15 Pasteles Puerto Rico Recipe Easy Try These Culinary Delights!
Published on: Apr 2, 2024
Puerto Rican cuisine is known for its vibrant flavors and unique blend of Spanish, African, and indigenous influences. One of the most beloved dishes from this beautiful island is the traditional pasteles. These delicious meat-filled pockets are a staple in Puerto Rican households, especially during the holiday season. While the traditional process of making pasteles can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, there are some easy recipes that will allow you to enjoy this mouthwatering dish without all the hassle. Let's take a look at a simple yet authentic pasteles recipe that will transport you to the tropical paradise of Puerto Rico.
How to Make Puerto Rican Pasteles (paleo, AIP option)
Main Ingredients: Bananas, Roots, Squash, Bone Broth, Salt, Onion
If you want to impress your friends and family with a traditional Puerto Rican dish, look no further than pasteles. These savory, stuffed plantain tamales are a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine and are sure to be a hit at any gathering. Plus, with this paleo and AIP-friendly recipe, everyone can enjoy them.
Start by making the masa, or dough, for the pasteles. This recipe uses green plantains, which are a starchy, less sweet version of the yellow ones you may be used to. They are a great substitute for corn masa in this dish. Peel and grate the plantains, and then mix in some melted coconut oil, coconut flour, and sea salt. This will form a dough that you can use to wrap the filling.
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Puerto Rican Style beans
Main Ingredients: Canola Oil, Cilantro, Medium Onion, Jalapeno Pepper
No Puerto Rican meal is complete without a side of beans. These flavorful, saucy beans are a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine and are a must-try for anyone looking to experience the authentic flavors of the island. This recipe uses canned beans for convenience, but you can also use dried beans that have been soaked and cooked.
To make Puerto Rican style beans, start by sautéing onions, garlic, and green peppers in a large pot. Then, add in some canned red beans, tomato sauce, sofrito, and sazón seasoning. Let everything simmer until the beans are soft and the sauce is thick and flavorful. Serve over rice for a classic Puerto Rican meal.
Sofrito is the base of many Puerto Rican dishes and is essential for adding flavor and depth to your cooking. This aromatic sauce is made with a blend of onions, garlic, green peppers, cilantro, and ají dulce peppers. These ingredients are blended together and then cooked down in some olive oil until the flavors are melded together.
Sofrito can be used as a seasoning for meats, beans, and rice, or as a base for soups and stews. Make a big batch and freeze it in ice cube trays for easy portioning and use in all your Puerto Rican recipes.
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Puerto Rican Picadillo
Main Ingredients: Ground Beef, Sofrito, Tomato Sauce, Spanish Olives
Picadillo is a versatile, flavorful dish that can be eaten on its own or used as a filling for other Puerto Rican dishes, such as empanadas or pastelillos. This recipe uses ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey or chicken if you prefer.
To make Puerto Rican picadillo, cook the ground beef with some onions, garlic, and green peppers until it is browned. Then, add in some tomato sauce, olives, raisins, and sazón seasoning. Let everything simmer until the flavors are well combined. Serve over rice or use as a filling for empanadas.
This one-pot meal is a classic in Puerto Rican households. It is easy to make and packed with flavor, making it a perfect weeknight meal. The chicken is first marinated in a mixture of olive oil, garlic, oregano, and adobo seasoning. Then, it is cooked with some sofrito, tomato sauce, and rice until everything is tender and flavorful.
To make this dish even more traditional, serve it with a side of maduros, or sweet plantains, and a sprinkle of cilantro on top.
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Puerto Rican Style beans
Main Ingredients: Small Onion, Banana Peppers, Garlic, Chopped Cilantro
Rice is a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine, and this recipe is for a traditional Puerto Rican style rice that is full of flavor and pairs well with any main dish. The secret to getting the perfect texture and flavor in this rice is toasting it in some olive oil before adding in the liquid.
Start by cooking some bacon in a large pot until it is crispy. Then, add in some rice and toast it for a few minutes. Next, add in some water, tomato sauce, sofrito, and sazón seasoning. Let the rice cook until it is fluffy and all the liquid has been absorbed. Serve as a side dish to any Puerto Rican meal.
