21 Nochebuena Recipes From the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Beyond
From Mexico to Spain and Cuba to the Philippines, Nochebuena is an evening for loved ones to gather around the holiday table and enjoy a time-honored banquet seeped in tradition. “Each dish on the laden table is a love letter passed down through generations. Each peal of laughter as we feast is a line in my family history,” writes New York chef JJ Johnson of his family’s Nochebuena celebration. Here, we’ve gathered a selection of Latino recipes from across the globe that are fit for a very special Christmas Eve meal. Taste the holiday cheer in classic dishes like pernil asado, arroz con gandules, lamb shank tamales, and seafood paella — and definitely don’t skip the coquito. Read on more Nochebuena food.
Lechon Kawali with Atchara (Pickled Green Papaya)
This lechon recipe produces meltingly tender pork belly underneath a crispy crust. The crunchy atchara, a pickled papaya salad, balances the richness of the pork with spicy, salty, acidic, and fresh notes, while the sweet-sour dipping sauce pulls all the flavors together.
Banana Leaf-Wrapped Lamb Shank Tamales with Morita Chile Salsa
Food writer and cook Paola Briseño González brings us these tasty tamales filled with braised lamb and a cilantro-onion relish wrapped in aromatic banana leaves.
Pernil Asado (Garlicky Roast Pork Shoulder)
Cara Cormack
San Juan chef Jose Enrique marinates this ultraflavorful Puerto Rican classic roast pork shoulder overnight in a blend of citrus, garlic, and herbs, then cooks it slowly in the oven until it’s deeply caramelized.
Arroz con Gandules
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
New York chef JJ Johnson’s classic Puerto Rican holiday rice dish gets its golden hue from a mixture of tomato sauce and sofrito, a blend of aromatic vegetables, herbs, and spices cooked in fat. Pigeon peas, or gandules, add a nutty flavor while the pimiento-stuffed olives lend briny notes.
Coquito
Coquito, or “little coconut,” is a creamy rum punch traditionally served in Puerto Rico for Christmas and throughout the winter holidays. Each family has their own recipe. This one from Shamil Velázquez is rich with viscosity from coconut cream and three types of milk, while warming spices and white rum add aroma and flavor.
Seafood and Chicken Paella with Chorizo
Diana Chistruga
To keep the seafood moist and delicious, chef Tamara Murphy breaks tradition by sautéing the shrimp and steaming the mussels and clams before adding them to the paella during the last few minutes of cooking.
Pasteles
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Pasteles are bundles of savory dough made with both soft, sweet plantains and the starchy green variety, plus yuca and kabocha squash. Here, they’re filled with chicken cooked in a tomato sauce redolent with coriander and annatto; they’re then wrapped in banana leaves and parchment paper and boiled.
Guava and Cheese Bread Pudding
Studded with chunks of guava paste and cream cheese, this budin de pan from Paola Velez features a lavish custard made with what might seem like an excess of evaporated milk but makes for an utterly dreamy texture in the final product.
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.
Pozole Rojo
This long-simmered tomato- and pork-based soup was a favorite of food journalist Priya Krishna’s when she lived in Mexico. “Choose from a selection of toppings: finely chopped onions, sliced avocado, lime, radishes, lettuce, queso fresco. Go big, or keep it simple,” she says. “That’s the true beauty of pozole: No two bowls look or taste exactly alike.”
Platanos Foster
Fried sweet plantains are a staple for Nochebuena celebrations in lots of places, so why not take the dish to another level by spinning it into this version of a classic dessert? Pastry chef Paola Velez adds warm spices and coconut water to the caramel sauce; she recommends serving the flambéed plantains with rum raisin ice cream.
Lumpiang Sariwa (Fresh Filipino Spring Rolls)
For his lumpiang sariwa recipe, 2021 F&W Best New Chef Carlo Lamagna skips the deep fryer. Instead, he makes these tender spring rolls by wrapping delicate homemade coconut crêpes around lettuce leaves filled with fresh vegetables, making for a beautiful Nochebuena appetizer.
Oxtail Noodle Soup
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Taking inspiration from kare-kare, a famous Filipino beef stew with a savory peanut sauce, this noodle soup features oxtails and a silky broth made from the rich oxtail cooking liquid, peanut butter, fish sauce, and anchovies to enhance the umami.
Bibingka Banana Bread
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Bibingka is a traditional Filipino holiday dessert; here, chef Woldy Reyes merges the Filipino treat with classic American banana bread by using a blend of rice flours and baking the loaf in banana leaves.
Shrimp Pancit with Chicharrones
This pancit bihon showcases shrimp balls, cabbage, and snow peas in a rich sauce. It’s topped with crunchy chicharrones, bright cilantro, and a drizzle of tangy calamansi juice to cut through the saltiness of the noodles.
Coconut Arroz con Leche Tamales
These dessert tamales are filled with a slightly sweet coconut rice pudding. Drizzle with cajeta or dulce de leche for a buttery finish.
Coconut Chicken Adobo
After braising chicken thighs in creamy coconut milk, soy sauce, and vinegar, the braising liquid gets cooked down into a rich sauce. Serve with steamed rice and thinly sliced scallions.
Burnt Caramel Flan
Cook the caramel sauce just a shade darker for a faint bitter edge that cuts through the dense, sweet vanilla-flecked custard. To serve, top the flan with a rum-spiked whipped cream for a distinctly Cuban touch.
Salt-Baked Fish
In Spain, baked fish is a common main course for Nochebuena. José Andrés bakes his in a salt crust until it’s perfectly moist and seasoned; leaving the scales on the fish makes the skin very easy to peel off after baking.
Mojo-Marinated Pork Shoulder
Los Angeles chef Roy Choi slathers his pork shoulder with a powerful marinade of garlic, citrus, and herbs, then lets it sit overnight before roasting the meat until crispy.
Boiled Yuca with Garlicky Onions
Yuca, or cassava, is a starchy tuber that can be boiled, fried, or baked like a potato. For this Cuban side dish, the root is simmered until tender and flaky, then dressed in a hot onion- and garlic-infused oil.
