Latin American-Inspired Dishes for Hispanic Heritage Month and Beyond
These decadent recipes can be made in a multi-cooker, slow cooker, or pressure cooker for satisfyingly easy fare
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From South America to Central America, the Caribbean to the United States, home cooks and chefs alike continue to carry on the culinary traditions of their abuelas and abuelos, building on the tastes and techniques of Latin America’s flavorful fare.
“Latin American cuisine is known for its bold and vibrant flavors, often achieved through the use of various chilis, spices, herbs, and aromatic vegetables,” says Mario Rueda, executive chef at Encanto Farm & Sea, the restaurant at Mar del Cabo in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
These flavorful spices and herbs are what help give these dishes their wide appeal and continue to enhance the culinary landscape. But with time, new tools have infiltrated the traditional cooking modes to help bring these aromatic foods to life.
Mexican/Tejana Style Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos
Chef Anna Maria Hernandez Cibulsky
Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
Private home chef Anna Maria Hernandez Cibulsky, based in Georgetown, Texas, has fond memories of her grandmother cooking delicious meals, which is what helped inspire her to enter the kitchen professionally. Hernandez Cibulsky says what she loves most about Latin cooking is that it’s as flavorful as it is good for you. “With the right vegetables, grains, and meat, you can create a very well-balanced meal.” And with the slow cooker, you can get it done with little effort. Hernendez Cibulsky’s pulled pork tacos come together in just three steps over the course of 5 to 6½ hours.
3½ pounds pork shoulder (boneless with a little of the fat for flavor)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup pineapple juice
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup water
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chipotle paste (adjust to your preference)
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf (optional, but remove after cooking—leaves are tough)
1 tablespoon salt (adjust to taste)
For Garnish
Lime wedges
½ red onion, chopped or 3 to 4 green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped cilantro
Makes 5 to 6 servings
Directions
- Place the pork shoulder into the slow cooker with all the additional ingredients. Cover with the lid. Set the cooker on medium-high and cook for 5 to 6½ hours (or longer if needed), checking for tenderness at the 5-hour mark. (Cooking time will vary depending on the slow cooker.) The pork should be fork-tender.
- Once the pork has reached the desired tenderness, turn off the heat, uncover it, and let the steam escape. Shred the meat with two forks. Mix the juices in until the meat is all shredded and mixed with the juices. Add salt to taste.
- Place pulled pork in tortillas of your choice and garnish with chopped onions and cilantro, then serve.
I love Mexican food because it’s comforting and reminds me of my grandma.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack
Photo: Courtesy of Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack Photo: Courtesy of Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack
Proud Latina food blogger and cookbook author Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack has made it her life’s work to share the history, traditions, recipes, and crafts of Mexico. She does so via Muy Bueno, an online destination that celebrates American and Mexican culture. She’s also the author of multiple cookbooks, the latest of which is "Muy Buena Fiestas: 100+ Delicious Mexican Recipes for Celebrating the Year" (Weldon Owen, 2023), which was released last April. What Marquez-Sharpnack loves most about this flavorful Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is that it can be made in under 30 minutes.
3 to 4 New Mexico chile pods, stemmed and seeded
1 corn tortilla, charred and torn into pieces
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 (32-ounce) cartons organic chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
Salt
2 chicken breasts
2 chicken thighs
For Tortilla Strips
12 yellow corn tortillas, sliced into ¼-inch-thick strips
⅓ cup canola oil, for frying tortilla strips
For Toppings
Fried corn tortilla strips
Pork skins (chicharrones)
Diced avocado
Crumbled queso fresco
Crema Mexicana
Lime wedges
Crunchy roasted chiles
Chopped fresh cilantro
Diced onion
Makes 6 servings
Directions
- In a large bowl filled with hot water, add dried chiles and soak until softened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Once softened, blend the chiles with torn tortilla pieces, fire-roasted tomatoes, and 1 cup chicken broth in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Select sauté on the multi-cooker and warm the oil. Add the onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic for 1 minute.
- Lightly season chicken breasts and chicken thighs with salt. Add the chicken, tomato mixture from the blender, and remaining chicken broth to the pot, and give everything a good stir. Lock the lid in place and turn the valve to seal. Press the manual/pressure cook button and set the cooking time for 20 minutes at high pressure.
- While the chicken is cooking, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and fry the tortilla strips until lightly browned around the edges, about 1 minute. Transfer the strips to paper towels to drain.
- Once the chicken has cooked, let the steam release naturally for about 10 minutes, then turn the valve to vent to release any residual steam. Carefully remove the lid and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and season with salt, if needed.
- Ladle soup into bowls and serve with tortilla strips, avocados, a squeeze of lime juice, and your choice of toppings.
In this recipe, chicken thighs and chicken breasts simmer in a spicy tomato broth that’s full of smoky and spicy flavors. It helps cook the meat to tender perfection before being shredded and served.
