Sandi Abbott

homemade s'mores

Best S’mores Recipe with Maria Crackers and Dulce de Leche

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I love this s’mores recipe that combines Cuban favorites like Maria Crackers and dulce de leche. I love the idea of s’mores and the flavor combination of chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker. What’s not to love about that? But whenever I bite into a homemade s’more, the end result is too messy, with the melting chocolate and the thickness of the graham cracker. Plus the chocolate bar overpowers the marshmallow flavor. 

I knew I loved the marshmallow sandwich but wanted to find a combination that let the marshmallow flavor come through and was a little less messy to eat. So I turned to two Cuban treats I grew up eating… Maria Crackers and dulce de leche.

I love this s’mores recipe because the dulce de leche complements the marshmallow. The flavors blend so well together, it’s like a symphony in your mouth! So, so good!!

And it’s not messy, so I can eat one without getting it all over my face and clothes. So I can be a kid at heart and still act (somewhat) like a grownup 😉

homemade s'mores

Maria Crackers, My Childhood Favorite

These sweet crackers are a staple in most Cuban kitchens. It’s similar to a graham cracker, but it’s round, thinner, and a little prettier. So they make these homemade s’mores look a little dressed up! Growing up, I used to eat these crackers dipped in sweetened condensed milk, smeared with dulce de leche, or layered with guava and cream cheese. It’s perfect for s’mores! You can find these in the cracker aisle of your local supermarket. Or you can order them online (affiliate link). 

What Is Dulce de Leche

This is a popular spread that’s eaten all over Latin America and the Spanish Caribbean islands. It’s made by cooking sweetened condensed milk until it turns brown and thickens to a spread. Oh, it’s so, so good! You can use it on cookies, cakes, crepes, ice cream, your fingers, you name it!

You can find dulce de leche in a can, right next to the sweetened condensed milk. The brand I use is Nestle La Lechera. You can also make your own, but that’s a bit time-consuming. You can make it by baking sweetened condensed milk in a water bath (bain-marie method) or by simmering a submerged, unopened can on the stovetop (you need to make sure the can remains submerged in water). Either way, it takes hours. But you don’t need to go through all that trouble. You can use a can of Nestle dulce de leche for these s’mores. 

homemade s'mores

Origin of S’mores

The first s’mores recipe showed up in the Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts cookbook first published in 1927. But before that, marshmallow roasts had become a popular campfire treat. Also, two other marshmallow treats became popular just before the publishing of this cookbook. 

Mallomars, a graham cookie topped with a mound of marshmallow goodness and dipped in chocolate was introduced in 1913.  I loved these growing up (still do today, actually). Another childhood favorite, introduced in 1917, was the MoonPie. I loved this marshmallow cookie sandwich covered in chocolate. Both of these have all the flavors you find in a s’mores but the ratios are a little nicer and it’s less messy to eat. 

Although s’mores, Mallomars, and MoonPies are similar, the thing that makes s’mores so unique is that they are most often made over a campfire by kids, with adult supervision, of course. There’s just something so fun about roasting the marshmallows and making your own ooey-gooey treat! 

You can learn more about the history of this treat from this very interesting Nation Geo article.

homemade s'mores

From the Campfire to the Barbecue

This s’mores recipe can certainly be made by the campfire, but it’s also easy to make on the barbecue. It’s the perfect treat to share after a backyard barbecue! Just have the marshmallows and skewers handy and everyone can hang around the grill and make their own, or you can play grillmaster and make them yourself and pass them out. 

You can also make this s’mores recipe in advance and enjoy them after your backyard barbecue. If you let these s’mores sit for a while, the Maria Cracker softens and it becomes more like a MoonPie. That’s my favorite way to eat it! 

homemade s'mores

How To Make Homemade S’mores

To make these homemade s’mores, you’ll need Maria Crackers, dulce de leche, and marshmallows. 

Spread about a teaspoon of dulce de leche on each Maria Cracker. Make sure to spread the dulce de leche on the “bottom” side, so the pretty embossed side is visible in the finished s’mores. They look prettier that way. 

Then roast your marshmallow over the grill, turning it as you go so that all sides get browned. Once the marshmallow is soft and browned on all sides, press between the Maria Crackers.  

Try these for your next backyard barbecue and let me know how they turn out!

If you like this homemade s’mores recipe, you may also like my Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches with dulce de leche.

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homemade s'mores

Best S’mores Recipe with Maria Crackers and Dulce de Leche

  • Author: Sandi Abbott
  • Prep Time: 1
  • Cook Time: 2
  • Total Time: 3 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: desserts
  • Method: roasting
  • Cuisine: cuban
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Description

This s’mores recipe combines Cuban favorites like dulce de leche and Maria Crackers for a uniquely Cuban treat!

Ingredients

Scale

16 teaspoons dulce de leche

16 Maria Crackers

8 large marshmallows

Instructions

Spread one teaspoon of dulce de leche on the “bottom” side of a Maria Cracker (you want the pretty embossed side to show). Roast marshmallow on a long skewer over a grill fire for about two minutes (times will vary). Slowly turn the skewer so the marshmallow roasts evenly on all sides. Place the marshmallow on a prepared cracker (dulce de leche side up). Place a second cracker (dulce de leche side down) on top and gently press down. Enjoy!

Notes

You can also make these on the stovetop over a burner set on high, using a long skewer. Slowly turn the skewer so it cooks evenly on all sides. Be careful not to spill the marshmallow on the burner. 

If you let these s’mores sit for a while, the cookie will soften and it will be more like a MoonPie!

Time shown is per s’more. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 8

Keywords: S’mores recipe, homemade s’mores, dulce de leche, maria crackers, easy s’mores, how to make s’mores

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Homemade ice cream sandwich

The Best Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches With Dulce De Leche

Leave a Comment / CUBAN, DESSERTS /

These homemade ice cream sandwiches with dulce de leche are so easy and delicious! And they are fun to dress up for every occasion. Add red, white, and blue sprinkles for your 4th of July picnic. Or dredge them through your favorite ice cream toppings like chocolate sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, toasted coconut, or chopped almonds. The possibilities are endless. When I’m playing dress-up with these homemade ice cream sandwiches, it brings me back to my dress-up Barbie sessions when I was a little girl, no lie. (I was a huge Barbie fan?)

Cuban Flavors I Grew Up Loving

One of the things I love so much about these homemade ice cream sandwiches is that they have two of the flavors I grew up eating… dulce de leche and Maria crackers. 

If you’re not familiar with dulce de leche, it’s similar to caramel but it’s very spreadable and has an even richer taste than caramel. The main difference between dulce de leche and caramel is that dulce de leche is made with sweetened condensed milk, and caramel is made with sugar and water. You should easily find dulce de leche in your grocery store aisle right next to the sweetened condensed milk. The brand I used is Nestle.

To make dulce de leche at home, you bake the sweetened condensed milk in a water bath (bain-marie method) for several hours. Or you can simmer the can on the stovetop fully submerged in water. This process takes a few hours, and you need to keep adding hot water to keep the can fully submerged. But you don’t have to go through all that trouble for this recipe. You can use the store-bought dulce de leche, it’s just as good. 

Maria crackers are the Cuban version of graham crackers. I would eat these crackers spread with dulce de leche or with cream cheese and guava. I like them more than graham crackers because they are thinner and look prettier for desserts. Really, the main reason is that I grew up eating them. But they do look pretty when you use them in these homemade ice cream sandwiches. 

summer dessert

Dulce de Leche and Vanilla Ice Cream Are So Good Together

I also grew up eating ice cream sandwiches made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate wafers, I’m sure we all did. As much as I love that flavor combo, I find the dulce leche and vanilla combo even better! This flavor combo is more subtle than chocolate and vanilla, and builds as you eat it. 

