Dominican Republic
52 recipes to explore
Mangú con los Tres Golpes (Dominican Plantain Mash Breakfast)
The Dominican breakfast: silky mashed green plantains topped with vinegary red onions, served with 'the three hits' of fried salami, fried cheese and fried eggs.
Sancocho Dominicano (Dominican Meat and Root Vegetable Stew)
The Dominican Republic's celebration stew: chicken, pork and beef simmered with yuca, yautía, plantains, squash and corn in a thick, herby broth. Served with white rice and avocado.
Pollo Guisado (Dominican Braised Chicken)
Chicken seasoned with garlic, oregano and lime, browned in caramelised sugar for a deep colour, then braised with peppers, tomato and olives. The chicken of the Dominican 'bandera' plate.
Habichuelas Guisadas (Dominican Stewed Red Beans)
Red kidney beans stewed in a sofrito of onion, peppers, garlic and coriander with chunks of squash that melt into a thick, creamy sauce. Spooned over white rice every day in Dominican homes.
Moro de Guandules con Coco (Rice with Pigeon Peas and Coconut)
Rice cooked with green pigeon peas, sofrito and coconut milk until fluffy, savoury and lightly creamy. A Dominican favourite, especially at Christmas.
Locrio de Pollo (Dominican Chicken and Rice)
The Dominican answer to paella: chicken browned in caramel and cooked with rice, sofrito, annatto and olives in one pot until every grain is orange and full of flavour.
Chicharrón de Pollo (Dominican Crispy Fried Chicken Bites)
Bite-size bone-in chicken pieces marinated in lime, garlic, oregano and soy, lightly floured and fried until extra crispy. Squeeze over more lime and serve with tostones.
Pescado con Coco (Samaná-Style Fish in Coconut Sauce)
Firm white fish fillets, seasoned with lime and garlic, simmered in a creamy coconut sauce with peppers, tomato and coriander. A specialty of the Dominican Samaná peninsula.
Pastelón de Plátano Maduro (Sweet Plantain and Beef Bake)
A Dominican 'lasagne': layers of sweet mashed ripe plantain and savoury spiced minced beef, topped with melted cheese and baked until golden. Sweet, salty and irresistible.
Quipes (Dominican Bulgur and Beef Croquettes)
Torpedo-shaped croquettes with a crisp shell of bulgur wheat and beef, filled with spiced minced beef, onion and raisins, then fried until golden. A Dominican street snack with Lebanese roots. Makes about 18.
Yaniqueques (Dominican Johnny Cakes)
Thin rounds of dough fried until puffy, crisp and golden, sprinkled with salt. The classic snack of Dominican beaches, eaten with a cold drink or alongside fried fish. Makes about 12.
Chivo Guisado (Dominican Braised Goat)
Goat marinated in lime, garlic and oregano, browned in caramel and slowly braised with peppers, tomato and a splash of rum until tender. A specialty of the north-west, where goats graze on wild oregano.
Res Guisada (Dominican Beef Stew)
Chunks of beef marinated in Dominican sazón, browned in caramel and simmered with potatoes, carrots and peppers until tender in a rich tomato gravy. Served with white rice.
Ensalada Rusa (Dominican Potato and Beetroot Salad)
A creamy, pastel-pink potato salad with beetroot, carrots, peas, egg and onion in mayonnaise. The Dominican 'Russian salad' is a must at Christmas and every family party.
Pastelitos Dominicanos (Fried Beef Turnovers)
Crisp, flaky fried turnovers filled with savoury minced beef, olives and raisins. The Dominican party snack, sealed with a fork and fried until golden. Makes about 16.
Habichuelas con Dulce (Dominican Sweet Cream of Beans)
The Dominican Lent dessert: red beans blended into a creamy, spiced drink-pudding with coconut milk, evaporated milk, cinnamon and cloves, studded with sweet potato and raisins.
Majarete (Dominican Fresh Corn Pudding)
A silky set pudding made from fresh sweet corn blended with milk and coconut milk, gently spiced with cinnamon and set in bowls. Dusted with cinnamon and served cold.
Morir Soñando (Dominican Orange and Milk Drink)
'To die dreaming': ice-cold milk and fresh orange juice whisked together with sugar and lots of ice into a creamy, creamsicle-like Dominican classic.
