Recipes: Appetizers and starters

Explore appetizers and starters, with ingredients, timings and step-by-step instructions.

78 recipes

Showing 1–24

Cornmeal Keques

Savory cornmeal cakes made with cooked cornmeal, egg and milk, golden brown in a lightly greased skillet. Current version of a 1925 Cuban recipe.

1 h 20 minMedium

Golden yam and cod croquettes, one open, served with a bowl of lemon mojo.

Yam and Cod Croquettes with Lemon Mojo

Crispy white yam and desalted cod croquettes, breaded and fried, served with a lemon and garlic mojo for dipping. A Cuban-inspired appetizer.

2 h 15 minMedium

Rice Buns with Cheese and Chives

Baked savory rolls with cooked white rice, semi-cured cheese, and chives. Quick dough without yeast, ready in under an hour.

50 minEasy

Cod and Potato Bites with Mustard and Pickle Sauce

Breaded and fried potato and cod balls, served with a cold sauce of hard-boiled egg, mustard, and pickles. Ideal for parties and gatherings.

3 h 30 minMedium

Chicken sandwich spread: creamy Cuban-style filling

Fine, spreadable chicken sandwich spread with mayonnaise, mustard and lemon to fill party sandwiches. Yields about 600 g, for 40 small rolls.

1 h 20 minEasy

Cuban creamy malanga soup, smooth and homemade

Creamy Cuban Malanga Soup

Hot creamy malanga soup with onion, mild garlic, and vegetable broth. Smooth, fluid, and thickened only with the root vegetable itself. For 4 appetizers.

55 minEasy

Cuban-style wheat flour fritters with garlic and chives

Salty wheat flour fritters with garlic and chives: thick batter, oil at 175 °C, and golden bites that are tender inside.

55 minEasy

Florida Stone Crab Claws with Cuban Mojo and Tostones

Florida stone crab claws served cold with sour orange mojo and crispy tostones: a festive appetizer with Cuban flavor.

1 hMedium

Golden chicken croquettes, with one croquette open showing the creamy filling.

Cuban roasted chicken croquettes, creamy inside

Cuban roasted chicken croquettes with a creamy, moldable broth-based dough, fine breading, and golden frying. Ideal for using up leftover chicken.

5 h 15 minMedium

Lobster-stuffed avocado with pink sauce and lime

Avocado halves stuffed with cooked lobster, peas, and a light pink sauce with lime. An elegant, fresh Cuban appetizer that is very easy to make.

30 minEasy

Guava topping poured over a block of smoked cream cheese, accompanied by crackers.

Smoked cream cheese with guava for spreading

Block of cream cheese slowly smoked on the grill, with mild spices and a guava topping. A fusion appetizer to spread on crackers.

2 h 30 minEasy

Smoked Salmon Bites with Honey and Sour Orange

Salmon cubes with a light smoke and a glaze of honey, garlic, and sour orange: a Cuban adaptation of American salmon burnt ends.

1 h 25 minMedium

Smoked Jalapeños Stuffed with Brisket and Cheese with Cuban Sofrito

Cuban barbecue fusion: jalapeños stuffed with brisket, cream cheese, and sofrito, wrapped in bacon and glazed with barbecue sauce and sour orange.

2 h 15 minMedium

BBQ cannelloni stuffed with Cuban picadillo and wrapped in bacon

BBQ Canneloni Stuffed with Cuban Picadillo and Wrapped in Bacon

Cuban barbecue fusion: pasta tubes stuffed with picadillo and cheese, wrapped in bacon and glazed on a charcoal grill.

2 h 25 minMedium

Smoked Pork Belly Bites with Molasses and Sour Orange

Skinless pork belly cubes slow-smoked and glazed with cane molasses and sour orange. A Cuban-flavored barbecue appetizer.

4 h 50 minMedium

Betanzos-style potato omelet: very juicy inside (with or without onion)

Galician Betanzos omelet with tender potatoes and a creamy, almost liquid center. Traditional without onion, with an optional onion variant.

40 minMedium

Mexican Guacamole with Cuban Tostones

Fresh, rustic-textured guacamole with lime and cilantro, served with golden, crispy Cuban tostones made from green plantains instead of nachos.

35 minEasy

Golden and crispy Cuban ham croquettes on a white plate with a blue rim, with two croquettes open showing a creamy filling with bits of ham.

Cuban-style ham croquettes

Learn to prepare Cuban-style ham croquettes, golden and crispy on the outside with a creamy and savory filling. Step-by-step homemade recipe.

4 h 55 minMedium

Ceviche de cobo in leche de tigre with passion fruit pulp and seeds, red onion and cilantro, accompanied by golden tostones and lime wedges.

Ceviche de cobo with passion fruit, leche de tigre and tostones

A tropical ceviche de cobo with criollo leche de tigre, fresh passion fruit, ají cachucha and crispy tostones. A fusion of Cuban and Caribbean flavors.

1 h 40 minMedium

Shrimp a la gabardina as in Spanish bars

Shrimp coated in Orly batter with beer, golden and crispy, like the classic tapa of Spanish bars. With pink sauce.

40 minEasy

Breaded Fried Sardines

Sardines marinated with garlic, lemon and parsley, breaded and fried until golden and crispy. Ideal as a tapa, appetizer or main dish.

45 minEasy

Breaded Chicken Nuggets with Corn Flakes

Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, chicken nuggets marinated with garlic and lemon and breaded with corn flakes. Baked or fried.

40 minEasy

Black Bean Croquettes

Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside black bean croquettes, without béchamel. Ideal for using up leftover beans.

50 minEasy

Dried Split Pea Fritters

Golden fritters made from blended dried split peas with garlic, onion and egg, with fresh parsley. Economical, tasty and perfect as an appetizer.

40 minEasy