By Melissa Pette

Let me tell you something straight-up, Caribbean food from Costa Rica is on another level.

It’s bold, it’s colorful, and it doesn’t hold back. You’ve got African, Indigenous, European, Indian, and Chinese flavors all hanging out in one pot like they’ve been best friends forever. The result? Deep, layered flavor that tastes like it took all day... even when it didn’t.

If you’ve been hanging with me, you already know we’ve been on a little Caribbean kick lately. We did those crispy patacones (yeah, the ones you couldn’t stop thinking about).

And those fish fritters from Eric, our Canadian friend living his best life in Limón. So today, we’re keeping that same energy going.

The Caribbean seafood rice is the kind of dish that makes people go quiet at the table because they’re too busy eating.

Now, I’m not down in Limón right now, so I kept things practical. I grabbed a frozen mixed seafood pack (Del Mar brand) and some coconut oil (Great Value) from Walmart. Nothing fancy, just real-life cooking that still hits hard on flavor.

Let’s get cookin’!

What you’ll need (serves 4 hungry people):

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil.

• 1 white onion, sliced.

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped.

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped.

• 110g chorizo, chopped (optional, but highly recommended for that extra kick).

• 1 teaspoon paprika.

• 300g rice.

• 1 can fish stock (or chicken stock if that’s what you’ve got).

• 1 can of peas (200g).

• 1 can of sweet corn (200g).

• 1 bag frozen mixed seafood (400g), thawed.

Start by heating your coconut oil in a deep pan. Toss in the chorizo and let it cook for about 5 minutes. You’re not trying to crisp it up, just let it release all those flavorful oils. That’s your base right there.

Next, add your seafood and rice. Give everything a good stir so it soaks up all that goodness.

Then pour in the stock, bring it to a boil, and drop it down to a simmer. Let it do its thing for about 10 minutes, stirring here and there so nothing sticks.

Now comes the color and flavor bomb: onion, red pepper, cilantro, peas, corn, paprika. Throw it all in, stir it up, and let it cook another couple of minutes until the rice is tender and everything smells yummy.

Taste it, adjust the seasoning if needed, and you’re done.

Serve this hot with lemon wedges on the side, don’t skip that squeeze, it wakes everything up.

Pair it with some crusty garlic bread, a fresh citrusy salad, or even roasted veggies if you’re feeling balanced.

And yeah, go ahead and pour yourself something nice. A chilled white wine or an ice-cold Costa Rican beer fits perfectly here.

This is one of those dishes that looks simple but delivers big. It’s cozy, it’s packed with flavor, and it disappears fast, so maybe don’t plan on leftovers.

Now go make this. Your kitchen is about to smell amazing.

Have a "Pura Vida" Weekend!

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Feel free to share your own recipes by emailing a horizontal photo of your dish to food@amcostarica.com. You can find more tasty Costa Rican recipes over on the AM Costa Rica Food page.

The recipe may contain or come into contact with common allergen ingredients. It is the reader's sole responsibility to review all ingredients and make sure they are suitable for their specific dietary needs and potential adverse reactions.

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