Puerto Rican Meal Prep for the Week: 5 Easy Dinners You’ll Love

If you love Puerto Rican food but struggle to figure out what to cook every night, this meal prep plan is for you. With just a little planning, you can enjoy flavorful, home-style Boricua meals all week without cooking every single day.

This Puerto Rican meal prep guide gives you 5 easy dinners, built around classic dishes that reheat well, pair perfectly together, and keep your family happy and full.

And if you want full weekly meal plans, shopping lists, and prep strategies, you’ll love my cookbook Sabor Boricua: Recipes from the Heart of Puerto Rico — created especially for busy families who still want real flavor.

Why Puerto Rican Food Is Perfect for Meal Prep

Puerto Rican cooking is ideal for batch cooking because many of our favorite dishes:

• Taste even better the next day

• Pair well with rice, beans, and sides

• Can be mixed and matched throughout the week

Instead of cooking every night, you can prep a few main dishes and sides, then build full meals in minutes.

5 Easy Puerto Rican Dinners for the Week

Here’s a simple meal prep combo you can use for lunches and dinners all week:

🍗 1. Pollo Guisado (Puerto Rican Chicken Stew)

Tender chicken simmered in sofrito, tomato sauce, and spices. This is one of the best meal prep dishes because the flavors deepen as it sits.

Serve with:

• White rice

• Stewed beans or salad

Meal Prep Tip:
Make a big pot and portion into containers with rice for grab-and-go meals.

🥩 2. Bistec Encebollado (Steak with Onions)

Thin-cut steak cooked in a savory onion sauce. Fast to make and great for reheating.

Serve with:

• Rice and beans

• Tostones or maduros

Meal Prep Tip:
Cook extra onions — they keep everything juicy when reheated.

🐖 3. Pernil Asado (Roast Pork)

Perfect for family dinners and leftovers. One roast can turn into multiple meals.

Serve with:

• Rice and pigeon peas

• Salad or roasted vegetables

Meal Prep Tip:
Use leftovers for sandwiches, bowls, or tacos later in the week.

🍛 4. Habichuelas Guisadas (Stewed Beans)

No Puerto Rican meal prep is complete without beans. Cheap, filling, and full of flavor.

Serve with:

• Any protein

• Over rice or as a side

Meal Prep Tip:
Freeze extra portions — beans freeze beautifully.

🍌 5. Tostones or Maduros

Fried green or ripe plantains add comfort and variety to your meals.

Serve with:

• Steak

• Chicken

• Pork

Meal Prep Tip:
You can pre-fry and reheat in the air fryer or oven to keep them crispy.

🔥 Want full weekly meal prep plans and shopping lists?
👉 Get the Sabor Boricua Cookbook

How to Meal Prep This in One Day

Here’s a simple prep order to save time:

1. Start beans first (they take the longest)

2. Roast pernil while beans simmer

3. Cook pollo guisado on the stovetop

4. Finish with bistec and plantains

In about 2–3 hours, you’ll have food ready for most of the week.

Store in airtight containers and mix meals as needed.

Want This Done for You? 📘

If you love this idea but don’t want to plan meals every week, I created Sabor Boricua: Recipes from the Heart of Puerto Rico to make it easy.

Inside the book you’ll get:

• ✅ Full weekly meal prep plans

• ✅ Traditional Puerto Rican recipes

• ✅ Shopping lists

• ✅ Prep checklists

• ✅ Family-friendly portions

It’s designed so you can cook once and eat well all week — without losing the flavor of home

More Puerto Rican Recipes You’ll Love

If you enjoyed this meal prep plan, check out these recipes too:

• 👉 How to Make Puerto Rican Sofrito

• 👉 Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

• 👉 Puerto Rican Tostones

• 👉 Mofongo Recipe

Final Thoughts

Eating delicious Puerto Rican food during the week doesn’t have to mean cooking every day. With a little meal prep and the right combination of dishes, you can enjoy comforting, home-style meals even on your busiest days.

And when you’re ready for full meal plans and stress-free cooking, the Sabor Boricua cookbook is here to guide you every step of the way.❤️