Pastel al horno is the ULTIMATE hack for making pasteles in a fraction of the time! Pastel al horno is basically a casserole meal that feeds a crowd and requires minimal effort. Save this recipe for the holidays or whenever you are craving pasteles.
Pasteles are a traditional Puerto Rican dish served during the holiday season. They are made of pureed root vegetables and stuffed with stewed meat. Authentic pasteles are individually wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in boiling water. My version is made similar to a lasagna, by layering the ingredients in a casserole dish and baked in the oven. This simplifies the process a ton!
What are pasteles made of?
Pasteles are made of green bananas, white taro (yautia blanca) and kabocha squash (calabaza). There are many variations to this recipe. Some people add green plantains to their masa (root vegetable puree). Others add malanga, or omit some ingredients like yautia. The recipe is really up to your preference. My recipe is simple and it works for me!
The filling typically consists of stewed pork but you can substitute the pork with chicken or any meat of choice. I prefer to use boneless/skinless chicken thighs. The meat is cut into small chunks and stewed in a delicious sofrito sauce flavored with aromatics like onions, garlic, peppers and culantro or cilantro. Some popular add ins include, roasted red peppers, olives, chickpeas and raisins.
Ingredients for making pasteles:
- Green bananas (guineos verdes)
- White taro (yautia blanca)
- Kabocha squash (calabaza)
- Chicken stock (from stewed chicken)
- Chicken bouillon, Better than Bouillon
- Annatto oil
- Adobo
- Sazon
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- (See recipe for meat filling)
How to make annatto oil (aceite de achiote)?
Annatto oil or aceite de achiote is a key ingredient when making traditional Puerto Rican pasteles. Annatto oil not only flavors the masa but also adds a beautiful color. To make annatto oil just add annatto seeds to your oil of choice and warm over medium low heat for about 3-5 minutes or until the oil turns red. You can add aromatics like garlic and cilantro to further enhance the flavor. I like Healthy Rican annatto seeds because they are infused with garlic and peppercorns. Use my code madewithsazon for 10% off your order!
How do I make the filling for pasteles?
You can fill pasteles with anything you like. Traditional pasteles are made with pork but chicken thighs are a great substitute! You can also use chickpeas or lentils as the stuffing if making vegan pasteles.
First, I begin by cleaning and cutting my meat into small chunks. Then to a hot caldero (dutch oven) I add annatto oil, sofrito, garlic, onions, peppers and chicken bouillon. Sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Add chicken, tomato sauce, pimiento peppers, olives, chicken stock or water and seasonings. Stir well. Add culantro or cilantro sprigs and cover. Reduce heat to medium low. Continue cooking for about 25 minutes. Once cooked, remove cilantro sprigs and reserve 2 cups of stock for the masa. Set aside to cool.
How to prepare banana leaves?
Banana leaves are used for wrapping traditional pasteles. They infuse pasteles with a unique flavor. Banana leaves can be found at Hispanic supermarkets and grocery stores, usually in the frozen aisle. If you can’t find banana leaves at your local supermarket, you can try ordering from Instacart or just use parchment paper instead.
Thaw frozen banana leaves for about 1 hour. If you want to thaw faster, soak the leaves in warm water.
Make sure to wash the banana leaves thoroughly with cold water. Then you must heat the leaves to make them pliable and also more fragrant. Take each leaf and pass them over the flame on your stove, flipping over again and again until they begin to wilt.
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Pastel al Horno (Easy Recipe)
Equipment
- 1 Food processor or blender I recommend the Ninja Foodi
- 1 Casserole dish 9 x 13
Ingredients
Annatto oil (aceite de achiote)
- 2 cups oil canola, vegetable, corn or avocado
- 4 tbsp annatto seeds Healthy Rican
Meat filling
- 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 2 tbsp annatto oil
- 1/4 cup diced onions
- 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/4 cup sofrito
- 2 tbsp chicken bouillon Better than Bouillon
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 jar red pimiento peppers, sliced 4 oz
- 1/4 cup pimiento stuffed olives sliced
- 3 cups chicken broth or water
- 1 tsp adobo Healthy Rican
- 1 tsp sazon Healthy Rican
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 6 sprigs cilantro
Root vegetable puree (masa)
- 6 green bananas guineos verdes
- 1/3 lb white taro yautia blanca
- 1/3 lb kabocha squash calabaza
- 2 cups chicken stock from stewed chicken
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon Better than Bouillon
- 1/2 cup annatto oil Healthy Rican
- 1 tsp adobo Healthy Rican
- 1 tsp sazon Healthy Rican
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 package banana leaves fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Make annatto oil (aceite de achiote)
- Add oil to small saucepan over medium heat. Add annatto seeds.
- Allow seeds to infuse the oil for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat when oil starts to bubble. Be sure not to burn the annatto seeds.
- Allow oil to cool before storing in a glass bottle.
Cook the meat
- Place a caldero over medium high heat. Add annatto oil, garlic, onions, peppers, sofrito and chicken bouillon. Sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken, tomato sauce, pimiento peppers, olives, chicken stock or water and seasonings. Stir well.
- Add cilantro sprigs and cover. Reduce heat to medium low. Continue cooking for about 25 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove cilantro sprigs and reserve 2 cups of stock for the masa. Set aside to cool.
Make root vegetable puree (masa)
- Peel and rough chop root vegetables. Place in a large bowl filled with cold water.
- Place root vegetables in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add chicken stock as needed to help blend everything easily. I use the Ninja Foodi Power Blender and it works like magic! See my notes for the link!
- Add masa to a large bowl. Add achiote oil, chicken stock and seasonings. Stir until well combined. Make sure to add enough stock until the masa is runny. This will prevent it from getting hard and dry.
