Cuba
72 recipes to explore
Ropa Vieja (Cuban Shredded Beef)
Cuba's national dish: flank steak simmered until tender, shredded into strands and cooked in a rich sofrito of tomato, peppers, onion, garlic, cumin and olives. Served with rice and black beans.
Picadillo a la Cubana (Cuban Beef Hash)
Minced beef cooked in a tomato sofrito with cumin, olives, capers and raisins, a sweet-salty-savoury Cuban weeknight favourite. Served with white rice and a fried egg.
Congrí (Cuban Rice and Black Beans)
Rice cooked together with black beans in their dark, flavourful cooking liquid, with a sofrito of onion, pepper, garlic, cumin and bacon. Also known as moros y cristianos.
Lechón Asado (Cuban Mojo Roast Pork)
Pork shoulder marinated overnight in mojo, a garlicky sour-orange marinade with cumin and oregano, then slow-roasted until meltingly tender with crackling skin. The centrepiece of a Cuban Christmas Eve.
Cuban Arroz con Pollo
Golden, saffron-tinted rice cooked with chicken pieces, sofrito, beer and peas until moist and flavourful, finished with roasted red peppers. A one-pot Cuban Sunday classic.
Cuban Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
Creamy, slow-simmered black beans finished with a sofrito of onion, pepper and garlic, a little cumin and oregano, a splash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Served over white rice.
Yuca con Mojo (Cassava with Garlic-Citrus Sauce)
Tender boiled cassava drenched in sizzling mojo, a sauce of olive oil, lots of garlic, sour orange and onion. The classic Cuban side for roast pork.
Plátanos Maduros (Sweet Fried Plantains)
Very ripe plantains sliced on the diagonal and fried until caramelised and tender, sweet, soft inside and golden outside. The perfect partner for rice, beans and savoury meats.
Sándwich Cubano (Cuban Sandwich)
Crusty Cuban bread layered with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, brushed with butter and pressed on a hot griddle until crisp and melting.
Fricasé de Pollo (Cuban Chicken Fricassee)
Chicken pieces marinated in garlic and citrus, then braised in a tomato and wine sofrito with potatoes, olives, raisins and capers. A comforting Cuban Sunday stew.
Vaca Frita (Crispy Cuban Shredded Beef)
Flank steak simmered until tender, shredded, marinated in garlic and lime, then pan-fried until crispy and golden with lots of sweet onions. Ropa vieja's crunchy cousin.
Bistec de Palomilla (Cuban Steak)
Thin sirloin steaks marinated in lime and garlic, seared in a hot pan and topped with softened onions and parsley. Ready in 20 minutes; serve with rice, beans and plantains.
Tamal en Cazuela (Cuban Corn and Pork Pot)
A soft, creamy cornmeal 'tamal in a pot', cooked with a garlicky pork and tomato sofrito until thick like polenta. All the flavour of tamales without any wrapping.
Ajiaco Cubano (Cuban Root Vegetable Stew)
Cuba's great country stew: beef and pork simmered with corn, yuca, sweet potato, malanga, squash and plantains in a rich broth, finished with a sofrito and lime. Not to be confused with Colombian ajiaco.
Masas de Cerdo Fritas (Crispy Fried Pork Chunks)
Chunks of pork shoulder marinated in mojo, simmered until tender, then fried until golden and crisp outside. Topped with sautéed onions and served with rice, beans and tostones or maduros.
Cuban Flan de Leche (Caramel Custard)
A dense, silky Cuban-style flan made with condensed and evaporated milk and eggs, baked in a water bath and turned out under a glossy amber caramel. Make it the day before.
Arroz con Leche (Cuban Rice Pudding)
Creamy rice slowly simmered in milk with lime peel, cinnamon and a little salt, sweetened with condensed milk and dusted with ground cinnamon. Warm or cold, it's pure comfort.
Pastelitos de Guayaba (Guava and Cheese Pastries)
Flaky puff pastry squares filled with sweet guava paste and cream cheese, brushed with egg and glazed with a light syrup. The Cuban bakery favourite with a café con leche. Makes 9.
Batido de Mamey (Cuban Mamey Milkshake)
A thick, creamy Cuban milkshake made from mamey sapote, a tropical fruit with salmon-pink flesh that tastes like sweet potato, pumpkin and almond. Blended with milk, sugar and ice.
