19 Caribbean Recipes That Feel Like an Island Getaway

No plane ticket required.

By
Mimi Young
Mimi Young
Mimi Young
Editor
Mimi Young is an editor and chef.
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Published July 30, 2024
Overhead view of Oxtail on a platter

Serious Eats / Karina Matalon

I haven't been on a plane or even so much as left the San Francisco Bay Area in I don't know how long. Safe to say, I'm looooong overdue for a much-needed vacation. But until then, traveling through food is the next best thing to buying a plane ticket—which is why I love exploring recipes that take me to far-off places like the Caribbean Islands. I can experience the endorphin-producing smoky heat of Scotch bonnet peppers and allspice of jerk pork from Jamaica; the zesty citrus kick of Cuban-style pollo de plancha; and melt-in-your-mouth tender Puerto Rican pernil—served with a healthy portion of fried plantains, of course. My tastebuds will be too busy enjoying the tropical vibes to notice the lack of island breeze. So, if you're itching to jet off to the Caribbean Islands but can't afford the time or the flight, give some of these 19 Caribbean recipes a try.

  • Jamaican Jerk Pork

    Overhead view of jerk pork on a platter

    Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

    Great Jamaican jerk pork starts with an intensely spicy and salty marinade, complete with allspice (a.k.a. pimento berries) and Scotch bonnet peppers. But as with any true Jamaican jerk meat, you'll need more than just seasoning or marinade. The dish requires slow smoking and roasting over an open flame—always with pimento wood and leaves indigenous to the Caribbean Islands. Here, we reduce the marinade to a thick consistency to better cling to the pork, top the pork with green pimento leaves to keep it moist, and briefly soak the pimento wood chips to create a smoky flavor.

  • Jamaican Curry Chicken

    Overhead view of curry chicken with rice and fried plantains

    Serious Eats / Karina Matalon

    Although curried goat is undoubtedly the more celebrated Jamaican dish, curried chicken is equally delicious—not to mention more accessible. The addition of coconut milk yields a creamier, richer sauce that provides another layer of flavor to the spice blend. Simmering the Scotch bonnet pepper whole adds flavor without the searing heat.

  • Jamaican Oxtail

    Overhead view of Oxtail on a platter with rice, fried plantain, avocado, and salad

    Serious Eats / Karina Matalon

    Vying for the most popular dish against curried goat is this comforting stew of long-simmered, fall-off-the-bone tender oxtail. Butter or broad beans and flour dumplings (called "spinners") thicken the gravy, giving the stew both body and texture—making it truly a one-pot wonder.

  • Jamaican Pan Chicken

    Pan chicken served with white bread and condiments.

    Serious Eats / Karina Matalon

    Marinated with fragrant island spices like Scotch bonnet pepper, scallion, and thyme, pan chicken is hot, smoky, and tender—the ultimate Jamaican fast food. For this home version of the popular nighttime street fare, marinade is rubbed under the chicken skin to ensure optimum penetration of seasoning and flavor. Cooking the chicken away from direct heat allows the meat to cook through before finishing it over the embers for a satisfying smoky char and burnished skin.

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  • Jamaican Escovitch Fish

    Side view of Escovitch Fish on a white platter

    Serious Eats / Karina Matalon

    Fish for breakfast is common in the Caribbean. Escovitch fish, in particular, is not just a Jamaican breakfast staple, but is eaten all day. The fish is lightly dredged in flour, fried, and covered in a brine-like escovitch sauce made with cane vinegar, Scotch bonnet pepper, pimento berries (allspice), onion, chayote, and carrot. The vegetables are simmered briefly so they retain a bit of their crunch.

  • Guyanese Pepperpot

    Guyanese pepperpot and plaited bread

    Serious Eats / Liz Voltz

    While you can find pepperpot throughout the Caribbean—in Trinidad and Tobago, Antiqua, and Jamaica—Guyanese pepperpot is unique, both in appearance and preparation. The national dish of Guyana is distinguished by its intensely dark color from the inclusion of a browning agent called cassareep, a thick black liquid with the consistency of molasses that is ubiquitous in every Guyanese pantry. A combination of cow foot, oxtail, and bone-in chuck is braised and infused with cinnamon, clove, thyme, nutmeg, and wiri wiri peppers to create a collagen-rich stew that's sweet, savory, and spicy.

  • Cuban-Style Pollo a la Plancha (Marinated and Griddled Chicken)

    Cuban pollo a la plancha plated with rice and black beans

    Serious Eats / Aaron Hutcherson

    Although pollo a la plancha is a classic dish in many Latin American countries, the Cuban version requires marinating the chicken in a mixture of garlic, sour orange juice, cumin, and oregano (and in the city of Santiago de Cuba, they include allspice); you can substitute an equal mix of orange and lime juices if you can't find sour orange. Thirty minutes in the marinade is all it takes, then it's just a matter of browning the chicken and onions in a skillet. Serve it with Cuban rice and black beans for a complete island meal.

  • Slow-Cooker Puerto Rican Pernil With Pique Criollo

    Slow-Cooker Puerto Rican Pernil Pique Criollo on a white plate

    Serious Eats / Jennifer Olvera

    In this slow-cooker version of pernil—the Puerto Rican mainstay—cross-hatch-marked pork shoulder is massaged with a salty, garlicky oregano rub and then lingers in the slow cooker for 18 hours until browned and fork-tender. The tropical vibe of the vinegar-based pique criollo—a blend of peppers, garlic, pineapple, and herbs—adds a pop of acidity that enlivens the meat.

