Puerto Rican Food You Should Try

The first time you sit down at a restaurant in Puerto Rico and see the menu in Spanish (or English for that matter), I want you to have a clue what you’re seeing.

Here’s a quick primer on comida criolla (Puerto Rican food).

Appetizers / Snacks

Pastelillos / Empanadas / Empanadillas. All the same thing. Turnovers filled with ground beef, chicken, steak, shrimp, whatever. Delicious, cheap, perfect snack or quick lunch. Don’t skip the roadside stands, huts and food trucks. That’s usually where the best ones are.

Piononos. One of my favorites. Stuffed plantain cups made with maduros (ripe plantains), filled with seasoned beef picadillo, topped with a bit of cheese. Sweet and savory perfection in one bite. Sometimes they make pionono pastelillos too, which is beef and sweet plantain filling in a turnover. Que rico.

Plantain Dishes

Tostones. Savory rounds of plantain, fried, smashed, fried again. They taste a little like a potato and are seasoned with salt.

Amarillos. Amarillos are sweet ripe plantains, sliced on the bias and pan-fried until the edges caramelize into something almost candy-like — soft, golden, and a little jammy in the middle. These taste more like a banana when ripe.

Mofongo. Cooked plantains mashed with salt and garlic, sometimes with meat mixed in (like churrasco) or served on top of meat. 

Street Food

Bacalaítos. Bacalaítos are thin, crispy salt cod fritters, a savory batter spiked with shredded bacalao, garlic, and cilantro, fried until the edges shatter and the middle stays tender, almost lacy. Classic beach food, usually eaten standing up with a cold Medalla in the other hand.

Alcapurrias. Deep-fried fritters made from plantain or yuca, with fillings inside.

Pinchos. Skewers, usually chicken, usually with a barbecue-type sauce. You will make a mess eating these. There’s a funny tradition where they skewer a little piece of bread on the end of the stick to go with your pincho. Now that you know to look for the word pinchos, you’ll see them everywhere.

Staples

Arroz con habichuelas. Rice and beans. The staple. I’d happily eat this as my whole meal some days. And pro tip: don’t say frijoles here. It’s habichuelas. And, they are pink beans. You won’t find many black beans here.

Mamposteao. Rice and beans cooked together. Different dish, also great.

Lechón. Lechón is Puerto Rico’s slow-roasted pork, a whole pig turned over open coals for hours until the skin crackles into shattering, salty cuerito and the meat underneath pulls apart in tender, garlicky shreds.

Churrasco. Seasoned skirt steak, sometimes served with chimichurri. My husband’s favorite.

Tripleta and Media Noche. Very popular sandwiches here. The tripleta is the over-the-top option — three meats (usually ham, pork, and steak) piled with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and shoestring fries, all pressed into a soft sandwich roll. The medianoche is the quieter cousin to the Cuban sandwich, made on a slightly sweet roll with ham, roast pork, Swiss, pickles and mustard.

Desserts

Tres Leches. Tres leches is a dense, moist Latin American sponge cake soaked in a mixture of three milks — evaporated, condensed, and heavy cream — and typically topped with whipped cream.

Quesito. A quesito is a flaky Puerto Rican pastry filled with sweetened cream cheese and glazed with a light sugar coating. Usually, these are only found at the panaderías and won’t be found on dessert menus.

Tembleque. Tembleque is a creamy Puerto Rican coconut pudding, silky and delicate, usually dusted with cinnamon and served chilled.

I could go on and on… This just scratches the surface of all of the tasty things you will find there. 

Just please promise me something? Do not eat at a chain restaurant in Puerto Rico. For a quick bite, pull over at any kiosko or food truck for an inexpensive meal instead. Or, follow the locals!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by where to actually go eat, the restaurant hit list in the full 7-day Puerto Rico Itinerary and Guide has 25+ spots sorted by city, with budget and splurge options, plus they’re all pinned in the custom Google Map.