The most popular Mexican food: 35 authentic dishes

Mexico has a lot of sayings for everything, and, of course, we have many of them for our gastronomy. A popular Mexican food saying is: “A barriga llena, corazón contento”, (belly full, happy heart) and, once you are able to learn the depths of our gastronomy, you will understand not only why our food is so popular, but also why Mexicans are always so happy.

We already talk about Mexican food culture and tradition and this time we will go over the most popular Mexican food in more detail, including specific main dishes, popular Mexican breakfast dishes, soups. Get ready to become hungry mid-way!!

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Mexican eating habits

✔ As part of the Mexican culture, we have specific eating habits which you should know before diving into our delicious Mexican dishes list.

✔ On the weekday, the main lunch in Mexico usually happens at around 2:30 or 3:00 pm. The parents might have a couple of hours break from work and everyone sits at the table.

✔ Godines (9 to 5 working people) generally have lunch between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. In many cities we have the “Cocinas economics” (cheap kitchens), where a 2 or 3-course meal is served and is mainly homemade style food.

✔ On weekends we eat out either with family or friends, and, usually later than normal. A brunch instead of breakfast and a very late lunch instead of the usual lunchtime in Mexico.

✔ Hangover food: This is definitely one of the funniest among Mexico facts on food. If you ever go partying with a Mexican, make sure that you prepare your stomach for the next day meal. One of the dishes to choose can be anything from this list: pozole, barbacoa, cochinita, birria, or, something else with equal amount of fat and spice.  

Popular Mexican dishes (main dishes)

As shared before, one of the Mexico facts about food is that there are as many dishes as there are villages in the territory, and, for easy reference, we think of our gastronomy in between 6 to 8 regions, so, my list of the most popular Mexican food for you, will represent Mexican regions from the South East to the North West of Mexico.

Cochinita Pibil

This dish belongs to Yucatan food culture, but it’s commonly consumed throughout the peninsula includes Quintana Roo and Campeche.

The main ingredients are pork, naranja agria (bitter orange), achiote (a red blend of spices).

History has it that this dish was originally made by the Mayan people using the meat of 3 different endemic animals: the wild pig, the pheasant or the deer, and, as it is done now, it was wrapped up in the banana tree leaves and cooked in an underground oven called “PIB” in Mayan language.

This dish is eaten on its own, with no sides, and we turn it into tacos (with corn tortilla), or into tortas (Mexican sandwich).

Usually, the cochinita is garnished with pickled purple onion and habanero sauce. I would say that Sunday mornings are when a lot of people in the peninsula enjoy a few of the cochinita tacos or tortas.

El pescado a la Tikin Xic

This dish is typical of the Quintana Roo state and it is also Mayan but it is from the coast. The meaning of Tikin Xic is “dry fish fin”, and, the name mainly describes the way the fish is cut and served.

The fish that is used is grouper, and, it is marinated in achiote (the red spices mix) and bitter orange. It is cooked along with veggies like bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion.

It is also wrapped in the banana tree leaf and cooked in a manmade underground grill heated by wood logs and stones.

This dish is also served for special occasions, but, in my experience, locals have it almost every time they are in Isla Mujeres for a beach day. It is super traditional and it is offered on almost every Isla Mujeres tour. It is usually served with pickled onion, black beans, and rice.

El Pan de Cazón – (Dog fish bread)

This dish belongs to Campeche. Some describe it as the fish Mexican lasagna. The cazón is a type of shark (dogfish or school shark).

This dish is made of layers of tortilla, fried fish, beans, tomato sauce, and a static pepper on top of the “bread”.

This is a very traditional dish and its origins come from fishing being one of the main activities in the state and the abundance of this shark in its ocean.

This dish is found in pretty much every local restaurant in Campeche, so, we can eat it any time.

Pejelagarto asado (grilled Tropical gar)

This is one of the most popular Mexican dishes in the state of Tabasco. This is a freshwater fish, and, it is considered one of the most ancient fish in the world. In Mexico, we also call it the “dinosaur fish”. 

