17 Nicaraguan And Salvadoran Recipes That Deserve A Spot On Your Table

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Nicaraguans and Salvadorans share a lot in common when it comes to their cuisines.

There are the slaw-style cabbage salads that make an appearance on many popular staples, corn or maize-based drinks like chicha and pinolillo, and plenty of delectable, cheese-filled pastries. However, the two countries have their own distinct traditions and styles of cooking, so we rounded up a few favorites from both cultures that you can try right at home.

1. Vigorón

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Vigorón is a hugely popular Nicaraguan staple for good reason: It's made up of perfectly crisped pork rinds and tender boiled yuca, topped with a tangy cabbage salad, and wrapped in a banana leaf. The meal is quick and non-fussy, and the banana leaf lets you easily grab it to go.

Recipe: Vigorón

2. Pupusas

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Pupusas are El Salvador's most notable dish, thanks to fluffy, thick tortillas that you can fill up with juicy carnitas, melted cheese, and beans. The best part? They're pretty easy to whip up at home.

Recipe: Pupusas

3. Curtido

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Pupusas go hand-in-hand with curtido — a slaw-like salad that often gets diced over Salvadoran dishes for a serious flavor boost. You can follow this version if you're in a time crunch but still want to pull off a nice, vinegary brine.

Recipe: Curtido

4. Instant Pot Nacatamales

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Many countries in Latin America have the tamal; Nicaragua's version is called the nacatamal. Each neat little package is loaded to the brim with meat and rich corn masa, wrapped in a banana or plantain leaf, and then boiled until tender. Here's a version you can make using an Instant Pot.

Recipe: Instant Pot Nacatamales

5. Salvadoran Quesadilla

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Don't let the name fool you: While a quesadilla might evoke the Mexican, cheese-filled snack, El Salvador's quesadillas are an airy dessert bread that fill up bakeries around the country. They're made using queso fresco, and your mouth will begin to water from the moment the smell of them starts wafting from your oven.

Recipe: Salvadoran Quesadilla

6. Picos

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You'll find these pastries on nearly every corner in Nicaragua. The triangle-shaped bites taste subtle — they combine cheese and sugar, but they're not too sweet or savory. Of course, when you try them out at home, you can play with the taste a bit.

Recipe: Picos

7. Leche Poleada

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The holidays are coming up, which means it's a great time to try to make leche poleada, the silky-sweet, custard-style drink Salvadorans often treat themselves to on Nochebuena. Many people just use eggs, sugar, milk, and cornstarch, and then dust their dessert off with a little cinnamon.

Recipe: Leche Poleada

8. Ensalada de Repollo

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This small salad, which is similar to El Salvador's curtido, goes a long way in Nicaraguan cuisine. It's often used as to garnish sumptuous plates of viigorón, but it's just as good on its own or as a dependable side.

Recipe: Ensalada de Repollo

9. Buñuelos

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Nearly every Nicaraguan childhood is filled with memories of buñuelos, one of the country's beloved desserts, made from fried yucca and dashes of sugar and cinnamon. You can fry them up and snack on them in the morning with a steaming hot café con leche.

Recipe: Buñuelos

10. Relajo

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Relajo is more of a sauce than it is a dish, but it goes well with pretty much any meal or as a mouthwatering rub for grilled meats and poultry. Chef Anthony Salguero of Popoca in California is behind this recipe, which is straightforward to prep while packing a flavorful punch.

Recipe: Relajo

11. Seafood Soup

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Seafood is omnipresent through Nicaragua, particularly on the tropical Corn Islands off the coast of the country. This recipe takes the best ocean-fresh ingredients from Little Corn Island and dumps them into an aromatic soup created from a coconut milk base.

Recipe: Seafood Soup

12. Pinolillo

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Pinolillo is perhaps the most famous drink in Nicaragua — Nicaraguans even playfully refer to themselves as "pinoleros," a nod to one of the drink's central ingredients. The cornmeal and cocoa drink can be served hot, but is commonly enjoyed over ice.

Recipe: Pinolillo

13. Pollo En Chicha

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Similar to the way Nicaraguans love their pinolillo, Salvadorans widely consume chicha, a drink often made with maize, panela, and pineapple. Chicha isn't just a popular beverage; it can be used for braising chicken for tasty pollo en chicha variations.

Recipe: Pollo En Chicha

14. Gallo Pinto

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Pretty much no meal in Nicaragua is complete without rice and beans, better known to Nicaraguans as "gallo pinto." The dependable tradition doesn't take very long to recreate in your own kitchen, and this recipe makes plenty of leftovers.

Recipe: Gallo Pinto

15. Pastelitos

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In some places, pasteles might refer to pastries, but in El Salvador, they're known as an empanada-like snack, stuffed with minced meat and vegetables. This recipe, which uses chicken, will leave you with a portion big enough for six people — but they're so good, you might want them all to yourself.

Recipe: Pastelitos

16. Baho

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Tender hunks of brisket, soft plantains, and plump pieces of yucca get steamed inside a warm batch of banana lives in this mainstay of Nicaraguan cooking that blends Afro and indigenous influences. The name itself means "to steam," evoking the smoky flavors that come with baho.

Recipe: Baho

17. Maduros

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You can find maduros — pillowy sweet plantains — across Latin American kitchens, but they're especially common in El Salvador and Nicaragua. The key is to find plantains that are just ripe enough to give off the right sweetness. This recipe ensures they're golden-brown and tender.

Recipe: Maduros