Name: Frita cubana (Miami style)
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: For the patty: 500g lean ground beef (15% fat); 150g raw chorizo (Spanish-style, not Mexican), finely chopped; 1 small onion finely grated; 2 garlic cloves minced; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp ground oregano; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp dry white wine; 4 small soft Cuban bread rolls (or brioche burger buns); 60g butter, softened; 1 large white onion, finely diced (for topping); For shoestring potatoes: 2 large baking potatoes; 1L neutral oil for frying; sea salt; Yellow mustard or ketchup, optional

A spiced Cuban beef-and-chorizo patty on a soft Cuban bun, topped with shoestring potato strings and raw onion. The Miami hamburger; eaten standing at a counter, washed down with a guarapo or Materva cola.

Frita cubana originated in 1920s Havana, a Cuban riff on the American hamburger using paprika, cumin and ground chorizo in the patty. Cuban exiles brought the dish to Miami in the 1960s; El Mago de las Fritas in West Miami (opened 1984) and El Rey de las Fritas (4 Miami locations) hold the modern canon. The signature topping of crispy shoestring potatoes (papas julianas) sets the frita apart from any other burger format. Best eaten at lunch counters, never on white tablecloths.

1 editor pick for Frita cubana in Miami, ranked by editorial score. All Miami signature dishes · Frita cubana across every city.

Enriqueta's Sandwich Shop ★ 4.4

Café

186 NE 29th St, Miami, FL 33137

Enriqueta's in Miami is the 1988 Cuban counter at 186 NE 29th Street on the Wynwood-Edgewater edge, pouring cafe con leche from 7am and pan con bistec.

Where to eat Frita cubana in Miami: 1 editor pick

Enriqueta's Sandwich Shop ★ 4.4

More Miami dishes