Favorite Puerto Rican Christmas Recipes

Christmas in Puerto Rico is a celebration of family, music, and delicious traditional food. From slow-roasted pork and arroz con gandules to homemade pasteles, coquito, and coconut desserts, holiday dishes bring generations together around the table.

Many of these foods are enjoyed throughout the year, but they hold a special place during the Christmas season. Recipes are often passed down through families, with each household adding its own flavors and traditions.

Explore some of my favorite Puerto Rican Christmas foods, including traditional main dishes, side dishes, drinks, and desserts that make the holidays on the island so memorable.

Traditional Christmas Main Dishes

The centerpiece of a Puerto Rican Christmas meal often includes roasted pork, seasoned rice, and pasteles. These dishes are especially popular during Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), when families gather for a festive dinner.

Pernil Asado

Pernil asado is a Puerto Rican favorite made from pork shoulder marinated with garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and other seasonings, then slowly roasted until tender. When prepared with the skin attached, the skin can become deliciously crisp.

Pernil is often served with arroz con gandules and other traditional side dishes. Another holiday favorite, lechón asado, refers to a roasted pig, traditionally prepared whole for larger gatherings and celebrations.

Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

One of my favorite dishes, arroz con gandules is a staple of Puerto Rican holiday gatherings. This flavorful rice dish combines pigeon peas with sofrito, seasonings, and often pork or ham.

Many families prepare it with achiote (annatto) or other traditional seasonings, giving the rice its distinctive color and rich flavor. It's a perfect accompaniment to roasted pork.

Pasteles

No traditional Puerto Rican Christmas dinner feels quite complete without pasteles. These savory parcels are commonly made with a masa of green bananas and root vegetables, filled with seasoned meat, wrapped in banana leaves and paper, and boiled until cooked.

Making pasteles is often a family tradition. Relatives may gather to prepare the masa, season the filling, wrap the parcels, and make large batches to share or freeze for the holiday season.

Although recipes vary from family to family, pasteles remain one of Puerto Rico's most cherished Christmas foods.

Side Dishes & Favorites

Puerto Rican holiday meals often include plantains prepared in different ways. From crispy green plantains to sweet, caramelized ripe plantains, these favorites add variety to the Christmas table.

Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)

Tostones are made from green plantains that are sliced, fried, flattened, and fried again until golden and crispy. They are typically sprinkled with salt and served as a side dish or appetizer.

They are delicious alongside roasted pork and other Puerto Rican dishes, and are sometimes served with a garlic dipping sauce.

Maduros or Amarillos (Fried Sweet Plantains)

Maduros, also called amarillos in Puerto Rico, are made from ripe plantains. Unlike tostones, they are naturally sweet.

The ripe plantains are sliced and fried until golden and caramelized, creating a soft, sweet side dish that complements savory holiday foods.

Holiday Drinks & Desserts

Christmas in Puerto Rico wouldn't be the same without traditional sweets and festive drinks. Coconut, cinnamon, vanilla, and warm spices are common flavors in many holiday favorites.

Coquito

Coquito, sometimes described as Puerto Rican coconut eggnog, is one of the island's most recognizable Christmas drinks.

Traditionally prepared with coconut milk or cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and rum, coquito is often made at home and shared with family and friends.

Recipes vary widely, and many families have their own special version. Alcohol-free coquito is also a popular alternative.

Tembleque

TTembleque is a traditional Puerto Rican coconut pudding made with coconut milk, cornstarch, sugar, and a touch of salt.

Its name comes from the Spanish word temblar, meaning "to tremble," a reference to the dessert's soft, delicate, jiggly texture.

Usually served chilled and sprinkled with cinnamon, tembleque is a favorite during the Christmas season.

Arroz con Dulce

Arroz con dulce is a rich Puerto Rican rice pudding traditionally made with coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and often raisins.

This fragrant dessert is commonly prepared during the holidays and served chilled or at room temperature.

Flan de Vainilla

Flan de vainilla is a smooth, creamy vanilla custard topped with caramel sauce.

A popular dessert throughout Puerto Rico, flan is often served at family celebrations and holiday gatherings. Variations include coconut, cheese, and other flavors.

A Favorite Cookbook from My Childhood

One of my favorite cookbooks is * Puerto Rican Cookery by Carmen Aboy Valldejuli. My mother gave it to me for my 18th birthday, and it has been a staple in my kitchen ever since.

Over the years, it has become more than just a collection of recipes. It's a connection to the foods I grew up with in Puerto Rico and to the traditions my mother passed down to me.

For me, that's what makes Puerto Rican Christmas food so special. It's not just about what we eat, but the memories, family, and traditions that come with every dish.

Explore More Puerto Rican Cookbooks

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