Mexican Recipes
485 recipes found
Shrimp Aguachile
Aguachile, the bright and punchy seafood dish from coastal Sinaloa, Mexico, gets its name (which translates to “chile water”) from the vibrant blend of chiles, lime juice and salt that transform the sweet flesh of raw shrimp into tender, tart flavor bombs. Unlike ceviche, where seafood marinates in citrus until it's fully “cooked,” aguachile hits the table soon after the shrimp meets the zesty chile water. While the aguachile is on your plate, the lime juice continues its work on the sweet, delicate shrimp, so each bite offers a slightly different texture without ever turning rubbery. Use as many serranos as your heart desires and your palate can handle.
Enchiladas Suizas (Creamy Chicken Enchiladas)
Enchiladas Suizas are sort of a lie. They are neither chile-laden nor from Switzerland. The name likely comes from using an abundance of cream and cheese in the recipe, which Mexicans associate with the alpine country due to its famous dairy production. These enchiladas, a combination of lightly fried corn tortillas filled with tender shredded chicken, bathed in velvety salsa verde and blanketed with melted cheese, were invented in the early 20th century at the famed Sanborns de los Azulejos, a Mexican café chain that turned the dish into a cultural icon throughout Mexico. That salsa verde? It is swirled into cream with a simple roux to keep the thickened salsa from separating and to tame any heat that you might expect from serrano chiles. For a weeknight-friendly version, shredded rotisserie chicken can save you some time.
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The Simple Make-Ahead Move for the Best Frozen Margarita
What's better than a brain-freezing margarita to cool off on a hot day? To create the best slushy, restaurant-style frozen margaritas at home, just freeze your margarita base the night before.
Lamb Barbacoa
In classic preparations of barbacoa, large chunks of meat are coated in a chile-and-vinegar marinade, topped with avocado leaves, wrapped in banana leaves and buried underground in a pit to roast gently. It’s found throughout Mexico, with different seasonings and accompaniments. Geared to home cooks, this recipe roasts the lamb gently in an oven. Wrapping the meat with banana leaves is optional, but they add an earthy aroma that will fool you into thinking you just pulled your barbacoa out of an earthen oven. Serve with warm corn tortillas, minced onion, cilantro and lime wedges, plus a bowl of the cooking liquid set alongside for dipping.
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Shrimp Scampi Meets Salsa Verde in This Weeknight-Friendly Pasta
Shrimp scampi meets salsa verde in this spicy, citrusy, cilantro-packed pasta dish.
Fideo Verde Seco (Garlic Shrimp and Cilantro Noodles)
Fideo, a staple comfort dish in Mexican home cooking, is prepared in two popular styles: sopa de fideo, a tomato-based broth soup typically served as a first course, and then there's fideo seco — the spoonable main course where pasta is toasted in olive oil until golden and nutty (just like a rice pilaf), then drowned in a bright-tasting, herby salsa verde made with whatever’s hanging around your fridge (cilantro! sad spinach! that half-used bunch of basil!). All the greens get blitzed with jalapeño for a subtle kick. Right before the pasta absorbs all that flavor, add thinly sliced asparagus or other quick-cooking vegetables, like peas, for a fresh summer moment. Finish with a drizzle of crema, a shower of crumbly salty cheese and more fresh herbs. Top it with garlicky shrimp and eat it with a fork, or stuff it into a tortilla.
Tepache (Fizzy Fermented Pineapple Drink)
Refreshing, earthy and lightly sweetened, tepache is a popular fermented drink from Mexico. Traditionally, the main ingredients are piloncillo (a Mexican variety of raw cane sugar), pineapple peels (and sometimes the core) and water. For best results, use a very ripe pineapple. You can also add spices like cinnamon, cloves or fresh ginger. Fermentation time depends on the environment: In warm weather (75 to 85 degrees), it could be ready in 2 to 3 days; in cooler weather, it can take 5 to 7 days. Taste the tepache regularly; when ready, it will be frothy on the surface and slightly fizzy on the tongue, and will taste and smell pleasantly fermented. (Be mindful that if the tepache ferments for too long, it will turn into vinegar.) You can serve tepache on ice as is, or dilute and sweeten it to taste by adding water and sugar.
