La Bandera

Name: La Bandera
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Dominican
Ingredients: For the rice: 2 cups long-grain white rice, 3 cups water, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp salt; For the beans: 400g canned red kidney beans with liquid, 1/2 onion diced, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt to taste; For the chicken: 4 chicken thighs bone-in, 1 onion sliced, 1 green bell pepper diced, 4 cloves garlic minced, 400g canned crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper; Sliced avocado and fried sweet plantains for serving; Fresh lime wedges

La Bandera Dominicana (lah bahn-DEH-rah doh-mee-nee-KAH-nah)

The Dominican Flag Lunch

⏱ Prep Time 45 min

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 626 kcal

⭐ Rating 3.5 (2)

Rice, stewed beans, and braised chicken — the 'flag' meal that every Dominican eats for lunch. Simple, complete, essential.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 35.0g

Carbs 72.0g

Fat 22.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

dairy-free gluten-free nut-free

Equipment Needed

multiple pots skillet rice cooker

Presentation Guide

Vessel: large flat plate

Garnishes: avocado slices

Accompaniments: white rice, red beans, stewed meat, green salad

Ingredients

For the rice: 2 cups long-grain white rice, 3 cups water, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp salt
For the beans: 400g canned red kidney beans with liquid, 1/2 onion diced, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt to taste
For the chicken: 4 chicken thighs bone-in, 1 onion sliced, 1 green bell pepper diced, 4 cloves garlic minced, 400g canned crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper
Sliced avocado and fried sweet plantains for serving
Fresh lime wedges

Instructions

1
Start the stewed beans first. Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat, add the diced onion and cook for four minutes. Add the garlic and oregano, stir for one minute. Add the kidney beans with their liquid and the tomato paste. Simmer on low for twenty minutes until thick and saucy, mashing a few beans against the pot side to thicken the sauce.
2
Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for four minutes per side until golden brown. Remove the chicken temporarily and set aside on a plate.
3
In the same skillet, saute the sliced onion and diced green bell pepper for five minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute more. Add the crushed tomatoes, stir well, and return the chicken to the skillet. Cover and simmer on low heat for thirty minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
4
While the chicken braises, prepare the rice. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the rice and stir for two minutes to toast lightly. Add the water and salt, bring to a rapid boil, then immediately cover tightly and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Cook for twenty minutes undisturbed.
5
Remove the rice from heat and let rest covered for ten minutes. The grains should be fluffy, separate, and dry. Fluff with a fork. Check the chicken, which should be falling off the bone with the sauce reduced to a glossy consistency. Adjust seasoning in both the beans and chicken.
6
To plate La Bandera in the traditional Dominican style, mound the white rice in the centre of a plate, spoon the red stewed beans alongside, and place the braised chicken with its sauce on the other side. Add sliced avocado, fried sweet plantains, and a lime wedge to complete the flag-inspired presentation.

💡

Did You Know?

'La bandera' literally means 'the flag' — this lunch is as essential to Dominican identity as the flag itself.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

multiple pots
skillet
rice cooker

Garnishing

avocado slices

Accompaniments

white rice, red beans, stewed meat, green salad

The Story Behind La Bandera

The Story: La Bandera Dominicana, literally the Dominican flag, is the country's daily lunch plate and de facto national dish: white rice, red kidney beans stewed with sofrito and sazon, and a braised or stewed meat, typically chicken or beef. The name reflects the dish's status as a symbol of Dominican identity, as fundamental to the nation as its actual flag. The tripartite structure mirrors the island's culinary heritage: rice from Spanish colonial introduction, beans from indigenous and African cultivation, and stewed meat from the Creole blending of European and African cooking techniques.

On the Calendar: La Bandera is everyday food, eaten at lunch by Dominicans of every social class across the entire country. It is the default midday meal in homes, comedores (informal eateries), and workplace cafeterias. Variations in the meat and bean preparation distinguish regional and family traditions.

Then & Now: The fundamental format has remained unchanged for generations, though modern Dominicans may substitute turkey or fish for red meat. In the diaspora, particularly in New York City, la bandera remains the anchor of Dominican food identity and the standard offering at Dominican restaurants.

Legacy: La Bandera proves that a nation's most important dish need not be elaborate. It is the daily act of rice, beans, and meat that holds Dominican culture together across geography, class, and generation.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed daily lunch 📜 Origins: Colonial era

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