25 Puerto Rican Foods You Have To Try

1. Mofongo

Mofongo stands out as a beloved Puerto Rican dish gracing the menus of countless restaurants that offer the island's cuisine. This dish centers around plantains.

After picking, green plantains are sliced and often fried, but boiling or roasting is also possible. These pieces are mashed in a wooden pilon with salt, garlic, broth, and oil, creating a compact ball that soaks up the flavors. The balls have either pork cracklings or bacon bits inside for an extra taste.

2. Pernil

Pernil, a Latin American-style slow-roasted marinated pork shoulder or leg, holds a special place on Puerto Rican tables during Christmas.

However, its delectable presence extends beyond the holiday season, as you can relish it in restaurants and food stalls throughout the year. Rice is typically served alongside the dish.

3. Tostones

For an irresistible and satisfying taste of traditional Puerto Rican cuisine, indulge in tostones. These delightful fried green plantains make for perfect side dishes or appetizers.

Commonly found in Caribbean cuisine and Latin American cuisine, these crunchy chip-like snacks are salted and eaten much like French fries or potato chips.

4. Caldo santo

Caldo santo is a cherished Puerto Rican soup consisting of pieces of fish (marinated and fried), coconut milk, taro root, plantains, green bananas, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, achiote seeds, and sofrito.

The soup is gently simmered until all the vegetables become tender. This culinary delight holds a special place during another holiday: Good Friday, as opposed to Christmas.

5. Arroz junto

Arroz junto technically encompasses all traditional Puerto Rican rice-based dishes. The term signifies any culinary creation where rice, beans, and protein are all cooked in the same pot.

Annatto is a favored seasoning among Puerto Ricans for these dishes, imparting an orange hue to the rice. Arroz junto can be served as either a complete meal or a side dish.

6. Arroz y habichuelas

A Puerto Rico's version of rice and beans, Arroz y habichuelas is generally made with white rice, beans, tomato sauce, sofrito, and seasonings. Puerto Ricans often enhance this dish with a protein addition, such as bacon or ham.

When in places like San Juan or Ponce, you might find this dish named Puerto Rican rice and beans, but remember, it's essentially the same delicious food.

7. Asopao de gandules

Asopao de gandules is a popular Puerto Rican stew that contains pigeon peas, onions, aji dulce, cilantro, olive oil, tomato sauce, broth, and oregano.

For numerous Puerto Ricans, this specific stew holds the title of ultimate comfort food, especially when complemented by plantain dumplings or after a lively bar crawl in San Juan.

8. Sancocho

Sancocho is Puerto Rico's traditional stew, deeply rooted in its cuisine. This hearty creation is enjoyed in countries like Honduras, Venezuela, and Colombia too.

Though it comes in various forms, each home adds its special touch to sancocho. However, a genuine Puerto Rican version consistently features corn on the cob, diverse tubers, squash, green bananas, and meat.

9. Carne guisada

Carne guisada is the ultimate Latin beef stew, where tender beef chunks are gently simmered with vegetables and infused with authentic Puerto Rican flavors. These dishes are also found in Mexico, but in Puerto Rico, carne guisada distinctly refers to beef stew.

While the names may seem alike, there's a slight difference between carne guisada and carne asada. "Guisada" features less tender or stew meat (beef), while "asada" involves grilled steak.

10. Tres leches cake

A tres leches cake as known as pan tres leches is a song cake soaked in three kinds of milk -whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. This treat is popular throughout Latin America.

In Puerto Rico, the cake is often soaked in white rum and coconut liqueur, and sometimes coffee is poured on top for a tiramisu-like flavor.

11. Besitos de coco

Indulge in the allure of these irresistible little macaroons, known as besitos de coco or coconut kisses. With a texture that's delicate, fluffy, and chewy, the temptation they offer is truly divine.

These cookies can be adorned with chocolate drizzles or pieces or enjoyed in their plain form -the choice entirely rests on individual preferences.

12. Arroz con gandules

Arroz con gandules is the national dish of Puerto Rico. It is a remarkable combination of rice, pork, and pigeon peas, cooked in the same pot with sofrito.

This dish is primarily presented during the Christmas season or for other notable celebrations. You'll probably find it on many lunch or dinner outings when visiting Puerto Rico's popular tourist spots.

13. Asopao de pollo

Asopao de pollo is a hearty Puerto Rican chicken stew that combines the delightful blend of sofrito, adobo seasoning, and rice. It takes center stage in a Puerto Rican form of partying called a "parranda."

