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Guatemalan Recipes

12 recipes

Guatemalan cooking rests on Maya foundations: corn, beans, squash and chilies, with cacao and local herbs. Spanish settlers added pork, beef, chicken, onions and sugar, and the two traditions meet in recados, the roasted and ground sauces of tomatoes, dried chilies and toasted seeds that define stews such as pepián, jocón and hilachas. Corn is eaten daily as tortillas, tamales and atol, and black beans appear at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tamales change by region and occasion, with large red ones at Christmas and small chuchitos on market days. Flavors are savory and earthy rather than hot, since dried chilies are used for color and depth, and fresh salsas such as chirmol come on the side. Festive foods follow the calendar: fiambre, a huge cold salad, for All Saints' Day on 1 November, tamales and fruit punch at Christmas, and sweets such as torrejas during Holy Week.

Staple ingredients

Breakfast

Soups

Salads

Main Dishes

Desserts

Snacks

Drinks

Sauces, Dips and Condiments

Common questions

What is Guatemalan food known for?

Recado-based stews such as pepián, jocón and hilachas, tamales in many forms, black beans, fresh corn tortillas and atol. Flavors are earthy and mildly spiced, built on roasted seeds, tomatoes and dried chilies.

What is the national dish of Guatemala?

Pepián is the dish most often named. It is a thick stew of meat and vegetables in a roasted seed and chili sauce, served at festivals and family celebrations.

Is Guatemalan food spicy?

Mostly mild. The dried chilies in recados add color and smoky depth more than heat, and fresh chilies or hot sauce are added at the table by those who want them.