20+ Typical Foods in Costa Rica (Handy Costa Rican Food Guide)!

Costa Rican food was not at the forefront of my mind when I was booking this holiday yet ever since I left I’ve been thinking of the delicious, typical foods in Costa Rica that I sincerely enjoyed.

So I’ve listed the very best food Costa Rica gave me for you to try when you visit!

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What is Costa Rica Cuisine?

Located in Central America, Costa Rican cuisine is similar to neighbouring nations’ cuisines including corn-based dishes, salsa salads, fried plantain and rice.

As there’s a tropical climate, traditional foods in Costa Rica include delicious fruits and coffee beans, and the influence of both Pacific and Caribbean coastlines provides fresh fish and seafood options.

Variations are similar in all the Costa Rica dishes and at all times of day. For example, the staple rice component is served in a Gallo Pinto (breakfast foods in Costa Rica), a Casado (a Costa Rican lunch) and Tamales (a Costa Rica street food).

Read All My Food Guides Here

20 Typical Foods in Costa Rica

Along with the serene rainforests, unreal sunsets, out-of-this-world wildlife and friendly people, delicious food from Costa Rica means that it has become one of my favourite places ever!

So if you’re a foodie like me, save this Costa Rica food guide so you know exactly what to expect and eat on your trip.

Costa Rican Breakfast

1) Costa Rica Fruit

Image of Jocotes growing on a bush in La Fortuna hostel in Costa Rica

Image of Shireen's left hand holding a red water apple up in the back of taxi in Costa Rica

Oh, the fruit in this country! No wonder it’s one of the biggest exports. Fresh, juicy, colourful, some exclusive to Costa Rica and some so good that they SHOULD be exclusive here.

You will find an abundance of fruits but make sure you try coconuts, papayas, bananas, jocotes, anona, water apple, plantain, and the country’s famous food in Costa Rica: pineapple!

Of course fruit is not just for breakfast and it’s often made into fruit juices or ‘Batidos’ but I wanted to put it at the top of my list of typical foods of Costa Rica.

2) Gallo Pinto (Rice & Beans)

Up close portrait image of Gallo Pinto on white plate on a red table with jungle trees in the background

Image of Gallo Pinto in a white takeaway box on a blue table with hostel and swinging seat in the background in Tamarindo Costa Rica

One of the most famous foods in Costa Rica is Gallo Pinto that is a typical food in Costa Rica for breakfast but is also eaten at other times of the day and as add-ons to other meals.

Gallo Pinto is a mixture of rice, black beans, onion, coriander and Salsa Lizano (see below). It’s usually served with scrambled eggs, cheese, sour cream, avocado and fried plantain.

Not only is this dish delicious but so filling that will keep you going through the morning of your trip to Costa Rica. I ate Gallo Pinto every morning and became my favourite part of Costa Rican food culture.

3) Arepas (Pancakes)

Pancakes are a typical food of Costa Rica for breakfast with usual mixture and usual toppings found around the world like honey, condensed milk, chocolate and maple syrup.

This is the type of breakfast you’d find in a hotel buffet as it’s common but directly aimed at visitors rather than locals (and me) who prefer Gallo Pinto for breakfast.

Costa Rica Lunch / Dinner

4) Casado (Set Meal)

Bird's eye view of Casado in Costa Rica. Image is meat, salad and flatbread on a white plate

Bird's eye view of Casado in Costa Rica. Image is meat, salad, rice and flatbread on a white plate

Casado is the word for a set meal consisting of Costa Rica popular food. The meal includes Meat, Vegetables, Rice which are typical for a hearty lunch in Costa Rica given that locals usually eat their largest Costa Rican dishes for lunch.

Most Costa Rica cooking classes will include making Casado because it’s so well-known.

5) Arroz Con Pollo (Rice with Chicken)

bird's eye view of beer on the left and rice, chicken, tortilla chips on a white plate in Costa Rica

Close view of rice, chicken and tortilla chips in front and beer in background on a table looking out to La Fortuna in Costa Rica

This simple dish is a generic Latin American meal so of course it’s in the top 5 of this Costa Rica food list!

In Costa Rica, you’ll get seasoned rice with spices, chicken either in pieces of on the bone, a house sauce, salad and chips.

