Ok.. I think you took me over the edge of vowing never to try Cuban food. I don't know why I assumed that it would be too spicy for my tastes, but with these recipes, I could definitely tweak them a bit to fit my needs and the needs of my kids. (Hubby, of course, would LOVE them a bit more en fuego.) Thanks!
5 Cheap and Easy Cuban Food Recipes
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Cuban recipes are as affordable as they are yummy, and this article gives you several to get started with. While some are definitely a bit heavy on the meat, they are all easy to prepare.
Picadillo
The owners of Padrino’s Cuban Bistro in Orlando are known for their quality menu choices, including the family’s recipe for picadillo (a simple ground beef dish served with rice). Ingredients include onions, tomato sauce, green bell peppers, and garlic, which all fit easily into anyone’s budget.
Ropa Vieja
A friend of mine from Guam who grew up in a Cuban family used to make this dish for me when I lived there. When it comes to Cuban food recipes, ropa vieja is about as traditional as it gets. Using an inexpensive flank steak and your slow cooker can keep you on budget and on schedule when a hectic family day places extra time constraints on your dinner plans.
Papas Rellenas
Food doesn’t get much cheaper than stuffed spuds, folks. And this tasty affordable recipe for papas rellenas takes potato ideas to a whole new level. This recipe happens to use picadillo (recipe provided above) for the potato ball stuffing, so you’ve got everything you need right here.
Mariquitas
Basically fried plantains sliced lengthwise, this recipe for mariquitas calls for only plantains, oil, and sea salt. Since plantains are always way less than a dollar a pound at Save-A-Lot, these are a super-affordable snack to make at home for family game night.
Yuca con Mojo
Otherwise known as yuca with garlic sauce, this recipe for yuca con mojo uses dirt-cheap ingredients like yucca, lime juice, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. It makes a filling side dish that pairs nicely with nearly any Cuban main dish.
One budget element I like about some of these particular Cuban food recipes is that they know how to use bargain beef to pull off an affordable family meal with style. Just goes to show you that you don’t always need the more expensive cuts of meat to pull off a nice dinner.
Do you have any favorite affordable Cuban recipes?
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Cool! Glad you like them, Linsey. The other neat thing is, none of them look that difficult, either.
I love foods that have Spanish roots, in part because they are often less expensive to make, but also because they taste so good! I have fond memories of Cuban cuisine, as I have relatives in Florida and anytime we would visit, we would make a point of trying some authentic Cuban Food. I have yet to make any yet and you provide some really good starting places.
Hi Victor,
Thanks for stopping by. I agree on the affordability part. Another thing I like about Spanish food (although I don't make it very often) is that it uses the simplest of ingredients in some of the most elegant ways. Glad you liked the piece.
For Picadillo, my family usually adds olives, which I personally don't like in anything but Picadillo. Also another bargain dish is Moros y Christianos, the Cuban version of black beans and rice, although this is more of a side dish.
Hi Alex,
That IS cheap to make. It's the one where they put the black beans and the rice side by side in the same dish for presentation, right? Rather than mix them all together? Either way, beans and rice is nothing but affordable right down the line.
My slow cooker has turned many a tough cut of meat into something awesome; I love using skirt steak with tomatoes and lots of spices.
These names are also awesome - does "ropas viejas" mean "old clothes"? Moros y Christianos that Alex mentioned is also a great name!
I love piccadillo~~ a favorite from when I was growing up. My mom had a company worthy version and a kid friendly version {sans wine olives chopped eggs etc but with diced potatoes and peas added in} Of course I clicked on your link. Instructions begin with saute onion and peppers in EVOO but there are no peppers in ingredient list. I would suggest an equal amount of green peppers even tho it was never an ingredient in any version of piccadillo I grew up eating.
LOL for me Cuban food sometimes can be expensive (grandma is a Spanish-CUban) we use "Pimenton de la Vera" (sweet smoked spanish paprika from Spain) alot for certain stuff, and cook with Morcilla, Butifarras, cured hams, smoked Spanish sausage those are very good for alot of Cuban bean stews (the Potajes). The Tasajo (salted dry beef or horse meat), Bacalao (salted cod), Pargo (red snapper) and Cherna (seabass) can get expensive. Outside of Florida Yuca, Malanga, Boniato n stuff can get pricey or getting ahold of Cachucha peppers too.
But yes over all very affordable besides the above.
Just came across this post and had to compliment you on your Cuban meal selections and accurate recipes (though, yes as one comment stated, Picadillo usually takes chopped olives more often than not). As a Cuban-American, I get a little miffed when people post "Cuban" dishes, but modify or add ingredients that make the dishes either more American or even Mexican. I'm not knocking either cuisine, but in doing so, it's not authentic Cuban! Anyway, since I no longer live in Miami, but in the midwest, I find myself cooking cuban food more and more and have foun it's SO economical and easy to make ahead and eat through the week. Have you ever tried Pulpeta? It's our version of meatloaf and it is outrageously good, economical and can be easily frozen to serve at a later date.
Hi Carolina,
Thanks for your kind words. No, I have never had Pulpeta that I can recall. But I'd love it if you'd post the recipe below.
This article is making me very hungry!! They all sounds so delicious and pretty easy to make, especially Papas Rellenas. And I love the "food doesn’t get much cheaper than stuffed spuds" Yummy and affordable!
