Chef Mika Leon shares recipes from new cookbook 'Cuban Soul'
Chef Mika Leon is bringing the flavors of her family's favorite Cuban foods to kitchens around the world.
Leon is the author of the new cookbook "Cuban Soul," which features more than 100 Cuban homestyle recipes alongside Leon's memories of her family's Cuban roots.
The Miami-based chef joined "Good Morning America" on Wednesday to share recipes for some of her favorite dishes.
Try the recipes in your own kitchen!
Frita Cubana
Makes 8 burgers
Ingredients
Frita sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon fine kosher salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Burgers
1 pound ground beef, preferably 80 /20
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound soft Mexican chorizo
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons fine kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
For Assembly
2 tablespoons neutral oil
8 slices American cheese
8 soft Cuban rolls or potato rolls, split
1 small white onion, finely diced
2 cups Papitas or store-bought potato sticks
Directions
Make the frita sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, vinegar, garlic, paprika, hot sauce, salt, Worcestershire, cumin, and ¼ cup water until smooth. The sauce can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make the burgers: In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, chorizo, garlic, ketchup, salt, cumin, and paprika. Mix thoroughly with clean hands until evenly combined. Shape the mixture into eight (4-ounce) balls. The burger mixture can be shaped ahead, covered tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerated overnight.
Make the sandwiches: Heat a large cast-iron skillet or flat top griddle over medium-high heat. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Place two to four balls in the skillet or on the griddle, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Use a flat spatula and a square of parchment paper (to prevent sticking) to press the balls into flat patties. Cook for about 2 minutes to sear the bottoms, then flip. Add a spoonful of frita sauce to each patty and top with a slice of cheese. Cook until the cheese melts and the patties are cooked through, 2 minutes more. Transfer the patties to the bottom buns. Repeat with the remaining burgers, brushing the skillet or griddle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil if needed.
Arrange the buns, cut sides down, on the hot surface of the skillet or griddle to toast and soak up those good juices, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, add another spoonful of frita sauce, some onion, and a pile of papitas to the burgers. Close with the top buns and serve immediately.
Colada Cubana con Espumita
Makes 1 colada (about 6 to 8 small shots) or 2 cortaditos
Ingredients
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly ground Cuban coffee, enough to fill a 6-cup moka basket
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk, very cold
Toasted Cuban bread and butter, for serving (optional)
Directions
Fill the bottom chamber of a 6-cup moka pot with water up to (but not over) the safety valve. Fill the filter basket with the coffee, level it off (don’t tamp down), assemble the pot, and set over medium heat.
As soon as the first few teaspoons of coffee drip out, pour them into a small stainless steel bell creamer (or small metal bowl) and add the sugar. Whisk vigorously until the mixture turns pale and thick like wet sand, 2 to 3 minutes -- this is the espumita base.
When the rest of the coffee finishes brewing, slowly pour it into the sugar paste, whisking to dissolve and build a thick foam cap. This is your colada. Pour into a large cup and share in little plastic cups.
For cortaditos, froth the milk in a small bowl using a milk frother or whisking vigorously by hand until foamy. Combine one part hot colada with three parts milk in small cups and spoon the foam on top. Serve with buttered toast for dunking, if desired.
Camarones Enchilados
Serves 4 to 6
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon Sazón Completa (page 23) or store-bought sazón
2 teaspoons fine kosher salt
1 cup dry white cooking wine
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Directions
In a large caldero or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Make a quick sofrito: Add the onion, bell peppers, garlic, sazón, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the liquid has reduced, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, hot sauce, bay leaf, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Add the shrimp and stir to coat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the shrimp are cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Serve over rice or fufú de plátano, with tostones on the side.
Pastelitos de Guayaba y Queso
Makes 9 pastelitos
Ingredients
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
12 ounces guava paste, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a work surface. Unroll one sheet of the puff pastry and cut into nine squares. Place two guava slices next to each other in the center of each square and top with one cream cheese slice.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush the edges of each filled square with the egg wash, then top each with another pastry square. Press to seal around the filling, pushing out any air. Cut a slit into the top of each pastry to vent, then brush the tops with more egg wash.
Arrange the pastries evenly on the prepared sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until tall, puffed, and deeply golden.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 1/2 cup water. Set over medium heat and cook, undisturbed, until the sugar has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool slightly but keep warm.
As soon as the pastries are done baking, remove from the oven and immediately brush with the warm syrup. Let cool for 10 minutes so the filling sets, then serve immediately. They’re great with a colada Cubana.
Recipes reprinted with permission from Cuban Soul by Mika Leon © 2026. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photography by Lauren Vied Allen.
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