Puerto Rico Recipes
The island where garlic, plantain, and pork are gospel. Not sure what to eat in Puerto Rico? Start with Mofongo, Arroz con Gandules, Tembleque and Mallorca. Here are 9 authentic Puerto Rico recipes, each from a specific region, with cultural context and dietary substitutions for every table.
9 recipes
MofongoSan Juan, Puerto Rico · medium · 45 minFried green plantains mashed with garlic and crackling pork, mounded and filled with garlicky shrimp or stew.
Mofongo MallorcaSan Juan, Puerto Rico · advanced · 8 h 25 minA soft, buttery coiled sweet bread, pressed warm and snowed with powdered sugar, the pride of Puerto Rican panaderías at breakfast.
Arroz con GandulesSan Juan, Puerto Rico · medium · 1 hRice cooked with pigeon peas, sofrito, and pork in one pot, forming a prized crust, Puerto Rico's national dish.
TemblequeSan Juan, Puerto Rico · easy · 3 h 25 minA wobbling coconut pudding set with cornstarch and dusted with cinnamon, a light Puerto Rican holiday classic.
PernilSan Juan, Puerto Rico · medium · 14 h 30 minPuerto Rico's holiday centrepiece: a bone-in pork shoulder seasoned to the core with garlic, oregano, and adobo, slow-roasted until tender with crackling cuerito.
Pollo GuisadoSan Juan, Puerto Rico · easy · 1 h 10 minPuerto Rican braised chicken stew: bone-in chicken simmered in a sofrito and tomato sauce with potatoes, carrots, and green olives, served over white rice.
Alcapurrias (Puerto Rican Stuffed Fritters)San Juan, Puerto Rico · advanced · 4 h 40 minA golden, achiote-tinted masa of grated green banana and yautía wrapped round a savory beef picadillo with olives and deep-fried until crisp outside and soft within.
Sorullitos de Maíz (Puerto Rican Cheese Corn Fritters)San Juan, Puerto Rico · easy · 45 minLittle fingers of cornmeal cooked with butter and a touch of sugar, mixed with grated Edam, rolled and fried until crisp and golden, served with a dish of garlicky mayoketchup.
Guineítos en Escabeche (Puerto Rican Pickled Green Bananas)San Juan, Puerto Rico · easy · 4 h 45 minBoiled green bananas steeped in a warm olive-oil and vinegar escabeche with soft onions, garlic, bay, peppercorns and green olives, served cool beside roast pork or fried fish.
📋 Teaching Puerto Rico?A free, printable Country of the Week guide for the classroom: geography, a kid-friendly recipe, and discussion prompts.
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