Not only will you find rice with chicken but lots of popular foods in Costa Rica consist of rice with something like shrimp or pork. These are traditional Costa Rican dishes.

Where to Stay in La Fortuna: Chalets Silencio del Bosque was the most dreamy cabin in the jungle to stay and by far the best for wildlife opportunities. We had a private, colourful cabin with our own deck chairs to enjoy nature, a shared bathroom, excellent free breakfast and wonderful staff who helped us with everything!

6) Sopa Negra (Black Bean Soup)

Image of Shireen's left hand holding a supermarket meal up close in Costa Rica

Image of a supermarket meal up close in Costa Rica

Now for a reasonably healthy meal: Black Bean Soup. Often using the leftover juice from cooking black beans, this soup is made quickly with a few vegetables and herbs and sometimes with a boiled egg. It will be found in every restaurant.

I also seen Sopa Negra as a fast food option in supermarkets for those who want Costa Ricas food on the go!

7) Olla de Carne (Meat Stew)

Another Costa Rica main dish is a meat stew that is common for dinner when sharing with a few people. It’s usually a beef dish using the beef broth, short ribs and lots of vegetables like corn, carrots, squash, yucca and plantain.

It’s cooked in a large pot over several hours and reminds me of many meat stews around the world like Cawl in Wales, Bourguignon in France and Arroz de Marisco in Portugal.

I read online that Olla de Carne is a great example of Pura Vida because it’s a popular, healthy meal often shared with family and friends.

8) Chifrijo (Bean & Pork Bowl)

I’ve already listed a few common Costa Rica traditional foods but one dish must be on this what to eat in Costa Rica list and that is Chifrijo!

Chifrijo is a bowl of kidney beans, pork bites, salsa and chips on top of white rice and perfect as a bar food in Costa Rica. It originated in the capital city, San Jose, and has become a staple dish given its simplicity.

9) Ceviche (Marinated Fish Medley)

Ceviche is another typical Costa Rican foods that is common around Latin America and it originated in Peru.

For easy Costa Rica meals, this dish consists of raw, diced fish, citrus juice, garlic, onion and sometimes coconut milk.

10) Choripan (Pork Sandwich with Chimichurri)

Image of Shireen's left hand holding a plate of Choripan up on balcony with La Fortuna in the background

One of my favourite Costa Rican foods was Choripan at a night market in Tamarindo cooked right in front of us with music playing and the sun setting!

This is also found in other places of Central and South America, specifically Argentina.

Where to Stay in Tamarindo: Villas Macondo is where I stayed during the BPM festival and had a clean, spacious and private hostel room with a balcony and hammock. The place was gated, had an excellent pool, clean and communal kitchen, wildlife in the trees and 24/7 receptionist.

11) Tacos Ticos (Costa Rican Tacos)

Image of Tamarindo night market stall. Stall vendor is behind a large white sign cooking tacos

The ultimate Costa Rican street food is a Taco Tico! Shredded beef in long, thin, deep fried pastry tubes are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and a perfect snack on the go.

Having ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and chips on the side makes it one of the best foods to eat in Costa Rica.

12) Snapper (Whole Fried Fish with Fries & Salad)

Bird's eye view of prawns, salsa, ceviche, mussels, sauce and fish platter on a beach in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Snapper is a typical dish in Costa Rica and the species found all over the country include: Cubera, Red, Mullet, Colorado, Dog-Tooth, Silky, Yellow, Rock. Fishing for Snapper is a popular activity in the country too!

We enjoyed (Red Snapper) this delicious food of Costa Rica at a beach club in Tamarindo and was my favourite and most memorable Costa Rican dinner of the whole trip.

We had monkeys in the trees above us, sand beneath our feet, the waves gently crashing and the sun setting with tasty Costa Rica local cuisine to gorge on!

More Typical Foods in Costa Rica

13) Salsa Lizano (Condiment)

This is a Costa Rican condiment that is served for flavouring in dishes like Gallo Pinto or table-side to go with other foods in Costa Rica. It is a light, thin, brown sauce similar to HP sauce in the UK but spicier.

