After spending over a month in Mexico, and with two months still left to go, I have sampled a wide variety of dishes in several of the various states.
In my opinion, the following are some of the best and tastiest foods you’ll find all over Mexico, sold everywhere from street stands to fancy restaurants. Obviously prices can vary according to dining establishment, city and town, but the following foods also tend to be fairly budget-friendly.If you’re anything like me and your knowledge of the Spanish language or of Mexican food in general is fairly limited, I tend to find it helps to be actually able to visualize what it is you are ordering. Hopefully this post can help with that.
Huaraches
Literally named after the word for sandals which have the same oval shape, huaraches consist of a base of fried corn masa (maize dough) topped with onions, green or red salsa, one of a variety of different meats (such as ham or crispy pork), cheese and sour cream.
Tacos Al Pastor
The most popular tacos in Mexico, particularly Mexico City, is tacos al pastor. Al Pastor refers to marinated pork which is cooked on a large vertical rotating spit, similar to the way lamb is cooked for kebabs and gyros. Al pastor is always cooked underneath a block of fresh pineapple, as it’s believed that the juices from the pineapple that run down on to the meat make it more tender.
These types of tacos should always usually be served with a slice of pineapple to make them authentic al pastor tacos, however some vendors seem to omit this addition. They are also usually topped with chopped onions and coriander (cilantro) and then, as with any tacos, you can add your own salsas and vegetables or just enjoy them as they are.
Chiles Rellenos
Chiles rellenos are roasted mild poblano peppers stuffed with either meat or cheese, coated in batter and then fried. The battered peppers are then covered in sauce (usually tomato, although sometimes a creamy cheese sauce).
Chiles rellenos are a popular dish in markets across Mexico and can be found in almost every town and city.
Enchiladas
Enchiladas can come served two ways, depending on their style. They can either be filled with an ingredient (say meat, egg or cheese) and then rolled into tubes and covered in sauce, or they can simply be folded plain tortillas covered in sauce and accompanied by meat or egg on the side. Enchiladas usually always come topped with cheese, sour cream and raw onion, unless you specify otherwise.
Queso En Salsa
A popular dish at breakfast time in Mexico (and usually only sold as such in markets and restaurants), this literally translates to “cheese in salsa”. I found it delicious, mainly because it consists of blocks of Mexican cheese, often grilled, and covered in a spicy tomato sauce, served with big hunks of bread.
Tostadas
Tostadas are crispy fried tortillas used as a base on which to add meat or seafood. A tasty, crunchy snack, you tend to find that meat-topped tostadas are larger and often accompanied by shredded lettuce or cabbage, green salsa, cheese and sometimes onions and/or black bean sauce. Seafood tostadas tend to be smaller and topped with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, onion, cilantro and avocado.
Quesadillas
Quesadillas can often refer to different things in different areas of Mexico. The most common type of quesadillas are folded tortillas filled with Mexican white cheese and either vegetables or meat. Vegetarian quesadillas are particularly interesting as they can include mushrooms, flor de calabaza (squash blossoms which look like yellow and green flowers), huitlacoche (a fungus which grows on stems of corn and which is widely eaten across Mexico) and creamy poblano peppers.
Flautas
Flautas may not be the healthiest snack in Mexico, but they are damn tasty. Consisting of tortillas filled with either meat or cheese and then rolled into long cigar shapes and fried, flautas are then topped with either green or red salsa, shredded lettuce, sour cream and cheese.
hello there, i saw your website about what to eating mexico, i will be going to mexico in May and i am wondering where do you normally grab the above cheap eats? like in a market or on the street? I am a budget traveller looking to find some cheap eats in mexico, prefer street food instead of sitting down in a restaurant for food.
Hi! Thanks for stopping by 🙂 I very rarely ate in restaurants while in Mexico, it was all mainly street food and markets. You’ll find street food stalls and carts on almost every corner and there’s usually always food stands in the local markets. I’d just say that always choose the stalls that have the most people eating there, as that’s always a sign that the food is good. If you eat this way, you will definitely keep costs down. As for horchata, I never actually drank it in Mexico this time around, but if they sell it, it will be listed on the menu, or on a printed sign at the stall. It’s normally sat in a big clear plastic jug. Just ask if it is horchata – everyone is very friendly.
thank you so much for all quick reply!!!
oh one more question! do you know where to find good horchata drink in mexico city?