Easy Chicken Torta
This hearty sandwich, based on a classic Mexican torta, strikes a perfect balance between crunchy toasted bread, flavorful chile-seasoned chicken cutlets pressed thin and pan-fried, and creamy avocado, mayo and refried beans with brightness from a squeeze of lime. This recipe is designed to be simple and uses an egg-free cornstarch coating instead of traditional breading, allowing the flavor and texture of the chicken to shine through. While bollilo rolls are traditional and worth seeking out at a Mexican bakery or supermarket, Portuguese or French rolls make a fine substitute. Serve with your favorite salsa on the side for an extra punch of flavor and don’t skimp on the pickled jalapeños!
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How to Make Mole Negro: Mexico’s Smokiest, Boldest Sauce
Food writer Octavio Peña leads you on a deep dive into Oaxacan mole negro, Mexico's iconic velvety, rich sauce made with dried chiles, nuts, chocolate, and centuries of culinary history. Pair it with poached chicken or turkey, spoon it over roasted vegetables, or scoop it up with warm tortillas.
Atole de Grano (Savory Corn Porridge With Chicken)
Atole is often thought of as a sweet, drinkable corn-based beverage, but in parts of Mexico, it also refers to this hearty, savory porridge made with masa harina and hominy. This version, inspired by the traditional atole de grano, is thick, creamy and deeply comforting — perfect for showcasing the variety of textures and flavors that different forms of corn can bring. Here, sweet corn kernels and chewy hominy add dimension to the velvety base, while a topping of roasted chicken and caramelized poblanos brings savory depth. A final flourish of lime, chicharrones and hot sauce adds brightness and crunch. Quick to come together and endlessly adaptable, this dish is a warm embrace in a bowl.
Grilled Mushroom Tacos by Andrea Aliseda
Easy plant-based tacos. While it’s typically made with thin cuts of steak, this recipe calls for meaty oyster mushrooms. Their tender flesh gets pressed to expel any extra moisture and render a savory sear.
Egg and Cheese Toasts With Salsa
In Mexico, huevos ahogados (“drowned eggs”) typically refers to eggs gently poached in a vibrant salsa. This version flips the idea into a speedy, satisfying breakfast (or weeknight dinner) by layering crisp-edged fried eggs over cheesy, broiled bolillo toasts and smothering them in a bright, spicy tomato salsa. It's a dish built for flexibility: Use just one serrano for a mild sauce or three for serious heat, and swap in Monterey Jack if you can’t find queso Chihuahua. Finished with creamy avocado and a sprinkle of cilantro, it’s rich, hearty and perfect for sopping up every last bit of salsa.
Chartreuse Margarita
An herbal twist on a classic, this margarita uses mezcal and chartreuse to bring a smokey depth.
Tostadas de Tinga de Pollo (Shredded Chicken and Salsa Tostadas)
Rotisserie chicken can be a secret weapon when you’re busy. If you have a flavorful salsa on hand, just pull the meat and warm it in the salsa to make a quick tinga. A typical tinga has a guajillo salsa, but don’t let that limit you. A salsa verde, or any chipotle salsa, would be wonderful, and if you use aguacate ahumado salsa, it will create a rich, creamy sauce for the shredded chicken. Homemade bacon-y refried beans offer a comforting contrast.
Pure Jalapeño Salsa
This fiery, minimalist salsa proves that even humble kitchen staples — like garlic powder and fresh jalapeños — can surprise you. Simmered until tender, then mashed by hand or blended to a coarse purée, the chiles become the perfect backdrop for garlic powder, which deepens as it sits, taking on a warm, almost toasty edge you’d never get from raw garlic. A short fermentation (if you let it) softens the salsa’s heat and introduces a subtle, tangy complexity (see Tip). It’s a salsa that evolves — bold on Day 1, balanced by Day 3 — making it perfect to spoon over pizza, tacos or anywhere you’d reach for a pickled chile.
Aguacate Ahumado (Spicy Avocado Salsa)
Many salsas are fresh, raw and bright. But this pico de gallo turns a corner. A smoky corner. Finely chopped chipotles in adobo end up glazing the soft pieces of avocado, and it tastes deep and charred, even though it takes all of five minutes to make. It shouldn’t taste this good. But it does. Serve on sandwiches or tostadas, or with a bowl of plantain chips.