Pejelagarto is a main dish of Tabasco because it is abundant in several of its municipalities, and so, local people fish it often and cook it as a regular meal in many other versions besides grilled.

The 7 moles of Oaxaca

The Oaxaca mole is a very popular sauce made with many different ingredients including cacao and a mix of species as a base. There are 7 types of moles of Oaxaca

✔ Black – Mostly served with chicken and white rice and a special dish for the times of the Day of the Dead tradition.

✔ Amarillito – (Yellow). Served with any kind of meat or even veggies. The yellow color is given by the peppers used to make it.

✔ Coloradito –(red colored). Again, the color is given by the peppers, and this is the one that includes chocolate, bread, and sugar in its ingredients.

✔ Verde (Green). This one is the only one that can be served with fish as well as the rest of the meats. The main ingredients that give the color are the pumpkin seeds, the epazote (herb), the “hierba santa” (endemic herb), and the parsley.

✔ Chichilo – This one is the least popular, but, in its ingredients, besides the many different peppers, what gives its aroma, color, and consistency is mainly the avocado tree leaves, the clove, the pepper, and the burnt tortillas.

✔ Manchamanteles -This one is served with pork meat, and it is garnished with several fruits like banana and ripe pineapple.

✔ Rojo – (red) The Mole Rojo one is more like a stew, and it is flavored with dry shrimp, and it contains olives.

Mole is eaten without distinction, both on a special occasion or daily, with family or in the cocina economicas (cheap kitchen)

There are many different versions of the origin of the Mexican and it is attributed to many different locations, but, we can definitely trace it back to pre-Hispanic times because by many it is said that the name comes from “Mulli”, a Nahuatl language word that means “sauces”.

It is said that in indigenous times, people mixed many endemic peppers with herbs, pumpkin seeds, and tomato sauce. This preparation was said to be offered to the gods in ceremonies.

After the Spanish influence arrived in the native gastronomy, many spices and other elements were added to the dish.

Pozole Guerrero style

The Pozole is found in many states in Mexico, but, in Guerrero, we have its own style and it comes in “Green” and “white”.

The white pozole is traditionally served in a broth with corn grains and the meat from the head of the cow or the pig. This dish is seasoned and garnished with radish, pork skin, avocado, onion, chili pepper and “fresh cheese”.

The green pozole is traditionally a broth that gets its color from its ingredients: pumpkin seed, epazote (a herb), green chile, and green tomatoes.

This dish is part of special occasions or big celebrations, but, as a potential visitor, you should not leave Guerrero or Mexico without trying Pozole.

Pozole offers one of the weirdest Mexican facts on food. It is a pre-Hispanic dish, and, according to several sources, it is said that in its origins, besides being served with endemic animal meat, it was also served with human meat. Yikes!

Chiles en Nogada

This dish is from Puebla and it’s only available between August and October when its main ingredients are in season, especially the pomegranate.

One version of its origin says that this dish was created by “Agustinas” nuns who participated in a gastronomy contest to celebrate Mexican independence.

This dish’s ingredients, besides the pomegranate, are breaded poblano peppers, ground beef with dry fruits, and several nuts and cheeses in a creamy sauce.

The dish consists of stuffed peppers with beef and fruits, covered in creamy sauce, and garnished with pomegranate seeds.

Chiles en Nogada is considered the official Mexican national dish, and in Puebla, there is a Chile en Nogada contest every year to determine who does it better.

The good news for vegans is that they can now try this special food as they have made a vegan version. However, I am afraid it will never taste the same. But considering that traditional Mexican food is mainly meat-based, it’s definitely a good piece of news for our vegan or vegetarian friends.

Cecina de Yecapixtla

Yecapixtla is a small town in the state of Morelos, and Cecina is just a way in which the cow’s meat is prepared in that town.

The back and legs of the cow are used. The meat is cut into strips, salted completely, and then let it air for about 30 minutes.

The meat is then hung in a fresh, closed, and clean space for another 30 minutes. Finally, it is smeared with lard and refrigerated.

To actually have it, we grill them on the comal (smooth flat griddle) and we garnish it with salsa, avocado, beans, and tortillas to make tacos.