Arepa Dominicana (Sweet Cornmeal and Coconut Cake)
Not the Venezuelan flatbread: the Dominican arepa is a dense, moist cornmeal cake cooked with coconut milk, cinnamon and raisins, baked until golden with a crisp crust.
Camarones Guisados (Dominican Prawns in Creole Sauce)
Prawns simmered briefly in a Creole tomato sauce with peppers, onion, garlic and coriander. Ready in 35 minutes and perfect with white rice or tostones.
La Bandera Dominicana (Rice, Beans and Stewed Beef)
The Dominican national lunch: fluffy white rice, creamy stewed red beans and tender stewed beef, served with a simple salad. Every family's everyday plate, made from three recipes cooked together.
Chimichurri Dominicano (Dominican 'Chimi' Burger)
A juicy seasoned beef patty in soft pan de agua, piled with crunchy shredded cabbage, onion and tomato and drenched in a pink ketchup-mayo sauce. The Dominican street-cart burger.
Bizcocho Dominicano (Dominican Cake with Pineapple and Meringue)
A moist, buttery cake with a fine crumb, filled with pineapple jam and covered in glossy, marshmallowy Italian meringue (suspiro). The cake of every Dominican birthday.
Dulce de Leche Cortada (Dominican Curdled Milk Sweet)
Milk deliberately curdled with lime juice, then slowly cooked with sugar and cinnamon until the curds turn golden and sit in a thick caramel syrup. A grainy, old-fashioned Dominican sweet.
Jugo de Chinola (Dominican Passion Fruit Juice)
Fresh passion fruit pulp blended with cold water and sugar, strained and served over ice. Sweet, tart and intensely tropical, it's the most popular fresh juice in Dominican homes.
Asopao de Camarones (Dominican Shrimp and Rice Soup)
A thick, brothy rice soup cooked with a Dominican sofrito, tomato and seafood stock, finished with juicy shrimp, peas and coriander. Somewhere between a soup and a risotto.
Berenjena Guisada (Dominican Stewed Aubergine)
Cubes of aubergine stewed with onion, peppers, garlic and tomato in a Dominican sofrito until soft and silky. A cheap, tasty vegetable side or meat-free main with white rice.
Pasteles en Hoja (Dominican Plantain Parcels)
A soft dough of grated green plantain, green banana and yautía, filled with stewed pork, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled. The essential Dominican Christmas dish.
Lambí Guisado (Dominican Stewed Conch)
Tenderised conch slowly stewed in a Dominican sofrito of onion, peppers, garlic and tomato with a splash of rum or wine. A seaside speciality served with tostones or white rice.
Catibías (Dominican Cassava Empanadas)
Chewy, crisp empanadas made from a dough of grated cassava, filled with savoury stewed chicken and fried until golden. A naturally gluten-free Dominican street snack.
Espaguetis Dominicanos (Dominican Salami Spaghetti)
Spaghetti tossed in a creamy, pinkish tomato sauce with fried Dominican salami, peppers and onion, finished with evaporated milk and cheese. A quick favourite for beach days and family dinners.
Longaniza Dominicana (Fried Dominican Pork Sausage)
Coils of garlicky, oregano-scented Dominican pork sausage simmered then fried until crisp, squeezed with lime and served with tostones or fried yuca. A favourite of roadside frituras.
Pescado Frito (Dominican Beach-Style Fried Whole Fish)
Whole red snapper scored, rubbed with garlic, lime and oregano and fried until the skin is crackling and the flesh flaky. Served Boca Chica style with tostones and a fresh salad.
Jalao (Dominican Coconut and Honey Candy)
Chewy little balls of grated coconut cooked with honey and a touch of ginger and cinnamon until sticky and golden. A traditional Dominican sweet sold at roadside stalls.
Concón (Dominican Crispy Pot Rice)
White rice cooked the Dominican way in a heavy caldero so a golden, crunchy layer forms on the bottom. Fluffy rice on top, crackling concón below: the most fought-over part of the meal.
Chenchén (Dominican Cracked Corn Pilaf)
Cracked corn cooked like rice with a little sofrito and coconut milk until fluffy and tender. A speciality of San Juan de la Maguana, traditionally served with chivo guisado (stewed goat).
