Nicaragua: Recipes and Cuisine

Nicaraguan children jumping rope
Image by FMSC

“La comida Nica,” as Nicaraguans call their cuisine, is a Latin creole mix of indigenous and Spanish dishes and ingredients. Corn, beans, plantains, yuca and pork are popular ingredients. Seafood is common along the Caribbean coast. Nicaraguans make extensive use of a wide variety of tropical fruits. Typical dishes include nacatamales, vigorón, indio viejo and gallo pinto.

Typical Nicaraguan Dishes

A list of typical Nicaraguan dishes and foods. Use it to help you plan a Nicaraguan-style meal, party or festival.

Appetizers

  • Queso Frito (Fried cheese)
  • Tajadas (Plantain chips)

Soups and Stews

  • Mondongo (Tripe soup)
  • Sopa de Cola (Oxtail soup)

Salads

  • Ensalada de Repollo (Cabbage and tomato salad)
  • Vigorón (Yuca, pork rind and cabbage salad)

Poultry

  • Pollo Encebollado (Chicken simmered with onions)
  • Pollo Horneado (Roast chicken)

Meats

  • Baho (Steamed beef with yuca and plaintain)
  • Bistec Encebollado (Steak topped with onions)
  • Bistec Entomatado (Steak in tomato sauce)
  • Carne Asada (Grilled steak)
  • Cerdo Frito (Fried pork)
  • Churrasco (Grilled beef steak)
  • Lengua en Salsa (Beef tongue with sauce)
  • Salpicón de Res (Shredded beef salad)
  • Vigorón (Yuca, pork rind and cabbage salad)

Fish and Seafood

  • Camarones al Ajillo (Shrimp in garlic-butter sauce)
  • Chuleta de Pescado (Breaded fish filet)
  • Pescado a la Tipitapa (Whole red snapper Tipitapa-style)

Vegetables and Beans

  • Frijoles Rojos (Red beans)
  • Gallo Pinto (Red beans and rice)
  • Plátanos Fritos (Fried ripe plantains)
  • Yuca (Boiled yuca root)

Breads and Grains

  • Arroz (White rice)
  • Nacatamales (Meat and vegetable-filled tamales)
  • Quesillos (Tortilla with cheese and onions)
  • Tamales de Elote (Fresh corncakes)
  • Tortillas (Corn flatbread)

Sauces

  • Vinagre de Piña (Pineapple vinegar)

Desserts

  • Arroz con Leche (Rice pudding)
  • Buñuelos de Yuca (Yuca fritters)
  • Flan de Leche (Caramel custard)
  • Pastel de Tres Leches (Central American cake of three milks)
  • Pío Quinto (Rum cake)

Beverages

  • Café con Leche (Coffee with milk)
  • Cebada (Barley beverage)
  • Chicha (Fermented corn beverage)
  • Horchata de Arroz (Sweet rice beverage)
  • Pinolillo (Cocoa cornmeal beverage)
  • Pitahaya (Dragon fruit beverage)
  • Pozol (Fermented corn beverage)
  • Tiste (Corn and cacao beverage)

Nicaraguan Recipes

Try these recipes from Nicaragua.

Vinagre de Piña 
(Central American pineapple vinegar)
Fresh pineapples

Vinagre de Piña 
(Central American pineapple vinegar)

Pollo Encebollado 
(Central American chicken simmered with onions)
Yellow onions

Pollo Encebollado 
(Central American chicken simmered with onions)

Salpicón de Res 
(Central American shredded beef salad)
Salpicon Central American shredded beef salad

Salpicón de Res 
(Central American shredded beef salad)

Pastel de Tres Leches 
(Central American cake of three milks)
Slice of tres leches cake

Pastel de Tres Leches 
(Central American cake of three milks)

Yuca Frita 
(Latin American cassava fries)
Yuca Frita (Latin American fried cassava)

Yuca Frita 
(Latin American cassava fries)

Vigorón 
(Nicaraguan yuca, pork rind and cabbage salad)
Vigorón (Nicaraguan yuca, pork rind and cabbage salad)

Vigorón 
(Nicaraguan yuca, pork rind and cabbage salad)

Pinolillo 
(Nicaraguan, Costa Rican cocoa-cornmeal drink)
Nicaraguan pinolillo gourds

Pinolillo 
(Nicaraguan, Costa Rican cocoa-cornmeal drink)

Plátanos Fritos 
(Latin fried ripe plantains)
Platanos fritos with fried egg and ham

Plátanos Fritos 
(Latin fried ripe plantains)

Gallo Pinto 
(Costa Rican, Nicaraguan red beans and rice)
Plate of gallo pinto with eggs

Gallo Pinto 
(Costa Rican, Nicaraguan red beans and rice)

Ensalada de Repollo 
(Nicaragua cabbage and tomato salad)
Ensalada de Repollo (Nicaraguan cabbage salad)

Ensalada de Repollo 
(Nicaragua cabbage and tomato salad)

Baho 
(Nicaraguan beef, plantains and yuca steamed in banana leaves)
Plate of baho piled high on a banana leaf

Baho 
(Nicaraguan beef, plantains and yuca steamed in banana leaves)

Sopa de Mondongo 
(Latin American tripe and vegetable soup)
Bowl of sopa de mondongo tripe soup

Sopa de Mondongo 
(Latin American tripe and vegetable soup)

Horchata de Arroz 
(Latin sweet rice beverage)
Horchata de arroz in a cup over ice

Horchata de Arroz 
(Latin sweet rice beverage)

Flan de Leche 
(Latin caramel custard)
A serving of flan de leche on a plate

Flan de Leche 
(Latin caramel custard)

Nacatamales 
(Honduran, Nicaraguan meat and vegetable-filled tamales)
A freshly steamed nacatamal

Nacatamales 
(Honduran, Nicaraguan meat and vegetable-filled tamales)

Carne Asada 
(Central American grilled steak)
Carne asada taco on paper plate

Carne Asada 
(Central American grilled steak)

Tamales de Elote 
(Central American fresh corncakes)
Platter of tamales de elote

Tamales de Elote 
(Central American fresh corncakes)



Whats4eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.