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Mexican Recipes

50 recipes

Mexican cooking grows from corn, beans and chiles, the foods of the pre-Hispanic peoples, combined with ingredients that arrived after the 16th century: pork, beef, chicken, cheese, wheat, rice, citrus and spices. The result changes from state to state. Oaxaca is known for its moles and tlayudas, Yucatán for achiote-marinated pork and sour orange, Puebla for mole poblano and chiles en nogada, and the north for grilled beef and flour tortillas. Veracruz mixes Spanish and Caribbean ideas in its tomato and olive fish dishes. Corn cooked with powdered lime (cal) and ground into masa becomes tortillas, tamales, sopes and tlacoyos. Dried and fresh chiles bring smoke, fruit and heat, and a salsa sits on nearly every table. Days start with chilaquiles or eggs, center on a late lunch, and are filled in with street snacks and a light supper. Tamales mark Christmas and Candlemas, pozole feeds big celebrations, and sweets such as buñuelos, flan and pan de muerto follow the calendar.

Staple ingredients

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Common questions

What is Mexican food known for?

Corn tortillas and everything built on them: tacos, enchiladas, tamales and chilaquiles. Chile salsas and moles, beans, avocado, lime and fresh cilantro define the flavors, and each region adds its own specialties.

What is the national dish of Mexico?

There is no official one. Mole poblano is often named the national dish, and tacos are the food most people think of first. Chiles en nogada, dressed in the colors of the flag, is another strong candidate.

Is Mexican food spicy?

Less than many people expect. Most dishes are mild, and the heat comes from salsas, pickled chiles and fresh chiles added at the table, so each person sets their own level. A few regional dishes, such as Yucatecan habanero salsa, are the exception.