I especially love these little homemade ice cream sandwiches rolled in toasted coconut. They remind me of my favorite cookie, alfajores. These are dulce de leche sandwich cookies made with soft vanilla cookies and dulce de leche filling rolled in crushed toasted coconut. I’m so gonna make these for you one day! But until then, you can check out this New York Times recipe for alfajores, if you’re curious.

Homemade ice cream sandwiches

Easy Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert for Lazy Summers

My little sandwiches are so easy to make, they have only four ingredients and take just a few minutes to prep. But you will want to let them set for a few hours before serving. 

Here’s what you need:

Vanilla Ice Cream – I like using French vanilla because it complements the dulce de leche best. Also, make sure you get one that softens without melting too much. I tried making these homemade ice cream sandwiches with Blue Bell ice cream and as much as I loved the taste, I found the ice cream hard to work with. It seemed to melt without softening. So, the sandwiches would end up looking uneven. My favorite brand to use is Publix premium ice cream, but Breyers would also work. 

Dulce de Leche – this is sweetened condensed milk that’s been cooked until it gets golden brown and spreadable. A little goes a long way, so go easy. I use about two teaspoons per ice cream sandwich. But you can add more or less to taste. 

Maria Crackers – you’ll find these in your grocery store in the aisle with the crackers. If you can’t find these crackers, you can use graham crackers cut in half. 

Sprinkles, Toasted Coconut, or Chopped Almonds – the topping you use will depend on the occasion. I like using the toasted coconut or toasted almonds because it’s so good together and looks elegant, like a grown-up dessert. But it’s also fun to use sprinkles and would also have more kid appeal. You can also add sprinkles to mark a holiday, like red and pink for Valentine’s Day, red, white, and blue for Memorial Day and the 4th of July, or Orange and Yellow for the fall. 

Assembling These Ice Cream Sandwiches 

I have more detailed instructions in the recipe below. But here’s a quick rundown.

You need to work quickly because ice cream melts fast and you don’t want a cold mess on your hands. So, prep the sprinkles and have everything handy before you take the ice cream out of the freezer. Also, have a ready container you can add the sandwiches to so you can put them back in the freezer. 

Here we go:

  • Have your sprinkles, almonds, or toasted coconut ready in a bowl. 
  • Take the ice cream out and let it soften as you prep the Maria crackers.
  • Spread about one teaspoon of dulce de leche on each Maria cracker, on the “bottom” side. You want the pretty embossed side to show in your finished ice cream sandwich. 
  • Once all the cookies are prepped, add one scoop to half the crackers and then place a second cracker on top and gently press down.
  • Roll the edges in the sprinkles or other topping.
  • Place these back in the freezer to let them set. This will allow the Maria cracker to soften and the ice cream to harden so it’s not a melting mess when you eat it. Although, a melty mess is not so bad if you’re a kid and there’s a water hose nearby!

Have fun making these little homemade ice cream sandwiches and let me know how they turn out in the comments below. 

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Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches With Dulce De Leche

  • Author: Sandi Abbott
  • Prep Time: 25
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: no bake
  • Cuisine: cuban
Print Recipe

Description

These homemade ice cream sandwiches with dulce de leche are so easy and delicious! And they are fun to dress up for every occasion! Add your favorite sprinkles for garnish or use toasted coconuts or chopped almonds.

Ingredients

Scale

A gallon of French vanilla ice cream (you’ll need about 3 cups of ice cream for 12 ice cream sandwiches)

1 can dulce de leche (you’ll need about a half cup)

24 Maria crackers

1 cup of sprinkles, almonds, or shredded coconut for garnish

Instructions

Prep the garnish:

You want to have a bowl of these ready before you start since the ice cream melts so fast. So, toast and chop the almonds. Or, toast the coconut and crush them a bit to make smaller pieces. If you’re using sprinkles, just pour these into a small bowl. 

Make sure you have a container already set up to store the ice cream sandwiches. The first time I made these, I had to scramble to find something while my babies were melting!

Prep the crackers:

Take the ice cream out so it starts to soften. You can’t press it down if it’s too hard.

Spread about one teaspoon of dulce de leche on each Maria cracker, on the “bottom” side. You want the pretty embossed side to show in your finished ice cream sandwich. 

Assemble the ice cream sandwich:

Once all the cookies are prepped, add one scoop to half the crackers and then place a second cracker on top and gently press down. Then roll the ice cream sandwiches in the sprinkles or other garnish. If you find that they are melting too fast. Place in the freezer to set and then roll in the sprinkles after the ice cream has set.

Notes

A gallon of ice cream and a can of dulce de leche will yield way more than 12 ice cream sandwiches, so feel free to make more. Just make sure you increase the amount of Maria crackers and sprinkles you buy to accommodate a larger quantity.  

You’ll find the assembly to be a bit of a messy process and the ice cream sandwiches may not look perfectly even. This is the beauty of the sprinkles. They cover a multitude of mistakes! Once you garnish, they’ll look pretty, and any imperfections will be unnoticeable. 

I used a medium ice cream scoop that holds just a little less than a quarter cup of ice cream. If you use a bigger scoop the ratio of ice cream to cookie will be off (unless that’s how you like it). 

You can mix and match the garnish and make different ones to please your crowd. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 sandwich

Keywords: Ice cream sandwich dessert recipe, Ice cream sandwich recipe, Ice cream sandwich dessert, Homemade ice cream sandwiches, dulce de leche, summer desserts, ice cream desserts, easy summer desserts

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Backyard Barbecue

Easy Backyard Barbecue Menu with Skirt Steak Chimichurri

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I love backyard barbecues that are easy, tasty, and filled with my favorite Latin flavors! This menu featuring skirt steak chimichurri is one of my go-to summer grilling favorites, and it was my Thanksgiving menu for many years. We live in Miami so backyard barbecues are great in November. 

Sometimes I spend more time putting a menu together than I do cooking it. So I wanted to provide you with an easy backyard barbecue menu so you can spend more time chilling this summer. You’ll find that skirt steak is an easy and flavorful steak perfect for the grill and this Cilantro Chimichurri sauce is great on steaks, veggies, bread, plantain chips (mariquitas), just about everything!

Grilled sausages, peppers and onions

Easy Backyard Barbecue Menu

You can pair this skirt steak chimichurri with a grilled vegetable salad and crusty bread for an all-grill meal that’s ready in under 30 minutes. Or you can enjoy the grilled skirt steak with congri rice and maduros, this is how I prepared it for Thanksgiving. (My family is not big turkey, so we went non-traditional most years.)

The first time I ate skirt steak chimichurri it was at a Nicaraguan restaurant and they paired it with congri rice and fried sweet plantains (maduros). The limey chimichurri and the sweet fried plantains were such a good combo!! You can make the rice ahead of time and just reheat and the maduros take no time to fry. If you have an outdoor grill with a side burner, it’s even easier because you can fry the maduros as the steak is grilling. 

For starters, I like to have grilled sausage and peppers montaditos. These are appetizer-sized choripan, a popular Argentine street food made with chorizo and chimichurri sauce. You’ll find the chimichurri sauce will be doing double and triple duty in this meal.

To finish this crazy good backyard barbecue menu, we have caramel flan, a very traditional Cuban dessert that is easy and so very velvety sweet you’ll fall in love with it. 