Café Cubano (Cuban Espresso with Espumita)
Strong, dark-roast coffee brewed in a stovetop moka pot and sweetened with a whipped sugar foam called espumita, which gives it a thick, caramel-like crema. Served in tiny cups.
Pollo Asado Cubano (Cuban Mojo Roast Chicken)
A whole chicken marinated overnight in a bright mojo of sour orange, lots of garlic, cumin and oregano, then roasted with onions until golden and juicy. Served with black beans and rice.
Boliche (Cuban Chorizo-Stuffed Pot Roast)
A beef eye of round roast stuffed with chorizo and ham, browned and slowly braised in a tomato, wine and sour orange sauce with potatoes until meltingly tender. Served in thick slices.
Papa Rellena Cubana (Cuban Stuffed Potato Balls)
Balls of creamy mashed potato filled with savoury beef picadillo, rolled in egg and breadcrumbs and fried until golden and crisp. A favourite snack at Cuban cafés and ventanitas.
Mariquitas (Cuban Plantain Chips with Mojo)
Paper-thin slices of green plantain fried until shatteringly crisp, sprinkled with salt and served with a garlicky citrus mojo for dipping. Cuba's favourite crunchy snack.
Frituras de Malanga (Cuban Malanga Fritters)
Grated malanga root mixed with egg, garlic and parsley and fried by the spoonful into crisp, lacy fritters with a soft centre. A classic Cuban party snack.
Potaje de Garbanzos (Cuban Chickpea and Chorizo Stew)
A thick, hearty Cuban stew of chickpeas, chorizo, ham, potatoes and calabaza pumpkin in a sofrito of onion, pepper, garlic and tomato. Served with white rice.
Buñuelos Cubanos (Yuca and Malanga Fritters in Anise Syrup)
Figure-eight fritters made from mashed yuca and malanga, fried until golden and drenched in a warm syrup scented with anise, cinnamon and lime. A Cuban Christmas tradition.
Natilla Cubana (Cuban Cinnamon Custard)
A silky stovetop custard of milk, egg yolks and sugar, infused with cinnamon and lime peel, chilled in small dishes and dusted with cinnamon. Simple, creamy and comforting.
Pudín de Pan (Cuban Caramel Bread Pudding)
Day-old Cuban bread soaked in a custard of milk, condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon and raisins, baked in a caramel-lined mould and turned out like a flan.
Mojito (Cuban Rum, Mint and Lime Cocktail)
White rum, fresh mint, lime juice and sugar, gently muddled and topped with soda water and crushed ice. Havana's most famous cocktail. Contains alcohol.
Enchilado de Camarones (Cuban Shrimp in Creole Sauce)
Shrimp simmered in a rich Cuban creole sauce of tomato, peppers, onion, garlic and white wine. Despite the name, it's flavourful rather than spicy. Served with white rice and tostones.
Medianoche (Cuban Midnight Sandwich)
Soft, slightly sweet egg bread layered with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, buttered and pressed until warm and melty. The Cuban sandwich's late-night cousin.
Pescado en Escabeche (Cuban Pickled Fried Fish)
Fried fish steaks layered with onion rings, peppers, garlic and olives in a tangy olive oil and vinegar marinade, left to soak for a day or more. Served cold or at room temperature.
Carne con Papas (Cuban Beef and Potato Stew)
Chunks of beef slowly stewed in a sofrito of onion, peppers, garlic, tomato and wine with cumin and oregano, finished with potatoes and olives. Classic Cuban home cooking.
Frijoles Colorados (Cuban Red Bean Stew)
Red kidney beans slowly simmered with calabaza pumpkin, potato, chorizo and a garlicky sofrito until thick and creamy. A hearty potaje served with white rice.
Arroz a la Cubana (Rice with Fried Egg, Plantain and Tomato Sauce)
A mound of white rice with a simple homemade tomato sauce, a crisp-edged fried egg and sweet fried ripe plantain. Cheap, quick and much loved in Cuba and Spain alike.
Tamales Cubanos (Cuban Fresh Corn and Pork Tamales)
Fresh corn ground and mixed with a sofrito of pork, garlic and peppers, wrapped in corn husks, tied and boiled. Softer and sweeter than Mexican tamales, with the meat mixed right into the dough.
Chilindrón de Chivo (Cuban Goat Stew in Red Wine)
Goat (or lamb) marinated in sour orange and garlic, then slowly stewed with red peppers, tomato and red wine until falling off the bone. A festive dish from the Cuban countryside.