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  • Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice With Pigeon Peas)

    Overhead view of arroz con gandules on a red patterned background

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Arroz con gandules or rice with pigeon peas is considered to be the national dish of Puerto Rico, commonly served during the holiday season with pernil (slow-roasted pork) and pasteles (meat and root vegetable tamales). Whether made in large or small quantities, sofrito plays an integral role in flavoring this dish. The aromatic seasoning base made of peppers, onions, garlic, and herbs is the foundation for the tender rice studded with smoked ham chunks, briny capers, pimentos, and pigeon peas.

  • Cuban Picadillo

    A blue ceramic plate with picadillo, white rice, and black beans.

    Serious Eats / Diana Chistruga

    This easy-to-make Cuban comfort food classic is deceptively simple but big on flavor. The layers of flavor begin with a sofrito and finish with briny green olives, capers, and raisins that add brightness and texture. Serve it with white rice and black beans.

  • Ropa Vieja

    Ropa Vieja plated with rice, beans, and plantains

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Daniel's one-pot version of this Cuban dish—complete with tender shredded beef in a sauce with tomatoes, onions, and peppers—doubles down on flavor without straying too far from the classic. By not poaching the beef separately and searing it in a Dutch oven instead, you save on time, effort, and cleanup, and end up with highly flavorful meat and vegetables smothered in rich beefy sauce.

  • Salt Fish Fritters (Stamp and Go)

    Savory salt cod fritters served with herbs and peppers.

    Serious Eats / Karina Matalon

    Salt fish is a staple of Jamaican cuisine, with ackee and saltfish being the national dish. Salt fish fritters are another part of the Jamaican daily diet. Unlike the salt fritters found on other Caribbean Islands, the Jamaican version is made without baking powder, which produces a flatter shape and crisper edges. As with most Jamaican specialties, these fritters come with a healthy kick from Scotch bonnets.

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  • Curried Jamaican Beef Patties

    Jamaican Beef Patties on a white platter

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

    These flaky pastries—loaded with deeply seasoned ground beef, onions, garlic, and Scotch bonnet peppers—are ubiquitous throughout Jamaica. They're found in ramshackle roadside stands, neighborhood restaurants, and even resorts. One bite just may magically transport you to a warm sunny beach!

  • Jamaican Pepper Shrimp

    Jamaican pepper shrimp on a black platter

    Serious Eats / Jillian Atkinson

    Another popular roadside Jamaican roadside snack that's easy to make at home are these shrimp stewed in a flavorful broth loaded with onion, garlic, allspice, thyme, and plenty of Scotch bonnets. They get their signature color from annatto powder and annatto seed oil. You can adjust the level of spiciness by either finely chopping the peppers and seeds to intensify the heat, removing the seeds for less heat, or leaving the peppers whole for even less heat.

  • Festival (Jamaican Fried Cornmeal Dumplings)

    Overhead view of festivals with jerk chicken

    Serious Eats / Karina Matalon

    Distinguished by their elongated shape, Festival are fried cornmeal dumplings with a crunchy exterior balanced by a moist, slightly sweet dough that's perfect to accompany various spicy, savory dishes, or even as an irresistible snack. The key to preventing them from getting too greasy is to fry them in small batches to avoid lowering the oil's temperature.

  • Maduros (Fried Ripe Plantains) with Mint Mojo

    Overhead view of maduros on a blue plate with mint mojos on a striped green background

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

    You can't have Caribbean food without a side of fried plantain, and honestly, why would you? I was hooked from the first bite at a Puerto Rican restaurant. Kenji's method of shallow-frying 3/4" thick slices at moderate heat first, then lowering the temperature during the final stage allows the sugars plenty of time to caramelize and get extra sweet without giving the plantain a chance to dry out.

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  • Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog)

    Two glasses of Coquito

    Serious Eats

    Coquito is Puerto Rico's answer to eggnog, with a tropical twist in the form of coconut milk. Sweetened condensed milk replaces the sugar in traditional eggnog, while evaporated milk adds body. Fresh ginger provides a kiss of heat and, of course, there's the white rum, which you can add according to taste and tolerance level.

  • Jamaican Sorrel (Hibiscus) Drink

    2 glasses of Jamaican sorrel in rocks glasses on a gold tray

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    If you're looking for a festive non-alcoholic beverage option for the holidays, this sweet, gingery, wine-hued Jamaican drink is an ideal holiday drink. Jamaican sorrel or hibiscus is first hydrated with a quick boil, then allowed a long cold steep for full flavor and color extraction. Freshly grated ginger cuts through the acidity and sharpness of the sorrel while cloves and allspice add warmth. You can dial the sweetness up or down with simple syrup.

  • Cuba Libre Cocktail

    Cuba libre over ice in a tall glass with a straw

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    If you've only ever ordered a simple rum and Coke, you're missing out...on lime, that is. Invented just after the Spanish-American War in Cuba, the Cuba Libre marries fresh lime juice with rum and Coke for a perfectly balanced, refreshing, not-too-sweet cocktail. You can try muddling the shell of half a lime in a serving glass to extract some of the citrus oils from the skin, which will add a bit of extra complexity to the drink.

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