Top 20 Venezuelan recipes

Hallacas are Venezuela's Christmas tamales: beef, pork, chickpeas, olives, raisins, and capers wrapped in cornmeal dough and banana leaves, then boiled. Holiday tradition in every bite.

That's why you should always make salsa from the scratch. It's simple and refreshing. The best thing is that you can control the amount of salt you put in.

Guasacaca is the Venezuelan avocado salsa: chunky avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, and hot pepper sauce blitzed rough. Served alongside arepas, grilled meats, or tortilla chips.

Pan de jamon is the Venezuelan Christmas bread: a soft, butter-rich dough rolled around ham, smoked bacon, olives, and raisins, then baked into a golden spiral loaf.

These scrumptious and tasty arepas can be served as an appetizer or a main dish.

Carne Mechada: fork-tender flank steak simmered in broth, hand-shredded, then pan-fried with paprika, peppers, and tomatoes until saucy and rich. A Venezuelan staple for arepas and rice.

Bien Me Sabe! Layers of brandy-soaked ladyfingers, lush coconut cream filling, and golden meringue make this classic Venezuelan dessert impossible to resist. Chills overnight for the easiest showstopper.

Feed your hungry family with this hearty casserole that is made with mushrooms and peppers.

Oven baked sweet plantains slice ripe plantains on the bias and roast in a hot oven until golden, caramelized, and candy-sweet. A two-ingredient, no-fry side.

Tropical Venezuelan sparkling wine punch bursting with passion fruit, citrus slices, and bubbles. Mix, chill, and serve this festive tisana over ice for easy entertaining.

Quesillo! Venezuela's silky three-milk custard baked in a caramel-lined pan. Just 6 ingredients, a blender, and a water bath stand between you and the smoothest flan you've ever tasted.

Manchego cheese arepas venezolanas. Crispy corn flour cakes dressed up with avocado, tomatoes, and black olives. Authentic, easy and surprisingly delicious. Learn how to make arepas ready in 20 minutes (or less).

Corn pancakes with cheese (cachapas) puree fresh corn into a silky batter, griddle into golden pancakes, and fold warm around a stick of gouda. A Venezuelan street food classic.

A punchy Venezuelan marinade with curry, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and spicy barbecue sauce. Mix it in 10 minutes flat and slather it on any cut of meat for bold, smoky-spiced flavor.

Papelon lemonade mixes Venezuelan unrefined cane sugar (brown sugar substitute) with fresh lemon juice over ice. Base for a tropical Tom or John Collins variation.

Passion fruit mousse blends fresh passion fruit pulp with sweetened condensed milk, served chilled inside the emptied fruit shells with a cherry on top. Two-ingredient tropical dessert.

Sauteed plantains pan-fry ripe yellow plantains in canola oil until golden and caramelized. Three ingredients, ten minutes, the simplest Caribbean side.

Frescavena is the beloved Venezuelan oat drink: fine-blended oat cereal and sugar stirred into cold milk or water over ice. Creamy, wholesome, easy to customize.

Ham crescent rolls stuff soft, buttery yeast dough with diced ham, rolled into crescents and baked golden. A Venezuelan-style homemade take on the supermarket classic.