Chicken Vaca Frita Tostones With Avocado Crema and Mango Salsa
Chef Patty Ruiz
Photo: Courtesy of Patty Ruiz Photo: Courtesy of Patty Ruiz
Miami recipe developer and chef Patty Ruiz is the creator of The Mad Table, where she shares recipes and suggestions for kitchen gear. She often walks clients through these dishes as a private chef and cooking instructor for private groups, the public, and aspiring kid chefs. “My mission has always been to inspire people to fall in love with food,” says Ruiz. If you’re not already in love with plantains, her Chicken Vaca Frita recipe may just change your mind.
For Chicken Vaca Frita
2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large sweet onions, sliced
1 fresh lime, juiced
For Mango Salsa
1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 tablespoon diced jalapeño
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For Avocado Crema
1 ripe avocado, smashed
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For Tostones
2 cups canola oil
2 green plantains
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Makes 4 servings
Directions
- Place 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each) inside the multi-cooker with 1 cup of chicken broth or water. Turn the valve to seal, and select manual pressure. Set the timer to 10 minutes on high pressure, cook, then turn the multi-cooker off and let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Do a quick release for any remaining pressure and carefully open and remove the lid. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165º F. Shred chicken with a fork, making 2 cups.
- To make the garlic paste, use a small cutting board to sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt over the minced garlic. Press and scrape the garlic with the sharp end of a chef’s knife. Work the garlic back and forth for 2 to 3 minutes until you have a smooth paste. In a large bowl, combine the cooked shredded chicken with the garlic paste and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Push the onions to the side and add the chicken to the same pan. Cook the chicken for 4 minutes, turning over occasionally until the chicken turns golden and crispy. Combine the chicken with the onions, taste for seasoning, and finish with a big squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the mango salsa in a serving bowl and mix well. For the best flavor, let the salsa rest for 10 minutes or longer.
- Make the avocado crema by placing all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Combine until smooth and creamy.
- Using a paring knife, trim the plantain ends, and cut a slit in the peel from tip to tip. Create a separation between the flesh and the skin and cut down the plantain to peel the skin off. Cut into 4 (1-inch) rounds. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, until oil reaches 325° F. Place the plantains in the hot oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning occasionally, until lightly golden and tender but not crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Using a plantain press, smash the plantains flat or use a citrus juicer to shape the plantain into a bowl shape.
- Using the same skillet, increase the oil heat to 375° F. Return the smashed plantain to the hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and season with salt.
- Top or fill each tostone/bowl with avocado crema, chicken vaca frita, and mango salsa. Serve immediately.
I am a sucker for flavor, so topping my fried green plantains with crispy chicken vaca frita, avocado crema, and mango salsa is just my way of combining typical Latin ingredients in a way that will make your taste buds explode.
Cranberry Mole Sauce
Executive Chef Mario Rueda
Photo: Courtesy of Velas Resorts Photo: Courtesy of Velas Resorts
Mario Rueda, executive chef at Encanto Farm & Sea at Mar del Cabo in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, originally created this recipe as a side to accompany a free-range Cornish hen served during Thanksgiving at the luxury hotel. The idea: Offer guests a traditional meal with a Mexican twist. This Cranberry Mole Sauce combines the tartness of cranberries, which are typically served on Thanksgiving tables across the U.S., with the richness of mole sauce, a Mexican staple.
Rueda says the use of various chiles, spices, and seeds, along with aromatic cloves, black pepper, oregano, and cumin, creates a multilayered flavor profile. “This complexity is a hallmark of many Latin American cuisines, where a blend of spices is used to create depth and richness,” he says. He believes the incorporation of ingredients like cranberries and white chocolate into a traditional mole sauce is a testament to the evolving nature of the cuisine, where flavors and techniques are constantly adapting and blending.
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup cranberry jelly
1 plantain
2 pasilla chile (without seeds)
2 guajillo chile (without seeds)
2 cascabel chile (without seeds)
2 tomatoes
¼ white onion
3 garlic cloves
⅛ cup nuts and seeds: mix of almonds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts
1 pinch clove, pepper, oregano, and cumin
1 cup white chocolate
6 cups chicken broth
½ cup lard
4 chicken breasts
Makes 4 servings
Directions
- Combine the chiles, tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a multi-cooker and cook on low pressure for 30 minutes. Add in the spices and seeds until they release aromas and oils. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 30 minutes on low heat.
- Add 4 chicken breasts into the multi-cooker and pressure-cook on high for 15 minutes. Serve with desired Thanksgiving sides.
Latin American cuisine is incredibly diverse, influenced by a blend of indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques. This creates dishes that are both spicy and savory, offering a sensory explosion with every bite.
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@consumerreports We tried cooking #Sancocho three ways: dutch oven vs. slow cooker vs. multi-cooker. Find out which one was our taste tasters' favorite through the link in bio.
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