Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Tapado
The Garifuna coconut seafood stew of Honduras' Caribbean coast: fish and shrimp layered over green plantain and yuca and simmered in fresh coconut milk.
Honduran · medium · serves 6
prep 30 min · cook 45 min
~707 cal · 35g protein · 72g carbs · 34g fat · 8g fiber · 21g sugars · 26g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Tapado is the flagship one-pot stew of the Garifuna people of Honduras' Caribbean coast, a magnificent bowl of fish and seafood simmered with green , , and vegetables in fresh . Its name means "covered," a nod to the whole fried fish traditionally laid across the top of the bowl and to the way the ingredients cook layered under a lid.
The coastal tapado costeño is the coconut-and-seafood version made in towns like Tela, La Ceiba, and Trujillo; there is also an inland tapado olanchano built on smoked and salted meats, a different dish sharing the name. This is the coastal one: firm white fish (snapper is traditional), shrimp, and often crab or conch, seasoned with culantro and and bathed in .
The secret is layering and gentleness: the firm and go in first, the delicate seafood on top, and the is never boiled hard so it does not split. It is served with white rice or the Garifuna bread, ereba, to soak up the broth.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
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
US
Metric
Serves 6
1 1/2 lbs firm white fish (snapper or corvina), in pieces
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled
3 cups
2 green , in chunks
1 ripe , sliced
1 lb (), in chunks
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
3 tbsp fresh culantro or cilantro
1 tbsp ground ()
1 habanero pepper, left whole
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lime, juiced
to taste salt
Instructions
1
Season the fish and shrimp with the lime juice, salt, and pepper and set aside.
2
Soften the onion, garlic, and tomato in the oil, then stir in the annatto until the oil turns deep orange.
3
Pour in the coconut milk and a couple of cups of water, add the culantro and whole habanero, and bring to a gentle simmer without letting it boil hard.
✎ Chef’s note
Coconut milk splits if boiled hard, so keep it at a bare simmer and stir gently; the layered pot is best left barely stirred once the fish is in.
4
Add the yuca and green plantain first and cook about 15 minutes, then the ripe plantain for 10 minutes more, until the roots are nearly tender.
5
Lay the fish and shrimp on top and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until the fish flakes and the shrimp turn pink. Lift out the pepper and serve with rice.
Garifuna Caribbean-coast tradition, Honduras.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
San Pedro Sula. The baleada is credited to the north coast and to La Ceiba rather than to this city, though the whole region eats them daily. The flour tortilla is thick and soft, the crema is Honduran mantequilla blanca, thinner and more sour than the name suggests, and the cheese is queso duro, salty and dry.
🗺️
Honduras. The baleada belongs to the north coast, and La Ceiba rather than San Pedro Sula is where it is generally credited. It is a thick flour tortilla folded around refried beans, mantequilla blanca, which is a soured cream rather than butter, and crumbled queso duro, with egg or avocado added for a bigger version.
🌍
North America. North America's table began with Indigenous foodways, the "three sisters" of corn, beans, and squash, plus chiles, tomatoes, and cacao, then layered on colonial, African, and immigrant influences. From Mexico's UNESCO-recognized cuisine to the Cajun and Creole pots of Louisiana and the fiery jerk of the Caribbean, the region turns ancient staples into something new. Barbecue, tacos, gumbo, and mole all carry stories of migration and adaptation.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Honduras
BaleadasA thick flour tortilla folded over refried beans, salty cheese, and crema, Honduras’ perfect handheld meal.
Pollo con TajadasHonduran fried or grilled chicken over crisp green-plantain chips with cabbage slaw and sauces.
Sopa de CaracolA rich conch soup in coconut broth with yuca, plantain, and corn, the Garifuna coastal dish Honduras made famous.
Browse all Honduras recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Honduras meal
Horchata HondureñaDrink
Rosquillas en MielDessert
Sopa de CaracolLunch
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Cuisine
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Frequently asked questions
What is Tapado?
The Garifuna coconut seafood stew of Honduras' Caribbean coast: fish and shrimp layered over green plantain and yuca and simmered in fresh coconut milk.
Where does Tapado come from?
Tapado is a Honduran dish from San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
Can Tapado be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Tapado recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Tapado 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 count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), 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 Tapado take to make?
About 75 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 6.
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