Puerto Rican Pasteles de Masa

Learn how to make traditional Puerto Rican Pasteles de Masa (Pasteles Puertorriqueños) with a delicious flavorful soft masa, seasoned pork, and wrapped in banana leaves. It wouldn’t be a Puerto Rican Christmas without pasteles!

Making pasteles is a big part of Christmas in my family, just like it is in so many Puerto Rican families. Since making them takes a little time, it’s nice to get together with family or friends and make a day of it. Everyone has a job, whether it’s grating the green bananas, making the filling, preparing the banana leaves, or wrapping the pasteles. Before you know it, the kitchen is full of pasteles and everyone is talking, laughing, having a few sips of coquito and of course eating a few pasteles throughout the day.

What are Pasteles?

Just like pernil asado, arroz con gandules (pigeon peas and rice), ensalada de coditos and ensalada de papa are traditional dishes served for Christmas, so are pasteles. It's a beautiful and delicious tradition we hold dearly during the holidays. Celebrations kick off in early December and gracefully extend beyond the 25th of December. For countless Puerto Ricans, the spirit of Christmas lingers until the second week of January, concluding with the final celebration known as the "Octavitas." It's undeniably a magical and extended Christmas season for us, with plenty of pasteles to be made and enjoyed along the way! ❤️

So what are pasteles?

Pasteles are meat-filled patties made out of root vegetables and green cooking bananas to make a masa. The dough is layered on top of banana leaves, pasteles paper (or parchment paper), wrapped with butchers twine and then boiled. They’re also known as pasteles de guineo and pasteles de masa.

Ingredients to Make the Masa for Pasteles

• Green cooking bananas – Green cooking bananas are not the same as green plantains but instead bananas that haven’t been gassed.

• Yautia or malanga – If you live in a Hispanic area, you should be able to find in your local supermarket otherwise check a specialty Latin or purchase online.

• Calabaza (Kabocha pumpkin) – The pumpkin not only adds flavor but also helps to keep the masa soft.

• Batata (white sweet potato) – optional to add.

• Achiote oil – The achiote (annatto) oil gives color to the pasteles.

• Broth from carne para pasteles (pork filling) or the broth from carne de pollo (chicken filling) – reserve 2 cups of the broth. Adds flavor to the masa and helps to make it softer.

• Adobo – Season to taste.

*See my recipe card below for a complete list of all the ingredients with measurements and full instructions.*

Ingredients for the Pork Filling

• Pork - Use pork shoulder or Boston butt.

• Garlic - Use fresh garlic or garlic puree for the best flavor.

• Oregano and bay leaves - Both are very important aromatic ingredients to this filling.

• Sazon - Use sazon with annatto for both flavor and color.

• Adobo and sofrito - Adds both seasoning and true authentic Puerto Rican flavor.

• Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) - Usually used in the pasteles filling or added on top of the filling when assembling the pasteles.

• Pimiento morrones (roasted red bell peppers) - An ingredient I couldn't imagine not using in my meat filling!

• Achiote oil (annatto oil) - adds flavor and color to the meat.

*Follow my recipe for carne para pasteles to see a full list of all the ingredients with measurements and instructions to make the pork filling. It’s easy to put together and cooks in an hour. If you prefer a chicken filling, follow my carne de pollo para pasteles recipe.

How to Make Pasteles Step by Step

Step 1: Begin with making the achiote (annatto) oil and meat filling for the pasteles. Follow our achiote oil recipe and either our pork or chicken recipe for the filling.

Step 2: Using a knife, cut the stem ends off of each banana. Carefully make a slit in the front and back of each banana (Image 1). Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl or pot and top with hot water. Allow them to soak in the water to help soften the peels while you work with the other vegetables.

Using a potato peeler or knife, peel the skin off the yautia and pumpkin (Image 3).

Cut them into large chunks and set aside.

Peel the bananas and leave them whole. Add the bananas and all other vegetables to a large bowl and cover them with enough cold water to cover them.

Note: Keeping the vegetables in water will prevent them from oxidizing and turning brown.

Use a food processor with the grater attachment (Image 4) to grate the bananas and vegetables or alternatively use a box grater.

Step 3: Grate all the bananas and vegetables (Image 5). You will notice some large chunks left behind on top of the grater attachment that weren’t grated. Set these aside and pour the masa into a large bowl or large baking tin. Remove the attachment and replace it with the metal blade attachment. Add all the large chunks left behind with about a cup of the masa (Image 6) and puree for 30 seconds (Image 7).

