5 Best Puerto Rican Cookbooks (Reviews Updated 2022)

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Are you of Puerto Rican ancestry or nationality and will like to improve your cooking skills? What you need are some of the best Puerto Rican Cookbooks. Even if you are not Puerto Rican, but you wish to brush up your cooking skills, you can rely on a cookbook to show you the way. One of the evidence of a rich life is the interaction with different cultures, and as we already know, food is an integral part of a people’s culture.

For Puerto Rican cuisines and recipes, just any cookbook will not cut it. What you need are cookbooks written by authorities of Puerto Rican food. Please read our review to know more about some of the best Puerto Rican Cookbooks you can order today.

Best Puerto Rican Cookbooks

Want to learn more?

Here are our Best Puerto Rican Cookbook Reviews.

1. The Easy Puerto Rican Cookbook by Tony Rican

The Easy Puerto Rican Cookbook

In the Easy Puerto Rican cookbook, Tony Rican brings the island nation’s tasty cuisines to life. The recipes in this book are some of the most popular recipes that have enriched the lives of millions across generations. Puerto Rican food has diverse flavors and cooking methods, so it takes a special skill to prepare them. In his work, Tony does justice to 100 recipes. The cooking steps are well highlighted with visual illustrations to help you every step of the way.

Creating mouth-watering recipes in your kitchen is no longer are wish but a possibility. Tony selected some special recipes that you can prepare in under 30 minutes.   So, if you work a 9-5 job and cooking has been a big challenge for you, grab a copy of The Easy Puerto Rican Cookbook and enjoy quality meals from now on.

Included in this cookbook are simple ingredients for cooking one-pot meals and meals for two. The Easy Puerto Rican cookbook is definitely one of the best Puerto Rican cookbooks there is.

Why do we like it?

  • Easy to prepare meals
  • The ingredients are easy to find
  • Recipes for all occasions
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2. Puerto Rican Cookery by Carmen Aboy Valldejuli

Puerto Rican Cookery

Looking for one of the best Puerto Rican cookbooks that teach long forgotten traditional recipes? Then Puerto Rican Cookery is exactly what you need. Even though culture evolves, and it should, the culinary traditions of the past should not be discarded but preserved to inspire the younger generation. In Puerto Rican Cookery, Carmen Aboy Valldejuli reintroduces classic Puerto Rican recipes. This cookbook is indeed a reference point for recipes originating from the island.

If you love gourmet meals or you like to cook tasty dishes with easy to obtain ingredients, you will find more than a few recipes in this cookbook that will suit your taste and cooking style. The author is from one of Puerto Rico’s distinguished families, and the recipes in her cookbook have been prepared in her family for generations.

All the recipes in this cookbook are tried and tested, so rest easy in the knowledge that you will be able to prepare most, if not all of them at home.

Why do we like it?

  • Wide range of classic and modern recipes
  • Sold in a kindle and hardcover format
  • Brilliant image illustrations
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3. A Taste Of Puerto Rico by Yvonne Ortiz

A Taste Of Puerto Rico

You don’t have to be from Puerto Rico, neither should you visit the island to learn a thing or two about Puerto Rican cuisines. In a Taste of Puerto Rico, Yvonne Ortiz brings Puerto Rican culinary knowledge straight to your home. You do not need a tutor to improve your culinary skills.  This book has all the information you will ever need. This cookbook contains modern and traditional recipes from the island and Puerto Ricans who live in the US and other Latin countries.

In this volume regarded by many as one of the best Puerto Rican cookbooks, Yvonne Ortiz teaches readers how to prepare Rican rice, papayas, adobo, pina Coladas, guavas, recaito, and so much more. The good thing about A Taste of Puerto Rico is that all the recipes are easy to prepare, and the ingredients for them are easy to find at your local grocery store.

Although the focus of Yvonne Ortiz is on Puerto Rican dishes, this cookbook also includes some very popular Caribbean recipes.

Why do we like it?

