, bold spices, and slow-cooked meats. Pork is popular on the island, especially when soaked in citrusy, garlicky mojo and roasted for lechón asado — which is also one of the main components of a griddled Cubano sandwich. Our Cuban recipe roundup covers all the basics, showcasing various ways to incorporate mojo as well as teaching you how to make ropa vieja, arroz con pollo, picadillo, and sweet delights like guava-cream cheese pastelitos. Put together an incredible Cuban meal with these and more of our best Cuban recipes.
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Cuban Black Beans
Maxwell Cozzi
Combine black beans, tomato paste, and a fragrant sofrito of red and yellow bell peppers, white onion, cumin, and oregano in this aromatic dish that tastes even better after a night in the fridge.
Cubano Sandwiches
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
Hearty and sturdy, this melty griddled sandwich sticks to tradition with its mojo-marinated roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard — Anya von Bremzen also tucks in a few slices of salami for good measure. This is a terrific way to use leftover pork, since the recipe calls for already-cooked meat to soak in the marinade.
Plantain Chips
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
Turn green plantains into crispy, garlicky chile-lime chips by slicing them thinly with your mandoline, frying them up in batches, and sprinkling them with a Tajín-based seasoning mix. They’re the perfect accompaniment to your Cuban sandwich.
Ropa Vieja
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
Ropa vieja is said to be the national dish of Cuba. This version from Cory Morris features slow-braised goat or lamb rather than the more commonly used beef, along with meltingly tender onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and a smoky, tangy braising liquid.
Miami Cuban-Style Steak with Mojo
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco
Miami barbecue has a decidedly Latin accent; grilled steak is often seasoned with Cuban mojo. Expert griller Steven Raichlen’s Cuban vinaigrette starts with lots of thinly sliced garlic fried in olive oil and seasoned with oregano and cumin, then gets a blast of zestiness from lime and orange juice.
Arroz con Pollo
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Arroz con pollo is a popular dish throughout Latin America, including Cuba. This one-pot version from food historian Von Diaz leans on sazón and adobo seasonings to give the chicken its initial flavor as it browns; a sofrito base cooks in the drippings before the rice is added along with chicken broth and briny pimiento-stuffed olives.
Picadillo
Our version of this Cuban classic mixes ground beef with a highly seasoned tomato sauce, fried potatoes, raisins, and green olives — and an untraditional dash of hot sauce. The deeply satisfying dish can be served over rice, with corn tortillas, or stuffed into roasted peppers.
Canchánchara Cocktail
Combine honey, lime, and Cuban rum for this easy-to-mix, easy-to-drink Cuban cocktail.
Guava-Cream Cheese Pastries
These pastelitos are incredibly easy to prepare, thanks to store-bought all-butter puff pastry and a filling that’s nothing more than mashed guava paste with a pat of cream cheese. Enjoy them warm with a Cuban coffee for the full experience.
Tostones
These twice-fried green plantains are completely irresistible. After the one-inch chunks get their initial fry, they’re smashed to a quarter-inch thickness and quickly dipped in salty water before being refried until crisp and golden. Serve with a squeeze of lime.
Mojo-Marinated Pork Shoulder
Roy Choi is a mojo pro. A meld of herbs, spices, orange juice, garlic, and olive oil makes a mighty overnight marinade for pork shoulder that’s sumptuous on its own, or a killer filler for the greatest Cubano you’ll ever make.
Boiled Yuca with Garlicky Onions
Though this starchy tuber can also be baked or fried, this recipe from the late Cuban-born photographer Romulo Yanes calls for simmering the yuca until tender. While it boils, fry up chopped garlic and thinly sliced white onions for a flavorful, golden topper.
Burnt Caramel Flan
There are two keys to this Cuban version of the classic Spanish and Latin American dessert. First, let the caramel sauce go a shade darker for a slightly bitter edge that balances the sweet, vanilla-flecked custard. Second, be sure to serve it with rum-spiked whipped cream.
Café Cubano
Whether starting your day or ending a perfect Cuban meal, you can’t go wrong with a café Cubano. It’s simply a strong espresso topped with a frothy head of sweet crema made from vigorously whisking sugar with a bit of the espresso.
Vaca Frita
Marinate cooked, shredded flank steak in a mixture of mashed garlic, lime juice, salt, and sliced onion, then sauté the meat in small batches until it’s perfectly crispy. Serve it with rice and beans for a hearty meal.
Cuban Flank Steak
Cookbook author Melissa Clark gives juicy flank steak the mojo treatment, first marinating the meat in her rendition of the citrusy blend, then grilling it up until lightly charred and serving it with a drizzle of reserved mojo alongside sweet mango slices.
Natilla (Creamy Egg Custard)
© Lucy Schaeffer
There are many regional variations of natilla, but this Cuban version is a rich, creamy egg custard infused with lemon zest and a cinnamon stick, and additionally thickened by cornstarch. To finish, it’s dusted with ground cinnamon.
Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja
Flank steak melds with an aromatic tomato-pepper sauce in the slow cooker to become incredibly tender; after the meat is shredded, serve the dish with steamed white rice or warm tortillas.
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