So here are the two menu options:

Backyard Barbecue Menu Option 1:
Grilled Sausage and Peppers Montaditos
Skirt Steak Chimichurri
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Crusty bread
Caramel Flan
 
Backyard Barbecue Menu Option 2:
Grilled Sausage and Peppers Montaditos
Skirt Steak Chimichurri
Congri Rice
Maduros
Caramel Flan

Grilled Sausage and Peppers Montaditos

These little Grilled Sausage and Peppers Montaditos made with Argentinian sausage are perfect for summer grilling! Slices of crusty bread are piled high with grilled sausages and peppers and onions and drizzled with chimichurri sauce. Montadito is a Spanish tapas that consists of little breads or slices filled with savory toppings.

You can pace your grilling so it’s laidback by starting with these chorizos on the grill as a first course. This way you don’t have a huge amount to grill all at once. While folks are enjoying their montaditos you can add the other items to the grill. The skirt steak and veggies cook quickly, in about ten minutes so you may want to wait a bit before you throw them on the grill. 

This recipe serves eight people.

cilantro chimichurri

Cilantro Chimichurri

Chimichurri is originally from Argentina and Uruguay, but it’s popular all over Latin America. The traditional sauce has a lot of fresh chopped parsley and olive oil and smaller amounts of garlic, oregano, and vinegar. I opted for lemon juice in my recipe. You’ll need to double this recipe so you can have plenty for dipping, topping drizzling and slurping (I know, I’m over the top about this sauce!).

Cilantro chimichurri is the star of this backyard barbecue menu. Because you’ll use it as a skirt steak marinade and steak finishing sauce, it’s drizzled on the montaditos, and can also be used as a dipping sauce for the crusty bread. I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a staple in your barbecues. 

Grilled Skirt Steak Chimichurri

Another name for skirt steak is churrasco, which is very popular in Argentine cooking. Argentines are famous for their epic backyard barbecues that include skirt steak churrasco among other cuts of beef, chorizo, and blood sausage.  

Skirt steak is perfect for grilling and can really absorb the flavors of the marinade. You can find inside and outside skirt steak at your local supermarket. The best cut to use in inside steak because it’s more tender. But I’ve used outside skirt to make my Grilled Steak Chimichurri with great results too (it helps that my son is great at grilling meats!).

This recipe serves four so you’ll need to double it if you have more guests.

Grilled veggie salad

Grilled Vegetable Salad

If you love the smokey flavor of char-grilled veggies, you’ll love this Grilled Vegetable Salad that’s a perfect complement for the skirt steak chimichurri. This recipe makes four servings, so you’ll need to double it if you have more peeps coming.

I like that all the elements of your meal can be cooked on the grill so you don’t have to keep running into the kitchen to finish some things. You can enjoy your backyard barbecue to the fullest, with a glass of wine or an ice-cold beer and great convo from your favorite guests. 

Cuban Congri Rice

Cuban Congrí Rice

Congri Rice is a traditional Spanish black beans rice side dish served with just about anything Cuban, especially meats and pork. It’s great with the skirt steak chimichurri. This is an authentic Cuban recipe and it’s one of my mom’s best recipes (aka Bean Train). 

You can make the beans in the Instant Pot and then finish the rice on the stovetop. If you want to keep your summer grilling simple, I suggest you make the congri rice the day before and then reheat it. It’s great the next day. In fact, this is a recipe that you can freeze for later if you have any leftovers. 

This recipe serves eight people, maybe more.

maduros

Fried Sweet Plantains (Maduros)

Fried Sweet Plantains, known as plátanos maduros, are a very common side dish in Cuban cooking. It’s usually served with savory meat dishes like this one. The trick to making these is to choose very ripe plantains. They are best when they are almost black. Each plantain will yield about 6-8 slices, so you may need to fry up a few of these sweeties.

Maduros cook quickly and can be done on the side burner while the steak is grilling. If you can’t find plantains in your supermarket produce section, try the frozen foods. You may find some Latin brands that are already sliced and just need to be fried for a few minutes. 

caramel

End With a Traditional Cuban Dessert – Caramel Flan

Caramel flan is the most popular Cuban dessert served for any special occasion. It’s luscious, creamy, and ridiculously easy to make. You do need to make this flan recipe the day before, so it has time to chill. 

What makes this dessert so amazing is the caramel sauce which is nothing more than melted sugar but tastes like so much more than that! 

You can make the individual portions in ramekins which are so pretty or make the flan in cake pan or pie plate for easy serving. A cake also gives you more flexibility with the portions. This recipe can be made in the Instant Pot or oven. If you’re going to use the Instant Pot, you’ll need to by a flan mold insert.

I do hope you enjoy making this backyard barbecue menu as much as you’ll enjoy eating it! ¡Buen provecho!

Backyard Barbecue Menu Cookbook

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caramel

Cuban Flan Is The Best Cuban Dessert!

2 Comments / BAKING, CUBAN, DESSERTS /

Cuban flan is, hands-down, the most popular Cuban dessert, and for a good reason. It’s a luscious, creamy, special-occasion-worthy dessert that is super easy to make. This is the dessert that’s on every Cuban table on Christmas Eve (Noche Buena). 

This is my Cuban mom’s flan recipe, and she makes it often. With my mom (aka the Bean Train), if you’re sick you get chicken noodle soup, and for all other occasions, you get a Cuban flan. If it’s your birthday, you get a flan, if it’s your anniversary, you get a flan, and if she’s coming over for dinner… another flan! All her neighbors get this Cuban dessert for Christmas, and I’ve got to tell you, it’s made her pretty popular on her block!

cuban flan

What Is Flan?

If you’re not familiar with it, caramel flan is a creamy dessert made with two types of milk, eggs, and vanilla and has a delicious caramel sauce made with sugar. It’s like Crème Brulee but it does not have the hard sugar crust on top. The caramel is baked with the dessert and becomes this rich sauce that bathes the creamy dessert in delicious sweetness. It’s so, so good, I can’t wait for you to try it! Of all the Cuban recipes you can make, this Cuban flan recipe is the one to try first!!

Cuban Flan Recipe

As I said, this caramel flan is super easy to make. You don’t need to mix anything and there are only five flan ingredients in this Cuban flan recipe: sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt. You can mix these ingredients by hand or just throw them in the blender for 30 seconds. 

I like to use vanilla paste because I think it gives your baked goods a richer taste, but regular vanilla is fine. When you use the paste, you get more of the vanilla beans in the dish. You’ll notice it in the sliced flan. Sometimes it may leave a mark on the surface of the cake as the beans settle to the bottom of the flan and then when you invert it, you’ll see it. I usually garnish my flan with some raspberries so it’s not noticeable, but you can see it a bit in the sliced flan photo in this post.

The caramel is also super easy to make, as it’s just melted sugar. Some folks like to mix water and sugar and heat this on medium heat until the caramel forms. But I find this method takes longer and you must be careful to not overcook the caramel. It’s much easier to melt a cup of sugar over medium high heat. Once all the sugar has melted, you’re at the right caramel color and it takes a fraction of the time. 

Two things you need to know about caramel… don’t stir the caramel in the pan. That will keep it from forming. You just shake the pan a little to swirl the sugar as it’s melting. Also, the caramel is SUPER HOT and can burn you if you’re not careful. Don’t use plastic spoons or other plastic utensils near it and be SUPER CAREFUL when pouring it in the mold. 

caramel flan

How To Make Cuban Flan

Caramel flan cooks in the oven in a water bath called a bain-marie. You can pour the flan in half-cup ramekins for individual portions or bake in a pie plate or cake pan. You need to make sure to pour enough water to reach about halfway up the sides of the flan mold. 

