Empanada Dough: Easy Homemade Recipe for Baking or Frying
A tender, sturdy homemade empanada dough with flour, cold butter, egg and ice water, plus disc sizes, baking vs. frying, variations and freezing tips.
Cuban Cooking: Ingredients, Guides & Where to Start
✦ October’s Featured Dish
Picadillo
Ground beef simmered with sofrito, green olives and raisins, served over white rice with black beans. The everyday Cuban dinner, savory and a little sweet.
Get the Recipe →Explore Cuban Food
Breakfast Dishes
Café con leche, eggs and pastelitos.
Cuban Coffee
Strong, sweet, and essential.
Cuban Sandwich
Ham, pork, cheese, and pickles, pressed.
Desserts
Flan, dulce de leche and more.
Drinks & Cocktails
Mojitos, Cuba Libres and more.
Holiday Dishes
Nochebuena and festive traditions.
Ingredients
Sour orange, cumin, bijol and the viandas.
Main Dishes
Ropa vieja, picadillo, and more.
Moros y Cristianos
The classic rice and black beans pairing.
Seafood
Enchilados, langosta and fried fish.
Side Dishes
The perfect plate, completed.
Soups & Stews
Comforting bowls of tradition.
The Complete Cuban Food Guide
36 traditional dishes, ingredients, and cooking guides in one place.
Explore the Guide →Cuban Coffee & Key Ingredients
Learn about cafecito and the ingredients that define our cuisine.
View the Guide →Latest Cuban Recipes
View All Recipes →Empanada Dough: Easy Homemade Recipe for Baking or Frying
Arroz con Pollo Cubano: Cuban Chicken and Yellow Rice (Recipe)
Yuca con Mojo: How to Make Authentic Cuban Yuca with Garlic Mojo
Yuca Fries (Yuca Frita): Crispy Fried, Baked & Air Fryer Recipe
Cuban Food: 36 Traditional Dishes to Try
Plátanos Maduros: How to Make Sweet Fried Plantains (Recipe)
Adobo vs. Sazón vs. Sazón Completa: What’s the Difference?
Cuban Sandwich (Cubano): The Authentic Recipe and the Story Behind It
Cortadito: The Sweet Cuban Coffee Cut With Milk (and How to Make It)
Café con Leche: How to Make It the Cuban Way (and How Latin America Drinks It)
A little Cuban curiosity
Fun Facts About Cuban Foods
Big flavors. Little surprises. There’s a story in every bite.
Behind the name“Old clothes” for dinner?
Ropa vieja means “old clothes” in Spanish—a nod to the dish’s long, tender shreds of beef. Deliciously unexpected.
Cafecito cultureSmall cups. Big conversations.
A colada is Cuban coffee served with small cups for sharing. A coffee break becomes a chance to catch up.
Cuban Food FAQs
A little curious? Open a question.Is Cuban food spicy?
Usually, no. Traditional Cuban cooking gets its flavor from garlic, cumin, oregano, onions, and citrus rather than hot chiles. Individual dishes and family recipes can vary.
Explore the Cuban pantry →What’s the national dish of Cuba?
Ropa vieja is widely considered Cuba’s national dish. Slow-cooked shredded beef is simmered in a tomato-based sauce with peppers and onions, often served with rice and black beans.
Get the ropa vieja recipe →What are tostones made from?
Tostones are made from green, unripe plantains. The slices are fried, flattened, and fried again until crisp. Unlike sweet fried ripe plantains, tostones have a savory flavor.
Learn how to make tostones →Why is Cuban coffee so sweet?
Traditional cafecito is sweetened with sugar whipped into the first drops of strong coffee. The remaining coffee is added to create its signature sweet foam, called espuma. Sweetness varies with the amount of sugar used.
Make Cuban coffee at home →A Guide to Cuban Food & Cuisine
Cuba is home to one of the Caribbean’s most beloved culinary traditions, where Spanish, African, Caribbean, and Chinese influences have blended to create a cuisine that is both comforting and full of flavor. From slow-cooked meats and hearty rice dishes to tropical fruits, fresh seafood, and classic desserts, Cuban food reflects the island’s rich history and vibrant culture. Staples like rice, black beans, pork, plantains, yuca, and citrus are at the heart of many traditional recipes, while every family adds its own unique touch to dishes passed down through generations.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Cuba, searching for authentic Cuban recipes, or discovering the island’s most iconic dishes, you’ll find everything you need here. Explore favorites like ropa vieja, picadillo, Cuban sandwiches, lechón asado, tostones, and moros y cristianos, along with traditional Cuban desserts, refreshing drinks, cooking guides, and the culinary traditions that have made Cuban cuisine famous around the world. Whether you’re craving classic comfort food or exploring Cuba’s rich food culture for the first time, you’ll find plenty of inspiration to bring authentic Cuban flavors into your kitchen.
If you’re new to Cuban cuisine, start with our comprehensive guide to 36 Traditional Cuban Dishes, then continue exploring our authentic recipes, desserts, breakfasts, drinks, and regional food guides. Whether you’re cooking at home or celebrating your Cuban heritage, AmigoFoods is your trusted resource for authentic Cuban food.
Arroz con Pollo Cubano: Cuban Chicken and Yellow Rice (Recipe)
Cuban arroz con pollo, step by step: mojo-marinated chicken cooked with beer and yellow Valencia rice, finished with peas and pimientos, made dry or soupy a la chorrera.
Yuca con Mojo: How to Make Authentic Cuban Yuca with Garlic Mojo
Yuca con mojo is a Cuban side dish of tender boiled cassava dressed with garlic, sour orange, olive oil and … Read more
Yuca Fries (Yuca Frita): Crispy Fried, Baked & Air Fryer Recipe
Yuca fries, or yuca frita, are sticks of cassava boiled until tender, then cooked until golden and crisp. This six-serving … Read more
Cuban Food: 36 Traditional Dishes to Try
Updated October 3, 2026 Cuban food is Caribbean home cooking with deep Spanish and West African roots: rice and black … Read more
Plátanos Maduros: How to Make Sweet Fried Plantains (Recipe)
How to make plátanos maduros (sweet fried plantains): how ripe the plantain should be, how to cut and fry it, air fryer and oven versions, and what to serve with them.
Adobo vs. Sazón vs. Sazón Completa: What’s the Difference?
Adobo, sazón and Sazón Completa are three different Latin seasonings. Here is what is in each, which dishes use which, the best brands, and a homemade sazón recipe.
Cuban Sandwich (Cubano): The Authentic Recipe and the Story Behind It
A Cuban sandwich layers mojo roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and mustard on soft Cuban bread, then presses … Read more
Cortadito: The Sweet Cuban Coffee Cut With Milk (and How to Make It)
A cortadito is sweetened Cuban espresso cut with steamed milk. How it differs from a Spanish cortado, how to order one in Miami and how to make it at home.
Café con Leche: How to Make It the Cuban Way (and How Latin America Drinks It)
How to make café con leche the Cuban way, with strong sweetened espresso, hot milk and buttered tostada, plus how Spain, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Brazil drink theirs.
Malanga (Yautía): What It Is and How to Cook It
Malanga, called yautía in Puerto Rico, is the hairy Caribbean root behind puré de malanga, alcapurrias and pasteles. How it differs from taro and how to cook it.
Cuban Ingredients: The 16 Essentials of the Cuban Pantry
Cuban food has a reputation for being mild, and the reputation is earned. But mild is not the same as … Read more
12 Best Cuban Seafood Dishes
Cuba is an island 750 miles long, and almost nowhere on it sits more than 60 miles from the sea. … Read more
Cuba Libre: Ultimate Cuban Rum & Coke Cocktail Guide
Cuba Libre combines rum, chilled cola and fresh lime in a refreshing Cuban highball. This easy cocktail takes just 5 … Read more
Majarete, Latin America’s Incredible Corn Pudding
Majarete is a smooth Latin American pudding with regional variations in its corn, rice and coconut base. This version blends … Read more