- Taste the masa and adjust seasonings accordingly.
Prepare banana leaves
- If using frozen banana leaves, thaw for 1 hour or run through hot water to thaw more quickly.
- Rinse leaves thoroughly with cold water. Wipe down with paper towels.
- Cut banana leaves into rectangles the size of your casserole dish. You will need one for the bottom of the pastel and one for the top. Prepare extras in case you want to serve the pastel on banana leaves.
- Take each leaf and pass them over the flame on your stove, flipping over again and again until they begin to wilt. This process helps the leaves become pliable and also makes them more fragrant.
Assemble pastel
- Place banana leaf on the bottom of the casserole dish. Drizzle the leaf with annatto oil and spread it all over.
- Add masa and spread one even layer. Top with chicken mixture and spread evenly.
- Add top layer of masa evenly and drizzle chicken stock over the top to keep it moist while baking.
- Top with banana leaf and wrap casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place casserole dish in a larger baking dish and fill the larger dish with water about halfway full. The pastel will cook in a bain-marie, or water bath (baño de Maria).
- Bake at 400 degrees F for about 1 hour or until pastel is cooked through in the center.
Video
Notes
FAQ:
How to make annatto oil?
To make achiote oil, simply warm annatto seeds in your oil of choice. Allow the oil to warm over low heat for about 5 minutes. You could also add aromatics like garlic, cilantro, culantro and black peppercorns. Allow the oil to cool and strain into a glass bottle. Store at room temperature for up to 2 months. See full recipe here.How far ahead can I make masa?
You can make masa for pasteles up to two days in advance. Just cover the surface of the masa with plastic film and be sure to lay it directly onto its surface. Refrigerate it in a tightly sealed container. The layer of plastic prevents the masa from oxidizing.How do I make the masa soft?
Some people add milk to the masa to soften it but that may affect people with lactose intolerance. I prefer adding a GOOD amount of broth to the masa to help make it soft and moist. Make sure you add enough to the point that the masa is runny. Kabocha squash also helps soften the masa. Try adding a bit m0re if you want a softer masa. I use the Ninja Foodi Power Blender and it works amazingly well when I make masa. Check it out on my amazon store.Can I freeze the masa?
You can freeze the masa for pasteles for up to 6 months. Place it in a freezer storage bag once it’s prepared and freeze the masa laying flat. This saves space in the freezer. Thaw frozen masa for pasteles in the refrigerator two days before using it. Day one is for thawing the masa. Day two is to drain the masa. Use a cheesecloth bag to drain the excess liquid accumulated during freezing.What if I Can’t Find Banana Leaves?
Banana leaves can be found at Hispanic grocery stores, usually in the frozen aisle. If you can’t find banana leaves, you can use parchment paper.How Do I Store Pastel al Horno?
You can package any remaining (cooked) pastel in a food storage bag and store for 24 hours in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.Check out more Latin recipes!
Churrasco with Chimichurri Sauce
Alcapurrias (Puerto Rican Fritters)
Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)
Puerto Rican Potato Salad (Ensalada de Papa)
Bacalaitos (Cod Fish Fritters)
Puerto Rican Meatballs In Sofrito Sauce
Puerto Rican Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas)
Pollo al Horno (Baked Chicken)
English 
Spanish 
My type of meal during the holiday season! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!!
Yes, I love pasteles this time of year! Thank you for the love!
I like it’s easier to do pasteles this way and it tastes just like regular pasteles I’ll do this soon thanks for sharing 💕
Yes this process is much easier! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! xo
Yes this process is much easier! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
This will recipe will be my go to whenever I cam craving pasteles! It was easy to make and absolutely delicious!! I am vegan and I made it with vegetables and it’s so flavorful. I wanna give this 10 stars!
This brings me so much joy! Thank you for your feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed my recipe. Happy holidays! xo
This will recipe will be my go to whenever I cam craving pasteles! It was easy to make and absolutely delicious!! I am vegan and I made it with vegetables and it’s so flavorful. I wanna give this 10 stars!
My husband and I loved it! I have been craving Pasteles, but the old-fashioned way is so much work and for just two people it wasn’t worth it. Your recipe was amazing. It came out really good. Loved it. Thank you. Merry Christmas.
Thank you Leila! I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed this recipe! Happy holidays!
Love the thorough recipe, and it looks delicious. Wondering which blade you used in your Ninja blender for the masa?
Thank you! I use the Ninja Foodi Power Blender with the chopping blade. It’s linked in the recipe notes. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you for your time to share your way of making this delicious dish the easy way. My family will definitivamente will love it and so will I.
I made this and it was delicious! So much easier than all of that wrapping tying! Thank you! 😋🇵🇷❤️
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! I love finding shortcuts whenever I can in the kitchen. Subscribe for more easy recipes! xo
I have made a few dishes from your recipes and must say that every single dish is absolutely delicious. 😍
Thank you Gilberto! I’m so happy you are enjoying my recipes!
Heating up one of the pans I made over winter right now. Yum!
That’s amazing! Thank you for the love Millie, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
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Hi, after reading this amazing piece of writing i am also glad to share my knowledge here with mates.
It’s nearly impossible to find well-informed people for this topic, however, you seem like you know what you’re talking
about! Thanks
Thank you for this recipe!! So much easier to make, omg! I just made it today and I will make it again for Christmas for my family!! Still good with and without my ketchup ! 🥰
Thank you for sharing your recipe, looking forward to making Pastel al Horno for the holidays. Wishing you and your family a blessed holiday.
Wanted to leave you a five star rating for your recipe Pastel al Horno