Baking times will vary depending on the container you use. Ramekins take under 30 minutes the pie plate or cake pan make take you around an hour of baking time.  

Once they’re done, let them cool at room temperature and then place them in the fridge for four hours or overnight. Run a sharp knife around the edge to invert it on a plate and give it a light tap.

If you baked it in one pie plate or cake pan, the weight of the flan will make it easy to unmold. If you used the individual ramekins, you need to have a little patience or gently coax it out with the edge of the knife, but be careful not to mar the smooth surface of the flan. 

Once you’ve unmolded the flan, pour the rest of the caramel sauce over the flan and garnish it with a few raspberries and a mint leaf. 

cuban flan

Instant Pot Flan

You can also cook the flan in the Instant Pot. You’re still using the bain-marie method, though. To be able to cook it in the Instant Pot you’ll need a flan mold with a lid called a “flanera.” You can find these at many supermarkets. I bought mine at my local CVS pharmacy that sells some Latin cookware (yea, I know, only in Miami!). You can also find these on Amazon.

Instant pot flan cooks in just 25 minutes, but there’s the time it takes for the Instant Pot to develop pressure and then you need to give a few minutes to release the steam before you open it.

The flan mold creates a nice, tall cake. I personally like this method because it’s so foolproof. You don’t have to check the flans for doneness. This also gives you better portion control so you can cut smaller slices if you have more people. 

But I do love the way the individual caramel flans look, they are so cute!

Try this Cuban flan recipe the next time you’re thinking of baking a cake for a special occasion. Or make it just because you want to indulge. You can’t beat how easy this Cuban recipe is to make!

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Cuban flan recipe

Caramel Flan – Traditional Cuban Dessert

  • Author: Sandi Abbott
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 60
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking or Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: Cuban
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Description

This caramel flan is a very traditional Cuban dessert. It’s a luscious, creamy special-occasion-worthy dessert that is super easy to do. What makes this dessert so awesome is the fantastic one-ingredient caramel sauce. And this Cuban flan recipe could not be easier to make!

 

Ingredients

Scale

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)

1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)

5 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

Instructions

CARAMEL

Make the caramel:

  • Place 1 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Cook without stirring until sugar melts and has a deep amber color. This should take about 12-14 minutes. Be very, very careful with the flan as it’s SUPER HOT and can burn you. 
  • For Ramekins: Use a regular soup spoon and divide the caramel equally into 8 half-cup ramekins.  Do not use a plastic measuring spoon for this because it will melt. Swirl the caramel around the ramekin to coat the sides just a bit. 
  • For pie plate, cake pan or flan mold: Pour all the caramel and swirl the pan a bit to get it up the sides a little. You need to work fast because the caramel hardens quickly, BUT be very careful not to spill the caramel or to touch the pie plate or cake pan where the caramel will be because it will burn you. I cannot stress this enough.
  • Once the caramel has hardened, brush a little vegetable oil on the exposed areas that don’t have caramel. This should make it easier to unmold the flan later. 

Preheat: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, if you’re baking. 

Mix: Pour the cans of milk into a blender. Add the five eggs, a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Blend on low for about 30 seconds. 

Bain-marie: Place your flan container (ramekins, pie plate or cake pan) in a large roasting pan with deep sides and fill the pan with water up to halfway mark on the container. If you’re using the Instant Pot, you’ll add the water last. 

Strain: 

  • Strain the mix to make sure no eggshell or solids end up in your flan. 
  • For the ramekins, strain the flan into a 4-cup measuring bowl or pitcher. This will make it easier to pour into the ramekins. Otherwise, you can ladle the mix up to 4-ounce measurement or just up to the indent area. You can see it in the photo above in the post. 
  • If you’re using a pie plate, cake pan or flan mold, you can strain the mix right into the container. 

Bake:

  • Baking times differ based on the container that you use. 
  • For the ramekins, bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes. You want the edges to be set and the middle to jiggle just a bit. The top should be a pale gold.
  • For the pie plate or cake pan, cook for about 1 hour or until the edges are set and the middle jiggles just a bit. 

Instant Pot affiliate link or Pressure Cooker:

For the Instant Pot, you’ll need to use a special flan mold affiliate link. Place the covered flan mold in the pot and add water until it’s half way up the sides of the flan mold. Set the timer to 25 minutes at normal pressure. Once done, let it vent on its own. If you’re not going to let it vent on its own, cook for 30 minutes. 

Cool: Let the flan come to room temperature and then cool in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.

Unmold:

  • Run a sharp paring knife around the edge and then invert the container onto a plate. The large molds unmold easily because the weight of the flan helps. 
  • For the ramekins, it’s a little more difficult. I usually  place the ramekins in a pan with warm water for 30 seconds to make it easier to unmold. Sometimes you need to nudge it a little with the knife, but be careful not to leave a mark on the flan. They look so pretty when they’re unmolded. 
  • Pour the rest of the caramel sauce over the flan on the plate. 

Garnish (optional): Top the flan with a few raspberries. I also use a mint leaf on the individual portions. 

 

Equipment

Notes

The caramel will baked onto the flan mold affiliate link or ramekins affiliate link and it looks impossible to remove. But just soak the container in water and the sugar will dissolve. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: slice

Keywords: caramel flan, Cuban dessert, flan, flan recipe, easy flan recipe, Instant Pot flan, flan ingredients, Cuban flan, Cuban flan recipe

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Grilled Sausage and Peppers Montaditos For Easy BBQ Tapas

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These little grilled sausage and peppers open sandwiches made with Argentinian sausage are perfect for summer grilling! They are super easy appetizers to make while you enjoy a glass of sangria as you’re grilling this summer. They can be a starter for an epic summer barbecue or part of a no-fuss tapas party. They are so satisfyingly delicious and fun to make! 

Grilled sausage and peppers

What is a Montadito

If you’re not familiar with montaditos, it’s time you guys met. I know you’ll hit it off ?

Montaditos are a type of Spanish tapas that are mini sandwiches. They are similar to sliders and canapes. Basically, you pile on your favorite meat and toppings onto little bread sandwiches or bread slices. Once you get the hang of making them, you’ll discover all sorts of toppings to try. Consider this post your license to get creative on your own little bread canvases!

Grilled sausages, peppers and onions

Grilled Chorizo Toppings

This little grilled sausage and peppers montadito is my take on choripan, a popular Argentinian street food made with grilled chorizo topped with chimichurri. My version is bite-sized, and also includes grilled peppers and onions with cilantro chimichurri sauce.

Chorizo is an Argentinian sausage you should be able to find at your local grocery store. But if you can’t, substitute Italian sausage. 

montaditos

Summer Chill Grill

I love how chill this grill recipe is! It takes very little prep and everything cooks together on the grill at about the same time. You just need to make the chimichurri sauce ahead of time. So once your guests arrive you can hand them a glass of wine or an ice-cold beer and drink and chill with them by the grill.

Throw the sausage, peppers, and onions on the BBQ while you hang out in the backyard with your guests. The sausages and veggies cook in about 10 minutes, and you can add the bread slices on the top rack as the other items are finishing up.

Then, remove everything from the grill and slice up the sausages into thick diagonal slices and the peppers into ribbons. Place a slice of sausage on the toasted bread and pile on the peppers and onions and top with a drizzle of chimichurri sauce.

Summer Grilling Menu Idea

Once you’ve done a little noshing on these little choripan slices with your friends, you can start grilling your main dish. May I suggest churrasco steak with chimichurri sauce to keep the Argentine theme going? Keep it simple with a Grilled Veggie Salad so you don’t have to keep going in and out of the kitchen. Finish off with a little ice cream for dessert. It’s so easy, breezy! 

