Guatemalan Food: Our Top Recipes (2024)

Savory Dishes

1. Tortillas

We thought we’d start out with a dish that is wildly popular, not only in Guatemala but in many countries around the globe: the corn tortilla.

Tortillas are incredibly versatile maize-based pancakes that can be topped with a variety of flavorsome ingredients and enjoyed as a wrap.

It’s very common in Guatemala to be served tortillas alongside a meal, so these corn wraps are a very popular staple of Guatemalan cuisine.

2. Tostadas

Not to be confused with tortillas on account of the same beginning and ending letters, tostadas are a variation of tortillas specifically topped with tomato sauce, fried beans, cheese, guacamole, parsley, and onions.

Tostadas provide a filling meal as well as a vibrant flavor experience – just remember to ask specifically for a tostada and not just a tortilla, or you’ll be presented with the plain wrap.

3. Bean-Based Dishes

Technically, this next one is an ingredient and not necessarily a specific dish, but it’s so central to Guatemalan cuisine that it deserves its own spot on our list. That’s right: we’re talking about beans!

Guatemalan dishes use all kinds of beans, prepared in various different ways. We’ve already seen how fried beans are incorporated into tostadas, but beans also feature in desserts and sweet dishes in Guatemala, as we will see later.

4. Tamales

If you’ve never tried Guatemalan tamale, you definitely should, and the best kind of tamale you’ll ever taste is the traditional Guatemalan recipe.

Traditionally stuffed with bell peppers, tomatoes, chilis, all well-spiced, these corn leaf wraps can provide the basis for so many different flavor combinations.

You can keep your tamales fully plant-based, or you can incorporate pieces of meat, such as pork, which is the go-to meat-based tamale filling in Guatemala.

5. Paches

The pache is a twist on the traditional tamale recipe where the filling is wrapped in a layer of mashed potato instead of corn leaves. This is a perfect tamale alternative for when you’re craving something a little heavier and heartier.

Paches are most often filled with a chili mix and pieces of pork in a vibrant tomato and bell pepper sauce.

6. Chuchitos

Another variation on the tamale, chuchitos are essentially smaller, parcel-shaped tamales.

Where pork is the traditional meat used in the preparation of tamales, chuchitos normally feature chicken as the central ingredient instead.

Chuchitos are served topped with cheese and tomato sauce, and they make the perfect side dish for big family meals.

7. Chirmol

Speaking of side dishes, chirmol is a traditional Guatemalan dip that is similar to tomato salsa. In fact, the dish is often referred to as ‘Guatemalan salsa.’

Chirmol is made from tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and just a pinch of salt. It’s not overly complicated but creates a burst of fresh flavors that go with many savory dishes.

The great thing about chirmol is that you can add as much or as little spice to it as you like, depending on your palate.

8. Enchiladas

Enchiladas are relatively well-known in many countries, but they are traditionally a Mexican recipe that has also become hugely popular in Guatemala.

The Guatemalan enchilada is a tortilla-based dish filled with a combination of meats, cheese, and fried beans as well as vegetables and potatoes. Enchiladas are also topped with a special sauce flavored with cumin and chili, as well as more cheese.

Enchiladas make a really indulgent and flavor-filled meal that we recommend everyone to try.

9. Jocon

Jocon is a Guatemalan stew, easily recognizable for its unique flavor combination as well as its beautiful, bright green color.

The stew is usually chicken-based and is flavored with garlic, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, cilantro, tomatillos, and sesame seeds.

10. Pepian

Pepian is another Guatemalan stew, and it’s actually the national dish of Guatemala!

In contrast to Jocon, Pepian stew has a rich, red color. Although the color is appealing, the dish smells and tastes even better than it looks.

Pepian is made from tomatoes, chilis, pepitora and sesame seeds, onion, and garlic. It’s thickened with plantain and seasoned with cinnamon.

11. Kak ‘ik

Here we have yet another red stew! Kak ‘ik is Mayan in origin and is made from chili and tomatoes. Unlike Pepian, which is made with chicken, Kak ‘ik is turkey-based.

12. Cocido

Cocido is a traditional Spanish dish, also known as cozido.

This stew is popular across Guatemala and is based around chickpeas. Other ingredients include pork, chorizo, chicken, squash, and potatoes. Usually, cocido is seasoned with a combination of saffron, garlic, and parsley.

13. Escabeche

If you’re a fan of versatile, spicy sauces that can be paired with vegetable and meat dishes alike, you’ll love escabeche!

Escabeche is a citrus and vinegar-based sauce that derives its spicy kick of flavor from pimenton peppers and other spice blends.

14. Shucos

Anyone who loves hot dogs will fall in love with the traditional Guatemalan shuco.

A shuco consists of a bread bun, grilled and filled to the brim with sausage and cabbage. It is then topped with ketchup, mayonnaise, guacamole, and mustard.

15. Hilachas

We’ve seen plenty of chicken and pork-based stews on this list already, and a turkey-based stew, but the Guatemalan Hilachas stew is made with beef.

