My Guide to the Food of Belize: A Delicious Introduction

Just about everyone who visits Belize leaves saying the same thing: “We came for the sun, the reef, the snorkeling, and the adventure—and we left raving about the food.”

In love with the food. And the people.

Because Belizean cuisine really is that good.

If you’re not quite sure what Belizean food is…you’re not alone. We’re a small country (maybe 450,000 people and the size of NJ), and there are only a handful of Belizean restaurants in the U.S. But what we lack in size, we make up for in great home cooking, simple ingredients, tradition, and lots of flavor.

If I had to describe Belizean cuisine? it’s a blend of food inspired by the Yucatan region of Mexico, by the Caribbean and the fresh seafood (particularly conch) and a dash of Honduran and Guatemalan cuisines…and American here and there… But honestly, you’ve got to taste it for yourself.

My Belizean Food Primer (Ambergris Caye Edition)

Belize is a true cultural melting pot, with roots in Garifuna, Creole, Mestizo, Maya, Chinese, Lebanese, Mennonite, and British colonial cultures that all shape Belize’s identity. And while the food can vary from north to south and sometimes, village to village, there’s a strong, unmistakable Belizean cuisine that ties it all together.

There are dishes that everyone across the country knows and loves – like stew chicken with rice and beans, fry jacks, and conch ceviche. Belizean food has its own flavor and comfort, and once you taste it, I think you’ll get it.

Since I’ve lived on Ambergris Caye for over 17 years (and only on this island!), I’m centering this guide in San Pedro. But you’ll find these dishes all over the country.

Let’s start with…

Breakfast in Belize

Breakfast is my favorite meal.  In the US, I love it for the sweets – the dessert-fest that you can eat in the morning like pancakes or muffins or coffee cakes or sugar coated cereals.  In Belize, breakfast is primarily savory not sweet.

The protein is coming to you by way of ham and beans or leftover stewed chicken from the day before.  The “bread” part takes lots of different forms…

Flour Tortillas

Thick, freshly made flour tortillas are often rolled around beans and ham, or beans and stewed chicken. Or layered into something that resembles a thin, hot breakfast sandwich. Always delicious.

Corn Tortillas

Fresh corn tortillas—warm and just off the press—are often sold by the pound at the tortilleria. (They are $2.50bzd a lb in San Pedro right now) Perfect for scooping up stewed meats and soups. Try them warm if you can – they’re best that way.  Lots of folks buy a fresh lb a day to eat with meals.  If you don’t go to one of the “tortilla factories”, you’ll find them at local shops in a small cooler by the entrance or by the register.

Meat Pies

Flaky crust, savory meat filling. Meat pies are the ultimate Belizean grab-and-go snack. You’ll see them at gas stations, delis, and bakeries. Try them.

Johnny Cakes

Soft, biscuit-like rounds made with flour, baking soda, and often coconut milk. Great toasted, especially stuffed with ham and cheese but they are often served with chicken and beans as well. My favorite johnny cake is served at Celi’s Deli on Front Street in San Pedro – ask for it toasted. Get there early though – they often sell out by 930am.

Tacos

In Belize, tacos are a breakfast staple. They are fresh corn tortillas rolled up with a slather of shredded chicken or pork and gravy. Served with chopped onions, cilantro and hot sauce…good lawd they are good. I’m a pork taco girl myself. I love the pork tacos at Neri’s in San Pedro with a large icy cup of banana juice.

Folks in Belize generally drink juice (or water or soda) with breakfast. When I first moved to the island, there were no coffee spots. Instant coffee was what many delis served. Now we have a bunch of great coffee shops and cafes.

I love the coffee at Lavish Habit on Front Street. And Green Espresso on Middle Street is another great hangout. You have a bunch of options – even TWO drive-thru coffee spots…

Coffee de los Mayas is located less than a mile south of San Pedro town, and another is opening in mid-June 2025 just north of the bridge. (And no…the ancient Maya did not have coffee – it is originally from Ethiopia and didn’t make it to Europe and the Americas until the 1600s. But I can bet you many modern Maya love a good latte 😉 )

Lunch in Belize

This is the biggest meal of the day – and that took me time to get used to! Growing up, lunch was a sandwich…almost always a sandwich. And dinner was the big hot meal of the day. In San Pedro, folks generally eat a HUGE HOT LUNCH – even school kids. Heaps of delicious rice and beans with stewed meat or fried chicken.

If you are not used to it, this kinda meal can make you veeery sleepy in the afternoon.

The #1 classic lunch dish in Belize is:

Stewed Chicken with Rice & Beans

The national dish. Stewed chicken (seasoned with recado*) is served with rice and beans (or white rice WITH stewed beans). It’s also almost always served with cole slaw or potato salad and a generous helping of gravy (the pan drippings from the stew chicken.)  And with a slice or two of sweet fried plantain. Belizeans call it ricenbeans—one word for the dish.

*Recado: A spice paste made with annatto seeds- you’ll see the little red logs of it for sale at local shops (usually by the register) It has a slight acidic or citrus-y twang. Very distinctive, only in Belize kinda flavor. It’s critical for making stewed chicken.

The black recado below is made with charred corn tortillas and is used in chimole (below)

My favorite:  Stew Chicken, Dark Meat, at Briana’s Deli (Back Street, San Pedro) – we go thru stretches where we it eat there maybe 3x a week. Elvi’s Kitchen also makes killer stewed chicken (they are a MUST GO TO restaurant)

“Fry Chicken“

The unofficial dish of Belize. You’ll see quite a few Chinese shops and to-go delis arond Ambergris Caye and across the country. Most serve fry chicken.

