15 Honduran Appetizers That Are Easy To Make

From tortilla-based treats to crunchy deep-fried dishes that highlight ingredients native to the country, these 15 Honduran appetizers are delicious, easy, and fun to eat! 

The Central American nation of Honduras is a top-rated tourist destination, with plenty of archeological sites and Mayan ruins that add to the beautiful tropical landscape. 

It’s a place with many regional influences, from its ancient cultures such as the Maya, Garifuna, and Lenca, along with the rich historical impact from the Spanish, African, and Caribbean, imparting a strand of their identity to the nation and its people.  

This mix of culture and tradition plays a huge part in the country’s local cuisine. 

Honduras borders two great bodies of water: the Caribbean sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south, fringing its coastlines. 

This feature provides plenty of bounty from the sea, impacting the ingredients that Honduran food enjoys. 

Honduran cuisine features some of the tastiest dishes one can eat. 

While many typical Honduran meals focus on meats and coconut-infused recipes, it’s the Honduran appetizers that help introduce the cuisine to the world. 

From a variety of tortilla-based treats to crunchy deep-fried dishes that highlight ingredients native to the country, these Honduran appetizers are delicious and fun to eat! 

The #12 Tortillas Con Quesillo option is a simple recipe that’s one of the most loved in the country!

1. Taco Hondureños

The Taco Hondureños is a Honduran-style crispy fried version of the taco we know and love. 

This deep-fried appetizer is a rolled taco version filled with shredded chicken, onions, tomatoes, and green bell peppers and is often served with white cheese, tomato sauce, or onion sauce. 

These Honduran tacos are held together using a toothpick, but a great way to keep working with corn tortillas is to microwave them for a few seconds so they don’t fall apart. 

Serving these crispy tacos can also be easier to enjoy when prepared with smaller cut tortillas to make them more bite-sized.

2. Honduran Platanos Fritos

Bananas are the primary product exported in Honduras, with plantains being a common ingredient in Honduran cuisine. 

A typical appetizer or snack in the country is platanos fritos or fried bananas. 

These fried bananas are made with ripe black plantains, which have a more sticky texture and intense aromatics of vanilla providing a depth of sweetness when the plantains are cooked. 

The black plantains are cut into bite-sized portions and are deep-fried until golden brown. 

They can be enjoyed on their own, served as a part of a dish, or added with some sour cream for a delightful munch.

3. Anafre Hondureño

Anafre Hondureño is a traditional Honduran recipe that combines chorizo, beans, and cheese, commonly served as a bubbly dip at local restaurants. 

An anafre is a traditional clay pot that is used to keep food hot, making this recipe a Honduran version of the fondue bowl. 

Butter is mixed with cooked chorizo and refried beans in a small iron skillet over medium heat to make this delicious dip. 

Shredded Honduran Oaxaca cheese or a Mozzarella substitute is added to the chorizo and bean mixture until the cheese gets bubbly and hot. 

The Anafre Hondureño is traditionally eaten with tortilla chips and should be shared around the table for maximum enjoyment!

4. Honduran Enchiladas

The Honduran version of the enchilada is quite different from the Mexican original, with the Honduran enchilada being made more like a tostada. 

This enchilada is a fried tortilla topped with cheese, ground beef, tomato, cabbage, and a slice of boiled egg.

One distinct difference in this recipe is how the tortillas are prepared, with the corn tortilla being fried in oil instead of cooking on a dry pan, making them particularly crispy. 

Enjoyed as popular street food, these enchiladas celebrate the variety of culinary influences in which Honduran cuisine prides itself and is a great way to introduce Honduran food to the rest of the world. 

5. Honduran Baleadas

The baleada is probably the most popular dish in Honduran cuisine, with this street food staple being an easy-to-find option. 

It features a fresh handmade tortilla filled with mouthwatering and aromatic ingredients such as refried beans, cotija cheese, and sour cream. 

This street food started in the 1960s when a woman named Doña Tere popularized a dish that her mother used to make for her when she was a child. 

Now, this soft and thick taco-like dish is the flagship of Honduran cuisine, with the baleadas being the go-to food for travelers and hungry locals throughout the day.

6. Pastelitos

Considered a favorite by many in Honduras, Pastelitos is a Honduran meat pie traditionally stuffed with ground beef, potatoes, and rice, which is often served with pickled onions. 

