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Caribbean cuisines call on herbs, spices, and tropical fruits, with influences from Africa, Spain, Latin America, and Asia, for snacks, starters, main dishes, and desserts with a distinct taste of place. Here, some of your favorite chefs from the Caribbean share specialties from their homes and childhoods, spanning Dominican bollitos, Jamaican callaloo, and Trinidad and Tobago-style barbecue. From a rum and guava glaze for spareribs inspired by Dominican flavors to staples like rice and peas and specialties like arroz con pollo, these Caribbean recipes celebrate the range of flavors and traditions that make the islands such impactful culinary destinations. As Brigid Ransome Washington put it: “The cultural idiosyncrasies of each Caribbean island are rich and telling.” Taste them here.
Guyanese Gojas (Fried Coconut Turnovers)
Blogger Alica Ramkirpal-Senhouse learned to make these Indo-Caribbean coconut-stuffed fried hand pies from her grandmother. Freshly grated nutmeg and ginger are essential ingredients for the warmly spiced coconut filling. Serve them piping hot, soon after frying, for the best texture.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
There are as many takes on jerk chicken in Jamaica as there are cooks on the island, but most share the same method: Chicken is coated in a seasoning mixture dominated by spices and chiles, then grilled. This version is wonderfully spicy, smoky, and fragrant — everything you want the dish to be.
Caribbean Johnny Cakes
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Caribbean Johnny cakes are small fried breads that are crisp on the outside with a tender and airy center. The slightly sweet and light treats are often served with cheese for breakfast, as a snack, or alongside saltfish or fish stews.
Rum-and-Guava-Glazed Spareribs
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Audrey Taylor
Chef Nelson German turned to memories of his Dominican childhood for this barbecue sauce for spareribs. The guava sauce is brightened by rum and amplified by hints of dill pickle, mustard, and Maggi seasoning.
Trini-Style Barbecue Lamb
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Audrey Taylor
Chef Osei Blackett was inspired by a smoky barbecued lamb dish he enjoyed as a child in Trinidad and Tobago for his version with fresh lime juice, ginger, and thyme. A sweet, beer-based sauce adds a perfectly complementary layer of flavor.
Chickpea Doubles with Tamarind and Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce
2019 F&W Best New Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s take on traditional Trinidadian doubles showcases curried chickpeas atop a turmeric-laced, fried flatbread called bara. It’s served with two sauces to layer on even more flavor: tamarind sauce and Scotch bonnet pepper sauce.
Akra (Crispy Taro Root Fritters) with Caviar and Remoulade
José Mandojana
Haitian chef Gregory Gourdet makes his akra by finely grating fresh taro root and tossing the shreds with scallions, garlic, chile, and herbs, plus an egg for binding. Once they’re fried up, Gourdet serves the fritters with his zesty remoulade and a luxurious dollop of briny osetra caviar.
Niños Envueltos Dominicanos (Dominican Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)
Made with a sofrito base, rice, and equal parts ground beef, pork, and lamb, these savory tomato sauce-topped cabbage rolls are both irresistible and deeply comforting.
Jamaican Rice and Peas
Diana Chistruga
The peas in this recipe refer to kidney beans, which cook in a blend of water, coconut milk, aromatics, and spices along with the rice. This is a Jamaican version of the dish, but peas (or beans) and rice are common in many places across the Caribbean.
Cubano Sandwiches
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
Give Cuban sandwiches extra flavor by using a classic Cuban mojo as a marinade and a sauce. Like most Cuban mojos, this one by food writer Anya Von Bremzen starts with orange juice, then adds a complex kick with cumin, garlic, oregano, cilantro, and red onions.
Kingfish Escabeche
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Audrey Taylor
Fish escabeche came to the Caribbean through Spain centuries ago; featuring fish that’s first cooked and then pickled in vinegar, it is beloved throughout the region. Chef Jose Enrique’s version is grilled over coals rather than fried for a smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with the rice vinegar.
Jamaican Black Cake
The delicate nuance of raw almonds (and almond extract), the warm spiky notes of allspice, and plenty of rum inform food writer and recipe developer Brigid Ransome Washington’s version of Black Cake with a uniquely Jamaican sensibility.
