25 Popular Latin American Foods with Simple Recipes: A Delicious Journey

Hey there, food explorer! Latin American cuisine is a colorful tapestry of flavors, blending indigenous roots with Spanish, African, and other influences. These 25 iconic dishes will take you on a tasty tour across the region. I've included simple, homemade recipes for each one so you can recreate them in your kitchen. Let's get cooking!

From spicy Mexican street food to hearty Brazilian stews, these dishes are beloved for good reason. Grab your apron—we're making them all with easy-to-follow steps.

1. Tacos al Pastor (Mexico)

Juicy pork marinated in achiote and pineapple, grilled and served in tortillas with cilantro, onion, and pineapple.

Simple Recipe:

• Marinate 1 lb thin-sliced pork shoulder in a blend of 2 tbsp achiote paste, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, garlic, and spices overnight.
• Grill or pan-sear the pork until caramelized.
• Serve in warm corn tortillas with chopped onion, cilantro, and fresh pineapple chunks.

2. Asado (Argentina)

A classic barbecue featuring premium beef cuts grilled slowly over coals, served with chimichurri.

Simple Recipe:

• Season ribeye or flank steak generously with coarse salt.
• Grill over medium-hot coals for 4-6 minutes per side for medium-rare.
• Rest 10 minutes, slice against the grain, and serve with homemade chimichurri (parsley, garlic, vinegar, oil).

3. Ceviche (Peru)

Fresh fish "cooked" in lime juice with onions, chili, and cilantro—refreshing and zesty.

Simple Recipe:

• Cube 1 lb fresh white fish.
• Mix with juice of 8 limes, sliced red onion, chopped cilantro, and aji pepper.
• Let sit 15-20 minutes until opaque. Serve with sweet potato and corn.

4. Feijoada (Brazil)

Hearty black bean stew with assorted pork meats, served with rice and oranges.

Simple Recipe:

• Soak 1 lb black beans overnight.
• Simmer with smoked sausage, pork ribs, and bacon for 2 hours.
• Season with garlic and bay leaves. Serve over rice with orange slices.

5. Guacamole (Mexico)

Creamy avocado dip with lime, onion, tomato, and cilantro.

Simple Recipe:

• Mash 3 ripe avocados.
• Mix in diced onion, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and salt.
• Serve fresh with tortilla chips.

6. Empanadas (Argentina)

Flaky pastries filled with spiced beef, olives, and egg.

Simple Recipe:

• Sauté ground beef with onion, cumin, and paprika.
• Add chopped olives and hard-boiled egg.
• Fill dough discs, fold, seal, and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.

7. Ropa Vieja (Cuba)

Shredded beef in tomato sauce with peppers and olives.

Simple Recipe:

• Braise 2 lb flank steak until tender, then shred.
• Sauté onions, peppers, garlic; add tomatoes and olives.
• Simmer shredded beef in sauce for 30 minutes.

8. Arepas (Venezuela/Colombia)

Cornmeal patties grilled and stuffed with cheese or meat.

Simple Recipe:

• Mix 2 cups masarepa with water and salt to form dough.
• Shape into patties and grill 5-7 minutes per side.
• Split and fill with cheese.

9. Bandeja Paisa (Colombia)

Hearty platter with beans, rice, beef, chorizo, egg, and more.

Simple Recipe:

• Cook red beans with pork.
• Grill steak and chorizo, fry egg and plantains.
• Assemble with rice, avocado, and arepa.

10. Enchiladas (Mexico)

Tortillas rolled with filling, topped with sauce and cheese.

Simple Recipe:

• Fill corn tortillas with chicken or cheese.
• Roll and place in dish.
• Cover with red sauce and cheese; bake 20 minutes.

11. Pão de Queijo (Brazil)

Cheesy gluten-free bread rolls made with tapioca flour.

Simple Recipe:

• Blend tapioca flour, milk, oil, eggs, and cheese.
• Pour into mini muffin tin.
• Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes until puffed.

12. Lomo Saltado (Peru)

Beef stir-fry with tomatoes, onions, and fries.

Simple Recipe:

• Stir-fry beef strips with soy sauce and vinegar.
• Add onions, tomatoes, and fries.
• Serve over rice.

13. Empanadas de Pino (Chile)

Beef empanadas with onions, raisins, olives, and egg.

Simple Recipe:

• Cook beef with onions and spices.
• Add raisins and olives.
• Fill dough, add egg slice, bake until golden.

14. Tamales (Mexico/Central America)

Masa filled with meat, wrapped in husks, and steamed.

Simple Recipe:

• Mix masa with broth and lard.
• Spread on soaked husks, add pork filling.
• Wrap and steam 1 hour.

15. Choripán (Argentina)

Grilled chorizo sandwich with chimichurri.

Simple Recipe:

• Grill chorizo sausages.
• Split crusty bread, add sausage.
• Top with chimichurri sauce.

16. Arroz con Pollo (Cuba)

Chicken and rice cooked with saffron and veggies.

Simple Recipe:

• Brown chicken, remove.
• Sauté onions, peppers, garlic; add rice and broth.
• Nestle chicken back in, simmer until cooked.

17. Mole Poblano (Mexico)

Rich sauce with chiles, chocolate, and spices over chicken.

Simple Recipe:

• Toast dried chiles, blend with tomatoes, nuts, spices, and chocolate.
• Simmer sauce, pour over cooked chicken.

18. Acarajé (Brazil)

Black-eyed pea fritters fried and filled with shrimp paste.

Simple Recipe:

• Blend soaked peas with onion.
• Fry spoonfuls in hot oil until golden.
• Split and fill with vatapá (shrimp-coconut paste).

19. Ajiaco (Colombia)

Chicken and potato soup with corn and guascas herb.

Simple Recipe:

• Simmer chicken with potatoes, corn, and guascas.
• Shred chicken, return to pot.
• Serve with cream, capers, and avocado.

20. Pabellón Criollo (Venezuela)

Shredded beef with black beans, rice, and plantains.

Simple Recipe:

• Braise beef until shreddable.
• Cook black beans with seasonings.
• Serve with white rice and fried plantains.

21. Anticuchos (Peru)

Grilled beef heart skewers marinated in aji panca.

Simple Recipe:

• Cube beef heart, marinate in aji panca, vinegar, garlic.
• Skewer and grill 3-4 minutes per side.

22. Chiles en Nogada (Mexico)

Stuffed poblanos with meat and fruit, walnut sauce, pomegranate.

Simple Recipe:

• Stuff roasted poblanos with picadillo (meat, fruit, nuts).
• Cover with blended walnut-cream sauce.
• Top with pomegranate and parsley.

23. Panqueques con Dulce de Leche (Argentina)

Crepes filled with caramel-like dulce de leche.

Simple Recipe:

• Whisk eggs, milk, flour for thin crepes.
• Cook in hot pan.
• Spread with dulce de leche and roll.

24. Brigadeiro (Brazil)

Chocolate fudge balls rolled in sprinkles.

Simple Recipe:

• Cook condensed milk, cocoa, butter until thick.
• Cool, roll into balls.
• Coat in chocolate sprinkles.

25. Churros (Mexico)

Fried dough pastries coated in cinnamon sugar.

Simple Recipe:

• Boil water, butter; add flour to make dough.
• Pipe into hot oil, fry until golden.
• Roll in cinnamon sugar.

There you have it—25 beloved Latin American dishes with straightforward recipes to try at home. These foods bring people together, full of history and heart. Which one will you make first? Buen provecho!