La Bandera Dominicana is a traditional Dominican meal of stewed meat, arroz blanco (white rice), and habichuelas (red beans). Eaten as the main meal of the day—usually lunch in the Dominican Republic—the name comes from the Dominican flag, with each part representing its colors.

My favorite way to serve this dish is with carne guisada, but you can also make it with pollo guisado. And because there’s no such thing as too much Dominican food, it’s almost always served with avocado, fresh ensalada verde, and tostones or fried sweet plantains on the side.

Why you’ll love this recipe ❤️

It’s authentically Dominican — La Bandera is a true Dominican classic, combining essential ingredients that have been staples in Dominican culture for generations. It reflects a blend of African, Spanish, and Caribbean influences that make Dominican food so unique.
Filling and satisfying — This is truly a sit-down kind of meal, best enjoyed with company. It serves about 4 people, but if your household is smaller, you’ll get to look forward to having leftovers!
Everything you need to make this dish from start to finish is in this post — There’s no need to keep clicking back and forth between posts on my blog, although you can if you want something explained in more detail.
Weeknight friendly — With practice, you’ll get the hang of making it during the week, but if it feels like too much, save it for the weekend. There are a few moving parts, but you’ll find your rhythm after making it a few times.
Easy to store and reheat — Island dishes are known for tasting even better the next day. This dish is easy to store and tastes just as good heated up the next day.

Variations of La Bandera

This version features beef as the main dish, but you can choose from any of these options:

Carne guisada (stewed beef): seasoned beef, simmered in a tomato-based sauce with peppers and onions.
Pollo guisado (stewed chicken): probably the most common presentation, also simmered in sauce with peppers and onions.
Other options: fish or pork can also work as the main dish.

Ingredient notes

The recipe is divided into three main parts, with some overlap of ingredients. For the full list of ingredients, check the recipe card.

For the carne guisada (meat)

3 pounds of stew beef cut into 1.5 inch pieces. I prefer using beef-round because it’s leaner and there’s less grease. Chuck is another great option for flavor, but it’s a little more fatty.
For spices and seasonings, you’ll need crushed garlic, adobo and cumin.
Tomato paste is used as the base for the sauce.
Produce: Thinly sliced yellow onions, cilantro, red bell peppers, and cubanelle peppers add depth without heat. Refer to the photo above to see what a cubanelle pepper looks like.

For the rice and beans

Note: For this dish, the beans are cooked separately from the rice and placed right next to the rice or on top.

Canned red beans — roman or kidney beans are popular in Dominican cooking. You could also use pinto beans. Of course, making dry beans from scratch is preferred. If you have the time to make your beans from scratch, that’s great but it’s not required.
Tomato paste — I’ll use tomato sauce or tomato paste for beans, depending on what other dishes I’m cooking. Since the carne guisada calls for tomato paste, I’m using what’s left over in the can.
Auyama (kobucha squash) — if you can’t find it near you, just use an acorn squash instead.
Fresh herbs and produce: garlic, onions, red bell pepper, cubanelle pepper (use a green bell pepper if you can’t locate them), bay leaf and fresh cilantro
Long-grain white rice — either jasmine (shown below) or canilla rice will work well, both are used in Dominican cooking.

La Bandera — recipe steps

Before you start, read through all the steps so you know what to expect. I’ve laid them out in the order I follow, but feel free to go in the order that makes the most sense to you.

Here are a couple of things you should know in advance:

It’s best to clean and season the meat the night before — this cuts down on time and gives the meat the most flavor.
Chop and prep ingredients for all 3 dishes at the same time so it doesn’t overwhelm or slow you down.
Go in order — start the meat first. While it simmers, work on the rice and beans.
Exception: If you’re using dry beans, start with those since they take the longest. Boiled beans can take up to 2 hours to cook – read here to learn how to make beans from scratch.

Part 1: Prepare the meat

Step 1: Place the cubed beef in a large bowl and cover it with water. Add the vinegar and let it soak for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse thoroughly, and pat the beef dry with paper towels.

Step 2: Season the beef with soy sauce, crushed garlic, adobo, dried oregano, and lime juice. Toss to coat evenly, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (for best results marinate overnight).