This recipe opts for chimol sauce, which is a common condiment in Central America that is often used as a food topping. 

Pastelitos offer a savory and flavorful experience, with the tasty meaty filling enclosed in a thick tortilla that becomes a crispy exterior.

7. Catrachas With Beans & Fresh Chees

Catrachas, or Honduran bean tostadas, is a dish that comprises a fried corn tortilla base, refried beans topped with a heap of grated cheese. 

The corn tortillas are then pan-fried in oil to toast them before a layer of the beans, onion, red pepper is added to the tortilla and topped with cheese. 

Like baleadas, you can also add preferred toppings and spices to this recipe for a more flavorful impact.

8. Honduran Pupusas

Originating from El Salvador, pupusas are also quite popular in Honduras, with these arepa-like masa cakes being sought out by tourists and locals alike. 

These pupusas are stuffed with cheese, beans, or meat, with a preparation that involves adding in the filling while the corn dough is still raw, which is then flattened to give it a thick tortilla shape. 

The flattened pupusa is placed on the griddle until charred brown spots are formed to provide a crispy texture. 

These are traditionally served with a pickled cabbage slaw called cortido, which adds some spice to the dish’s flavors. 

9. Sopa De Frijoles

The Sopa De Frijoles, or black bean soup, is a sumptuous soup traditionally made with black beans, coriander, tomatoes, and cilantro and is often eaten as a meal starter. 

This recipe takes flavors from Honduras and Latin American cuisine by including added seasoning, pork ribs, and peppers for more of that spicy and smoky flavors. 

This soup highlights the mild flavor of the black beans, with a soft and creamy profile that makes it an excellent ingredient for delicious soups.

10. Chimol

A recipe authentic to Honduras, the Chimol or Honduran salsa that consists of onions and bell peppers. 

Add in some watermelon radish, finely chopped cilantro, lime juice, and season with salt.

Pair with tacos or chips, or use them as an additional dressing for your salad!

11. Ensalada De Palmitos

Ensalada De Palmitos, or the heart of palm, is a Honduran salad that features the heart of the palm tree, which has a crunchy and sweet flavor profile. 

This salad combines palm hearts with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and whites of the scallion to provide garlicky and tangy notes, which can be topped on mixed greens for a filling munch. 

This dish can also be creamier by adding more olive oil and the option of placing a heap of cheese.

12. Tortillas Con Quesillo

This Honduran Tortilla recipe is made with quesillo, a semi-hard, salty cheese found in Honduras. 

Tortilla and cheese recipes abound in South America, with this recipe highlighting these two main ingredients. 

The tortilla pan fried, with cheese sandwiched between another layer of the tortilla before it is turned over to toast the other side. 

Top it with tomato sauce and more grated cheese, and you can enjoy this delicious, cheesy treat! 

13. Honduran Salpicon

A meaty salad dish, the Salpicon is a cozy dish most enjoyed in Honduras homes. 

It’s garnished with rice and tortillas and prepared with culantro de pata, an herb similar in aroma and flavor to cilantro but has larger leaves that grow from the root. 

The process of preparing this appetizing salad involves stewing the meat for a long period, allowing it to get the beef soft and tender. 

Once the meat is prepared, the rest of the dish can be made in no time. 

14. Mission Lazarus Honduras Salsa

Mission Lazarus Honduras Salsa is an underrated salsa recipe that’s delicious when served alongside chips and tortillas. 

This recipe combines tomatoes, sweet onions, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro, all of which are finely minced. 

The addition of cider vinegar brings out the interesting flavor of the greens, which are then seasoned with salt.

15. Honduran Ceviche

With Honduras having plenty of access to products from the sea, it’s no wonder Honduran cuisine feature a lot of seafood ingredients. 

This delicious Honduran ceviche is made with shrimp and conch, marinated in citrus juices, and added with salt and spices. 

Coconut cream, sweetened coconut oil, and shredded coconuts are added to provide more tropical flavors and textures. 

The bottom line

Honduran appetizers feature many delicious ingredients that Honduran cuisine has become known for. 

Full of rich ingredients and tropical flavors, any of these options can provide a flavorful trip to the country itself from the comfort of your dining room!