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This collection of 12 Classic Cuban Food Dishes Everyone Should Know features Cuban Pot Roast, Mojo Marinade, the Medianoche Sandwich, Fricassee de Pollo, Mojo Pork, Carne con Papas, Mojo Shrimp, and Mojo Chicken. Cuban cuisine includes slow-cooked meats, citrus-based marinades, hearty stews, seafood dishes, and some of the Caribbean’s best-known sandwiches. The Cuban food dishes roundup also includes several Cuban sandwich preparations, providing a closer look at the meats, breads, cheeses, and cooking methods associated with these popular dishes.
Many Cuban food dishes use ingredients such as pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, garlic, onions, citrus juice, potatoes, bread, cheese, and pickles. Mojo plays an important role in several recipes in this collection, where citrus, garlic, and seasonings are used to marinate or flavor meats and seafood. Other Cuban food dishes rely on slow cooking, braising, grilling, or pressing to create tender meats, substantial stews, and crisp, hot sandwiches.
Whether you are looking for a slow-cooked Cuban dinner, a garlic-and-citrus seafood dish, or a pressed sandwich, this Cuban food dishes roundup offers several classic options to make at home. From Cuban Fricassee de Pollo and Carne con Papas to Medianoche sandwiches, Mojo Shrimp, and Mojo Chicken, these 12 Classic Cuban Food Dishes Everyone Should Know provide an introduction to some of the ingredients, preparation methods, and well-known foods associated with Cuban cuisine.
11 Classic Cuban Food Dishes Everyone Should Know
1
Cuban Pot Roast
Cuban Pot Roast is a slow-cooked beef dish prepared until the meat becomes tender and can be sliced or pulled apart easily. Depending on the specific recipe, the beef may be cooked with onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, citrus juice, wine, broth, cumin, oregano, or other seasonings. The extended cooking time allows the beef to soften while the surrounding vegetables and cooking liquid develop into a sauce. The finished pot roast is served hot and may be accompanied by white rice, black beans, potatoes, plantains, or other side dishes, depending on the particular preparation.
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2
Cuban Mojo Marinade
Cuban Mojo Marinade is a citrus-and-garlic mixture used to season pork, chicken, seafood, and other foods before cooking. Traditional Cuban mojo commonly uses sour orange juice, known as naranja agria, combined with garlic, oil, oregano, and seasonings. When sour oranges are unavailable, some recipes use combinations of orange, lime, or lemon juice to provide a similar balance of citrus acidity. The marinade can be used before roasting, grilling, or other cooking methods. The exact ingredients and proportions vary by recipe, but citrus and garlic are defining components of Cuban-style mojo preparations.
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3
Cuban Medianoche Sandwich
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4
Cuban Fricassee de Pollo
Cuban Fricassee de Pollo is a chicken stew in which pieces of chicken are cooked with a tomato-based sauce, vegetables, and seasonings. Depending on the specific recipe, ingredients may include onions, peppers, garlic, potatoes, olives, wine, citrus juice, cumin, oregano, or other seasonings. The chicken is commonly browned before being simmered until tender, while the potatoes and other vegetables cook in the surrounding sauce. The finished dish contains tender chicken and vegetables in a seasoned sauce and is commonly served hot with white rice, allowing the rice to absorb the cooking liquid.
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5
Cuban Slow Cooker Mojo Pork
Cuban Slow Cooker Mojo Pork features pork cooked slowly with a citrus-and-garlic mojo mixture until the meat becomes tender enough to pull apart easily. Depending on the specific recipe, the mojo may contain orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, olive oil, or other seasonings. The slow cooker provides extended, gentle cooking that allows the pork to soften in its surrounding juices. Once fully cooked, the pork may be shredded and mixed with some of the cooking liquid before serving. It can be served with rice and beans or used in sandwiches, tacos, bowls, and other dishes.
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6
Cuban Grilled Sandwich
Cuban Grilled Sandwich combines grilled marinated pork chops with deli ham, salami, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and Dijon mustard on Cuban bread or Kaiser rolls. The pork is pounded to ½-inch thickness and marinated for 1 hour with olive oil, garlic, lime, orange, cumin, oregano, mustard, salt, black pepper, and dried red chili peppers. After grilling the pork for 3 to 4 minutes per side, the sandwiches are assembled and grilled under weight for another 3 to 4 minutes per side until the bread is browned and crispy and the cheese has melted.
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7
Authentic Cuban Sandwich
Authentic Cuban Sandwich combines sliced ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, thinly sliced pickles, and yellow mustard on a 12-inch loaf of Cuban bread, with Genoa salami included as an optional ingredient. The meats, cheese, and pickles are layered between the mustard-coated bread before the assembled sandwich is buttered on both sides. It is then cooked in a panini press, cast iron skillet, or on a griddle under moderate pressure for about 8 minutes, until the bread becomes golden and crisp. The finished sandwich is compressed, hot, and filled with melted Swiss cheese.
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8
Cuban Sliders
Cuban Sliders are small baked or pressed sandwiches inspired by the ingredients commonly used in a Cuban sandwich. They typically combine ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on small rolls, although the exact ingredients depend on the specific recipe. The assembled sliders are commonly arranged together in a baking dish and heated until the cheese melts and the rolls become lightly browned. Some versions are brushed with a butter-based topping before baking. Their smaller size makes them suitable for appetizers, parties, or group meals while retaining the meat, cheese, pickle, and mustard combination associated with Cuban-style sandwiches.
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9
Cuban Carne Con Papas
Cuban Carne Con Papas is a beef and potato stew prepared by slowly cooking pieces of beef with potatoes in a seasoned tomato-based sauce. Depending on the specific recipe, additional ingredients may include onions, peppers, garlic, tomato sauce, wine, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, or other seasonings. The beef simmers until tender, while the potatoes soften and absorb some of the surrounding sauce. The finished dish contains substantial pieces of meat and potatoes in a savory cooking liquid and is commonly served hot with white rice, which provides an accompaniment for the sauce.
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10
Cuban Pork Sandwich
Cuban Pork Sandwich features mojo-marinated pork tenderloin layered with sweet ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickle slices, and yellow mustard on Cuban bread. The pork is marinated for at least 1 hour or overnight, then roasted at 400°F for 20 to 30 minutes before resting for 10 minutes and being thinly sliced. The assembled sandwich is buttered on the outside and cooked in a sandwich press or hot skillet for 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown and the cheese has melted. It is then sliced in half on a bias and served warm.
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11
Cuban Mojo Shrimp
Cuban Mojo Shrimp features shell-on shrimp marinated with garlic, fresh oregano, cumin, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. The shrimp are refrigerated in the mojo marinade for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours before being arranged in a single layer and roasted at 400°F for 8 to 12 minutes. The reserved marinade is simmered until hot and slightly reduced to create a dipping sauce. The finished shrimp can be served with white rice, black beans, plantains, and the warm mojo sauce.
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Laurel Rodgers is a recipe collector and co-founder of World Travel Recipes. Since 2014, she and John Rodgers have traveled to 165 of the 195 countries, gathering over 5,000 recipes directly from local cooks, markets, and small restaurants. Laurel participates in cooking classes, works with host families, and documents recipes as they are prepared. She manages recipe organization and ensures each recipe is written so it can be followed in a real home kitchen.
Recipes are gathered in person and written for real-world cooking conditions.
Recipes are gathered in person and written for real-world cooking conditions.
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