Step 3: Heat the oil and sugar in a Dutch oven or cast aluminum pan (caldero), over medium heat. Stir occasionally and let the sugar caramelize until it turns brown

Note: This step gives the dish it’s rich, deep color (don’t worry, it won’t make it sweet!). Also, sugar can go from deep-brown to burnt very quickly so pay very close attention. You can skip this step if it makes you nervous!

Step 4: Add the beef to the pan, flipping it as needed until browned on all sides.

Step 5: Add the tomato paste and toss the beef to coat it evenly.

Step 6: Add 1 cup of water, bring to a simmer, then let the meat cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Step 7: Once the liquid has reduced by half, add about ½ cup of water to keep the meat covered, and let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Repeat as needed, adding just enough water each time, until the meat is tender and easily breaks apart with a fork. This process can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

Tip: For a thicker, richer sauce, it’s best to cook carne guisada uncovered as the liquid reduces more. Covering during the initial phase cooks the meat faster, but keeps more liquid in the pan.

Step 8: Add the sliced peppers and onions, then top off with a little more water to create enough sauce and keep the meat from drying out. Cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes more, or until the vegetables are tender but still slightly firm.

Part 2: Make the beans

Step 1: Heat the oil in the 2.3 qt aluminum pan (caldero) over medium heat, then add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are softened.

Step 2: Add the beans with their liquid. Then add the squash, sazón, bay leaf, and bouillon. Stir to combine.

Step 3: Add the tomato sauce, bouillon, sazón, oregano and bay leaf with enough water to cover the beans (about 1 can). It’s fine if the squash peeks out a little, but make sure the beans are fully covered.

Step 4: Bring the beans to a simmer, then cover the pan and turn the burner down low. Let the beans simmer for 25 minutes.

Step 5: Remove 1 ½ cups of beans and a few pieces of squash with some of the broth. Mash together in separate bowl.

Step 6: Return the mashed beans to the pan, stir well, and taste the beans. Season with salt and pepper if needed, and cover the pan with a lid. Let the beans cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Step 7: Once the beans have thickened, stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.

Part 3: Cook the rice

Step 1: Using a mesh strainer, rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain the rice well, letting all the water run off and set it aside.

Step 2: In a caldero (or heavy-bottomed pan), heat the oil. Once it’s hot, carefully add 2 ½ cups of water and salt. Bring the water to a boil.

Step 3: Add the rice, give it a stir, and bring to a boil again. Keep stirring until the water evaporates.

Step 4: Cover the pot, and turn the burner down to the lowest setting. Let the rice cook for 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid while the rice is cooking.

Step 5: Once the rice is done, turn off the burner and let it sit, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Once it’s rested, uncover the rice and taste it; the grains should be tender and separated. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Other tips and tricks

This classic meal has a lot of parts and can feel overwhelming at first! This is normal and you’ll find your rhythm after a few times.
If you want the meat to cook faster, cover it – this may result in more liquid, you can cook it off by uncovering the pan at the end. Make sure to check the meat and stir frequently so it doesn’t burn.
Prepare any sides like tostones or platanos maduros as the rice cooks since they’re best served hot.

Serving Suggestions

This version is served with beef as the main dish but you can also serve it with pollo guisado
Serve la bandera with a fresh salad (ensalada verde) – Uncooked vegetables aren’t as common in daily meals since most island cooking involves stewing or sautéing. A crisp green salad adds freshness and balances out the flavors.
Add a side of plantains – I wouldn’t dream of serving this meal without tostones (fried green plantains), or platanos maduros (sweet ripe plantains). Islanders like to double up on starches and that is okay in my book.
With avocado (aguacate) – Mild, creamy, and delicious, sliced avocado goes perfectly on the side.

Storing and reheating leftovers

Store the meat, beans and rice in separate containers. Rice and beef will last up to 3 days, beans can last up to 4.
Reheat the beans and meat in a small saucepan, I usually reheat the meat first then use the same pan to reheat the beans. Add a splash of water to loosen up the liquid.
Leftover rice can be heated up in a steamer or double boiler on the stove (preferred), or microwaved in 30 second increments until it’s hot throughout.

More Dominican recipes

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Recipe Rating

La Bandera Dominicana (Traditional Dominican Lunch)

Why you’ll love this recipe ❤️

Variations of La Bandera