Pastelon is a Puerto Rican twist on traditional lasagna. Instead of pasta, this dish uses layers of sweet plantains, ground beef, and cheese. It is a hearty and flavorful meal that is sure to be a hit with the whole family.
To make pastelon, start by frying some plantains until they are golden and then layering them in a baking dish. Then, cook some ground beef with sofrito, sazón seasoning, and tomato sauce. Layer the beef on top of the plantains, and then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used up. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
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Puerto Rican Rice (An Authentic)
Main Ingredients: Olive Oil, Garlic, Tomato Sauce, Sazon, Adobo, Sofrito
Arroz con gandules, or rice with pigeon peas, is a classic Puerto Rican dish that is often served during the holidays. It is made with the same toasting method as traditional Puerto Rican rice but has the added flavor and texture of pigeon peas.
To make arroz con gandules, start by toasting some rice in a pot with some olive oil. Then, add in pigeon peas, sofrito, tomato sauce, and sazón seasoning. Let the rice cook until it is fluffy and all the liquid has been absorbed. Serve as a side dish or add in some cooked chicken or chorizo for a heartier meal.
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Pastelon (Puerto Rican Lasagna)
Main Ingredients: Plantains, Peanut Oil, Ground Beef, Yellow Onion, Green
Pernil, or roasted pork shoulder, is a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine and is often served at special occasions and holidays. This slow cooker version makes it easy to enjoy this traditional dish without the hassle of roasting a whole pig.
Start by marinating a pork shoulder in a mixture of garlic, oregano, adobo seasoning, and olive oil. Let it marinate overnight for maximum flavor. Then, place the pork in a slow cooker with some sofrito and sazón seasoning and let it cook for several hours until it is tender and falling apart. Serve with rice and beans for a complete Puerto Rican meal.
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Traditional Puerto Rican Rice Arroz con Gandules
Main Ingredients: Bacon, Cubanelle Pepper, Vegetable Oil, Fresh Cilantro
Rice and beans are a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine, and this dish is a delicious way to enjoy them. It is made with red beans, sofrito, sazón seasoning, and coconut milk, which gives it a creamy and flavorful sauce. Serve it over rice for a complete meal.
To make habichuelas guisadas, start by cooking some bacon in a pot until it is crispy. Then, add in some beans, sofrito, sazón seasoning, and coconut milk. Let everything simmer until the beans are soft and the sauce is thick and flavorful. Serve over rice with a sprinkle of cilantro on top.
Main Ingredients: Pork Shoulder, Garlic, Kosher Salt, Ground Black
Rice and beans are a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine, and this recipe is a simple and delicious way to enjoy them. It is made with black beans, garlic, oregano, and sazón seasoning, which gives it a rich and flavorful sauce. Serve it over rice for a complete meal.
To make Puerto Rican rice and beans, start by cooking some bacon in a pot until it is crispy. Then, add in some beans, garlic, oregano, and sazón seasoning. Let everything simmer until the beans are soft and the sauce is thick and flavorful. Serve over rice with a sprinkle of cilantro on top.
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Puerto Rican Rice and Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas)
Main Ingredients: Oil, Sofrito, Tomato Sauce, Kidney, Water, Coriander
Flan is a classic Puerto Rican dessert, and this version with cheese is a delicious twist on the traditional recipe. It is made with a mixture of cream cheese, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and eggs, which gives it a rich and creamy texture.
To make Puerto Rican flan de queso, start by making a caramel sauce with sugar and water. Then, blend together the rest of the ingredients and pour the mixture over the caramel in a baking dish. Bake until the flan is set, and then let it cool before serving.
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Puerto Rican Rice & Beans
Main Ingredients: Oil, Sofrito, Tomato Sauce, Kidney, Water, Coriander
Papas rellenas, or stuffed potatoes, are a popular street food in Puerto Rico. They are made by filling mashed potatoes with a savory filling, such as ground beef, ham, or shredded chicken, and then frying them until they are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
To make Puerto Rican papas rellenas, start by making mashed potatoes with potatoes, butter, milk, and salt. Then, make a filling with cooked ground beef, onions, garlic, olives, and sazón seasoning. Form the mashed potatoes into balls and stuff them with the filling. Then, roll them in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs before frying them until they are golden and crispy.
