Food of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican cooking, known as cocina criolla, blends Taino, Spanish and African traditions into dishes built on plantains, rice, beans and pork. Sofrito, adobo and achiote give flavor, and many meals are shared at family gatherings. Coconut, root vegetables and tropical fruit appear throughout.
- Main dishes (8)
- Breakfast (3)
- Street food (5)
- Soups (2)
- Salads (2)
- Desserts and sweets (5)
- Drinks (4)
- Fruits and produce (7)
Staples
- plantains
- rice
- beans
- pork
- yuca
- coconut
- chicken
- cod
Signature flavors
- sofrito
- adobo
- achiote
- cilantro
- culantro
- oregano
- garlic
Main dishes
Mashed fried plantains with garlic and pork cracklings.
Key ingredients: plantains, garlic, chicharronFull guide →
Rice with pigeon peas and pork.
Key ingredients: rice, pigeon peas, sofrito, pork
Slow-roasted pork shoulder.
Key ingredients: pork, garlic, oreganoChicken braised in sofrito and tomato.
Key ingredients: chicken, potatoes, olivesSalt cod stewed with potatoes.
Key ingredients: cod, potatoes, peppers
Green banana masa parcels with pork in leaves.
Key ingredients: green banana, pork, banana leavesShrimp in garlic sauce.
Key ingredients: shrimp, garlic, olive oilFried marinated pork chunks.
Key ingredients: pork, lime, adoboBreakfast
Breadfruit fritters.
Key ingredients: breadfruit, oilSweet coiled bread dusted with sugar.
Key ingredients: flour, butter, powdered sugarFried eggs with plantains.
Key ingredients: eggs, plantainStreet food
Fritters of green banana and taro with meat.
Key ingredients: green banana, yautia, meatCrisp salt cod fritters.
Key ingredients: cod, flour, garlicGrilled marinated meat skewers.
Key ingredients: chicken, pork, barbecue sauce
Fried pastry turnovers.
Key ingredients: pastry, beef, cheese
Shaved ice with fruit syrup.
Key ingredients: ice, syrupSoups
Chicken and noodle soup.
Key ingredients: chicken, noodles, carrots
Soupy rice with chicken or seafood.
Key ingredients: rice, chicken, sofritoSalads
Avocado and tomato salad.
Key ingredients: avocado, tomato, onionCod salad with olive oil.
Key ingredients: cod, olives, peppersDesserts and sweets
Cream cheese caramel flan.
Key ingredients: cream cheese, eggs, caramelFull guide →
Coconut pudding with cinnamon.
Key ingredients: coconut milk, cornstarch, cinnamonRice pudding with coconut and ginger.
Key ingredients: rice, coconut, gingerCream cheese filled pastries.
Key ingredients: puff pastry, cream cheese
Creamy coconut drink, served cold.
Key ingredients: coconut milk, condensed milk, cinnamonDrinks
Strong coffee from mountain farms.
Key ingredients: coffeePassion fruit juice.
Key ingredients: passion fruit
Sweet malt soda.
Key ingredients: maltMango smoothie.
Key ingredients: mango, milkFruits and produce
Basis of countless dishes.
Sweet, juicy local variety.
Many local types.
For paste and pastries.
Full guide →
Called parcha.
Called pana, fried or boiled.
For water, milk and sweets.
Dish guides from Puerto Rico
Explore Puerto Rico on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.More cuisines of Caribbean
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- British Virgin Islands
- Caribbean Netherlands
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- Montserrat
- Saint Barthélemy
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Martin
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sint Maarten
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- United States Virgin Islands
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Mofongo: Diane, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Arrozcongandules2: Portorricensis, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pernil.1: Ekem, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Ingredients for pasteles: The Eloquent Peasant, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Alcapurrias-many: Dave Cook / Flickr user: Eating In Translation ( https://www.flickr.com/photos/eatingintranslation/ ), CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tapa de empanadillitas: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Piragua: Daniel Lobo, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- AsopaodeCamarones: Luigis1234, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tembleque - coconut pudding: Arnold Gatilao from Oakland, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Coquito in a glass: charlene mcbride, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- HPIM0351: Mandingojones at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- കൈതച്ചക്ക: Suniltg at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Guava pink fruit: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Artocarpus altilis (fruit): Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cocos nucifera - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-187: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
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