22 Dishes From Latin America To Try This Month

Pollo mole is a dish that may be easily intimidating, but the truth is it’s very straightforward. Mole (meaning “sauce” in Nahuatl) is a traditional Mexican sauce that can come in many different ways, but they will have some things in common, like dried chiles, chocolate, bread, and spices.

Get the Chicken Mole recipe.

Best known for being the national dish of Cuba, ropa vieja actually originated in Spain. This classic beef stew features shredded flank steak tossed in a flavorful sauce of tomato, onion, and pepper. While many traditional recipes simmer the beef in stock until tender before shredding and incorporating it into the separately made sauce, our one-pot version cooks the beef and the sauce together.

Get the Ropa Vieja recipe.

Classic tostones are a delicious savory plantain snack made with unripe green plantains. (Maduros, on the other hand, are made with ripe sweet plantains.) Though they’re typically twice fried, these air fryer tostones are as crispy as the classic version with a fraction of the fat—and there's no scary pot full of hot oil!

Get the Air Fryer Tostones With Creamy Mojo Dipping Sauce recipe.

Mofongo’s three main ingredients (plantains, pork cracklings, and garlic) seem straightforward on their own, yet when fried and mashed together, they come together to deliver lots of unexpected flavor. To take this dish a step further, you can stuff mofongo with roast pork, shredded beef, or shrimp.

Get the Mofongo recipe.

Empanadas come in many different forms with many different fillings. This version is a flavor bomb, with tender chicken thighs, peppers, and olives, bolstered by tomato paste and paprika, but feel free to go the ground beef route if that's more your jam!

Get the Chicken Empanadas recipe.

You can make this with any meat you like, including fancier cuts, but skirt steak will yield the best results, with crispy bits of charred meat everyone will fight over. Whichever cut you choose, carne asada night is always a celebration.

Get the Carne Asada recipe.

A staple meal for many in Brazil, this version uses wild and brown rice in this recipe, and cooked, drained black beans. Fast and satisfying simple (and loaded with aromatic herbs), this is a perfect, easy accompaniment to your weeknight dinner that you’ll really love.

Get the Leticia’s Modern Rice & Beans recipe.

Pupusas are an easy flatbread made from masa harina that get stuffed with cheese or refried beans—or both! Traditionally, this Salvadoran specialty is served with a cabbage relish that brings it a bit of an acidic punch, so you don't want to skip it.

Get the Best-Ever Pupusas recipe.

On the surface, ceviche may seem complicated. But it’s incredibly easy and versatile, and an ideal way to make use of abundant seafood. This Peruvian-style ceviche is served in chef Maribel Rivero's restaurant, Yuyo Peruano, in Austin, Texas. It’s her take on the classic Limeñan ceviche with cancha (toasted corn), Japanese sweet potatoes, crisp red onions, and aji limo. And, of course, leche de tigre!

Get the Peruvian Ceviche recipe.

The taco de Soto is a fried, crispy taco filled with sliced hot dog and cheese, and is a staple in borderlands cuisine. While on the surface it seems humble enough, this taco has a cultural significance that is deeply personal for some; for others, it’s a snack with plenty of nostalgic memories attached.

Get the Hot Dog Tacos (Tacos De Soto) recipe.

Arroz con gandules is a traditional Puerto Rican dish that consists of rice, pork, tomato paste, achiote, gandules (pigeon peas), and sofrito. Perfect served alongside pernil and yuca fries (and followed up by a glass of coquito), arroz con gandules is perfect for holiday gatherings or weeknight dinners.

Get the Arroz Con Gandules recipe.

Tamales aren’t just fun to eat, they’re a great solo or group project for anyone who loves to cook. Make it a Cinco de Mayo party by involving your friends, enlist your partner or spouse for a different kind of date night, or get the whole family involved. Tamale making is a joy, and tamales are a great canvas for different kinds of fillings.

Get the Tamales recipe.

If you've ever wondered what the difference is between maduros and plantains, we're here to set the record straight. Also known as amarillos, maduros are simply sweet, ripened plantains. When fried, the plantains caramelize on the outside while maintaining a soft and sweet texture on the inside. Especially popular in Cuban cuisine, these fried plantains are often used as a sweet side dish alongside meat dishes or rice and beans.

Get the Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains) recipe.

As a child, Chef Edgar Rico would regularly visit Uruapan, Mexico, a city known for its pork carnitas. These duck carnitas tacos were inspired by his memories of watching women hand-press tortillas and stuff them with slow-cooked pork. In this recipe, the duck legs are cooked low and slow in duck fat, similar to duck confit.

Get the Duck Carnitas Tacos With Salsa Macha recipe.

Empanada recipes are passed down de familia a familia across Latin America. Here, the spicy aji verde dipping sauce pays homage to the sauces that accompany almost every meal in the Andes Mountains of Peru; and the vegetarian filling is a plant-based version of the traditional ground beef one, to make an empanada everyone will enjoy.

Get the Empanadas Sin Carne recipe.

Nothing beats a street taco—super-juicy, tender grilled meat in a quick grab-and-go format, typically made possible by doubling up two smaller corn tortillas. This makes them easier to eat on the side of the street, in the car, anywhere! They're no frills yet tend to be some of the most crave-able tacos around.

Get the Grilled Chicken Street Tacos recipe.

These loaded tortas are a fun weekend project, and many of the steps can be done ahead of when you plan to serve them. Plus, you'll never make refried beans the same after trying this method out.

Get the Carne Asada Tortas recipe.

Short on time but want restaurant-quality black beans? Thanks to your Instant Pot, you get to cut down your cooking time from all day to 35 minutes max.

Get the Instant Pot Black Beans recipe.

Translating directly to rice with chicken, arroz con pollo is a traditional dish in Latin America and Spain. This classic meal can vary from country to country and family to family. For our recipe, we used well-seasoned chicken thighs, drumsticks, onion, bell peppers, diced tomatoes, and long-grain rice (of course).

Get the Arroz Con Pollo recipe.

One of the greatest pleasures of Mexican street food are sopes: round bundles of masa lightly fried and piled with refried beans, shredded chicken, salsa roja or salsa verde, and cotija cheese. These little antojitos, or snacks, can be eaten throughout the day, and make for perfect anytime party apps.

Get the Sopes recipe.