Ideal for warming up on chilly winter evenings, it offers comfort and can be enjoyed whenever you're not feeling your best.

14. Arroz con dulce

Arroz con dulce, or coconut rice pudding, is tender, creamy rice infused with the warm flavors of clove, fresh ginger, and cinnamon. But it's the luscious coconut cream that makes the recipe so mouth-watering.

A perfect option for those who steer clear of gluten, this delicacy can be enjoyed hot and fresh from the pot, although the customary way to relish it is when it's chilled.

15. Tembleque

Tembleque is a beloved coconut dessert pudding from Puerto Rico, holding a special place as one of the most treasured desserts in Puerto Rican cuisine.

This delightful treat is made by cooking coconut milk, coconut cream, heavy cream (optional), cornstarch, sugar, and salt, often adding orange blossom water, and finally garnishing it with ground cinnamon.

16. Pasteles

In Puerto Rico, pasteles are a beloved culinary delight, especially around Christmas time. They are traditionally made with a slow-cooked pork filling wrapped in masa and steamed in a leaf.

The masa features typically grated green banana, white yautia, green plantain, potato, and tropical pumpkins known as calabazas.

17. Jibarito

The origins of jibaritos, their specific name, and their presence prior to being sold in Puerto Rican restaurants in Chicago remain unclear.

However, regardless of their initial source, these sandwiches have firmly established themselves as an integral element within the realm of Puerto Rican cuisine. The distinguishing feature of this sandwich is its bread, which is a flattened, fried piece of unripe plantain.

18. Quesitos

Quesito, a cream cheese-filled pastry twist, is one of the most treasured pastries in Puerto Rico. Though the origin of this treat is unclear, the exact recipes are found all over the Caribbean and Latin America.

While quesitos might not have originated in Puerto Rico, they bring forth unique flavors that are hard to find outside the island.

19. Tripleta

Tripleta is a well-liked Puerto Rican sandwich. Its name finds its origins in the inclusion of three varieties of meat: grilled steak, lechon pork, and ham.

The assortment of meats is nestled within a fresh loaf of bread, crowned with fries, ketchup, mayonnaise, cheese, and an array of vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, and onions.

20. Flan de queso

Puerto Rica flan de queso is a rich and creamy cheesecake-like baked custard dessert, boasting a balanced sweetness attributed to the subtle cream cheese tang.

Adding to its allure, the entire flan is embraced by a luscious pool of shimmering sugar caramel sauce. Apart from the inclusion of cream cheese, flan de queso shares much of its essence with any standard flan.

21. Rellenos de papa

Papas rellenas are the most popular type of croquettes in Latin American regions. This dish is enjoyed extensively in Puerto Rico, where it is called "relleno de papa".

In Puerto Rico, potatoes are boiled and mashed with eggs, cornstarch, milk, and butter. They're stuffed with cheese, picadillo, or a choice of meat.

After being coated with egg wash and rolled in cornmeal or bread crumbs, they are fried. Sweet plantains or breadfruit can be used as alternatives to potatoes.

22. Coquito

Coquito, a traditional Christmas drink with its roots in Puerto Rico, is a delightful coconut-based alcoholic beverage similar to eggnog and often dubbed "Puerto Rican Eggnog."

This drink presents a harmonious blend of Puerto Rican rum, coconut milk, coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon.

23. Bacalaitos

Bacalaito, a salted codfish fritter, is a classic Puerto Rican snack typically eaten with an entire meal. These treats exhibit a crispy exterior that gives way to a dense and chewy interior.

Diverse variations of bacalaitos are savored throughout the island, offered at various spots including the beach, cuchifritos stands, and celebratory events.

24. Empanadilla

Empanadillas, also known as empanadas or pastellitos, are a cherished variety of savory or sweet hand pies enjoyed all over Latin America.

They are crafted by folding dough over a filling, which may consist of a range of ingredients such as meat, cheese, corn, tomato, and more. These turnovers are then cooked, either by baking or frying.

25. Chicharrones de pollo

Chicharrones de pollo are perfectly crispy bites of Puerto Rican fried chicken made with a simple yet flavorful marinade and authentic island spices.

These bite-sized chicken pieces boast a crisp and crunchy exterior, giving way to a succulent and flavor-packed interior. Frequently found in roadside fast-food stands across Puerto Rico, they often come served with mofongo on the side.