Chickpea Picadillo
This plant-based take on a Mexican picadillo trades the traditional ground meat for a deeply savory mix of mushrooms, tofu and chickpeas, simmered with tangy tomatillos, poblano and scallions until everything melds into a rich, comforting hash. A box grater gives the tofu a ground meat-like texture that crisps beautifully in the pan, while the tomatillos add a tart freshness that keeps each bite lively and light. This weeknight-friendly dish is flavorful and deeply satisfying — especially when served alongside rice and beans or made into tacos or burritos. Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers: This is the kind of comfort food whose flavor gets better with time.
Carajillo
Icy and bold, the Mexican version of the carajillo cocktail combines strong coffee with Licor 43, a buttery Spanish liqueur boasting 43 ingredients, dominated by vanilla and citrus notes and a subtle hint of anise. While many carajillo recipes combine equal parts strong coffee and rum or brandy, this Mexican interpretation has become a classic. Serve the cocktail after dinner to keep the evening going, or for a weekend brunch. If you’re avoiding caffeine, decaf coffee works just as well.
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If You Love Margaritas, You'll Adore This Refreshing Frozen Cocktail
It's a cocktail that's bright and tart like a margarita, but not too sweet. The soft, floral side of grapefruit comes forward, along with perfectly balanced bitterness, while the smokiness of the mezcal is just a whisper alongside savory, olive oil–like flavors—a little bit of salt helps it shine.
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3-Ingredient Taquero-Style Guacamole
This taquero-style guacamole is pourable, creamy, and spicy with a fresh kick of cilantro. It’s closer to an avocado sauce than to a classic chunky guac. Spoon it over tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and more.
Huevos Enfrijolados (Eggs in Spicy Black Beans)
Eggs nestled in a spicy, smoky black bean sauce, huevos enfrijolados are a staple of Mexican home cooking. It’s a quick way to make a meal from what’s already in the kitchen: leftover frijoles de olla, chiles and fresh eggs. In this version, canned black beans are cooked with chipotles and garlic until rich and creamy, then eggs are gently dropped into the simmering beans to poach. Served with crunchy tostadas, queso fresco and avocado, it’s a deeply comforting, pantry-friendly meal that comes together in under 45 minutes — perfect for a weeknight dinner or a quick and hearty brunch.
Sesame Chicken With Creamy Chipotle Sauce
In this weeknight-friendly recipe, thin-cut chicken cutlets are given the milanesa treatment, dredged in a simple mix of sesame seeds and bread crumbs and pan-fried until crispy. The smoky, chipotle-infused flavors of tinga and pollo enchipotlado, which have a special place in the home cooking repertoire of many Mexicans, inspired the quickly simmered sauce, which is enriched by a generous amount of crema. Lime-tossed cilantro adds freshness to the dish, which is especially comforting when served with warmed tortillas to help scoop up the sauce with every bite.
Salpicón de Pescado (Spicy Citrus-Marinated Fish)
In Mexican cooking, salpicón is a dish of fish, shellfish or meat mixed with chopped vegetables and tossed in an aromatic dressing. In the Yucatán, salpicones are flavored with sour orange juice and habaneros. In this version, quick-roasted fish fillets are tossed in lime and orange juice to mimic that tropical flavor. The fattiness of the fish and avocado tame the heat of the habaneros, but if you are sensitive to spice, use half of a habanero or look for habanadas, a chile that tastes just as sweet and floral as a habanero but with zero heat! You can serve this dish right away while the fish is still warm, or refrigerate the fish and pico de gallo separately for a few hours — the flavors only get better. Then mix together cold for parties, picnics or a day at the beach.
Mushroom Quesabirria Tacos
Rich with melting cheese, chiles and spices, these crispy mushroom tacos aren't trying to imitate their meaty counterparts — they're creating their own kind of magic. Birria, a true delight from Jalisco, Mexico, traditionally features beef or goat braised in chile-spiced broth until tender and served as a rich stew. As the dish traveled north to Tijuana's famed taqueros, it was transformed into cheese-filled quesabirria tacos, which became a smashing success. While tomatoes aren't traditional in most birria, they bring welcome depth to this vegetable-forward adaptation. The soul of this dish still lies in its rich consomé, a broth made with a pared-down blend of chiles and spices that is a perfect backdrop for meaty, tender mushrooms.