Make this Puerto Rican Conerd beef and see how we take a simple ingredient and transform it into a delicious meal. A true comfort food made in under 20 minutes!
What is Corned Beef?
It is made with different beef cuts that have been finely minced. It is salty and has a very distinct delicious flavor. Popular in the Caribbean, not only for taste but also for convenience, especially during the hurricane season.
In Puerto Rico, we usually serve “carne bif” for lunch or dinner over a steamy bowl of white rice. We also use it to stuff many of our fritters like alcapurrias or rellenos de papa.
It is Made with the classic flavors of Puerto Rican recipes like the sazon and sofrito.
It became very popular on the island because of how fast it was made and how economical it was often known as “poor people’s food”.
But sadly it is very expensive now ever since the 2011 shortage.
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Ingredients
For this recipe, you can buy any brand. This is because most of the ones sold come from Latin America, mainly Brazil. So there’s not much quality difference between brands.
- Oil- I used vegetable oil to fry the ripe plantains and saute the vegetables. You can always use achiote oil instead and it will give your dish a deep flavor with a beautiful yellowish color.
- Ripe plantain- The plantain must be yellow and ripened. They are responsible for balancing the savory flavor with the sweetness in this dish.
- Veggies- I used onion and green pepper.
- Sofrito- The sofrito is important as is one of the bases for this recipe. Depending on where you are it can be tricky to get. If that’s the case then use my sofrito substitute.
- Tomato sauce– I used tomato sauce but you can use tomato paste. You would need 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of water.
- Sazón- I use sazon because it adds flavor and also adds color.
- Canned Corned Beef- In this recipe, I used the great-value brand. But I have used different brands like Libby’s, Goya, Iberia, and Hormels. The quality difference between brands is minimal but I must admit that the carmela is my favorite.
- Water- I like to add water 1 because it reduces the saltiness. 2 and most importantly so it can yield a little more.
📓 Note: Remember you can find all ingredients in this recipe in Latin supermarkets. You can also find the recipes for all authentic Puerto Rican ingredients in my Latin recipes section for a truly authentic taste.
How to make it
- Step 1: Peel the amarillos (sweet plantains). This will be easy to do when the plantain is very riped. You just cut the ends off, cut a line going down through the skin, and remove it.
- Step 2: Cut the plantain in half and each half into about 4 long pieces. You may get more or less depending on how thick is the plantain.
⭐️Tip: You can cut the plantains in any shape you like because we’ll cut them into smaller pieces later.
- Step 3: Fry the plantains for 1 minute on each side or until they have crispy borders and are golden brown.
- Step 4: Let the amarillos cool down before handling them and cut them into small cubes. Set them aside until needed.
- Step 5: Roughly cut the onion and green pepper into strips. You can cut it however thin or thick you like, is merely a preference.
- Step 6: Add oil, onion, pepper and saute for 2 minutes. If you cut the veggies bigger they’ll need 1 more minute to cook.
- Step 7: Add sofrito, tomato sauce, and sazón and saute for 2 more minutes. This gives the dish more flavor.
- Step 8: Add the sweet plantains and canned beef and break them apart into smaller pieces.
- Step 9: After there are no visible big lumps, add the water. This helps it to get a smoother consistency.
- Step 10: Finish cooking for 6 minutes. Stir a couple of times to make sure it doesn’t stick at the bottom of your pan.
Recipe Variations
- French fries– The most popular variation is to add french fries instead of amarillos. You just need 2 whole potatoes. Peel them and cut them into strips. Fry and add whole in the last 6 minutes of cooking.
- Potatoes- Another popular variation is to add potatoes to make the recipe like a corned beef hash but Puerto Rican style. To make you just need 2 potatoes, peel them, and chop them into small cubes. You will have to add them at the beginning while sauteing the vegetables. In this variation, you’ll need to cook for 5-10 minutes more or until potatoes are tender.
- Sweet potatoes- Although not common at all, sweet potatoes are a great sweet substitute for plantains. Peel and cut into long sticks, fry, and add them at the end.
Recipe Tips
- You can make 1 can of canned beef stretch a little more. To do this you can add more vegetables like corn or green beans.
Serve
- Serving- By far one of the best sides to make for this recipe is more fried sweet plantains! The combination of sweet and salty is just amazing. I also like to have a couple of tostones on the side. You can also make a Puerto Rican pastelon and instead of beef use corned beef. My favorite vegetables for this are boiled potatoes, guineos, or yuca.
- Storing- Store in an airtight container. Keep in your fridge for no more than 4 days. Keep in your freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat you can do so in a microwave or on the stove. To heat over the stove I like to add a couple of tablespoons of water so it won’t dry up.
Frequently Asked Questions
You do not need to cook canned corned beef, you can eat it straight from the can. The corned beef has already been cooked but I always suggest heating it up in some form before eating. You don’t have to, it is just a preference.
Other 30 mins or less dinner ideas
💬 Do you have any questions or comments on this Puerto Rican Corned Beef Recipe? Leave your questions or comments below and I’ll reply!
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Puerto Rican Corned Beef
Ingredients
- ½ cup oil
- 1 ripe plantain
- 1 onion
- ½ green pepper
- 2 tablespoons sofrito
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon sazón
- 1 12 ounce canned corned beef
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Peel the plantain and cut it in half. Then cut each half into about 3 or 4 long pieces. In a large pan add the oil over medium high heat. Fry the yellow plantain for about 1 minute on each side or until they have a golden brown color. Remove from the oil and cool down. Then you want to chop them into cubes and set aside.
- Cut the onion and green pepper. Roughly chop to about 1 inch long pieces. In the same pan with the oil you just used for the plantains, add your onion and green pepper and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the sofrito, tomato sauce, and sazón. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the plantains and corned beef. With the help of a spoon start to separate it into smaller pieces and mix it in with the other ingredients. Add the water and cook for 6 minutes. Stir a couple of times. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Corned beef- In this recipe, you need canned corned beef, you cannot use a fresh corned beef brisket. You can use any canned brand because there is not much of a difference in taste, texture, or quality.
- Ripe plantains- You can use fresh sweet plantains or frozen ones if you can find any.
Stephenie says
Hola, I’m glad you liked the corned beef. It is very good specially with white rice!
S Colon says
We made it and it was fantastic the flavor was great very good recipe never had that way 😋
Stephenie says
Hi Alesia, You can definitely experiment! I don’t know about the chorizo only because I haven’t done anything similar but I know for sure the chicken will be really good. Let me know how it goes. But remember that whatever you use, it needs to be something that cooks really fast like the chorizo. If using chicken added already cooked or hey maybe even use canned chicken.
Alesia says
This looks great!…I plan to try it next week ….when I look at it I cant help but wonder how would it taste if I added Chorizo?….or maybe do a alternate dish substituting ground Chorizo and some other meat , like diced or shredded chicken breast?…. but using all of the other ingridients?….I plan to experiment….Thanks for sharing the reciepe!
Stephenie says
Hi Janet, thank you for the visit. I love corned beef too, specially with white rice is super good!
Janet Varnadoe says
Luving it…