Give these montaditos with grilled sausage and peppers a try and let me know how you like them. ¡Buen provecho!

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montadito

Grilled Sausage and Peppers Montaditos For Easy BBQ Tapas

  • Author: Sandi Abbott
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: appetizer
  • Method: grilling
  • Cuisine: Argentine
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Description

These mini-sandwiches, called montaditos, are piled high with grilled sausages and peppers and onions and drizzled with chimichurri sauce. A delicious take on Argentinian choripan that’s perfect for your next barbecue.

Ingredients

Scale

1 loaf French Bread

1 package chorizo (Argentinian sausage) – 5 links

2 red bell peppers

1 large red onion

Chimichurri sauce

Instructions

Preheat: Heat a grill to medium heat. 

peppers and onions

Prep:

  • Prepare the chimichurri sauce. You can do this one day in advance to give the flavors a chance to deepen.
  • Cut the bell peppers and remove the ribs and seeds. Cut in as large a piece as you can. I usually cut the tops and bottoms off and then cut the body into 3 large pieces that can lay flat on the grill. 
  • Peel and slice the onion into thick slices (just under half an inch). If the slices are too thin they’ll fall apart on the grill.
  • Slice the baguette bread into ½ inch thick slices. 
  • Brush the veggies lightly with oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Let the veggies sit for about 10 minutes before putting them on the grill. 
  • Brush the bread with oil and set aside until the last 2 minutes of cooking time. 

Cook:

  • Grill the veggies until they have some char and color but aren’t burned. Grill the sausages until they are cooked. Don’t poke the sausages as you grill them because the juices will drain and you’ll end up with a dry sausage. 
  •  Sausage temperature should be about 160 degrees. Grill times will vary based on your grill and the thickness of the veggies. But following are my grill times:
  • Onions Bell Peppers: about 5 minutes per side for a total of 10 minutes
  • Sausages: 10 minutes total, turning them as you go so all sides get cooked evenly. 
  • Bread slices: 1 minute on each side, total of 2 minutes, placed on the top rack for indirect heat (really depends on the thickness and where you place them on the grill). They should be lightly toasted.

Assembly:

  • Remove the veggies and sausages and give them a few minutes to rest. If you plan to remove the charred skin on the red bell peppers, place them under a foil tent to steam a bit to make the skin removal easier. (I like the char, so I skip this step)
  • Slice the peppers into ribbons. The onions will be easy to pull apart once they are off the grill.
  • Slice the sausages diagonally into about ½ inch slices. 
  • Top each slice of bread with a slice of sausage, add a few ribbons of peppers and a few onion rings. 
  • Drizzle with chimichurri sauce.

Notes

The measurements are pretty fast and lose. You can adjust the thickness the bread and sausages to your liking and pile on as much of the onions and peppers as you like. Same goes with the sauce. The more you add the messier they’ll be, though, so start small and see how it goes.  

Calorie count includes chimichurri sauce, but prep time does not. The sauce takes about 30 minutes, but you should give the chimichurri sauce a few hours to let the flavors get to know each other. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3 slices

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Cuban Tapas Recipes

Cuban Appetizers To Make For World Tapas Day

Leave a Comment / APPETIZERS, CUBAN, ENTERTAINING / ,

Tapas are the best party food, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate World Tapas Day than with these delicious Cuban appetizers. This is one holiday that’s totally worth celebrating because it’s just made for hanging out with friends, drinking wine, and noshing on party food. So, let’s get the party started with these fun and delicious Cuban appetizers.

World Tapas Day is either June 16 or 17, depending on the calendar you follow. But you can celebrate it anytime you feel like it. I like to celebrate it every month. And I’m sharing some of my favorite Cuban tapas recipes to help get you in tapas party mode.

Spanish Tapas Montaditos

I love, love, love montaditos and you will too when I ‘splain what they are. These Spanish tapas are made of little baguettes filled with delicious meats, cheeses, and other sweet and savory goodies. The Spanish root word for montadito is montar which means to mount. So, these little pieces of bread are mounted with tons of delicious toppings. I like to think of them as my little bread canvas where I can get creative and inventive. Here are two fun Cuban tapas recipes to try.

ropa vieja sandwich

Cuban Ropa Vieja Montaditos

These impressive little Cuban ropa vieja appetizers are perfect for a tapas party! They come together quickly and can be assembled and finished later. If you don’t have ropa vieja leftovers, you can get the recipe here and enjoy it for dinner the night before. If you don’t have ropa vieja, you can try pulled pork, or use whatever leftovers you do have on hand. Top with a little cheese and olive, pepper, or a little spicy sauce. 

smoked salmon avocado toast

Smoked Salmon Toast (Montadito)

I called this recipe Smoked Salmon Toast, but you can also call it a montadito. These smoked salmon toasts are an easy Cuban tapas recipe to make and requires no cooking. Smoked salmon and avocado piled high on a crostini with a lemon and caper gremolata is the perfect dish for breakfast, brunch, or a tapas party. Now, I know these are technically not Cuban, but they are made by a Cuban, and avocado toast is a Cuban thing anyway… we were eating avocado toast (aka pan con aguacate) way before it was trendy ??❤?

Grilled Sausage And Peppers Montaditos

These little grilled sausage and peppers montaditos made with Argentinian sausage are perfect for summer grilling! Enjoy a glass of sangria as you’re grilling this summer. They can be a starter for an epic summer barbecue or part of a no-fuss tapas party. They are so satisfyingly delicious and fun to make! 

Pan Con Tomate

Pan Con Tomate Traditional Spanish Tapas

This simple and delicious Pan Con Tomate is a traditional tapas recipe that’s super quick and easy to make. It requires no cooking and can really be done with just the four basic ingredients in ten minutes tops. Try it with a little prosciutto, wine and cheese. You’ll love, love it!

chicken croquettes

Chicken Croquettes Are Party Platter Favorites!

Chicken croquettes are party animals! They are the life of every Cuban party and it’s no wonder. Croquettes are crunchy on the outside with a creamy chicken filling made with béchamel sauce. They are also great as a snack or for breakfast. You can switch things up by swapping the chicken filling with ham or fish. So perfect for tapas!

Cuban Appetizers with Leftover Picadillo

I love to turn my leftovers into tapas party food, especially Cuban picadillo. It’s the perfect filling for tons of Cuban appetizers, like empanadas and stuffed tostones cups. Oh, and quesadillas… not a Cuban appetizer but in the Latin family ?

beef and cheese empanadas

Beef Picadillo Empanadas

These cheesy ground beef empanadas are a very popular Cuban appetizer that’s easy to make and can be fried or baked. I filled these empanadas with picadillo, but you can try other savory fillings. Ropa vieja (used in the montadito recipe above) would also be great here. 

Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas

Picadillo Ground Beef Quesadillas

Quesadillas are another great canvas for creating delicious tapas. I love using my leftover picadillo to make these cheesy ground beef quesadillas, but you can use any leftovers you have on hand. That’s one of the many things I love about quesadillas! Just open up your fridge and pull out your leftovers, a little cheese, some peppers, and onions and you got the makings of some great party food. 

Cuban appetizers

Stuffed Fried Plantain Tostones Cups

Tostones are twice-fried green plantains and a go-to side dish for many Cuban dishes. But they can hold their own as a Cuban appetizer, especially if you turn them into tostones cups. Follow my tostones recipe to make these fun little cups and then you can fill them with picadillo or ropa vieja topped with cheese. Or fill them with shrimp ceviche cocktail.

