Traditional Maltese Food: 30 Dishes to Cook at Home

Discover 30 traditional Maltese dishes, from Bigilla and pastizzi to rabbit stew, lampuki pie, and almond sweets, grouped to help you plan a meal.

Maltese cooking brings together bread, beans, seasonal vegetables, fish, slow-cooked meat, and a generous pastry tradition. A bowl of soup and a piece of crusty bread can be as much a part of the table as a pie made for a family gathering.

These 30 recipes are a starting point for exploring that range. The Maltese names sit alongside English descriptions so you can recognise a familiar dish or find something new. If this is your first Maltese meal, try Bigilla with bread, then choose one of the mains below. Leave a pastry project for a day when you have time to enjoy the preparation.

Choose a starting point

For a simple lunch, pair Balbuljata with bread. For a family bake, compare Mqarrun il-Forn and Ross il-Forn: one uses pasta, the other rice. If you want a pastry filling, choose between ricotta, meat, fish, or peas before deciding whether to make a large pie or individual pastries.

Not every dish fills the same place in a meal. Patata l-Forn is a potato side; Bigilla can be a shared starter; a slice of a rich bake may be the main. The groups below help you combine dishes without treating thirty recipes as one menu.

New to the names? Read Maltese food explained. Looking for a recipe outside this selection? Browse the complete recipe directory. For a sweet finish, compare the techniques in Maltese desserts and sweets.

For a more focused menu, explore Sunday lunch, baking and pastry, fish and seafood, or festa and celebration food.

Bread, dips, and small plates

Begin with crusty bread, a dip, and vegetables to share. Bigilla needs an overnight soak, while Ħobż biż-Żejt is useful when you want something to assemble without turning on the oven. Ftira Għawdxija adds a topped Gozitan bread project when you have time for dough to rise.

Watercolour illustration of a crusty round Maltese loaf with slices showing its airy crumb.

Ħobż Malti (Maltese Bread)

Traditional Maltese crusty bread with a dark crisp crust and soft open crumb. Essential for soups, dips, and ħobż biż-żejt.

Watercolour illustration of Bigilla in a terracotta bowl with broad beans, garlic, olive oil and lemon.

Bigilla (Traditional Maltese Bean Dip)

Make Bigilla with dried broad beans, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and parsley, with tips for a rustic texture and serving it with Maltese bread.

Watercolour illustration of crusty Maltese sandwiches filled with tuna, tomato, onion and capers.

Ħobż biż-Żejt (Maltese Tomato and Tuna Sandwich)

Malta's iconic rustic sandwich of crusty bread, kunserva, olive oil, tuna, capers, onion, and tomato.

Watercolour illustration of Maltese vegetable stew with aubergine, green peppers, olives and capers.

Kapunata (Maltese Vegetable Stew)

A vibrant Mediterranean vegetable stew with aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, capers, and olives.

Watercolour illustration of soft scrambled eggs with tomatoes and fresh mint.

Balbuljata (Maltese Scrambled Eggs with Tomato)

A traditional Maltese summer dish of ripe tomatoes, eggs, garlic, and fresh herbs. Simple, rustic, and full of flavour.

Watercolour illustration of Gozitan flatbread topped with potatoes, tomatoes, olives and anchovies.

Ftira Għawdxija (Gozitan Potato Flatbread)

A rustic Gozitan ftira topped with potatoes, tomatoes, onion, olives, capers, and anchovies or tuna. Simple, savoury, and deeply satisfying.

Soups for the family table

Choose Brodu for a clear meat broth or Minestra for a thick vegetable soup. Kusksu combines tiny pasta beads with broad beans; Soppa tal-Armla adds fresh cheeselets. Aljotta brings fish, garlic, and lemon to the same comforting bowl.

Watercolour illustration of clear beef broth with potatoes, carrots, cabbage and zucchini.

Brodu (Maltese Beef and Vegetable Broth)

Malta's comforting winter soup - a clear, rich meat broth simmered with seasonal vegetables. Simple, nourishing, and traditionally served on cold days.

Watercolour illustration of thick Maltese vegetable soup with pumpkin, carrots, potatoes and peas.

Minestra (Thick Maltese Vegetable Soup)

A hearty, rustic Maltese vegetable soup - thicker than brodu and packed with seasonal vegetables. A true everyday home dish.

Watercolour illustration of broad bean and pasta-bead soup with a fresh cheeselet and poached egg.

Kusksu (Maltese Broad Bean and Pasta Soup)

A traditional Maltese spring soup with broad beans, tiny pasta beads, and fresh gbejna. Comforting, seasonal, and deeply local.

Watercolour illustration of vegetable soup with cauliflower, peas and fresh Maltese cheese.

Soppa tal-Armla (Widow's Soup)

A traditional Maltese vegetable soup enriched with small fresh cheeselets (ġbejna). Simple, rustic, and deeply comforting.

Watercolour illustration of garlicky Maltese fish soup with rice, parsley and lemon.

Aljotta (Maltese Garlic Fish Soup)

A light, garlicky Maltese fish soup with whole fish, rice, lemon, and herbs. Traditionally served during Lent and on fish days.

Hearty mains and a potato side

Rabbit stew and Bragioli suit a day when you can let a pot simmer. Pulpetti and stuffed peppers offer other family mains. Compare baked macaroni with baked rice, or choose Patata l-Forn as a side for a meat dish rather than a main on its own.

Watercolour illustration of Maltese rabbit stew with potatoes, carrots, peas and tomato sauce.

Stuffat tal-Fenek (Rabbit Stew)

Malta's national dish - slow-cooked rabbit in rich tomato and wine sauce.

