Garnaches are a popular street food in Belize made by frying a corn tortilla and topping it with refried beans, pickled carrots, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. This recipe is so easy to make and even easier to love!
“Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!”
My Opinions on Street Food
Street food… my favorite way to eat. Listen, I’m ALL. FOR. going out to eat at fancy restaurants (just ask my boyfriend, he’ll roll his eyes and tell you I’m right). But when I’m traveling in a new country, there’s nothing like some good street food.
I don’t know what it is about street food, but there’s something that makes eating from a vendor cart make the food taste infinitely more magical. Eating with your hands while you’re walking down brand new streets, seeing beautiful sights you’ve dreamt of experiencing? Life doesn’t get any more perfect than that. Imagine one of these Honduran Baleadas in your hands, warm and delicious as you explore the city.
Street Food in Belize
So today, I’ll be featuring a Belizean street food on the blog… Garnaches!
Belize’s neighboring, Spanish-speaking countries influence most of the street food in the country. Besides garnaches, other popular foods are tacos, panades (fried corn patties with fish and beans), and salbutes (hot, fried tacos).
So what are Garnaches?
A garnache is a flat, fried corn tortilla topped with refried beans, carrots, cheese, cabbage, lettuce, and tomatoes. This recipe for garnaches is purely vegetarian (and vegan!) and doesn’t include any meat. It would, however, be very easy to shred some chicken or pork and top your garnache with your protein of choice.
If you’re looking for an easy and authentic recipe from Belize, this is your go-to. You could make life complicated. You could make your own tortillas instead of buy them. You could make your own refried beans instead of buying from the can. I’m all for homemade, but I think that the beauty of this recipe has something to do with its ease. So buy the tortillas, pop open the can, and get enjoying these garnaches!
Street food is enjoyed all around the world and if you’re looking for another amazing dish that people enjoy prepared in front of them, check out Sfiha, a Middle Eastern flatbread covered with meat and delicious spices.
If you liked this recipe from The Foreign Fork, be sure to check out the Maamoul Date Cookies from Bahrain and this awesome Borscht Soup from Belarus. If you make this garnaches recipe, make sure to post a photo on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #TheForeignFork and tag @TheForeignFork. Leave a comment on the recipe, too, and tell me how you liked it! And don’t forget to come back next week to see some authentic recipes from the country of Benin.
Garnaches (Belize)
Ingredients
- 10 corn tortillas
- 1 can refried beans
- Cabbage
- One carrot, peeled and shredded
- One onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup vinegar
- 1 tomato, chopped
- Cheddar block, shredded
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Place the shredded carrots and sliced onions in the ½ cup vinegar and allow to soak for a few hours or overnight.
- Heat the oil to 325 degrees and fry the tortillas until crispy. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.
- Heat the refried beans according to can directions.
- Top the fried tortillas with warm beans, pickled carrots and onions, shredded cheese, shredded cabbage, and tomatoes. Enjoy!
Natasha says
This is not an authentic garnaches recipe. Please remove this blog as it will be very confusing to people who are looking for authentic recipes.
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Natasha, I would love to improve the recipe and make sure it represents Garnaches correctly! What changes do you recommend to make this more authentic?
Blaze says
This recipe is actually correct if you are trying to make TOSTADAS. Garnaches has four simple ingredients. 1) Refried Beans 2) Dutch (Red Ball) Cheese 3) Fried Corn Tortillas 4) Habanero/Onion Sauces.
Acceptable additions – Lime and Salted Fresh Cut Cabbage
Lee says
These look delicious but in Belize, garnaches are topped with refried beans and dutch cheese.
The Foreign Fork says
Thank you Lee! I am spending the next year reworking all of my early recipes where my research wasn’t as great…. I will be editing this sometime soon, and am appreciative of your insight! Thank you!