Dulce de Coco (Dominican Creamy Coconut Sweet)
Freshly grated coconut slowly cooked with coconut milk, evaporated milk, sugar and cinnamon until thick, creamy and golden. Eaten by the spoonful, warm or cold.
Guineítos en Escabeche (Pickled Green Bananas)
Boiled green bananas marinated in a tangy escabeche of olive oil, vinegar, red onion, peppers, garlic and olives. A make-ahead side served cold at parties and with fried fish.
Crema de Auyama (Dominican Pumpkin Soup)
A velvety soup of Caribbean pumpkin simmered with onion, garlic and peppers, blended smooth and enriched with a little butter and milk. Comforting, cheap and naturally sweet.
Batida de Lechosa (Dominican Papaya Milkshake)
Ripe papaya blended with cold milk, evaporated milk, a little sugar, vanilla and ice until thick and frothy. A creamy tropical shake loved for breakfast and on hot afternoons.
Loaded Plantain Fries (Yaroa)
Crisp twice-fried green plantain sticks piled high with saucy seasoned chicken, blanketed in a stretchy melted cheese sauce and finished with ketchup, mayo and a kick of pickled jalapeño. This is the late-night Dominican street food everyone fights over.
Dominican Fried Rice (Chofán)
A Dominican-Chinese fusion fried rice loaded with diced chicken, pork and salami, bright bits of vegetable and a deep soy-garlic flavor, the way the Chinese-Dominican fondas have made it for generations.
Dominican Fried Chicken (Pica Pollo)
Chicken pieces marinated in sour orange, garlic and oregano, then double-fried until the crust is deeply golden and shatteringly crisp. The classic Dominican fast-food plate, served with fries, salad and pickled onion.
Dominican Johnny Cake
A soft, golden round bread made from a simple dough of flour, cold butter and milk, cooked low and slow in a skillet until tender inside and lightly crisp outside. The classic Dominican breakfast, split warm and filled with cheese alongside a cup of coffee.
Sweet Potato Dessert (Dulce de Batata)
A thick, glossy sweet potato pudding slow-cooked with coconut milk, cinnamon, cloves and raisins until it turns deep caramel in colour. A beloved Dominican home dessert, best served warm with a slice of white cheese on the side.
Samaná Corn Pudding (Chacá)
Cracked corn simmered for hours until the grains burst open, then finished with coconut milk, warm spices and plump raisins and prunes into a thick, fragrant pudding. A beloved Holy Week specialty from Samaná, best eaten warm with a dusting of nutmeg.
Fried Cheese (Queso Frito)
Thick slices of semi-hard Dominican cheese, pan-fried until the outside is deeply golden and crisp and the inside stays firm and squeaky. A fast breakfast or snack, best eaten the moment it comes out of the pan.
Black Bean Soup (Sopa de Habichuelas Negras)
A thick, deeply savoury Dominican black bean soup, smoky with bits of ham and sweetened by pumpkin and yuca that melt into the broth. Served hot as a filling starter before the main course.
Stewed Herring (Arenque Guisado)
Salted herring, soaked and boiled until mellow, then simmered with onions, peppers and tomatoes into a rustic, savory stew. A frugal countryside classic in the Dominican Republic, best eaten over a mound of white rice.
Dominican Yellow Rice (Arroz Amarillo)
Fluffy long-grain rice turned a cheerful golden colour with achiote-tinted oil and a quick onion-pepper-garlic sofrito. The everyday rice of Dominican tables, perfect alongside beans, stewed meat or fried plantains.
Mamajuana (Dominican Spiced Rum Infusion)
Dried tree bark and herbs are soaked, then left to steep for days in dark rum, red wine and honey until the liquid turns deep amber and tastes warm, earthy and slightly sweet. Known across the Dominican Republic as the "levanta muertos" and cherished as a love potion, it is sipped slowly in small shots.
Dominican Blood Sausage (Morcilla)
Pork blood sausage seasoned with garlic, bitter orange and culantro, gently poached until set, then sliced and fried until the edges turn crisp. A rich, savory side that goes straight onto the plate next to mangú or boiled yuca.