Authentic Mexican food

Authentic Mexican food: discover traditional Mexican dishes and expand your horizons!

Authentic Mexican food has a particularly delicious flavor. Get to know some of these exquisite dishes that make up the best Mexican cuisine.

Mexico is undoubtedly characterized by its gastronomy. Authentic Mexican food is internationally recognized; it is irresistible, delicious, sophisticated, diverse… and yet it maintains its ancient flavor.

We cannot single out one main popular Mexican dish out of the hundreds of exquisite dishes that exist in the region. They are all a gift to the palate, as well as a symbol of the richness in Mexican culture.

Let’s find out together which are the most famous dishes of popular Mexican food.

10 Most Popular Mexican Dishes (Main Dishes and Side Dishes)

1 Enchiladas

Enchiladas are a traditional Mexican dish par excellence, with a cooking tradition dating all the way back to pre-Columbian times. Nowadays, there are more than 100 varieties of enchiladas available.

Mexicans and foreigners alike go wild when they taste the exquisite enchiladas; they are prepared with fried corn tortillas, bathed in green or red sauce, mole originating from Puebla, cream sauce or other chili peppers and stuffed with shredded chicken, another type of meat, cheese or vegetables, and covered with sour cream and fresh cheese.

You can also experiment with combining sauces to achieve the colors of the Mexican flag with green, white and red.

2 Mexican tacos

Tacos are definitely one of the most popular dishes in Mexico and around the world.

The origin of the word “taco” originates from the Nahuatl “tlahco,” meaning “in the middle.” It is believed that the first taquiza in Mexico was offered by Hernán Cortés to spoil his allies.

Tacos cannot be missing in Mexican homes, street stalls or the most traditional Mexican restaurants alike. Tourists and foreigners will find in Mexico an infinite variety of Mexican tacos prepared either with corn tortillas or flour tortillas.

The most popular kind of tacos in Mexico are “tacos al pastor”, although it is estimated that there are nearly 20,000 recipes for preparing tacos available, with barbecue, birria, carnitas, shredded pork or pork shoulder, basket, carne or roast beef being the most requested.

Of course, the best addition to a Mexican taco is red or green sauce; any other hot sauce and even pico de gallo and guacamole.

3 Burrito

From among the traditional Mexican cuisine, burritos stand out for their particular flavor and extraordinary (yet practical!) presentation. It is the favorite dish in northern Mexico and in the southern United States.

A burrito consists of a flour tortilla filled with refried beans and cheese. However, it is also a delight when you add beef steak, chicken, machaca meat or shredded meat… it’s your time to experiment!

4 Chimichangas

Another traditional dish that is part of the best Mexican street food tradition is the chimichanga.

This option of Tex-Mex-style cuisine is very popular among Hispanics from the northern states of the country, as well as the southern United States or immigrants that move to Mexico.

Chimichangas are like a fried flour tortilla burrito that can contain a delicious variety of meats and cheeses and even beans. It can be accompanied by guacamole or green or red salsa. Although it can also have an added special touch with a topping of mayonnaise that is prepared in the state of Sonora in Mexico or chiltepin as eaten in Sinaloa.

5 Beans

Another great-tasting authentic Mexican food is beans that give an exquisite touch to your dishes, although they can also be eaten on their own.

Bay, refried, pinto or Black beans are the perfect complement to a traditional breakfast: scrambled or fried eggs, or chilaquiles with huevos rancheros.

In fact, one of the most popular breakfasts to try when visiting Mexico always has beans in quesadillas, burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, or scrambled eggs with cheese.

So now you know: beans are one of the best foods in the country for both their flavor and nutritional value. And you prepare them in any Mexican home or restaurant.

6 Rice

Rice is another famous dish of traditional Mexican food.

Although in China, India and Indonesia, rice is their staple food, in Mexico it is consumed practically on a daily basis, all throughout Mexican homes, as a main dish. Those who prepare rice know how to mix the ingredients and put in the exact seasoning to make even the most demanding palates fall in love.