Crunchy Malanga Fritters Are Great As An Appetizer or Side Dish

These malanga fritters (aka frituras de malanga) are a super crunchy cuban appetizer perfect for tapas. If you’re not familiar with malanga, it’s a root vegetable that’s creamier and more nutrient-dense than potatoes. They are great on their own, with a little dipping sauce or as a side for soups, stews or salads.

shrimp ceviche cocktail

Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail

This Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail recipe is easy to make and is a great, refreshing appetizer for summer parties! I like to serve them with plantain chips or tostones cups, but they are also wonderful with tortilla cups. Ceviche is a popular Latin American appetizer and is usually made with lime juice, onions, and peppers. This version has a tomato base and spicy habanero peppers for a little heat.

Cuban Deviled Eggs

Cuban Deviled Eggs

These Cuban deviled eggs, or huevos endiablados, are made with saffron. This Spanish spice is usually used to make paella and adds a subtle and distinctive flavor to this classic deviled egg recipe. Top it with bacon or a Spanish olive and they make a great appetizer for your next tapas party. 

Now no tapas party would be complete without a pitcher of sweet sangria. Make a pitcher to enjoy with the great apps by using my Fruity Sangria recipe.

So, now that you’re fortified with some great Cuban tapas recipes and a pitcher of sangria, go forth and party. 

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grilled veggie salad

Grilled Vegetable Salad For Easy Summer BBQ

Leave a Comment / BBQ, SALADS, VEGETARIAN /

If you love the smokey flavor of char-grilled veggies, you’ll love this grilled vegetable salad. This salad is perfect with grilled meats, so you can grill the veggies along with your meats. Then toss in a little vinaigrette for a quick and tasty BBQ salad. 

Summer grilling should be easy and breezy, so you can sit back and relax with a glass of sangria or a margarita as you’re cooking and chatting with your favorite people. Or, in my case, watching your son do the grilling. That’s even better!!

Grilled vegetable salad

Best Grilled Vegetables For This Salad

We usually eat this salad with grilled meats, so I use veggies that are great with steak, like asparagus, corn, and bell peppers. But you can use your favorite vegetables for this salad and switch them up based on the proteins you’re grilling. 

The asparagus, corn, and red bell pepper combo is my husband’s favorite. But other great combos include zucchini, grape tomatoes, and peppers, or eggplant, peppers, red onion, and cherry tomatoes.

Peppers were just made for grilling, so no matter what combo of veggies I use, red peppers are always included. Peppers tend to char quite a bit, so depending on how much you like the charred taste, you may want to remove the skin. In that case, cover the grilled peppers with some foil to let them steam for a bit. This will make it easier to remove the skins. 

Prepping Your Veggies For Grilling

Definitely season your veggies before grilling. I usually brush the veggies with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. Then let it sit for a few minutes so the salt can stick to the veggies. If you salt and then grill right away, the salt doesn’t have a chance to permeate the veggies to season them properly. Give salt a chance!

Whichever combo of veggies you use for your grilled veggie salad, cut them into big chunks to make it easy to grill. Larger pieces are less likely to fall through the grates and get overcooked.  

You can cook corn with or without the husk, but keep in mind it will take twice as long to cook the corn that way. I usually remove the husk, so everything cooks at roughly the same time. 

Grilling the Vegetables

Veggies take a little longer to cook than meats. Make sure to time your cooking, so veggies are done when the meat is ready. Heat up the grill to the highest setting, place the meat in the hottest section for searing, and add the veggies around the meat, away from the hottest parts of the grill. Veggies need a slightly lower temperature, so they don’t burn. 

Once the meat is done, let it rest while the veggies finish cooking. 

Grilled vegetable salad

Dressing Your Grilled Veggie Salad

Once the veggies are done,  you can chop them a bit if necessary and then toss in a dressing. Or you can plate the grilled vegetables and then drizzle the vinaigrette on top. Finally, if you’re in the mood and feeling festive, crumble a little feta or queso fresco on top. Oh my goodness, my mouth is watering now!

I used a simple balsamic vinaigrette for this salad, but I also love to drizzle my Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce on the veggies. This go-to Argentine table sauce is also great with meats or as a dip with plantains. So, so good!

Let the grilling begin!

bean train food for thought

When people think of grilling, the season that most often comes to mind is summer. But, for me, the season I think of is the winter, when the weather is the nicest in Miami. By the time summer rolls around, we’re rolling our activities indoors to stay away from the Miami summer heat and humidity.

This makes me think of the importance of perspective. We make assumptions based on our own lived experiences. This is, of course, natural. But we need to leave some room to allow for the perspective of others. Of course, I’m assuming your summer is different from mine… maybe it isn’t 😉

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Grilled vegetable salad

Grilled Vegetable Salad For Easy Summer BBQ

  • Author: Sandi Abbott
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: BBQ
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

If you love the smokey flavor of char-grilled veggies, you’ll love this grilled vegetable salad that’s a perfect complement for steaks on the grill.

Ingredients

Scale

3 ears of corn on the cob

2 red bell peppers

1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound) – try to get thick stalks

About 1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper 

Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 crushed garlic clove

1 teaspoon basil (if you have fresh basil, use a tablespoon of basil ribbons)

Or use ¼ cup Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce.

Instructions

Preheat: Heat a grill to medium to high heat, depending on what else you’re grilling. For example, steaks need a higher heat than veggies.  

Prep:

  • Cut the bell peppers and remove the ribs and seeds. Cut in as large a piece as you can. I usually cut the tops and bottoms off and then cut the body into 3 large pieces that can lay pretty flat on the grill. 
  • Cut the woody ends of the asparagus off, or bend the asparagus and let it snap. 
  • Remove the husk and silk from the ears of corn.
  • Brush the veggies lightly with oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Let the veggies sit for about 10 minutes before putting them on the grill. 

Cook: Grill the veggies until they have some char and color but aren’t burned. You don’t want to dry out the veggies, so they should still have some bite. Grill times will vary based on your grill and the thickness of the veggies. But following are my grill times:

  • Corn: 20 minutes
  • Bell Peppers: 10 minutes
  • Asparagus: 4 minutes (this is the one that tends to burn the most, especially if the stalks are thin)

Dressing:

  • Remove the veggies and give them a few minutes to rest. If you plan to remove the charred skin on the red bell peppers, place them under a foil tent to steam a bit to make the skin removal easier. 
  • Chop the asparagus and peppers into bite-size pieces. The corn is the hottest to handle, so I cut this one last. Slice the corn kernels off the husk, leaving some of the pieces together. 
  • Dress your salad with the Cilantro Chimichurri or the balsamic vinaigrette.  

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: about a cup

Keywords: Grilled vegetable salad, Grilled veggie salad, Char grilled vegetable salad recipe

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Skirt Steak Churrasco

Grilled Skirt Steak Chimichurri Makes A Great BBQ

Leave a Comment / BBQ, DINNER / ,

Hands down, grilled skirt steak churrasco with Chimichurri is a crowd-pleasing BBQ combo! Skirt steak is an excellent cut of beef to grill. It cooks quickly and packs a great taste, especially if you use chimichurri to marinate the steak. Unlike other steaks, skirt steak really absorbs the marinade because it’s thin enough to penetrate, and the meat has a lot of ridges for the marinade to cling to.

Skirt Steak Churrasco

What is Churrasco Steak

Churrasco is the Spanish and Portuguese name for grilled meat, and it’s a common dish of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.  I had my first churrasco steak at a local steakhouse in Miami that served it with a side of chimichurri sauce, a very popular Argentine sauce served with grilled meats and sausages. It was love at first bite for me!