  • Practical recipes
  • Simple preparatory steps
  • A deep dive into the history of Puerto Rican food
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4. Puerto Rican Cuisine in America by Oswald Rivera

Puerto Rican Cuisine In America

There is a thriving population of Puerto Ricans in the US, and similar to what people do, wherever they go, they take their culture along with them. This book is a perfect example of this basic fact about people and their culture. In Puerto Rican Cuisine in America, Oswald Rivera introduces the culinary practices of his people and the recipes that have evolved, most of which originated from the island of Puerto Rico.

The author shares more than 250 family-inspired dishes with his readers that have been and remain a trademark of Puerto Rican cuisine. There are so many Nuyorican and Bodega recipes in this cookbook to last you years. And if you apply yourself, you just might become a master chef in your own right. In this edition, you will find tasty soup recipes like Sancocho, Cabro Borracho and Camarones Guisados. You will also learn how to prepare tasty desserts like Flan de Calabaza and more.

With more than 90 wine and cocktail suggestions included in this volume, what more do you need in a cookbook? Grab your copy now and thank us later for the advice.

Why do we like it?

  • A history lesson of Puerto Rican culture
  • A complete cookbook for foodies
  • Contains traditional and modern recipes
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5. Puerto Rican Vegan Cookbook by Jacinia Perez

Puerto Rican Vegan Cookbook

It is not very common to find a cultural cookbook specially created for vegetarians, so we must commend Jacinia Perez for pulling it off in this work. The Puerto Rican Vegan cookbook is for vegetarians who wish to enjoy Puerto Rican food without sacrificing their vegan habits. If you prefer to live off plant-based foods, you will find this edition to be very helpful.

In this vegan cookbook, Jacinia introduces her readers to 65 traditional recipes synonymous with the island. All the recipes in this volume are 100% vegan, with no page covering non-plant-based recipes. There are whole vegan meals, appetizers, and dessert recipes in this cookbook. To further increase your reading and cooking experience, the author includes full photos of each recipe to educate and inspire you.

Each recipe also has a preparation table that highlights the step-by-step preparation process. There is no room for error or confusion with Puerto Rican Vegan Cookbook because Jacinia lays everything on the table. This is one of the best Puerto Rican cookbooks for vegetarians. It is informative, transformative, and inspiring.

Why do we like it?

  • Includes ingredient substitutes
  • A wide range of whole foods and appetizers
  • The recipes are easy to prepare
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Puerto Rican Cookbook Buyer’s Guide

The island of Puerto Rico is rich in culture, and the food tastes really great. Due to years of evolution, different recipes have been developed to cater to the needs of island residents and Puerto Rican nationals living outside the island. You can become a master chef steeped in the culinary practices of Puerto Rico with the help of a cookbook. However, when you are searching for a cookbook, here are some things to keep in mind.

Niche

We always advise readers to stick to the niche they are interested in when searching for cookbooks. If you want to learn how to prepare Puerto Rican dishes, don’t go looking for       Indian or Italian cookbooks. Stick to Puerto Rican books so you can have access to as many recipes as possible.

Recipes

The number of recipes also matters. What you want is the best Puerto Rican Cookbook that has as many practical recipes as possible. If you buy a book with just a few dozen recipes, you will run out of options very quickly. We recommend cookbooks with at least 50 or more recipes

Practicality

The number of recipes may matter, but so is the practicality of the recipes. Unfortunately, some cookbooks are worthless because they contain recipes that are difficult to prepare or time-consuming. Some of the recipes may even require ingredients that are difficult to get. Before you buy a cookbook, read reviews of previous buyers to ascertain the practicality of the recipes. Make sure they contain recipes whose ingredients you can find at your local market or grocery store.

Pictures

Do not buy a cookbook that has only a few or no picture illustrations. The best Puerto Rican cookbooks are full of pictures that will show you in clear terms what your food should look like. The pictures also serve to inspire you to improve your cooking skills so you can achieve the right results.