Pan Cubano (Cuban Bread)
Long, light loaves with a thin, crackly crust and a soft, airy crumb, made with a little lard and a split down the top. The essential bread for Cuban sandwiches and morning tostada.
Mojo Criollo (Cuban Garlic and Sour Orange Sauce)
The essential Cuban sauce and marinade: lots of garlic pounded with salt, cumin and oregano, mixed with sour orange juice and warm olive oil. For pork, chicken, yuca and tostones.
Rabo Encendido (Cuban Oxtail Stew)
Oxtail is marinated, browned, and slow-braised with red wine, tomatoes, peppers and a whole hot chili until the meat falls off the bone in a rich, deeply spiced sauce. A Sunday classic worth the wait.
Cuban Burger (Frita Cubana)
A juicy, paprika-spiced beef and chorizo patty grilled hot and fast, tucked into a soft bun and piled high with crunchy shoestring potatoes. Havana's answer to the hamburger, loud with garlic and smoky chorizo.
Cuban Caldosa
A big, brothy pot of pork, chicken and smoked ham simmered slowly with malanga, yuca, boniato, pumpkin, plantain and corn until the broth turns rich and lightly thick. This is the soup Cubans gather around, made for a crowd and eaten with lime and cilantro.
Cuban Sweet Potato Cream Soup (Crema de Boniato)
Boiled Cuban white sweet potato is blended with a garlicky sofrito and broth into a silky, pale gold soup, finished with a splash of sherry and crisp fried garlic. Comforting, gently sweet and deeply savory all at once.
Cuban Okra Stew (Quimbombó Guisado)
Tender pork and sweet calabaza squash simmer with okra in a deep tomato sofrito until thick and richly flavored. A classic Afro-Cuban stew, ladled generously over white rice.
Dried Beef with Sweet Potato (Tasajo con Boniato)
Salted, sun-dried beef is soaked back to life, simmered until fork-tender, then shredded and braised in a garlicky onion-and-pepper sofrito. Served next to boiled boniato, it's old-fashioned Cuban country cooking at its best.
Boiled Sweet Potato with Mojo (Boniato con Mojo)
Cuba's starchy white sweet potato, boiled until fork-tender and drenched in a warm, garlicky citrus mojo. Simple, hearty, and endlessly comforting.
Fufu de Plátano (Cuban Mashed Green Plantain)
Boiled green plantains mashed with garlicky pork fat and folded with crispy fried pork bits, until dense, savory and deeply comforting. A classic Cuban side that turns humble plantains into something unforgettable.
Temptation Plantains (Plátanos en Tentación)
Very ripe plantains browned in butter, then slowly simmered in brown sugar, cinnamon and dry wine until they turn soft, glossy and syrupy. A classic Cuban holiday dessert, served warm straight from the pan.
Cuban Meat Pastries (Pastelitos de Carne)
Golden, flaky puff pastry wrapped around savory beef picadillo simmered with sofrito, olives and a touch of wine. The classic bite you'd grab at any Cuban bakery with a café con leche.
Coconut Flan (Flan de Coco)
A silky, coconut-scented custard baked over a layer of deep amber caramel, then chilled until firm and unmolded so the caramel runs down the sides like a glossy sauce.
Cuban Daiquiri (Daiquirí)
The original Havana cocktail: white rum, fresh lime juice and a touch of sugar, shaken hard with ice until icy, silky and perfectly balanced. No blender, no fruit purée, just three ingredients done right.
Rum and Cola (Cuba Libre)
Dark Cuban-style rum poured over ice, brightened with fresh lime juice and topped with cola — the long, easy highball born in Havana. Simple to make, but the small details decide if it tastes like a bar's or like a real Cuba Libre.
Honey Rum Cocktail (Canchánchara)
A rustic Cuban cocktail from the colonial town of Trinidad, built from raw cane spirit or rum, honey, lime juice and cold water over crushed ice. Tangy, sweet and bracing, it's one of Cuba's oldest drinks.
Sugarcane Juice (Guarapo)
Fresh sugarcane stalks pressed into a pale green, grassy-sweet juice, served ice-cold with a squeeze of lime. The classic thirst-quencher of Cuban street corners and sugar mill towns.