Step 4: Use a large spoon to stir the masa and combine well. The masa should be light, and airy (Image 8).

Step 5: Add about ½ cup of the achiote (annatto) oil and about two cups of the pork broth to the masa (Image 9). Using a large spoon slowly stir and start to blend in the oil and the broth into the masa to combine well. Add about 3 teaspoons of adobo to the masa and stir.

Taste a small amount of the masa to check for salt, add more adobo or salt if needed.

Note: Do not add too much adobo or salt as the pasteles cook in salted water.

Cut, Prepare the Banana Leaves, Paper and Twine

Step 1: Cut 20 pieces of twine so that each piece measures 40 inches. Set aside.

Step 2: If using parchment paper instead of pasteles paper, cut 20 sheets to measure 18-inch by 12-inch rectangles.

Step 3: Cut the banana leaves to measure about 7 ½ inches by 6 ½ to 7 ½ inches. Using scissors, cut the rough rib or edge (Image 12) off.

Frozen Banana Leaves

Add the cut leaves to a bowl with warm soapy water, swirl the leaves with your hand and then rinse each leaf individually under warm water. Wipe both sides of the leaves with a clean damp kitchen towel or paper towels (Image 13).

Fresh Banana Leaves

Rinse the cut leaves under warm water. Wipe both sides of the leaves with a clean damp kitchen towel or paper towels (Image 13). Using a pair of tongs, pass the leaves one at a time on both sides over your gas stove’s high flame for a few seconds. The leaves will start to wilt, this is normal. Set aside.

Prepare Your Pasteles Workstation

Gather all your ingredients to assemble the pasteles. These will include the pasteles paper (or parchment paper), butchers twine, banana leaves, masa, pork filling, chick peas, olives, pimiento strips and achiote oil (Image 11).

How to Assemble Pasteles

Step 1: Lay a banana leaf in the center of the pasteles (parchment) paper and spread a teaspoon of the achiote oil or a teaspoon of the pork broth to the center of the leaf (Image 14).

Step 2: Scoop ½ cup of the masa to the center of the leaf and spread it into an oval. Fill the masa with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pork filling. Top the meat with two or three chickpeas, two or three olives and two to three pimiento strips (Image 15).

How to Wrap Pasteles

Step 1: Fold the bottom of the paper over so that the ends meet. Using your hand, tuck the filling snuggly into the center (Image 1). Make a one inch fold at the top of the parchment paper (Image 2) and then fold over the pastel (Image 3).

Flatten out the sides, one side at a time (flaps) well and then tuck under the pastel (Image 4).

Repeat the process with the other side and then tuck the side under again (Image 5).

Repeat the entire process and make the other pasteles. Once you have all the pasteles formed and wrapped, proceed to stack them into bundles and tie.

Preparing the Pasteles Bundles

Stack two pasteles on top of each other with the folded (tucked) ends touching each other (Image 6) to create a bundle, (known as a yunta).

How to Tie Pasteles

Grab a cut piece of the twine and place under the bundle, cross the strings (Image 6), flip over and cross the string over (Image 7).

Flip over again and loop over again on one side of the pastel (Image 8).

Repeat the process on the other end and tie the bundle (Images 9 and 10).

How to Cook and Serve Pasteles

In a large pot, add enough water to cover pasteles. Bring to a boil. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt to the water and add the amount of pasteles you want to cook.

Cook for one hour (Image 11). Remove the pasteles from the pot draining the excess water from them. Lay on a cutting board or serving plate and cut the strings using scissors or knife (Image 12).

Carefully spread open the sides (flaps) and cut each flap with scissors.

Carefully open the parchment paper (Image 15) to reveal the pastel and serve (Image 16). Top with hot sauce or ketchup if desired.

Cathy’s Expert Cooking Tips

• Taste – Once you have made the masa, sample a small amount on your finger to ensure it has enough seasoning and doesn’t taste bland. If needed, add more adobo or salt.

• Salt – Don’t forget to add salt to the water when boiling the pasteles, otherwise, your pasteles will taste a little bland.

• Banana leaves – If you cannot find frozen banana leaves, just double-up on the parchment paper to prepare the pasteles.