Even though this dish comes from Morelos, it is found everywhere in Mexico, and because it goes great in tacos, there is no special time to have it.

Local people have Cecina de Yecapixtla for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Las Carnitas de Michoacán

Carnitas means “little meats.” It comes from the whole pig and is prepared by frying the pork meat with its own fat (lard) in a copper pan and seasoned with different herbs.

The cooking process and the seasoning result in every part of the pig having a different texture or flavor.

Literally, the whole pig is cooked and eaten. The “white” meat with no skin nor bone is called “maciza” (sturdy), and, people that are on a diet or that don’t like funky pig parts will have only this type of meat, but, those that love the dish, will always have “carnitas surtidas” (assorted meats) which means they will be having from every part of the pig, like the stomach, or even the penis.

We usually eat this dish on a weekend or at a gathering with family or friends. It is also a very common breakfast dish for some. We order it by “weight.”

Every order goes in increments of half a kilo. With 20 people, you might end up asking for 2 or 3 kilos, depending on how much everyone likes to eat. In the center of the table, you will find, depending on where you are, beans, lots of lemons, salt, pepper, all kinds of salsas, onions, cilantro, and hot tortillas.

You can choose to put all those “garnishes” into your taco.

Las carnitas is typical of the center of the country, but we consider it a Michoacan dish because the most famous places for carnitas are Santa Clara del Cobre (famous for its copper pans, pots, and other crafts) and Quiroga, both in Michoacán.

Enchiladas mineras (miners)

This dish is originally from Guanajuato, and its name refers to mining, the state’s main economic activity.

These enchiladas are made by smearing the tortilla in a “chile guajillo” (red pepper) sauce and lightly frying it.

These are usually stuffed with chicken and folded. Once served, the dish is topped with cream, cheese, and fried or steamed carrots and potatoes.

It is said that this dish started to be made by the miners’ wives in colonial times. They would serve the enchiladas to the husbands near the mining sites.

In the center of Mexico, some places are called “cenadurias” (dinner only places). These types of restaurants serve only antojitos and soups.

Las enchiladas mineras are mainly served in these types of places, but, they are also found as part of the street food in Guanajuato and other states around.

La Birria

This dish has its origins in the town of Cocula in the state of Jalisco. The dish uses strictly the meat of the ram.

The meat is “pickled” or seasoned with a mix of spices and chiles. The meat releases its own juice, which, mixed with tomatoes, makes a broth.

This dish in its origins was also cooked underground for 4 hours. La birria is served on a soup bowl and is garnished with onion, cilantro, oregano, chili pepper, and lime.

This dish is one of those late-week Mexican breakfast foods, and because of the broth consistency, it is especially popular as a hangover food.

Its history is pretty interesting.

It is said that in colonial times, when the Spanish started to bring farm animals, the goats’ population was growing exponentially with almost no control.

The problem was that the Spanish would give them to the local population with the purpose of getting rid of what they considered useless, nasty animals.

However, they were starting to eat all the grass and local cultivation, leaving nothing for the people.

That’s why they decided to start eating goats to survive. And that’s how the birria was born.

Asado de Boda (wedding roast)

This is a dish from the Mexican Revolution. It has a thick broth (not as thick as mole) and is also made with several spices and chocolate.

The plate’s sweetness is minimal. In the state of Zacatecas, the dish is often served at celebrations and engagements as an offering from the groom’s family to the bride’s.

Marlin fish

Marlin fish is mostly eaten in South Baja, California, and there is no one dish in particular; there are many ways to prepare it.

Marling is so popular in that region because fishing has become a very popular sport there. Therefore, the abundance of this kind of fish has made it also part of the gastronomy.

The people there eat it mainly smoked and in tacos with melted cheese, but, they also make “chiles rellenos con marlin” (stuffed chiles), empanadas, in ceviche for tostadas, and more.

Carne a la Tampiqueña

This dish belongs to Tampico, San Luis Potosí and Mexico City. Why? Because it was created more than 80 years ago by a man that was born in San Luis Potosí and moved to Tampico at a very young age to work at restaurants.

