The Cuban New Year's Eve Dinner: Everything You Need on Your Table

Q: What is the difference between the dinner on the 24th and the one on the 31st?

Essentially, the dishes are the same. The difference is the atmosphere: the 24th is more family-oriented and intimate, the 31st tends to be more festive, with music late into the night and midnight toasts.

Q: How much pork do I need per person?

Calculate 400-500 grams of raw pork per person (almost 1 pound). Pork loses weight when cooked. For 10 people, a 4-5 kg leg is sufficient.

Q: What drinks go with the Cuban New Year's Eve dinner?

During dinner: beer, wine, soft drinks. For the midnight toast: cider, champagne or cava. And afterwards: Cuban coffee and rum.

Q: How to make the Cuban New Year's Eve dinner with little time or budget?

Opt for fried pork cuts, frozen yuca and canned beans. Make a single dessert: guava wedges with cheese. The important thing is to have pork, rice with beans and something sweet.

📌 Quick summary: your checklist for the 31st

Cuban New Year’s Eve dinner has a clear goal: to send off the year with a full table. This is what you need: roast pork (lechón or pernil), congrí or moros, yuca with mojo, tostones or maduros, fresh salad, and for dessert buñuelos with turrones. Here’s the complete checklist, the day-by-day timeline, and quick alternatives if you’re short on time.

Why the 31st is as important as the 24th

For many Cubans, New Year’s Eve dinner is the second chance. Some couldn’t celebrate Christmas Eve because of work. Others want to repeat because the family who didn’t come on the 24th will come on the 31st. And there are those who simply believe the year can’t end without pork on the table.

Whatever your case, December 31st is another sacred night in the Cuban kitchen. And if you already did Christmas Eve, much of the work is already familiar.

Checklist: the essential dishes

There are no surprises here. Cuban New Year's Eve dinner follows the same structure as Christmas Eve, with some variations depending on the family:

Essential dishes for the Cuban New Years Eve dinner: pork, congrí, yuca, and salad

✅ The main dish: pork (non-negotiable)

Pork is the center of the Cuban New Year's table. Without pork, there is no complete celebration. You have three options depending on your situation:

Option 1: Whole roast pig (lechón)
If you have a caja china, spit, or space to roast a whole pig, this is the traditional option. You need to start early in the morning (or the night before, depending on the method).

Option 2: Pernil (pork leg)
The most practical option for most people. An oven-roasted pork leg, well seasoned with mojo criollo, is spectacular and fits in any home oven.

Option 3: Pork in a casserole
For small apartments or when you don't want to complicate things. Masas de cerdo or large pieces slowly cooked in their juices.

🔗 If you go with a whole roast pig: Secrets of the Cuban Roast Pig

✅ The star side dish: congrí or moros

Rice with beans is mandatory on every Cuban New Year's table. In Oriente they call it congrí (with red beans). In the West, moros y cristianos (with black beans). Choose the one from your region or the one your family prefers.

The important thing: that it turns out fluffy, with good sofrito flavor and that hint of cumin that makes it unmistakable.

✅ Yuca with mojo

Yuca with mojo is the side dish that cannot be missing alongside the pork. Boiled yuca, bathed in freshly made garlic mojo, with plenty of garlic and that acidic touch of lime. Some prefer it whole, others in pieces.

✅ Tostones or ripe plantains

Plantain is always present on the Cuban table. The tostones are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The ripe ones caramelized. Each family has its preference, but many serve both.

✅ Salad

The classic Cuban salad: lettuce, tomato, avocado (if in season). Simple, fresh, necessary to balance so much protein and fat from the pork.

✅ Black beans (optional but common)

Some families serve black beans separately, in addition to the congrí. It's a matter of abundance: on New Year's Eve, the more food on the table, the better.

Desserts: the sweet closing of the year

Buñuelos in syrup

The dessert that defines Cuban holidays. That yuca and malanga dough, fried in a figure-8 shape and bathed in anise syrup. Make them the same day because they’re best freshly made.

🔗 The recipe with history: Cuban Christmas Buñuelos

Cuban nougats

The peanut nougat and the sesame one are December classics. They can be made days in advance, which makes them perfect if you’re short on time.

Guava wedges with cheese

Guava wedges with cream cheese. Simple, delicious, the sweet-and-salty combination that everyone loves.

More sweet options

Cuban flan, custard, rice pudding, tres leches... any of these make a great finish to the dinner.