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Puerto Rican Rice & Beans
Main Ingredients: Black Beans, Olive Oil, Salsa, Garlic, Cumin, Chili
Coquito is a traditional Puerto Rican drink that is often served during the holidays. It is similar to eggnog, but it is made with coconut milk and rum, which gives it a tropical twist. This recipe is non-alcoholic, but you can add rum to taste if desired.
To make coquito, blend together some coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon. Chill the drink before serving, and sprinkle some cinnamon on top for an extra festive touch.
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Puerto Rican Flan de Queso (Cheese Flan)
Main Ingredients: Sugar, Cream Cheese, Sweetened Condensed Milk
Tostones, or fried plantains, are a popular side dish or snack in Puerto Rico. They are made by frying slices of green plantains and then smashing them flat before frying them again. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and are often served with a side of garlic sauce for dipping.
To make Puerto Rican tostones, start by slicing green plantains into rounds. Then, fry them until they are golden and crispy. Remove them from the oil and smash them flat with a tostonera, or the bottom of a glass. Then, fry them again until they are crispy and serve hot with garlic sauce.
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Puerto Rican Papas Rellenas (Stuffed Potatoes)
Main Ingredients: Potatoes, Cornstarch, Egg, Salt, Oil
Pernil, or roasted pork shoulder, is a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine and is often served at special occasions and holidays. This slow cooker version makes it easy to enjoy this traditional dish without the hassle of roasting a whole pig.
To make slow cooked Puerto Rican pork, start by marinating a pork shoulder in a mixture of garlic, oregano, adobo seasoning, and olive oil. Let it marinate overnight for maximum flavor. Then, place the pork in a slow cooker with some sofrito and sazón seasoning and let it cook for several hours until it is tender and falling apart. Serve with rice and beans for a complete Puerto Rican meal.
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Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog)
Main Ingredients: Coconut Milk, White Rum, Evaporated Milk, Sweetened
Empanadas, or turnovers, are a popular snack or appetizer in Puerto Rico. They are made by filling a dough with a savory filling, such as shredded chicken, ham, or ground beef, and then frying them until they are golden and crispy.
To make Puerto Rican chicken empanadas, start by making the dough with flour, butter, egg, and salt. Then, make a filling with cooked shredded chicken, onions, garlic, olives, and sazón seasoning. Form the dough into circles and fill with the chicken mixture. Fold the dough over and seal the edges before frying until they are crispy and golden.
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Puerto Rican Tostones (Fried Plantains)
Main Ingredients: Green Plantains, Vegetable Oil, Salt, Mayonnaise
Sofrito is the base of many Puerto Rican dishes and is essential for adding flavor and depth to your cooking. This aromatic sauce is made with a blend of onions, garlic, green peppers, cilantro, and ají dulce peppers. These ingredients are blended together and then cooked down in some olive oil until the flavors are melded together.
The Main Ingredients
Plantains and Yautia
One of the main ingredients in pasteles is the plantain, a starchy fruit that is a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine. To make pasteles, you will need ripe plantains that are peeled and cut into chunks. Another key ingredient is yautia, a root vegetable that provides a unique flavor and texture to the filling. It can be found in most Latin American grocery stores or substituted with taro root or yucca.
Meat Filling
The meat filling for pasteles is typically made with pork, but you can use any protein of your choice. The meat is seasoned with a blend of spices, including achiote, adobo, and sofrito, giving it a bold and savory flavor. For a vegetarian option, you can substitute the meat with a mix of vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions.
Banana Leaves
To wrap the pasteles, you will need banana leaves, which can be found in the frozen section of most Latin American grocery stores. These leaves not only give the pasteles a distinct flavor but also keep them moist and tender during the cooking process.
The Recipe
To make the pasteles, you will need to blend the ripe plantains and yautia in a food processor until they form a smooth dough. Then, you will mix the meat filling with the dough and spread it on the banana leaves. The leaves are then folded and tied with string before being steamed or boiled. The result is a flavorful and hearty dish that can be served as a main course or a delicious snack.
Conclusion
While traditional pasteles may take hours to prepare, this easy recipe allows you to enjoy this Puerto Rican delicacy in a fraction of the time. With just a few simple ingredients and some basic cooking skills, you can recreate the flavors of Puerto Rico in your own kitchen. So why not give this recipe a try and savor the taste of the Caribbean in every bite?
How to Make Puerto Rican Pasteles (paleo, AIP option)
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