Recipes & Cooking International Recipes These Cuban Recipes Amp Up the Flavor at Your Dinner Table Try a few of our creative takes on classic Cuban recipes for yourself! By Andrea Beck Andrea Beck Andrea Beck served as garden editor at BHG and her work has appeared on Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, MyRecipes, and more. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on February 23, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Blaine Moats Cuban cuisine is full of hearty, richly seasoned meals featuring fresh ingredients. These modern Cuban-inspired recipes showcase the delicious flavors of Cuban cuisine. Try making Cuban sandwiches for lunch or whip up a hearty dinner starring pulled pork or a citrusy roast. Each recipe features ingredients you can find in your local grocery store and each Cuban recipe here is easy to prepare and enjoy. 01 of 14 Cuban-Style Stuffed Poblanos Blaine Moats A lot of traditional Cuban recipes use flavorful ingredients that will fill you up—and several staples feature in these stuffed poblanos. Ground beef and brown rice bulk up peppers into a meal, while raisins and pitted green olives help deliver classic Cuban flavor. Topping with chopped almonds at the end adds a little crunch. View Recipe 02 of 14 Cuban Red Beans and Rice If you’re cooking Cuban recipes for a crowd, this dish could easily become a side to complement a roast. But it’s meant to be served as a hearty, flavorful vegetarian meal. Choose your favorite, pinto or red kidney beans, then simmer with a blend of spices and serve alongside brown rice for a protein-packed plant-based dinner. View Recipe 03 of 14 Spicy Cuban Flank Steak Scott Little Picadillo is popular throughout Latin America, including Cuba, and it’s usually a combination of ground meat flavored with tomatoes, olives, and a variety of other ingredients. This variation replaces ground beef with flank steak, and serves up a picadillo-inspired relish on top. Serve on Cuban rolls for easy eating. View Recipe 04 of 14 Cuban Pork Roast Blaine Moats Inspired by Cuban mojo, this pork roast recipe is a great big-batch meal. It yields lots of pulled pork seasoned with garlic, orange, lime, and spices, which is delicious all on its own or served up on a Cuban sandwich. There are tons of ways to use the leftover pulled pork, including in quesadillas or topping off a fresh salad. View Recipe What Is a Dutch Oven—and How Do You Use It? 05 of 14 Open-Faced Cuban Sandwich Blaine Moats Of course, one of the best and most well-known Cuban recipes is the Cuban sandwich. This version sticks to tradition, piling up ham and roast beef with Swiss cheese, yellow mustard, and dill pickles. The only change is it’s served open-face style, with the cheese melted on top. View Recipe 06 of 14 Cuban-Style Orange-Scented Black Beans Aubrie Pick Black beans are a staple side in Cuban cooking. The beans have rich layers of flavor thanks to a traditional sofrito, a sauté of onions, tomatoes, garlic, and spices. But a new upgrade to this classic recipe is using a pressure cooker to speed up the cook time for the black beans. View Recipe 07 of 14 One-Pot Cuban-Style Barbecue Pulled Pork Adam Albright Combine pulled pork and Cuban sandwiches into one delicious recipe! This dish starts off with barbecue-style pulled pork cooked low and slow with tomato sauce, molasses, and vinegar. But adding brown mustard and pickle relish to the slow cooker gives each bite a hint of classic Cuban sandwich flavor, too. View Recipe 08 of 14 Cubanos Blaine Moats Use up leftover pulled pork by turning it into a Cuban sandwich. Layer the pork, deli ham, Swiss cheese, and dill pickles on Cuban-style buns with a smear of brown mustard. Then toast them like paninis for a quick, warm, delicious lunch or dinner. View Recipe 09 of 14 Picadillo Dip Jacob Fox Punch up Cuban picadillo into a party appetizer. This Cuban recipe starts with the traditional combo of ground beef, tomatoes, onion, and garlic, but tosses in seasonings like cinnamon and cumin, plus pimiento-stuffed olives and raisins to really ramp up the flavors. Serve with toasted pita or bagel chips to help scoop up every last bite. View Recipe 10 of 14 Cuban Panini with Quick Pickles Andy Lyons Any leftover Cuban-style pork can easily be repurposed into a fresh-flavored panini. Quick-pickled cucumber and red onion add brightness and acidity to the sandwich, taking the traditional place of dill pickles. Toast everything together on your favorite country-style bread or Cuban rolls. View Recipe 11 of 14 Cuban Burgers Blaine Moats Cuban sandwich, meet American hamburgers. This Cuban-inspired recipe marries a beef burger and cooked ham on one bun, with pickles, red onion, and tomatoes serving as toppers. But the real star of the show is the garlicky, citrusy homemade mojo sauce, the only condiment you’ll need for this fusion-style burger. View Recipe 12 of 14 Cuban Pork and Black Bean Melts with Mustard Dressing and Pickled Red Onions Instead of black beans on the side, add them right on top of this Cuban sandwich recipe. Pile on pulled pork, Swiss, and pickled red onions for lots of bold flavor. This recipe leaves about 3 cups of leftover pork, so you can easily make it for dinner one night, then rework the leftovers into tomorrow’s lunch. View Recipe 13 of 14 Flat-Iron Steaks Cubano Like many Cuban recipes, a combination of citrus fruits (lemon, lime, and orange) flavor these flat-iron steaks. It doubles as both a marinade and a sauce for the meat, so there’s fresh tanginess in every bite. For a true Cuban feast, try serving with a side of black beans or plantains. View Recipe 14 of 14 Pork and Sweets Bowl Blaine Moats Looking for a fresh way to use leftovers for lunch or a light dinner? This Cuban recipe makes use of extra Cuban pulled pork for protein, and brightens it up with plenty of veggies. Just reheat and serve over a bed of lettuce with roasted sweet potatoes, avocado, and pico de gallo. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit