North America • Featured Cuisine
Explore Costa Rican Cuisine
Explore Costa Rican cuisine through gallo pinto, rice, beans, plantains, fresh seafood and easy everyday dishes built around comfort, balance and home.
Welcome to Costa Rica
Costa Rica Cuisine and Recipes: Gallo Pinto and More
Costa Rican cooking is warm, practical and built around ingredients that make sense. Rice, beans, corn, plantains, cassava, eggs, cheese, chicken, fish, cilantro, peppers, tropical fruit and coffee all appear often. The food tends to favor balance over drama, which is part of its charm, and fresh produce does a lot of work.
Gallo pinto anchors breakfast, casados bring a full plate to lunch, and sauces like Lizano add familiar tang. Costa Rican cuisine feels relaxed, sunny and deeply tied to home cooking, local produce, gentle seasoning and everyday comfort.
Cooking Style
Simmering, frying, grilling, stewing, sautéing and simple home cooking
Signature Flavors
Black beans, rice, cilantro, peppers, Salsa Lizano, plantains, coffee
Food Culture
Costa Rican food culture values breakfast, family meals, fresh fruit, coffee, markets and everyday plates built around rice, beans, plantains and vegetables.
Featured Dish
Get Up With Gallo Pinto
Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Rice and Beans)
Gallo pinto is Costa Rica’s best-recognized national dish, made by sautéing rice and beans with onion, pepper, cilantro and often Salsa Lizano. It is especially loved at breakfast, usually served with eggs, plantains, tortillas, cheese or sour cream.
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Explore Costa Rican recipes
Costa Rica’s cuisine is simple, fresh and satisfying, with rice, beans, plantains, tropical fruit, seafood, coffee and everyday dishes full of comfort.
Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Rice and Beans)
Costa Rica’s beloved rice-and-beans dish gets its signature flavor from Salsa Lizano, peppers, onion, cilantro, and a hot skillet.
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Chifrijo (Costa Rican Pork, Rice, and Bean Bowl)
This Costa Rican bar-food bowl layers warm rice, saucy beans, crisp-edged pork, pico de gallo, avocado, and tortilla chips.
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Costa Rican Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)
This Costa Rican chicken and rice dish combines shredded chicken, achiote-tinted rice, vegetables, Salsa Lizano, and fresh herbs.
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Chorreadas (Costa Rican Sweet Corn Pancakes)
These Costa Rican sweet corn pancakes are golden, tender and lightly crisp at the edges and best served warm with natilla.
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Costa Rican Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding)
This Costa Rican rice pudding is creamy, gently spiced with cinnamon and cloves, and served warm or chilled.
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Olla de Carne (Costa Rican Beef and Vegetable Soup)
This Costa Rican beef and vegetable soup is hearty, colorful, and built around tender beef, root vegetables, corn, plantain, and herbs.
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Keep exploring Costa Rican favorites, from arroz con pollo and corn pancakes to beef soup, patacones, chayote hash, Chiliguaro and Salsa Lizano.
Costa Rican Patacones (Fried Green Plantains)
These Costa Rican patacones are crisp, golden, twice-fried green plantains served hot with beans, lime, or Salsa Lizano.
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Picadillo de Chayote (Costa Rican Chayote Hash)
This Costa Rican chayote hash is light, savory, and tender, with sweet corn, aromatics, herbs, and a simple home-cooked feel.
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Chiliguaro (Costa Rican Cocktail)
This Costa Rican cocktail mixes guaro, tomato juice, lime, hot sauce, Salsa Lizano, herbs, and a cold-shot attitude.
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Carne en Salsa (Costa Rican Beef in Tomato Sauce)
This Costa Rican shredded beef simmers in a savory tomato sauce with peppers, onion, garlic, herbs, and Salsa Lizano.
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Costa Rican Salsa Lizano Sauce (Homemade)
This homemade Costa Rican Salsa Lizano-style sauce is tangy, savory, lightly sweet, mildly spiced, and perfect for rice, beans, eggs, and meats.
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Regional Flavors
Costa Rican food, from valleys to coast
Costa Rica’s regions add gentle variety, from Caribbean coconut rice and coastal ceviche to Guanacaste corn dishes, Central Valley breakfasts and hearty countryside stews.
Best Known Dishes
- Gallo Pinto
- Casado
- Arroz con Pollo
- Costa Rican Ceviche
- Patacones
- Olla de Carne
- Chifrijo
- Tres Leches Cake
Food Traditions
Breakfast, coffee and everyday comfort
Breakfast matters, coffee flows often, and casado plates make lunch practical and filling. Rice, beans, plantains and fresh fruit keep daily meals grounded.
Travel & Dining
Where Costa Rican food comes alive
Visitors can taste Costa Rica through sodas, markets, beach cafés, coffee farms, roadside restaurants, home kitchens and casual plates served with easy pura vida charm.