🔗 More ideas: 5 Cuban Christmas Desserts

Timeline: when to prepare each thing

This is the practical schedule to get you to the 31st stress-free:

Preparation of the Cuban New Years Eve dinner: pork marinating and ingredients organized

📅 December 28-29 (3-4 days before)

Buy the pig (suckling pig or pork shoulder)
Prepare the adobo/mojo for marinating
Put the pig to marinate in the fridge
Make the nougats (they keep well)

📅 December 30 (1-2 days before)

Buy fresh ingredients (vegetables, yuca)
Prepare the base sofrito for the congrí
Soak the beans (if they are dry)
Prepare the buñuelo dough (optional)

📅 December 31 - morning

Take the pig out of the fridge 1-2 hours before cooking
Start roasting the suckling pig/pork shoulder (depending on size, 4-8 hours)
Prepare the congrí (can be made early and reheated)

📅 December 31 - afternoon

Boil the yuca
Prepare the fresh mojo
Make the salad
Fry tostones/plantains (keep warm in a low oven)

🎉 December 31 - night (before serving)

Check that the pig is perfectly cooked
Fry the buñuelos (at the moment)
Heat the congrí if it cooled
Serve and toast!

Don't have time for a whole pig? Alternatives that work

Not everyone can spend 8 hours roasting a pig. Here are options that turn out just as well:

Alternatives to lechón: oven-baked pork leg, pork loin and fried pork pieces

Roasted pork leg (pernil): A 4–5 kg leg takes about 4–5 hours at 160°C. It is marinated the same way as the suckling pig, with mojo criollo, and stays juicy inside with crispy skin.

Pork loin: Faster (1.5–2 hours), perfect for small families. You can make it stuffed to give it more presence on the table.

Fried pork bites: Pieces of marinated and fried pork. They are done in less than an hour and have that traditional flavor you’re looking for.

Pork in a slow cooker: If you have an Instant Pot or slow cooker, you can achieve incredibly tender shredded pork. It’s not traditional, but the flavor is authentic.

The midnight toast

At 12 o’clock, everything stops. The family gathers, they hug, they wish each other a happy new year. The toast is with cider, champagne, cava, or whatever you have. What matters is the moment.

Some Cuban families in Spain have adopted the tradition of the 12 grapes with the chimes, but this is not widespread among Cubans. What is universal: the hug, the wish for prosperity, and returning to the table to keep eating.

Because after the toast, the party continues. The post-meal on the 31st can last until dawn: dominoes, music, coffee, and the fritters that were left waiting.

Frequently asked questions about the Cuban New Year's Eve dinner

What is the difference between the dinner on the 24th and the 31st? +

Essentially, the dishes are the same. The difference is in the atmosphere: the 24th is more family-oriented and intimate, the 31st is usually more festive, with music late into the night and midnight toasts. Many families repeat the full menu, others make use of leftovers from the 24th.

How much pork do I need per person? +

Estimate 400–500 grams of raw pork per person (about 1 pound). Pork loses weight when cooked, so it's better to have leftovers. For 10 people, a 4–5 kg leg is enough.

Can congrí be prepared the day before? +

Yes, reheated congrí turns out very well. Some say it's even better because the flavors settle. Keep it in the refrigerator and reheat it over low heat, adding a little water if it's dry.

What do I do if I can't find fresh yuca? +

Frozen yuca works perfectly. It can be found in almost any large supermarket or Latin store. It cooks the same as fresh, it just takes a few extra minutes.

Can buñuelos be made in advance? +

It is not recommended. Buñuelos are best freshly fried. You can prepare the dough the day before and refrigerate it, but fry them just before serving so they stay crispy.

What drinks go with the Cuban New Year's Eve dinner? +

During dinner: beer, wine, soft drinks, or fruit juice. For the midnight toast: cider, champagne, or cava. And afterwards: Cuban coffee and rum for those who can stay up into the early hours.

How to make the Cuban New Year's Eve dinner with little time or budget? +

Opt for fried pork chunks instead of a whole roast pork (they can be done in 1 hour). Use frozen yuca and canned beans. Make a single dessert: guava halves with cheese are quick and economical. Congrí can be simplified by using precooked rice. The important thing is to have pork, rice with beans, and something sweet.

🎆 Start the year with the full flavor of Cuba

In our app you have all the recipes you need for your New Year's Eve dinner: from roast pork and congri to fritters and flan. Step by step, with Dailis’s tips, so 2026 begins with a full table and a happy heart.

Join Our Little Cuban Corner

May the last bite of the year be Cuban. Happy New Year! 🎉

📌 Quick summary: your checklist for the 31st

Why the 31st is as important as the 24th

Whatever your case, December 31st is another sacred night in the Cuban kitchen. And if you already did Christmas Eve, much of the work is already familiar.