Hilachas consists of beef stewed in a sweet chili sauce guaranteed to make your mouth water as soon as you smell it. The stew is usually served with potatoes and carrots.

16. Fiambre

Fiambre is the perfect Guatemalan dish for anyone who enjoys eclectic blends of flavors and ingredients on a single plate.

Fiambre is a traditional celebratory dish prepared to mark the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, as it is called in Guatemala.

This dish consists of pork, sausage, chicken, plus a whole host of vegetables, including peppers, cauliflower, carrots, beetroot, and celery. Fiambre usually always features generous helpings of different cheeses. Boiled eggs and seafood are often mixed in, as well.

Every family’s Fiambre recipe is likely to be slightly different because the dish is so closely linked to tradition and family in Guatemalan culture. Sometimes you may find avocado in the dish as well.

Sweet Dishes

17. Chocolate

This one needs absolutely no introduction, but we’ll introduce it anyway: chocolate is made from ground and roasted cacao seeds and has been a beloved sweet treat in many areas of the world for centuries.

Cacao seeds and the resultant chocolate are intrinsically linked to Guatemalan culture. Mayan tribes in Guatemala often drank a hot chocolate drink known as Ceremonial Cacao.

You can count on being able to find chocolate relatively easily in Guatemala, including in the hot drink form.

18. Bunuelos

Bunuelos are wheat-based dough fritters made by frying the dough in oil before serving alongside (or topped/filled with) some anise syrup.

The Bunuelo is thought to have originated in medieval Spain during the period between 711 and 1492 AD.

19. Champurradas

Have you ever heard of Champurradas? If not, you’re in for a treat!

Champurradas are a Guatemalan dessert through and through, having originated directly from the country.

These cookies are similar to a cross between biscotti and sugar cookies. However, they differentiate themselves in the world of cookies by relying on sesame seeds for their sweet yet unique flavor.

Champurradas are actually really easy to make for yourself at home, so if you’re looking for a simple Guatemalan dessert to add to your culinary repertoire, this is it!

20. Rellenitos

While we’re on the subject of cookies, Rellenitos are very interesting cookie-like Guatemalan desserts that will change the way you think about the binary of sweet and savory in cooking.

The recipe for Rellenitos proves what we were saying earlier about the centrality of beans to Guatemalan cooking.

Rellenitos are made from fried beans, plantain, cinnamon spice, and vanilla. It might sound like a strange combination of flavors, but trust us when we say you don’t want to miss out on this dessert.

21. Marzipan

Marzipan is another sweet treat that you’ve most likely heard of or even tried before but may know little about concerning its popularity around the world.

It is estimated that Marzipan is one of the most popular candies in Guatemala. Marzipan is made from almond paste and, of course, plenty of sugar.

In Guatemala, you will usually find marzipan colored and sculpted into fun and often detailed shapes, including miniature fruits.

22. Arroz con Leche

Finally, we highly recommend trying Arroz con Leche.

Arroz con Leche is sometimes considered a drink and sometimes referred to as a dessert, depending on who you ask. In our opinion, it’s both!

This milk-based drink is similar to Atol in terms of its sweet, warm, milky flavor, but it’s thicker and somewhat resembles the consistency of rice pudding.

Arroz con Leche is made with rice, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, all boiled in milk.

Beverages

23. Coffee

Many of us enjoy a strong cup of coffee (or 5) in the mornings to get us ready for the day ahead. But did you know that coffee has an important place in Guatemalan history and culture?

Guatemala produces some of the best coffee in the world, known for its especially strong flavor. Coffee was sacred to the Mayan people, who believed that Cacao beans were a gift provided by the gods.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that coffee is in abundance and extremely popular in Guatemala.

24. Atol

If you’re looking for a Guatemalan beverage to provide comfort and warmth on a cold morning or night, you should definitely try Atol!

Atol is made from corn, milk, and sugar. The recipe involves mixing Masa Harina (maize powder) with milk, cinnamon, sugar (or piloncillo) before adding a hint of vanilla.

25. Ponche

Ponche is a warm, spiced, festive-feeling drink that is typically enjoyed at Christmas in Guatemala.

The basis of the drink is dried fruit and cinnamon spice, sugared and boiled for a sweet, rich flavor. The fruits traditionally used to make Ponche are oranges, pears, apples, pineapple, papaya, and raisins.

Cloves and tamarind spice can also be added to Ponche for an extra kick.

Final Thoughts

After all that talk about Guatemalan street food, we’re feeling hungry, so that’s all from us for today!

We hope you’ve managed to take some culinary inspiration from these 25 popular Guatemalan dishes.

Bear in mind that many of these dishes are traditional and have deep cultural and historical roots, so please be mindful of this as you order or replicate them.

With that being said, the range of spices, ingredients, and flavor combinations featured in traditional Guatemalan cuisine leaves plenty of room for culinary freedom.

There is a wealth of popular Guatemalan recipes available at your fingertips. Which will you try first?