The sauce was created and made popular by the Lizano company in 1920s and nowadays is a regular in the country as well as sold in supermarkets abroad.

14) Tamales

Tamales are popular throughout South America and usually contain meat, potatoes, veggies and rice, wrapped in a banana leaf and Costa Rica typical dishes is no different.

In Costa Rica, Tamales are traditionally eaten at Christmas but you can find them as a common street food to conquer those cravings.

15) Patacones (Fried Plantain Fritters)

Image of plantain crisps in a supermarket in Costa Rica — Not Patacones but close!

Patacones, aka Tostones throughout Latin America, are green plantains mashed into circled-shapes and fried twice in oil. They are usually served as a side dish or appetiser with salsa, guacamole or ceviche on top.

16) Vigoron (Yucca, Pork & Cabbage Salad)

Vigoron is a fresh salad made of cabbage, yucca, onions, tomato, sometimes pork rinds and can be served in a plantain leaf. It is said to be originated in Nicaragua but has become a popular food found in Puntarenas.

This cabbage salad is served cold and makes for a great Costa Rican street food.

17) Empanadas (Corn Dough with various fillings)

Image of black coffee in a white mug to the left of a red table and a white plate with empanada to the right for Costa Rica Food Guide

Another popular food throughout the continent, not just a popular food in Costa Rica is Empanadas.

Empanadas are a baked or fried pastry and filling like meat, veggies, tomato and cheese. I feel like countries all over the world have their variation of this; pasties in the UK, samosas in Bangladesh, pies in New Zealand and gyozas in Japan.

The best kind of empanadas in Costa Rica are home-made and we enjoyed a large one each while on a rainforest tour in La Fortuna that was home-made so we definitely experienced Costa Rica cooking!

18) Salchipapa (Hot Dog + Fries)

While I never tried this myself, I asked our driver what to eat in Costa Rica and he said Salchipapa as it was one of his favourites.

Salchipapa has a base of French Fries with sliced hot dog pieces on top like a version of nachos but with fries instead so something more modern than traditional food from Costa Rica.

Best Costa Rica Drinks

19) Coffee

Image of Imperial can of beer in the sand. Image is up close with sand in front, beer in centre and sunset in background on Tamarindo beach, Costa Rica

Image of Costa Rica coffee in a white mug and white saucer with a small chocolate piece in the window of a cafe in La Fortuna Costa Rica

Did you know Costa Rica is one the best places for coffee beans? In any supermarket you’ll get coffee from places like Colombia, Ethiopia and Costa Rica!

Discover the origins by drinking coffee from the source on coffee tastings in San Jose or coffee tours around the country including the most popular Doka Estate coffee plantation:

20) Agua de Pipa (Coconut Water)

Image of coconut with straw and white flower next to a woman reading a book on a blue towel on the beach. Image courtesy of Pexels

When you’re relaxing on the beach in Tamarindo, watching the surfers hit the waves and the sun hit the horizon, you need to hit the coconut water!

It won’t be hard to find as there’ll likely be sellers who walk up and down the beach selling their Agua de Pipa from already-smashed coconuts and straws to hand so you can sip straight from the fruit. Delicious!

5 More Dishes in Costa Rica to Try

Costa Rican Chop Suey (Chinese and Costa Rican fusion)
Sopa (basic soup)
Nachos (great with Salsa Lezano)
Tres Leches (popular dessert)
Arroz Con Leche (rice pudding)
Imperial (Costa Rica beer)

Where to Eat Costa Rica?

Wherever you travel there will be places called ‘Soda’ which are usually family-run restaurants serving local cuisine (usually written as ‘tipical food’). Otherwise, there will be regular restaurants also serving these types of dishes.

I also found almost all of the above Costa Rican foods in local supermarkets. There was a ready-made meals in Costa Rica food aisle including Sopa Negra, Gallo Pinto and Tamales!

For fast food chains, look out for Pollolandia, Mnes, Rostipollos and American chains like Subway, KFC and McDonalds.

Pura Vida

Best Costa Rica Food Tours

Here are three Costa Rican Food Tours in Jaco, Puerto Viejo, San Jose:

Have you tried any of these Costa Rica foods before? Are there any foods from Costa Rica you want to try?

More Country Food Guides:

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