Latin American Recipes & Food Ideas

It doesn't get much easier than this.

It doubles as a marinade.

Everyone will ask for your trick.

Whenever I go to a restaurant that has a salsa bar (always a plus in my book), I skip over the chunky pico de gallo and roasted tomato salsa and head straight to the salsa verde. This tart, slightly spicy salsa always makes whatever I’m pouring it onto so much tastier. It can be slightly harder to find at the store, but it’s actually one of the easiest salsas you can make at home! You just need five ingredients: tomatillos, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, and salt.

My husband Mike brought many valuable qualities to our partnership: He’s kind, charming, smart, and has good taste in books. He loves good food, and brews coffee every single morning. And somewhere among the upper pantheon of his stellar attributes is also this: He can fold a burrito so that you can eat it all the way down to the very nub, without it falling apart in your hands. Want to know how he does it?

No shaker (or fancy tools) required.

More than a decade after experiencing my first pupusa, I can still remember my wide-eyed joy as I bit into the thick, stuffed tortilla. Why had I never eaten one before, and how soon could I have another? As I learned, the best part about El Salvador’s national dish isn’t just the warm, savory masa filled with melty cheese (or meat or beans), but its brilliant accompaniment called curtido.

There's something almost magical about it.

They taste just like the quintessential summer cocktail.

The quickest, easiest method.

And it comes out perfectly fluffy each time.

Cheesy, meaty, and so, so good.

Watch the video to learn how to make corn tortillas from scratch at home.

This step-by-step guide will set you up for success.

It's a true Mexican breakfast gem.

It's really just a vehicle for whatever combinations of ingredients your imagination can create.

Served warm with plenty of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, crema, and avocado, flautas are a quick and easy dinner idea.

No tortilla press required.

(And they barely require any oil.)

You might never buy them from the store again.

Another reason to always have frozen shrimp in your freezer.

This crispy, cheesy snack gives game-day nachos a run for their money.

This versatile and delicious Puerto Rican dinner comes together with a few pantry workhorses.

Made with real cheddar cheese.

It's similar to eggnog and tastes delicious hot or cold.

Caramel flan sits atop the chocolate cake like a golden, caramel crown.

In this recipe, cornstarch makes all the difference.

I can't imagine the holidays without it.

Sour orange juice, a lot of garlic, and slow roasting make this dish the ultimate Nochebuena centerpiece.

The cheese pulls you dream of.

If you're looking for a new way to transform rotisserie chicken into a quick weeknight meal, your search is complete.

This is especially great to make with kids!

This quick chicken dinner is the reason I always keep a couple jars of salsa stocked in my pantry.

You have endless filling options.

I always have this Puerto Rican staple ready to add to stews, stir-fries, and any other dish that needs a quick burst of flavor.

Short on time, big on flavor.

When I was growing up in Caracas, I didn’t have a single birthday without a tray of this irresistible pasapalo, aka tasty snack. 

Herbaceous epazote and tender purslane make this a taco to remember.

It's a dish that connects my Mexican heritage with Korean culinary tradition.

Tender squash blossoms and fluffy huauzontle are breaded and fried in this plant-based take on Baja-style fish tacos.

Grown-ups and kids alike will love this taco-meets-casserole mash-up.

Crunchy layers of perfection that make it even better than Taco Bell.

A simple 10-minute marinade makes all the difference.

And it's your ticket to the best chicken tacos you'll make.

Easy fish tacos featuring lightly crispy fish, supple corn tortillas, and soft avocado.

The best part is the bright and crunchy curtido.

When you come home extra late after a crazy day at the office, it may seem like your only options for dinner are takeout, those questionable leftovers in the fridge, or scrambled eggs and toast. You’re starving and cranky and you need dinner fast, after all. Luckily there’s a fourth option: these 10-minute tacos. Yes, making tacos in 10 minutes is absolutely possible.

Keeping this recipe alive and sharing it is what legacy means to me.

I had my first pão de queijo at a Brazilian restaurant in Atlanta over five years ago, and I still dream about it. It was crispy outside but amazingly soft and chewy inside, and its cheese flavor was so haunting that I had to eat several more just to fix it in my mind. Well, I’m in trouble now because I just discovered how to make these little cheese puffs. With their addictive cheesiness? They are super easy to make at home.

A cross between a taco and a quesadilla, these quesatacos are filled with melty cheese and delicious shredded beef.

These also make for great leftovers.

It's all about the toppings.

It comes together with four ingredients and the push of a button.

All the big, bold flavors are still there.

It's the best way to serve corn.

Tajin seasoning makes these skewers sing.

A food processor or blender does all the hard work.

It's my Puerto Rican and Charleston roots together in one dish.

This recipe takes me back to the tacos of my youth.

It's Puerto Rico's version of steak and onion.

Jerk seasoning brings the heat; a little honey adds some sweet.

A fresh, crunchy slaw, typically served with the classic Salvadoran dish pupusas.

Around the World in 30 Soups: This month we’re collaborating with chefs, cookbook authors, and our own Kitchn crew to share a globetrotting adventure in soups from countries and cuisines around the world. Today’s stop: Ecuador. Emma, one of our original food editors, translated this soup for us from traditions found throughout much of South America. This uniquely comforting soup contains flavors and flourishes most commonly found in Ecuador.

This is the ultimate guide for tamale beginners.

Last week, when Meat/Un-Meat month was covering lamb, pork and goat, I gave a quick Goat Meat 101 but getting a recipe up was a different matter. It took the better part of the week and weekend to find it, cook it, and serve it, let alone write about it. So here, a bit belated, is my goat taco post. I bought my 8-pound goat leg from Ottomanelli’s in the West Village. Frank, the butcher, cut the leg, bone-in, into 2-3″ chunks.