Panades are deep-fried corn masa pockets stuffed with fish, beans, or cheese — one of the most popular street foods in Belize. Traditionally filled with smoked dogfish shark, they are served with curtido, a spicy vinegar-onion-habanero topping. Panades are Mayan in origin and remain a staple snack at markets, bus stops, and family gatherings across the country.
“Panades” – Belizean Empanades – a classic snack filled with smoked fish, beans, or cheese, and topped with spicy fresh cortido. Historically Belizean panades were filled with smoked bonefish (known locally as “Macabi“). However, due to overfishing with gill nets and the rise in tourist sport fishing, bonefish are now protected. This recipe works well with many types of fish, smoked or not.
A simple fried snack, Belize panades are a favorite of young and old alike. Panades are yet another Belizean food like tamales that is often a community event to make and eat together. Essentially a corn tortilla folded in half with smoked fish filling, beans, or cheese. Panades are often assembled in an assembly line; the first person operates the tortilla press, the second adds the filling and folds the panada in half, and the third does the frying. The topping for panades is called cortido, a sauce made from White Vinegar, Onions, Salt, and Haberneros. This sauce gives each panada a kick and balances the fried flavor with an acidic spice.
Prep Time 45 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Yields 36
Belizean Fish Panades Ingredients
Corn Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup – corn flour (Maseca brand is best)
- 1 – cup warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon (or half one recado ball) – Recado Rojo
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
Note: about 1 cup of Maseca makes about 6 to 8 panades.
Belizean Smoked Fish Panades Filling Ingredients
- Smoked Fish pulled apart and all bones sorted out
Cortido Ingredients
- 2 + cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 Onion diced
- 1 Habanero diced
- Salt to taste
- See the full recipe for Belizean Curtido
Frying Oil
- Oil for frying, Vegetable or Coconut Oil
Belize Panades Recipe Instructions
- Sift together the dry ingredients for the corn dough: corn flour, recado, and salt.
- Mix in recado and water slowly mixing by hand.
- Let dough rest for 10-15 minutes, then form/roll into golf-ball-sized balls by hand.
- Make sure your filling is ready.
- The filling can be beans, cheese, or meat, but today, we are making fish panades!
- Season smoked fish to taste.
- Using a tortilla press, press the dough balls into flat disks. It’s easiest if you use plastic on either side of the tortilla press. (A ziplock bag cut in half works well).
- Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of each round dough disk. Fold the dough over and press the edges together with your fingertips.
- Once a few of the raw panades are formed, start heating your oil.
- You want enough oil so that the panades can be covered.
- When the oil is hot enough, working in batches, place each panade in the oil. It will sizzle immediately.
How to make panades step by step:
If you enjoyed this classic Belizean recipe for Fish Empanades you may also enjoy our other recipes featuring corn masa: salbutes, and tamales.
For a delicious alternative to fish try beans panades and cheese panades.
FAQ: Belize Panades Recipe
Q: What are Belizean panades? A: Belizean panades are a classic snack similar to empanadas, traditionally filled with smoked fish, beans, or cheese, and topped with a spicy cortido sauce made from white vinegar, onions, salt, and habaneros.
Q: Can I use different types of fish for this recipe? A: Yes, while historically Belizean panades were filled with smoked boney fish, this recipe is versatile and works well with various types of fish, smoked or not. We love them with smoked whitefish, smoked salmon, or smoked trout.
Q: What is cortido? A: Cortido is a topping for panades, a sauce made from distilled white vinegar, diced onions, diced habanero, and salt. It adds a kick to the panades and balances the fried flavor with an acidic spice. Some Belizeans prefer to top panades with a version of cortido that uses cabbage instead of onions. The texture is similar but the taste is more mild. In Belize, it can be difficult to find sweet onions and onions can be very sharp tasting as well as expensive.
Q: How long does it take to prepare and cook Belize Panades? A: The preparation time is approximately 45 minutes, and the cooking time is also around 45 minutes.
Q: What are the main ingredients for the corn dough in Belizean Fish Panades? A: The corn dough ingredients include corn flour (Maseca brand is recommended), water, recado rojo, lard or corn oil, baking powder, and salt.
Q: Can I use a different filling for the panades? A: Absolutely! While this recipe focuses on smoked fish, you can also use beans, cheese, or meat as the filling for your panades.
Q: What oil is best for frying Belizean Fish Panades? A: You can use vegetable or coconut oil for frying, ensuring enough oil to cover the panades for even cooking.
Q: How do I know when the oil is ready for frying the panades? A: The oil is ready when it sizzles immediately upon adding a panade. Make sure to heat the oil to the right temperature before starting to fry.
Q: Are there any other Belizean recipes that use corn masa? A: Yes, if you enjoy corn masa recipes, you might also like to try making salbutes and tamales, which are other popular Belizean dishes.
Q: Where can I find the full recipe for Belizean Curtido? A: You can find the full recipe for Belizean Curtido.
Shop This Recipe
Masa Harina
Panades start with corn flour mixed with recado and water – the recipe specifies Maseca as the preferred brand for dough that presses cleanly without cracking.
Tortilla Press
A tortilla press flattens each dough ball into a uniform disk so the filling folds without tearing at the edges – the recipe’s assembly-line approach depends on consistent thickness.
Oil Thermometer
Panades need oil hot enough to sizzle immediately on contact – a clip-on thermometer keeps the frying temperature stable across the 36-piece batches this recipe produces.
Spider Strainer
Lifting fried panades out of deep oil without dragging grease back through the dough is what a spider strainer does – a slotted spoon cups too much oil in the bowl.
About Joe Post
Joe Post is the founder and editor of Belize News Post. He grew up in Corozal Town, Belize, on the Caribbean sea with a view across Corozal Bay to Cerro Maya. He has lived in Costa Rica, Kenya, England, Spain, and the United States. He grew up cooking alongside his mother and grandmother, and has personally tested the vast majority of the recipes on this site. He started BNP in the early 2000s as one of the few independent Belizean news sources online. Over the years, the food became the stickiest thing. News comes and goes. Food stays.
Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou!
When I went to school in Belize a man on a bike used to sell this to us at break time. I’m 70 and haven’t lived in Belize since I was 14, but I’ve been trying to find this recipe ever since. Panades are one of the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten.
Hurrah!