No Christmas is complete without some delicious food on the table. And Dominican Christmas foods aren’t left out of the fun! This guide includes some delicacies to make your holiday season even more special.
Christmas time is a time of year when family comes together and reunites with loved ones. It’s a time when you can’t help but feel happy and full of love for the people around you.
So if you’re looking for some traditional dishes to make this Christmas complete, look no further to Dominican Christmas foods.
Whether it’s an appetizer, main course, or dessert, these festive dishes will have everyone oohing and ahhing over how well they’re made and how delectable they taste.
This Dominican Christmas foods list will surely be a crowd-pleaser at your holiday party or gathering. As a result, take notes and give them a try! Feliz Navidad!
1. Pastelitos
The most popular dish on the island is the pastelitos filled with ground beef, cheese, and olives. This tasty pasty is one of the Dominican Christmas foods and is usually eaten for breakfast with coffee or as a late-night snack.
2. Mofongo
Another favorite is mofongo, mashed plantains mixed with garlic and olive oil and then fried. It’s traditional to eat these Dominican Christmas foods for lunch or dinner. However, it can also be served as an appetizer with drinks in the afternoon.
Often, Mofongo is served alongside another traditional dish called chicharron, which are deep-fried pork rinds that can be either crispy or soft. And, of course, what would Christmas be without some sort of seafood?
3. Danish Butter Cookies
For the past few years, my family has been working on creating a list of traditional Dominican Christmas foods for the holidays.
I am so excited because we have finally found a perfect recipe this year! These Danish butter cookies are delicious and easy to make.
In fact, they will make your Christmas experience complete. I assure you that you won’t regret trying out these cookies for this coming festivity.
4. Fruits and nuts
Nuts, fruits, and vegetables are a part of many dishes during the holiday season in the Dominican Republic. Nuts are also used as tree decoration and as gifts for friends and family members.
Most importantly, these aren’t left out of the Dominican Christmas foods register! You should try them and let your taste buds be the judge.
5. Fried Cassava Dough Balls covered in Spiced Flavored Syrup.
Fried cassava dough balls are Dominican Christmas foods that are eaten on Christmas Eve in the Dominican Republic.
It is made from boiled, peeled and grated cassava mixed with butter, salt, and baking powder. This mixture is then shaped into small balls and fried in oil until they are golden brown.
Then, they are covered with spiced syrup made of cane sugar, water, and cloves, giving them their distinctive flavor.
The syrup also serves as a preservative, so the balls can be kept for longer periods without refrigeration.
The cassava dough ball has been a favorite treat of mine since I was little because my grandmother always makes them every year.
6. Ginger Tea with Spices and Lemon
Ginger tea with spices and lemon can be found in most homes during the holidays. It is the most popular drink that is served, especially during the holiday season.
Ginger tea has a spicy taste, which many people love! The drink is commonly enjoyed hot or cold. However, adding milk and sugar can also make a ginger tea latte.
If you’re feeling adventurous, add nutmeg or cinnamon for an extra flavor kick! You can also add lime juice for an even spicier version of this beloved on our list of Dominican Christmas foods.
7. Eggnog
Eggnog is one of the traditional Dominican Christmas foods. It combines eggs, milk, and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
You can also add vanilla extract and nutmeg before pouring the mixture into cups and chilling them in the fridge.
The eggnog drink is usually served cold with a cinnamon stick, or nutmeg sprinkled on top. Also, you can make an eggnog latte by adding espresso shots to the eggnog.
8. Rice with Pigeon Peas and Coconut Milk
The next on the list of Dominican Christmas foods is rice with pigeon peas and coconut milk. This is a common dish in the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries.
It may seem a little unusual at first, but once you taste it, you will see that there is nothing better than this meal on a cold winter day.
Plus, you can serve this dish with any meat or seafood of your choosing. The trick is to add coconut milk, and this will make your rice creamy and yummy. If you don’t have pigeon peas, use black beans or refried beans instead!
9. Puerto Rican Tamales
What Puerto Rican dishes are eaten during the holidays? Well, there are a few on the Dominican Christmas foods list, but one of the most popular is tamales.
Tamales are a dish typically eaten during the Christmas season in many Latin American countries. Going further, they can be made with corn dough or masa harina.
Then, they are filled with cheese, meat, mashed plantains, or rice pudding. The dough is shaped into small balls wrapped in either corn husks or banana leaves.
After that, they are boiled in water until they are soft enough to eat. They’re usually steamed on top of some broth and then served with hot sauce (or salsa picante). As we near the Christmas season, I hope that you will enjoy this delicious dish!
