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Panades (Belizean Fish-Filled Corn Turnovers)

Little half-moons of achiote-tinted corn masa filled with a seasoned fish hash, fried crisp and eaten hot with a sharp, fiery curtido of onion, habanero and vinegar.
Belizean · medium · serves 6
prep 40 min · cook 35 min
~374 cal · 18g protein · 39g carbs · 16g fat · 4g fiber · 4g sugars · 2g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Small crisp golden-orange corn turnovers topped with pickled onion and habanero slices
AI-generated illustration
Panades are one of Belize's favourite street foods, sold from carts and stands and made at home by the dozen. They are close cousins of the Latin American empanada, but made with corn rather than wheat dough, and fried until crisp.
The classic filling is a fish hash. Shark was traditional and is still used, along with other firm fish, and many families make them with canned tuna; beans, chicken and cheese are common too. The is coloured and flavoured with , the red seasoning of Belizean cooking, and each ball of dough is pressed flat, filled, folded and sealed.
Panades are served with onion sauce, a curtido of thinly sliced onion and habanero pepper steeped in vinegar and salt, spooned over the hot panades, and often with a little shredded cabbage.
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Make it yours

✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.

Ingredients

Serves 6
  • 1 medium onion, very thinly sliced (for the curtido)
  • 1 habanero pepper, thinly sliced (for the curtido), seeded for less heat
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar (for the curtido)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (for the curtido)
  • 450 g (1 lb) firm white fish fillets (such as snapper, mackerel or shark)
    Hard to find? canned tuna, drained - a common Belizean home shortcut; skip the poaching step
  • 2 tsp ground (), 1 tsp for the fish, 1 tsp for the masa
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for the filling)
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (for the filling)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • to taste salt and black pepper (for the filling)
  • 2 cups (240 g) harina (corn flour for tortillas)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (for the )
  • about 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 750 ml vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1 cup shredded white cabbage, to serve, optional

Instructions

  • 1
    Make the curtido: put the sliced onion and habanero in a jar or bowl with the vinegar and salt, stir, and leave it to steep while you make the panades.
  • 2
    Put the fish in a pan with water to cover, a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of achiote, bring to a simmer and poach for 8 to 10 minutes until it flakes. Drain, cool a little and flake it finely, removing any bones.
  • 3
    Heat the tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped onion and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Add the flaked fish, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until fairly dry. Stir in the cilantro and let it cool.
  • 4
    Mix the masa harina with the salt and the remaining achiote, then add the warm water gradually, kneading, until you have a soft, smooth dough that does not crack when pressed. Cover it with a damp cloth.
  • 5
    Roll the dough into balls the size of a golf ball. Press each one between two sheets of plastic in a tortilla press, or with the bottom of a plate, into a round about 10 cm across and 3 mm thick.
    ✎ Chef’s note
    If the edges crack, the dough is too dry: knead in a spoonful more water.
  • 6
    Peel off the top sheet, put a heaped teaspoon of filling on one half, then use the bottom sheet to fold the dough over into a half-moon. Press the edges firmly together with your fingertips to seal.
  • 7
    Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 165 to 175C (325 to 350F). Fry the panades a few at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper and serve hot, with the curtido spooned over and a little cabbage alongside.
Belizean tradition.

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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination

📍
Belize City. Rice and beans is not the same as beans and rice, and Belizeans will tell you so. Rice and beans means the two cooked together in coconut milk and is the national dish; beans and rice means them cooked separately and served side by side. Recado rojo, the annatto paste colouring the stew, has Maya roots.
🗺️
Belize. Belize is the only English-speaking country in Central America, and its kitchens sit side by side rather than blending: Creole coconut rice, Maya corn and recado in the west, Mestizo escabeche and salbutes in the north, and Garifuna hudut in the coastal towns of Dangriga and Hopkins, fish in coconut broth with pounded plantain.
🌍
North America. The most consequential technique on this continent is nixtamalisation, cooking maize with lime or wood ash. It loosens the skins, makes the dough that becomes tortillas and tamales, and frees up niacin the body cannot otherwise absorb, which is why maize spread around the world without the technique and took pellagra with it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.

More from Belize

Belizean Stew ChickenChicken marinated in recado rojo, browned in caramelized sugar, and stewed dark, served with rice and beans.
Fry JacksPuffy, crisp triangles of fried dough eaten with refried beans, eggs, or jam, the golden centerpiece of a Belizean breakfast.
GarnachesCrisp fried tortillas topped with refried beans, cheese, and pickled cabbage, Belize's favorite street snack-lunch.
Browse all Belize recipes →

Good to know

You’ll need: Skillet or frying pan.
Storing it: Fried food is best eaten fresh while crisp. Re-crisp leftovers in a hot oven or air fryer; the microwave makes them soft.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Panades (Belizean Fish-Filled Corn Turnovers)?

Little half-moons of achiote-tinted corn masa filled with a seasoned fish hash, fried crisp and eaten hot with a sharp, fiery curtido of onion, habanero and vinegar.

Where does Panades (Belizean Fish-Filled Corn Turnovers) come from?

Panades (Belizean Fish-Filled Corn Turnovers) is a Belizean dish from Belize City, Belize.

Can Panades (Belizean Fish-Filled Corn Turnovers) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

This Panades (Belizean Fish-Filled Corn Turnovers) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.

Is Panades (Belizean Fish-Filled Corn Turnovers) safe for people with food allergies?

Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.

How long does Panades (Belizean Fish-Filled Corn Turnovers) take to make?

About 75 minutes total (40 minutes prep, 35 minutes cooking), serving 6.

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