In Tampico he started his career in the kitchen, before moving to Mexico City where he finally opened his own restaurant.

He used to remain open 24 hours and serve this dish in honor of La Huasteca, a very beautiful region in the center–northeast part of Mexico.

The dish consists of a long strip of grilled beef steak served along with green enchiladas, “rajas Verdes” (green pepper and onion served also in chopped strips), guacamole, and refried beans.

Mexican people eat this at any given time at a Mexican restaurant or diner, mostly for lunch or dinner.

Antojitos Mexicanos

I wanted to leave the last space to the “antojitos”, a word that can be translated into snacks (literally means little cravings), but, they are a full meal for many Mexicans. Los antojitos have a common trait and that is that they are made with carbs, either tortilla or bread.

Some of the names of the antojitos are

• Tortas – type of sandwich with bun bread
• Cemitas, a typical sandwich from Puebla
• Tamales DF style, which are corn “bread” cooked with steam
• Tamales from Oaxaca – wrapped in a banana tree leaf
• Pastes – a type of empanada from Hidalgo
• Panuchos and salbutes from Yucatan – fried corn tortilla with meat or egg, beans, and more
• Pambazos – a “pickled” or “seasoned” bread to make a type of sandwich with meat and potatoes from Veracruz
• Sopes – grilled corn tortilla with beans and meat or veggie toppings
• Huaraches -bigger than the sopes, but same idea)
• Chalupas, tlacoyos, memelas, quesadillas, gorditas and so much more.

These antojitos are eaten at any given time during the day. They are very common to be had as part of your holiday, because there is always a traditional one wherever you go.

They are part of the Cenadurias (dinner-only restaurants), of any Mexican restaurant as an appetizer, and they are also part of the street food.

It is very important to know that Mexican antojitos are undoubtedly the most popular Mexican food and also one of the most interesting facts about Mexican culture.

The antojitos are of pre-Hispanic heritage mainly because they are made with corn (at least the majority of them).

Traditional Mexican breakfast

We have many different types of popular Mexican breakfast dishes, and many of them are part of the main dishes of the states, but I will mention two that did not appear on the list above.

Chilaquiles

First we have, Los chilaquiles. Chilaquiles are basically fried crispy corn tortillas cut into triangles, smeared or soaked in red or green sauce. They can be eaten on their own or with protein: beef, egg, or chicken.

The final touch is to top them off with onion, sour cream, and cheese. Chilaquiles are undoubtedly the Sunday traditional Mexican breakfast dish.

Huevos Rancheros

Then, we have the famous Huevos Rancheros (and its many versions from each region). The basics of this breakfast are fried tortillas, fried eggs, refried beans, and red salsa on top.

Lastly, for the purposes of this post, barbacoa, birria, cochinita pibil, and antojitos can share third place for the most traditional breakfast.

Huevo a la Mexicana

They are an obvious combination of Spanish and pre-Hispanic cultures. Huevos a la Mexicana are scrambled with Mexican staple foods: tomato and chili. The eggs are clearly coming from Spain, as there were no chickens before the Spanish invasion.

Huevos aporreados

Same as above, scrambled eggs but with beans.

FUN FACT – did you know that Mexican Food is such an important element in Mexican culture that it’s often one of the most popular subjects for Mexican tattoos.

Popular street food in Mexico

Street food as a main element of our gastronomy is part of the fun and interesting facts about Mexican culture. And, amongst the most popular Mexican food, I will share with you these:

Cemitas poblanas

A type of torta or Mexican sandwich from Puebla. Their main characteristics are that, within the ingredients, they have to be prepared with an aromatic leaf that is called “papalo,” and the bread has sesame seeds on it.

Besides that, we put a lot of string cheese, not melted, and any protein (usually breaded), avocado, and tomato.

Tacos & Tortas ahogadas

These are from Jalisco. These dishes are similar but the tacos are fried but the bread is not. The protein in them is pork in the form of “carnitas”.

They are called “ahogadas” (drowned), because they are literally drowned in a tomato and spices hot broth. This dish is weekend Mexican breakfast and hangover food.

