Food of Belize

Belizean cuisine blends Maya, Garifuna, Creole, Mestizo and Caribbean influences. Rice and beans, stew chicken, fresh seafood and coconut dishes are everyday meals, with fry jacks at breakfast. Habanero hot sauce is on every table.

National dish

Rice and beans with stew chicken

Coconut rice and beans with browned chicken.

Staples

  • rice
  • red beans
  • coconut
  • chicken
  • fish
  • lobster
  • corn
  • plantains

Signature flavors

  • habanero
  • recado
  • coconut
  • thyme
  • allspice
  • lime

Main dishes

Rice and beans with stew chicken

Coconut rice and beans with browned chicken.

Key ingredients: rice, beans, chicken, coconut milk
Hudut

Garifuna fish in coconut broth with mashed plantain.

Key ingredients: fish, coconut milk, plantain
Escabeche

Onion soup with chicken.

Key ingredients: onion, chicken, vinegar
Boil up
Boil up

Boiled root vegetables, fish and eggs.

Key ingredients: yams, fish, eggs
Cochinita pibil
Cochinita pibil

Pork in achiote sauce.

Key ingredients: pork, achiote
Grilled lobster

Fresh Caribbean lobster.

Key ingredients: lobster, butter, lime
Conch fritters

Fried conch bites.

Key ingredients: conch, flour

Breakfast

Fry jacks
Fry jacks

Puffed fried dough with beans or jam.

Key ingredients: flour, oil
Johnny cakes
Johnny cakes

Biscuits from the coast.

Key ingredients: flour, coconut milk
Creole bread

Soft coconut-sweet bread.

Key ingredients: flour, coconut

Street food

Salbutes
Salbutes

Puffy fried tortillas with chicken and cabbage.

Key ingredients: tortilla, chicken, cabbage
Garnaches

Crisp tortillas with beans and cheese.

Key ingredients: tortilla, beans, cheese
Panades

Fried masa turnovers with fish.

Key ingredients: masa, fish

Soups

Chimole

Black recado chicken soup.

Key ingredients: chicken, recado
Cow foot soup

Hearty cow foot soup.

Key ingredients: cow foot, vegetables

Desserts and sweets

Coconut tart

Sweet pastry with coconut.

Key ingredients: coconut, pastry
Cassava pudding

Baked cassava dessert.

Key ingredients: cassava, coconut
Craboo tart

Pie with craboo fruit.

Key ingredients: craboo, sugar

Drinks

Ginger soda

Fresh ginger drink.

Key ingredients: ginger, sugar
Fresh limeade

Limeade.

Key ingredients: lime, sugar

Fruits and produce

Mango
Mango

Seasonal.

Papaya
Papaya

Common.

Full guide →
Craboo
Craboo

Small yellow berries.

Coconut
Coconut

Water and milk.

Cashew
Cashew

Fruit and nuts.

Dish guides from Belize

Papaya
PapayaFruits
Explore Belize on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.

More cuisines of Central America

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Maori boil up: Matyas Havel, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Cochinita pibil 2: Popo le Chien, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Fry jacks with eggs and salsa: US Embassy Belize, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Johnnycakes: Douglas Perkins, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Coox hanal salbutes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/scaredykat/, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Carica papaya - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-029: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Byrsonima crassifolia 1: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Cocos nucifera - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-187: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Cashew apples: Abhishek Jacob, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)