The cuts of meat commonly used for churrasco are outside skirt steak and flank steak. Inside skirt steak can be used too, but it’s a bit tougher. I use inside skirt sometimes because it’s cheaper and it’s still a good cut. I actually used inside skirt for my grilled skirt steak churrasco recipe and it was delicious! Cook’s Illustrated has a great explanation for why skirt steak should be grilled. 

I used one and a half pounds of skirt steak for this recipe for four hungry people (we should have had some leftovers, but we didn’t). For entertaining, my rule of thumb is a half pound per person.

best chimichurri sauce

Chimichurri Sauce Is The Best Marinade 

This sauce is super easy to make and so versatile and tasty you’ll be putting it on more than just skirt steak chimichurri! I used it to marinade and also added a bit more on top (my son thought it was overkill but he doesn’t understand my chimichurri love). 

Chimichurri sauce is made with finely chopped parsley, olive oil, garlic and vinegar. You can have some flavor variations. My version also has cilantro along with the parsley and uses lemon instead of vinegar. I also had to add a little cumin and smoked paprika because I love that flavor combo too. Here’s a link to my Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce. You can use it as a marinade and a table sauce. Make an extra batch and serve it with plantain chips as the meat is grilling.

Skirt Steak Churrasco

Grill and Party On

Grilled Skirt Steak Churrasco and chimichurri makes for a great BBQ party for summer (or year-round in Miami!). The steaks grill in minutes, so you can spend more time with your guests than your grill. Add some grilled veggies and some good crusty bread to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a party. 

I usually make a pot of Congri Rice to go with this because I’m Cuban, and that’s what we do, and it’s so delicious too! You can make the congri rice in advance and just reheat it when the meat is ready for no-fuss entertaining.

Since we’re just starting the summer, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try out this recipe. I hope you enjoy it to the very last bite!!

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Skirt Steak Churrasco

Grilled Skirt Steak Churrasco With Chimichurri

  • Author: Sandi Abbott
  • Prep Time: 4:15
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Meat
  • Method: Grilling
  • Cuisine: Argentine
Print Recipe

Description

Churrasco steak with chimichurri sauce is a popular Argentine barbecue that’s quick and easy to make. It’s the tastiest steak you’ll ever eat. Try it for your next BBQ!

Ingredients

Scale

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (see note)

1/2 recipe of Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce

Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Instructions

Trim the skirt steak to remove excess fat. 

Salt and pepper the steak and place in a plastic bag with half a recipe of the chimichurri sauce.

Marinate the steak for 4 hours or overnight. 

Heat the grill and while it’s heating, remove the steak from the marinade and dry with paper towels. This will make sure the steak sears instead of steams when added to the grill. 

Grill the steaks for about 5-6 minutes per side depending on thickness and desired doneness. 5 minutes per side should yield medium rare for thick parts (see photo) and medium for thinner parts. Skirt steak is not evenly thick, so it would be helpful to cut the steak into two strips based on thickness and remove the thin strip first. 

Let it rest for 5 minutes, cut and serve with the remaining chimichurri sauce on the side. 

Notes

Outside skirt steak is preferable, as it’s more tender. However, inside skirt steak is more economical and will also taste great.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4

Keywords: Churrasco steak, Skirt Steak Churrasco, Churrasco Grilled Steak, Churrasco steak, Argentinian chimichurri steak, Skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, Chimichurri steak marinade, Best steak for chimichurri

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cilantro chimichurri

This Cilantro Chimichurri Is Good On Everything

Leave a Comment / SAUCES & DIPS /

This hardworking cilantro chimichurri works as a marinade, a finishing sauce for grilled meats and vegetables, and the best dipping sauce for crostini and plantain chips (mariquitas). Really, I use this cilantro chimichurri sauce on just about everything… on a salad, over pasta or rice, and in a sandwich… ooh or on pizza! Everything.  

A batch of chimichurri sauce does not last at my house unless my son makes it and bans my hubby and me from consuming it in one sitting. He uses it as his go-to marinade and doesn’t want to see us devour it so he has no marinade, blah, blah, blah. Just pass me the bread and walk away. 

skirt steak with chimichurri sauce

My Meat Cute With Chimichurri 

I tried Argentinian chimichurri sauce for the first time at Los Ranchos, a popular Nicaraguan steakhouse in Miami. That’s where I first had churrasco steak. They had this chimichurri sauce on the table, and I put just a tiny bit on my steak. I was young and suspicious of new things. After one taste, I was slathering that sauce on the steak. 

I’ve tried buying the sauce, but it’s not as good as homemade chimichurri sauce. The freshness of the herbs is critical. So, you may be asking how long does chimichurri last? You can keep it for about a week if it lasts that long! It doesn’t at mine. One batch will give you enough marinade for 2-3 times unless you decide to add it to other veggies or for dipping. 

How To Make Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri is originally from Argentina and Uruguay, but it’s popular all over Latin America. The traditional sauce is made with a lot of fresh chopped parsley and olive oil and smaller amounts of garlic, oregano, and vinegar. But there are many variations out there that mix other herbs with the parsley, such as basil or cilantro. I’ve even found recipes for chimichurri sauce in Southern BBQ cookbooks!

My version uses parsley and cilantro and, instead of vinegar, I use lemon juice. I like the flavor of lemon better. I like to add a little smoked paprika and cumin (this spice combo is terrific!). My son’s version uses basil instead of cilantro and sticks with the red wine vinegar. It’s also fantastic that way. I just happen to love cilantro a little more. 

cilantro chimichurri sauce

How To Keep Your Chimichurri From Being Bitter

Parsley has a bit of a bitter taste. While a little bit of a bitter taste is part of it’s charm and is a good balance for meats, you don’t want your chimichurri to be too bitter. So how do you avoid that? First of all, make sure there are no stems, as they can be bitter tasting. Also, wash the cilantro and parsley thoroughly to remove all the dirt and grit.

I know a food processor is easier, but it’s best to hand chop the herbs instead of using a food processor. My son worked at a fine restaurant and they would not use a food processor to make their popular chimichurri sauce. He says the blades tend to bruise the leaves and make the sauce bitter.

Lastly, I go easy on the garlic and lemon juice. You can always add a little bit more but you can’t remove it!

best chimichurri sauce

My Favorite Ways To Enjoy Chimichurri

I’ve already told you I would add cilantro chimichurri to just about everything but shakes. Once you make this sauce, you’ll want to slather it on so many things, too. Here’s a list to get you started.

  • Use it as a marinade for grilled steaks, fish, or chicken
  • Use it as a table sauce for grilled steaks, fish, or chicken, including sausages (that’s one of the ways Argentines like to use it). Or better yet, slice the meat and add it as a delicious and eye-catching garnish.
  • Add it to grilled vegetables. You can make a grilled veggie salad with this sauce.
  • Use it as a salad dressing or drizzle it over a rice bowl 
  • Use it as a dipping sauce for veggies, crostini, crackers, or plantain chips
  • Drizzle it on pizza or pasta
  • Mix it with rice and make chimichurri rice
  • Spread it on sandwiches

These are just a few of the ways you can use the sauce. Let me know if you find a few new ways to enjoy it ??

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Easy Chimichurri recipe

This Magical Cilantro Chimichurri Is Good On Everything

  • Author: Sandi Abbott
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Sauce
  • Method: no cooking
  • Cuisine: Latin
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Description

This hardworking cilantro chimichurri works as a marinade, a finishing sauce for grilled meats and vegetables, and the best dipping sauce for crostini and plantain chips (mariquitas). Really, I use this Argentinian chimichurri sauce on just about anything… on a salad, over pasta and rice, and in a sandwich… ooh or on pizza! Everything.  