Watercolour illustration of stuffed beef rolls in tomato sauce with peas and an egg-filled cut slice.

Bragioli (Maltese Beef Olives)

Tender beef rolls stuffed with savory pork filling, eggs, and slow-cooked in rich tomato sauce.

Watercolour illustration of Maltese meatballs in tomato sauce with parsley.

Pulpetti tal-Laħam (Maltese Meatballs)

Traditional Maltese meatballs made with minced meat, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, and cheese, then fried or simmered in tomato sauce.

Watercolour illustration of baked bell peppers stuffed with beef, rice and tomato.

Bżar Mimli (Stuffed Peppers)

Maltese stuffed peppers baked with minced meat, rice, tomato, herbs, and garlic. Colourful, hearty, and ideal for family meals.

Watercolour illustration of Maltese baked macaroni with beef sauce and a golden cheese topping.

Mqarrun il-Forn (Maltese Baked Macaroni)

Traditional Maltese baked macaroni with rich meat sauce, eggs, and cheese. Comforting, golden, and perfect for Sunday lunch.

Watercolour illustration of Maltese baked rice with beef, tomato, peas and a golden crust.

Ross il-Forn (Maltese Baked Rice)

Malta's comforting baked rice dish with minced meat and tomato, baked until golden. A classic Sunday family dish.

Watercolour illustration of Maltese roast potato wedges with onions, fennel seeds and parsley.

Patata l-Forn (Maltese Roast Potatoes)

Maltese oven-roasted potatoes with onion, garlic, stock, fennel seed, and olive oil. Golden on top, tender underneath, and full of Sunday lunch flavour.

Pies and savoury pastries

Maltese pastry cooking ranges from small, flaky pastizzi to pies you slice at the table. Compare ricotta and pea fillings, or choose a meat, ricotta, or lampuki pie. Check the pastry instructions before starting so you can allow time for resting and cooling the filling.

Watercolour illustration of golden boat-shaped pastizzi filled with savoury white ricotta.

Pastizzi tal-Irkotta (Maltese Ricotta Pastries)

Malta's beloved flaky pastries filled with seasoned ricotta. Crisp, golden, and best eaten warm from the oven.

Watercolour illustration of golden boat-shaped pastizzi with spiced split-pea filling.

Pastizzi tal-Piżelli (Maltese Pea Pastries)

Classic Maltese flaky pastries filled with spiced mushy peas. Crisp, savoury, and a favourite from every pastizzeria.

Watercolour illustration of Maltese meat pie with a cut slice showing beef, peas and tomato.

Torta tal-Laħam (Maltese Meat Pie)

A traditional Maltese meat pie filled with minced beef, peas, tomato, herbs, and flaky pastry. Hearty and perfect for family meals.

Watercolour illustration of savoury ricotta pie with a white cheese and parsley filling.

Torta tal-Irkotta (Maltese Ricotta Pie)

A traditional Maltese savoury ricotta pie with eggs, parsley, and cheese in golden shortcrust pastry. Simple, comforting, and excellent warm or cold.

Watercolour illustration of a sliced lampuki pie filled with fish, spinach, olives and tomato.

Torta tal-Lampuki (Maltese Fish Pie)

A beloved Maltese autumn fish pie with lampuki (dolphinfish), spinach, olives, capers, and pine nuts wrapped in flaky pastry.

Watercolour illustration of round pleated Maltese pea pies with an open top.

Qassatat tal-Piżelli (Maltese Pea Pies)

Traditional Maltese open savoury pastries filled with spiced mushy peas. Hearty, inexpensive, and perfect warm from the bakery.

Sweets and seasonal favourites

Try date-filled Imqaret or bread pudding for a sweet finish. Figolli belong to Easter, Kwareżimal to Lent, and Prinjolata to Carnival. Treacle-filled Qagħaq tal-Għasel offers another pastry project. Choose by technique as well as occasion: frying, shaping, and assembling require different preparation.

Watercolour illustration of diamond-shaped fried date pastries with orange and warm spices.

Imqaret (Maltese Date Pastries)

Traditional Maltese fried date pastries scented with citrus, aniseed, and warm spice. Crisp outside, sticky and aromatic inside.

Watercolour illustration of dark Maltese bread-pudding squares with raisins, walnuts and citrus.

Pudina tal-Ħobż (Maltese Bread Pudding)

A traditional Maltese bread pudding made with stale bread, cocoa, citrus, spices, dried fruit, and nuts. Frugal, rich, and deeply nostalgic.

Watercolour illustration of decorated Maltese Easter almond pastries topped with chocolate eggs.

Figolli (Maltese Easter Almond Pastries)

Malta's iconic Easter sweet - two layers of pastry filled with almond paste, baked and decorated with colourful icing and a chocolate egg on top.

Watercolour illustration of honey-glazed Maltese Lenten almond biscuits with citrus and spices.

Kwareżimal (Maltese Lenten Biscuits)

Traditional Maltese Lenten biscuits made without eggs, butter, or dairy. Dense, aromatic, and rich with almonds, citrus, and warm spices.

Watercolour illustration of Maltese pastry rings with dark treacle filling visible through small slashes.

Qagħaq tal-Għasel (Maltese Honey Rings)

Traditional Maltese honey rings filled with treacle, citrus, spices, and semolina. A fragrant festive sweet with a rich, sticky centre.

Watercolour illustration of domed Maltese Carnival cake with meringue, pine nuts, cherries and chocolate.

Prinjolata (Maltese Carnival Cake)

A festive dome-shaped Maltese dessert for Carnival, layered with sponge, pastry, cream, and nuts, covered in meringue and decorated with pine nuts and cherries.

Explore all Maltese recipe collections or browse every recipe.