10. Roasted Chicken
Dominicans love to eat, and cooking is a big part of our culture. One of the Dominican Christmas foods that they can’t get enough of is roasted chicken.
It’s always a staple at family gatherings, and on Christmas day, it’s the first thing they put on the table! Meanwhile, Roasted chicken has a very special place in our hearts.
Not just because it tastes so good but because it reminds us of how much we love each other. We want you to experience this amazing Dominican Christmas food during your holidays!
11. Croquette
Still, on the list of Dominican Christmas foods, croquettes are often made with a type of meat, mashed potatoes, and crushed plantains.
The recipe is simple: boil the potatoes and mash them with a fork. Next, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and vegetable oil.
Then, mix in the ground beef or chicken and shredded plantain with your hands and form patties. Fry them in vegetable oil on medium-high heat until they’re browned on both sides. Finally, serve hot with some mayonnaise or ketchup for dipping!
12. Christmas Sweets
Turrones, gomitas, and dried snacks are not the perfect ways to carry the tradition of eating sweets during Christmas.
They are also a part of Dominican culture, as per the delicious Dominican Christmas foods list they are on. On the one hand, Turrones are made with honey, almonds, and sugar cane juice.
On the other hand, Gomitas are made with corn flour as the base and can be filled with different flavors like guava or orange marmalade.
The most popular thing in this category is the dried fruit snacks that come in various shapes, like stars and hearts.
13. Ponche
Ponche, or eggnog as it is known elsewhere in the world, is a favorite holiday drink for Dominicans. It is thick and creamy with a delightful taste of cinnamon and vanilla.
It’s made from a mixture of eggs, sugar, milk, and cream that are boiled together with sweet spices like cloves, vanilla extract, and sometimes some rum. Traditionally, ponche is served warm, but it can also be chilled for an iced version.
Usually, Ponche is served as part of a typical Dominican Christmas food on Christmas morning. There are many variations of this dish.
Some include coconut milk or condensed milk instead of cow’s milk or cream. – But they all start with a basic ponche recipe.
14. Pasteles en Hojas
Pasteles en Hojas are popular Dominican Christmas foods at this time of the year. It is made with seasoned meat, wrapped in a banana leaf, and then boiled.
Basically, the pasteles is usually served with either red beans or rice, along with avocados, sour cream, and cilantro. If you want to try this dish out, be sure you are making one of the best decisions ever.
15. Ensalada Rusa
The Russian Salad is a favorite among Dominicans during the holidays. It is made with ham, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, peas, and carrots mixed in a mayonnaise dressing.
Meanwhile, you can find this dish in any typical Dominican household for Christmas dinner or as an appetizer on the side with your drink.
If you are looking for a different type of salad to serve at your festivities this year, this Dominican Christmas food is perfect!
16. Arroz con Gandules
Also known as rice and beans, this is popular on the list of Dominican Christmas foods in the Republic. It consists of white rice cooked with kidney beans or red beans.
The dish is often served with fried plantains on top, and it’s a complete meal for any time of day. The first step to making Arroz con gandules is cooking the white rice.
You can use long grain or short grain, depending on your preference. The rice should be soaked in water before being cooked and salted according to taste.
The water should be brought up to the boiling point before adding the rice so that it cooks correctly.
17. Puerco Asado
Puerco Asado, roast pork, is also on the list of traditional Dominican Christmas foods served on the island of Hispaniola and in the Dominican Republic.
The dish can be prepared in various ways, but roasting is the most common method. In addition to being a staple dish at Christmastime, it can also serve as a main course for other events like family reunions or birthdays.
What’s more? Puerco Asado ingredients are generally fairly simple. Some garlic cloves for flavoring, white wine for tenderizing, and salt and pepper for seasoning.
The ingredients are mixed with the meat in an oven-safe pan before being placed into an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
Specifically, roasting this Dominican Christmas food usually takes about two hours; but it’s worth the time!
18. Empanada
One of the most delicious and traditional Dominican Christmas foods is an empanada made with yuca. Yuca, or cassava, is a root found in tropical climates worldwide.
Moreso, it can be cooked in many ways, such as boiling, baking, frying, or grilling. It can also be eaten fresh after being peeled and boiled like potatoes. This winds up our Dominican Christmas foods roll!
Conclusion
Christmas isn’t Christmas without some delicious Dominican Christmas foods, am I right? That’s why I decided to share with you a list of dishes from my home country that you can make this Christmas to bring your family the most amazing holiday ever!
From rice pudding to tamales, all these delicious Dominican Christmas foods and easy-to-make dishes will help you celebrate this joyful time in the best possible way. So what are you waiting for? Get in the kitchen and make these dishes. You won’t regret it.
