Pasteles cups are an easy way to make Puerto Rican pasteles. Making them in a cup eliminates the need to wrap them individually in banana leaves and tie them with twine. This process is faster and easier. Save this recipe for the next time you are craving pasteles but don’t want to commit to the amount of work that comes with making them.
Also check out my pastel al horno. This is basically a casserole meal that feeds a crowd and requires minimal effort. Save this recipe for the holidays!
If you want more holiday recipes, check these out: pernil, arroz con gandules, arroz apastelado, pavochón, guineos en escabeche, ensalada de papa, sandwich de mezcla and coquito.
What are Puerto Rican 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 and baking 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)
I blend the masa in my Ninja Foodi blender and it works like magic. Find it on my amazon store here.
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.
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.
I trace the top and bottom of the cups on the banana leaves with a knife and then cut out the circles with a scissor. Then, I place a small circle at the bottom of the cup and a large circle at the top.
I like to use these gold cupcake liners from my amazon store. You can also use reusable silicone cups. My recipe makes about 16-20 (3.5 oz) cups.
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Pasteles Cups (Pasteles en Vasitos)
Equipment
- 1 Food processor or blender see notes for links
- 1 Baking pan 9 x 13
- Individual cupcake molds see notes for links
Ingredients
Annatto oil (aceite de achiote)
- 2 cups oil olive oil or avocado oil
- 4 tbsp annatto seeds
Meat filling
- 4 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless (can sub with pork)
- 2 tbsp annatto oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup onions finely diced
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper finely diced
- 1/4 cup sofrito
- 2 tbsp chicken bouillon
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 4 oz red pimiento peppers, sliced 1 small jar
- 1/2 cup pimiento stuffed olives sliced
- 1 cup chickpeas optional
- 3 cups chicken broth or water
- 1 tsp adobo
- 1 tsp sazon
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 8 sprigs cilantro
Root vegetable puree (masa)
- 6 green bananas guineos verdes
- 1/3 lb white taro yautia blanca (about 2)
- 1/3 lb kabocha squash calabaza
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth from stewed chicken
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon Better than Bouillon
- 1/2 cup annatto oil
- 1 tsp adobo
- 1 tsp sazon
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 package banana leaves fresh or frozen
Instructions
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.
Prepare the meat
- Trim and discard any excess fat from the chicken. Rinse the chicken with cold water and vinegar. Cut the chicken into small pieces and set aside.
- Place a caldero over medium high heat. Add annatto oil, garlic, onions, peppers, sofrito and chicken bouillon. Sauté until fragrant, about 7 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 45 minutes or until the meat is tender.
- Once cooked, remove cilantro sprigs and reserve 1 1/2 cups of broth for the masa. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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 blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the annatto oil and about 1 cup of the chicken broth to help blend everything easily. I use the Ninja Foodi Power Blender and it works like magic! See my notes for the link!
- Add the masa to a large bowl. Add remaining chicken broth and seasonings. Stir until well combined. Make sure to add enough broth until the masa is runny. This will prevent it from getting hard and dry in the oven.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cut banana leaves into circles the size of your cups. You will need one for the bottom of the pastel and one for the top. I trace the top and bottom of the cups on the banana leaves with a knife and then cut out the circles with a scissor. I place a small circle at the bottom of the cup and a large circle at the top.
Assemble pastel
- Place banana leaf on the bottom of the cup. Drizzle the leaf with annatto oil and spread it all over.
- Add masa and spread one even layer. Top with meat 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 repeat until all of your cups are filled.
- Place the cups in a large baking pan and fill the pan with water until it reaches about 1/3 of the cups. Wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil. This will allow the pasteles cups to cook in a bain-marie, or water bath (baño de Maria) and steam in the oven.
- Bake at 350℉ for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the pasteles are cooked through in the center.
Video
Notes
Check out more holiday recipes!
Coquito (Vegan Coconut Eggnog)
Pastelón de Maduro (Plantain Lasagna)
Aceite de Achiote (Annatto Oil)
Jamón con Piña (Pineapple Glazed Ham)
Ensalada de Coditos (Macaroni Salad)
Ensalada de Papa (Potato Salad)
Pastel al Horno (Easy Pasteles)
Arroz con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas)
English 
Spanish 
Can you freeze these? And if so how long do you cook them for frozen? Or do you defrost first? How can you freeze them for ?
You can package pasteles cups in a food storage bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To cook them from frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then cook following same instructions.