Cuban Braised Beef Tongue (Lengua Estofada)
Beef tongue boiled until tender, peeled, and simmered low and slow in a rich sofrito of tomato, wine, olives and capers until the sauce turns glossy and the meat is melt-in-the-mouth tender. A true Cuban Sunday-table classic.
Kidneys in Sherry Sauce (Riñones al Jerez)
Veal or beef kidneys, quickly seared so they stay tender, then simmered in a deep, savory sauce built from garlic, sofrito and dry sherry. A classic Cuban offal dish, rich and warming over white rice.
Cuban-Style Steak (Bistec a la Cubana)
A thin, garlicky steak fried hard and fast, crowned with a soft sunny-side-up egg and sweet fried onions, served the classic way with white rice, caramelized plantains and crunchy fried potato sticks.
Cuban Fish Croquettes (Croquetas de Pescado)
Crisp, golden croquettes with a creamy filling of flaked fish folded into a rich béchamel, double-breaded for extra crunch. A classic snack from Cuban cafeterías, perfect on their own or stuffed into Cuban bread.
Cuban Picadillo Empanadas (Empanadillas Cubanas)
Flaky homemade pastry turnovers stuffed with savory picadillo — ground beef simmered with tomato, olives, capers and raisins — then fried until crisp and golden. A beloved Cuban snack with the perfect balance of salty, sweet and briny.
Cuban Split Pea Soup (Potaje de Chícharos)
Green split peas simmered to velvety thickness with smoky ham, chorizo and sweet calabaza squash, finished with a deep garlic-and-cumin sofrito. A one-pot Cuban classic made for spooning over white rice.
Pumpkin with Garlic Sauce (Calabaza con Mojo)
Tender boiled Cuban pumpkin bathed in a warm, punchy mojo of garlic, sour orange and olive oil, finished with a quick sizzle so the garlic turns fragrant instead of harsh. A simple side that disappears fast at any Cuban table.
Boniatillo (Cuban Sweet Potato Dessert)
A silky, old-fashioned Cuban pudding of white sweet potato cooked down with sugar, cinnamon and lemon peel, finished with egg yolks, butter and a splash of sherry wine. Served chilled or warm, it tastes like a Cuban grandmother's kitchen.
Candied Guava Shells (Casquitos de Guayaba)
Guava halves slow-simmered in a cinnamon-scented sugar syrup until glossy, tender and deep pink, then served the Cuban way with cool slices of cream cheese to cut the sweetness.
Cuban Drunken Sponge Cake (Panetela Borracha)
A feather-light egg sponge cake soaked through with a cinnamon-and-rum syrup until every bite is moist and fragrant. A nostalgic treat from old Cuban panaderías, best with a cup of strong coffee.
Soursop Milkshake (Champola de Guanábana)
A thick, pale, tropical milkshake made from ripe soursop blended with cold milk and sweetened condensed milk, with just enough lime to brighten the fruit's sweet-tart flavor. A beloved Cuban street and home drink, best drunk the moment it's blended.
Saoco (Cuban Coconut Rum Cocktail)
Cold coconut water and soft young coconut meat mixed right inside the shell with white rum, the way it's drunk on Cuban beaches and roadside stands. No blender, no shaker, just a coconut, a knife and good rum.
El Presidente Cocktail
Havana's grandest cocktail: aged white rum, dry vermouth and orange curaçao shaken hard with a whisper of grenadine until silky and ice-cold, finished with a twist of orange peel.
Cuban Scrambled Eggs (Revoltillo Cubano)
Soft, glossy scrambled eggs cooked with diced chorizo, onion and bell pepper until everything is golden and fragrant. A hearty, quick Cuban breakfast best eaten hot with warm Cuban bread.
Sweet Plantain Omelette (Tortilla de Plátano Maduro)
Thick slices of very ripe plantain are fried until caramelized at the edges, then folded into a soft, golden egg omelette. A classic Cuban breakfast that is sweet, savory and deeply comforting.
Soupy Cuban Chicken Rice (Arroz con Pollo a la Chorrera)
Chicken simmered with beer, saffron and a sweet pepper sofrito until the rice turns loose, creamy and golden. This is Cuban comfort food at its most generous — ladled into bowls, never piled on a plate.
Cornmeal with Picadillo (Harina con Picadillo)
A soft, creamy cornmeal mush topped with juicy ground beef picadillo simmered with tomato, olives and raisins. The ultimate Cuban everyday lunch, filling and full of flavor.