Jamaican Stew Peas and Spinners
Luscious, hearty, and satisfying, this vegetarian stew pea dish comprises red kidney beans, aromatics, coconut milk, a Scotch Bonnet pepper, and more. The spinners are unfussy finger-like dumplings that add a dense, toothsome bite. Serve it all over rice.
Pernil Asado (Garlicky Roast Pork Shoulder)
Cara Cormack
Chef Jose Enrique’s ultra-flavorful Puerto Rican classic roast pork shoulder marinates overnight in a blend of citrus, garlic, and herbs, then cooks slowly in the oven until it’s deeply caramelized and crispy on the outside. It can be carved, shredded, or pulled into large pieces for serving.
Bollitos de Papa y Elote (Potato Elote Bites)
Pastry chef Paola Velez mashes up two iconic street foods by filling Dominican bollitos with Mexican elote for a snack that’s crunchy, cheesy, and a little bit spicy. Garnished with lime-flavored crema and fresh cilantro, these bites are as pretty as they are delicious.
Soup Joumou
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
This hearty Haitian winter staple begins with the aromatic flavor base epis, which is made by pureeing bell peppers, scallions, onions, and garlic. A multitude of vegetables accompany the beef and pasta in this flavor-packed stew, including squash, cabbage, and an assortment of onions and root vegetables.
Cuban Black Beans
Maxwell Cozzi
Instead of starting with pre-soaked beans, our soaking moment happens at the end of the cooking process: The mixture “sleeps” overnight to allow all the garlicky, delicious flavors to meld together. Eat the beans as the main event, serve them as a side dish, or enjoy them as part of a salad, breakfast burrito, or tostada.
Ropa Vieja
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
Ropa Vjieja is said to be the national dish of Cuba. This version from Cory Morris features slow-braised meat, meltingly tender vegetables, and a deeply flavorful tangy, velvety braising liquid.
Red Chile Jerk–Spiced Roasted Sweet Plantains
José Mandojana
Chef Gregory Gourdet’s roasted and grilled plantains are basted and glazed with his vibrant and fiery jerk sauce for a caramelized combination of sweetness, heat, and spice.
Guava and Cheese Pasteles
These sweet, tangy pastries — a favorite in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere — are stuffed with a classic combination of cream cheese and guava paste. The treats are also referred to as pastelitos, pastelillos, or turnovers.
Jamaican Callaloo
“What to call callaloo is a problem that has bedeviled Caribbean cooks forever,” says Kwame Onwuachi, who shared this recipe from his book, My America. In Jamaica, the name refers both to the leafy greens of amaranth and the dish made from braising those leaves down in stock with aromatics.
Curried Pumpkin and Buss Up Shut (Paratha Roti)
Fresh habanero chiles add a touch of fruity heat to the chunks of tender pumpkin and softened callaloo leaves in this dish from chef Nina Compton. It’s served with buss up shut, a crinkled, buttery roti that’s perfect for sopping up the flavorful curry.
Caribbean-Style Fish Stew
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Red snapper is stewed with herbs, lime juice, Scotch bonnet chiles, thyme-laced tomatoes, and fish stock for bright, tangy flavor with some heat. The grated ginger and garlic used to marinate the fish references the ginger-garlic puree used in a lot of West Indian cooking and adds even more flavor.
Cracked Shrimp with Pineapple-Habanero Relish
Chef Carla Hall reimagines Bahamian cracked conch by swapping in shrimp — it’s battered, fried, and served with a spicy fresh pineapple relish. The relish can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Jamaican Braised Oxtails with Carrots and Chiles
Novelist Bryan Washington’s recipe for Jamaican braised oxtails, an homage to one prepared by his mother, is perfumed by plenty of warming spices, hot Scotch bonnet chiles, and fresh thyme, while sweet carrots and creamy beans round out the dish.
Arroz con Pollo with Avocado-Green Pea Salsa
For this recipe, absorbent Bomba rice is cooked in a mixture of chicken stock, pilsner, and dry white wine — this may seem like too much liquid, but the resulting rice is especially moist. Make the avocado salsa and hot sauce in advance to ease your day-of prep.
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