 

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup parsley

1/3 cup cilantro

2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped

7 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

 

Instructions

Prep: 

  • Pick the leaves from the parsley, enough for 1 cup firmly packed
  • Pick the leaves from the cilantro, enough for 1/3 cup firmly packed
  • Finely chop 2 tablespoons of red onion
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • Crush enough garlic for 1 teaspoon (about 2 cloves)

Chopping: Hand chop by bundling the herbs together and cutting finely. 

Mix: Add the chopped herbs, onions, garlic and spices in a bowl. Add about ¼ cup of the olive oil and stir. Add more olive oil a tablespoon at a time until the herbs are covered, but not swimming in oil (about 7 tablespoons). Add 2-3 teaspoons of lemon juice, to taste. 

 

Notes

Adjust seasonings to taste. You can use this sauce right away, but it’s even better if you let it sit for a few hours. If you’re going to let it sit, wait to adjust seasoning until you’re ready to serve.  

You can store in the fridge for up to a week. The olive oil will congeal in the cold, so let it come to room temperature before using. 

Make sure to only use the leaves of the cilantro and parsley and not the stems, these will make the sauce bitter. Also, hand chopping the herbs will keep your sauce from tasting bitter. The food processor, while easier, also tends to bruise the leaves and make your sauce mushy.   

Keywords: Cilantro chimichurri, Argentinian chimichurri, Easy Chimichurri recipe, Easy Chimichurri sauce, Homemade chimichurri, Authentic chimichurri, Best chimichurri sauce

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shrimp ceviche cocktail

The Best Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail

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This shrimp ceviche cocktail is my husband’s favorite! He doesn’t rave about recipes often, but this is one he loves so much he’ll drink the sauce when all the shrimp are gone. He’s got a thing for sauces!

Ceviche is a popular Latin American appetizer and is usually made with lime juice, onions, and peppers. This version has a tomato base, but it’s not like a shrimp cocktail.

This shrimp ceviche cocktail is based on a Mexican version that adds sliced tomato and ketchup to the mix of onions, peppers and lime juice. The contrast between the acid in the limes and the sweetness of the ketchup is fantastic. And then there’s the heat from the habanero peppers to push it over the top. Habanero peppers are a hot chili pepper used in Cuban cooking. You’ll want to get them when they are ripe (orange in color). If you can’t find habaneros, you can use jalapeños.

shrimp ceviche cocktail

Use Cooked Shrimp For This Ceviche

Ceviche is usually raw fish that is cooked in lime juice. But shrimp ceviche is often cooked and then mixed with lime juice and other ingredients. My son worked in restaurants for many years, and while fish ceviche can be raw, they always cooked the shrimp before making the ceviche because it contains some harmful bacteria. 

You only need to cook the shrimp for about 1-2 minutes, depending on size. Then dunk them in an ice bath to keep them from overcooking. It’s important not to overcook them, so your ceviche tastes fresh and light, with just enough bite without being rubbery. You can tell when they are done because they turn pink and start to curl into a C-shape. 

For this recipe, I used 21-25 count shrimp and cooked them for 2 minutes. But you can use any size you like.

shrimp ceviche cocktail

How To Prepare Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail

Preparing ceviche is super easy. You just chop everything, squeeze some limes and mix it all together. The trick to preparing this shrimp ceviche is to use a mandoline to thinly slice the red onions and tomato. While you can eat it right away, I like to let the ceviche sit overnight to soften the onion and meld the flavors.

I use large shrimp for this recipe because the sliced vegetables can be rather large compared to smaller shrimp. But it’s good with medium shrimp too. It really depends on your preference.

Also, it really helps to soak the red onions in a cold bath for a while to remove some of the bite. I start soaking the onions before I get started with peeling the shrimp or cutting the veggies. They also soften a bit more when you let the ceviche sit for a few hours or overnight.

stuffed tostones cups

Ceviche Stuffed Tostones Cups 

I love to serve this citrusy ceviche in tostones cups. It’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy these little appetizer cups made from fried green tostones. The warm crunch of the tostones cups complements the spicy, limey ceviche for a terrific balance of flavors and textures. It also looks so crazy impressive when you serve it. You can follow this recipe to make the tostones cups from scratch. You may also find the tostones cups in the freezer section. Look for the Goya brand. 

shrimp ceviche cocktail

Other Great Ways to Serve Shrimp Ceviche 

If you can’t make the tostones cups, you can serve this ceviche with plantain strips that you can easily find in your grocery store’s chip aisle. Tortilla cups are also another fun way to serve this ceviche. 

But shrimp ceviche cocktail is tasty on its own and can be served in a cocktail glass with extra cilantro or in little tasting spoons. However, you decide to serve it, eat it with friends. They are so much tastier that way!

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shrimp ceviche cocktail

The Best Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail

  • Author: Sandi Abbott
  • Prep Time: 18
  • Cook Time: 2
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Boil
  • Cuisine: Mexican
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Description

This Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail recipe is easy to make and is a great, refreshing appetizer for summer parties! I like to serve them with plantain chips or tostones cups, but they are also wonderful with tortilla cups. 

Ingredients

Scale

2 pounds large shrimp

1 medium red onion

1 medium vine ripened tomato

2 habanero peppers

4 limes

1 navel orange

1/4 cup ketchup

1 bunch cilantro

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepping the Shrimp: Peel and deveined the shrimp. Set a pot of salted water to boil. 

Prepping the Onions: While the water boils, thinly slice the red onion using a mandoline affiliate link. Then place the red onions in a ice-water bath to remove some of the bite. Set this aside. 

Cooking: Get a bowl of water and ice ready for the cooked shrimp (you’ll need to get the cooked shrimp to cool immediately). Once the water on the stovetop is boiling, add the shrimp and cooke for 1-2 minutes. The shrimp should turn pink and curl into a C-shape. Immediately remove them from the water add to the iced water. 

Prep the rest of the veggies: While the shrimp cools and the onions are soaking, cut the rest of the vegetables.

  • Thinly slice the tomato using a mandolin (discard the ends).
  • Remove the seeds and ribs from the habanero peppers and finely chop (be careful not to touch your eyes or mouth when handling the peppers). 
  • Chop the cilantro until you have about a 1/2 cup. You may want to add more or less to taste, and you’ll also want to add some fresh cilantro right before serving. 
  • Juice the limes and the orange, reserve the juice and discard of the fruit. 

Mixing: In a large bowl,  mix the ketchup, olive oil and lime and orange juices. Add the shrimp and the veggies. Mix and salt to taste. 

Let it sit for 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with more cilantro before serving. 

Serve with plantain chips, tortilla cups or stuff the shrimp in tostones cups. 

 

Equipment

Notes

If you can’t find habanero peppers, use jalapeño peppers. Also, if you don’t like a lot of heat, you can omit the peppers or add a small amount, to taste. 

You can eat the shrimp ceviche cocktail right away, but it tastes better if you let it sit for a while. The onions and tomatoes also soften a bit more as it sits. 

You really need a mandoline affiliate link to get the thin slices that are best for this ceviche. I’ve tried to thinly cut the onions and tomatoes, but they were still too chunky and overpowered the shrimp. 

Don’t skip soaking the onions in a cold bath, it really helps to remove some of the bite of the onion. 

Keywords: Shrimp ceviche cocktail, Shrimp ceviche recipe, Best Shrimp ceviche recipe, How to make Shrimp ceviche, Easy Shrimp ceviche recipe, Shrimp ceviche ingredients, Easy Shrimp ceviche, Cooked Shrimp ceviche recipe

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