Mexican red rice is the favorite for those who love to cook, but white rice with vegetables, rice with poblano chile or cilantro, scrambled with beans or lentils, and even exotic ingredients such as rice and almonds are also delicious.

7 Tamales

Tamales are an important part of popular street food in Mexico. Whether green, red, rajas, with cheese, beans, corn, sweet or wrapped in banana leaves, the tamale is never missing from the Mexican table.

Not for nothing, tamales are one of the most famous foods in Mexican cuisine; they are an important part of the diet of millions of people. Tamales, which arose in Mesoamerica thousands of years ago and whose word in Nahuatl “tamalli” means wrapped, is always present in Mexican breakfast or snacks.

Día de la Candelaria is a yearly religious festival where around 22 million tamales are eaten according to tradition.

8 Fatties and flautas

Other traditional dishes in México that are part of the best street food are gorditas and flautas. Both snacks are prepared with corn fried in lard or vegetable oil. In the case of the gorditas, the dough is much thicker and it surrounds the filling, which is generally pork rinds.

As for flautas, the classic ones are chicken flautas, beef flautas or potato flautas, bathed in cream, hot sauce, avocado, cheese or lettuce. Whichever the case, it is a meal that falls in love.

9 Quesadillas and sopes

Without a doubt, quesadillas and sopes are some of the most unmissable foods in Mexico because of their irresistible flavor.

The corn tortilla is the main element to prepare these delicacies; in the case of sopes, though, it is much thicker than that used in quesadillas and with a raised edge to contain the green or red salsa inside. Along with refried or black beans, sour cream, grated cheese and countless stews.

In the same way, Mexican quesadillas are the richest that exists among the Mexican food options and their variety of ingredients is a gift for those who enjoy them. They can carry an infinite number of types of meat, vegetables or accompanied by cheese.

10 Pozole

One of the best Mexican dishes is pozole and it cannot be missing in important celebrations and Mexican holidays such as Mexican Independence Day. In the past, this delight of Mexican cuisine was also eaten during religious celebrations.

Of pre-Hispanic origin, pozole is very popular today but thousands of years ago it could only be worthy of rulers, warriors or nobles.

It is said that in pre-Hispanic times, pozole contained the human flesh of the combatants defeated during the Tlacaxipehualiztli ceremony or dismemberment festival in honor of the God Xipe Tótec. But when the Spanish conquered Mexico, the meat in the pozole was substituted with shredded chicken or pork.

Its name comes from the Nahuatl “pozolli” which means foam. And currently it is prepared with different ingredients. The most popular pozoles come from Guerrero, where they make them with green seed mole and pork. The pozole from state of Jalisco is prepared with beef head and guajillo chile broth. Or white, which is typical in Michoacán, Sinaloa, Jalisco or Guerrero.

One of the best ways to enjoy this corn-based dish is with epazote, white or red onion, radishes, chili powder, and lemon juice.

A rich water, too? Of course: it must be horchata

If you’ve ever eaten in Mexico, you will surely have been craving a refreshing water to quench your thirst. But if something distinguishes this country it is horchata water. It is a favorite drink for Mexicansand the perfect accompaniment to comfort food.

Horchata water, which is made from rice, is delicious, refreshing, easy to prepare and very nutritious. Whether you make it at home with cinnamon or another rich ingredient or buy its pulp and only add water, surely you will not be able to resist a delicious horchata water.

All the dishes mentioned above are essentials, those that you must try if you are planning a trip to Mexico.

When you visit, in every restaurant or practically any street stall you will meet masters in the culinary art who know how to perfectly prepare the best Mexican recipes and the richest options of meals in Mexico.

Traveling to Mexico is a great experience and getting to know its mexican gastronomy is essential. Do not miss it.

for more mexican dishes visit our food section