Fried chicken with huge helpings of french fries in a styrofoam container.  Before leaving, the whole plate is usually covered in cheap, sweet ketchup – where sugar is BY FAR the main ingredient, and, often, hot sauce.

Some places in Belize City serve hundreds of pounds of chicken a day – like Li Chee, one of the cities most famous.  (I was on a Belize City fried chicken bender for a while…I didn’t love Li Chee)

My Favorite Fried Chicken: Friendship Restaurant, Belize City, Lily’s Treasure Chest, San Pedro (also great fried fish fillet!)

Whole Fried Fish

Crispy snapper or hogfish, deep-fried and served with rice and beans or flour tortillas. The entire fish is pretty much edible – yes, the eyes and the fins.

Soups

Yes, it’s hot outside, but soup is very popular in Belize. Chicken soup – delicious beef soup. They are usually good sized portions, filled with big chunks of veggies and meat and served with fresh corn tortillas and a side of rice.

Must-tries: Big Taste Deli/Restaurant makes delicious soups – check for their daily specials

Black Soup/Black Dinner/Chimole – A rich, dark chicken soup made with black recado. Filled with big chunks of local veg like cho cho, it’s served with corn tortillas, coconut rice, and often a hard-boiled egg in the soup (if you are lucky!)

Conch Soup – Made with fresh conch, cilantro and coconut milk. Some versions are creamy like chowder, others are more brothy – it’s one of my favorite dishes in Belize. (Conch season in Belize: Oct 1 to July 1st unless it closes early…and it usually does. Conch Season 2025 closed on May 25th)

Favorites: Estel’s Dine by the Sea, San Pedro, El Fogon, San Pedro

Barbecue

Weekends = BBQ in Belize. Look for the roadside grills on Saturdays and Sundays. Chicken is most common, but ribs, sausage, and pork chops are often in the mix. Usually $10-12BZD for chicken with rice and beans and coleslaw.

Ceviche

A must-eat in Belize. Fresh seafood “cooked” in lime juice, mixed with chopped onion, tomato, and cilantro. Served with tortilla chips and cold drinks. Conch ceviche is the most classic and the most delicious.

A Favorite: Lily’s Treasure Chest, San Pedro on the beach in town but you can find great ceviche all over the island!

Dinner in Belize

Dinner often mirrors lunch—maybe served with fry jacks instead of rice, or both. Small delis serve up traditional, smaller bites for just a few dollars each.

Read this blog for a breakdown of what all of these dishes are.  And try them all – they are only a few dollars each…they are delicious and very typical for dinner in San Pedro.

Desserts and Sweets

You can find local sweet treats for sale around San Pedro – often at small fruit and vegetable stands.  There is wangla – a kind of brittle made with sesame season.  And cuto brut – delicious patties of boiled sugar with hunks of soft coconut in them.

There is fudge that has no chocolate in it. It’s very sweet slabs of boiled condensed milk that starts to crystallize.

There’s Bread Pudding – it’s very dense and often spiced with nutmeg and allspice.

Restaurant staples:

Coconut Pie – Sweet shredded coconut in flaky crust

Lime Pie – Often called “lemon pie” or “Caye Lime,” sometimes frozen, sometimes topped with meringue or cream

Flan – baked custard with caramel

My Favorite: Elvi’s Kitchen, San Pedro – frozen lime pie with ginger snap crust! They also make an AMAZING warm coconut pie with vanilla ice cream.

Party Foods/Appetizers of Belize

Chicken Ceviche

This is one strange dish in my estimation but served and LOVED at many parties.  I’m hoping for some help on the description.  Because right now all I can come up with is:  chicken parts and knuckles served in grease.

A few years ago, I asked on Facebook for other descriptions and got some help:

• Maria from Orange Walk:  A local poultry sensation – a chicken innards delicacy.
• Alexis (a chef) from San Pedro:  Chicken cooked in a lime vinaigrette?
• Jamal from the mainland:  “raw chicken in lime juice! oh, and there’s some other stuff casually thrown in, too.” mmm,mmm, good!
• Finn from San Pedro:  Chicken ceviche is basically made with chicken parts like neck and back, gizzard, feet and cooked in lime, salt, and a whole lotta pepper.  Yum.

You can buy chicken “back, necks, and feet” This dish is loved in San Pedro. You won’t find it at restaurants but a party? For sure. It’s an…experience…

Want to try it? Lions Den Bingo night in San Pedro often has it on the menu.

Conch Fritters

Like hush puppies with a Belizean twist—tasty batter balls of conch, onion, pepper and cilantro deep fried and served with dipping sauce. Usually a honey mustard or a sweet mango or even an aioli.

Favorites: El Fogon, San Pedro, Ol’ Tacklebox in San Pedro

Cheese Dip

THE GO-TO DISH at all parties I’ve been to in Belize – cheese dip.  A runny DELICIOUS dip of local “Dutch cheese” blended with evaporated milk, hot sauce, and often a can of salsa.  Eaten at each and every party – and also available by the single serving(or larger amounts) at Annie’s Pastries just north of town.

If you are in San Pedro between 2 and 8pm and hear a bike horn honking, it just may be the Annie’s Cart.  Go out and do yourself a HUGE favor.  Buy the chicken dip or the lobster dip (in season) or just the cheese dip.  It’s DELICIOUS.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten some favorites—so drop a comment with yours! Until then, if you’re visiting Belize, try everything you can.