Panuchos & salbutes

It is also made of corn and is original to the Yucatan Peninsula. The corn is turned into a type of tortilla, but it is thicker. The panucho is stuffed with beans, but the salbute isn’t.

The tortilla is then topped with egg or turkey meat, pickled onion, tomato, and a slice of local avocado.

These are good for any time of the day. You can find them everywhere on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Tamales de chipilín

The Tamales de chirpily belong to Chiapas. They are super simple and can be eaten at any time of the day. They are basically a “cornbread type” but cooked with steam. Chipilin is an aromatic leaf, so the corn dough is mixed with that, and then it is wrapped in banana tree leaves.

Corundas y uchepos

These street food Mexican delicacies are from Michoacán. They are the tamal version of that region. Uchepos are made with tender corn and they can be sweet or savory.

Nothing goes in the dough. Doughnuts can also be eaten as desserts because they can be cooked with raw sugar and milk. People top them with condensed milk for more sweetness.

Then, corundas are cooked with cotija cheese (local cheese of Michoacán), and they can be used in chicken broth. Vegetables like carrots or chard can be mixed in the dough as well as beans.

Corundas are only savory and they are topped with a green sauce, more of the local cheese, and sour cream. The green sauce is spicy hot.

Tortas de tamal

This street food belongs to Mexico City, so, the tamales that we are talking about are the DF (Distrito Federal) style tamales.

This torta is locally known as “Guajolota” (female turkey). It basically consists of putting a whole tamal (of any flavor or stuffing) inside a “bolillo” or “telera” (Mexican bread) and, hot sauce.

Popular Mexican Soups

Soups are a very big part of the most popular Mexican food, and, mostly they are part of 3 main moments of a Mexican’s day: during the weekday lunch hour, for a cold day or an upset stomach, and, to cure a hangover. Here are some of them:

Sopa de lima

This one belongs to the Yucatan Peninsula. It is basically a chicken broth cooked with what we call “lime.” It is citric, not grapefruit, orange, lime, or lemon. Besides the chicken and the lime, it includes bell pepper, oregano, cilantro, and fried tortilla strips.

Sopa tarasca

This soup is original to Patzcuaro, Michoacan. Its ingredients are beans, tomatoes, garlic, onion, salt, chicken broth, pasilla chili pepper, cheese, cream, tortillas, and epazote (aromatic leaf). The broth is a blend of everything, and when served, it is decorated with fried or baked tortilla strips and cream.

Caldo tlalpeño

This is another version of chicken soup. It is said to have its origins in Tlalpan, the State of Mexico. The main difference between this soup and a normal chicken soup is that this one is served with chipotle pepper, avocado chunks, and cheese.

Sopa Azteca

This soup comes from Tlaxcala, a very small state near Mexico City. This soup is also called tortilla soup. The ingredients are fried tortilla strips or triangle chips cooked in a tomato broth, then, besides the seasoning, we add avocado chunks, shredded chicken, pork skin, cheese, and cream. It is delicious.

Mole de Olla

This dish belongs to the center of Mexico and it is said to have its origins during the Spanish conquest times. This soup is made with beef and with a lot of vegetables: squash, carrot, chayote, green beans and corn. It is called Mole because of all the spices the broth is seasoned with.

Traditional Mexican Desserts

It is important to be aware of the fact that Mexican desserts or sweets as we know them today, date back only to colonial times.

And why is that? Because of the sugar. Many of our sweets and desserts use raw sugar and milk, elements that we didn’t have before the Spanish introduced them. The only sweeteners in pre-Hispanic times were agaves, bees, ants, and corn. 

Arroz con leche (rice puding)

This dessert is now very Mexican, but its origins are from Spain. This dessert is often home-made by the grandmothers when they visit, or it is the 3rd course of a “comida corrida” (3-course meal at lunch time)

Marquesitas

The marques itas are originally from the Yucatan peninsula. These delicious desserts are long fried hollow rolls of dough used to make ice cream cones. In their origins, they were stuffed only with Holland cheese, but today, we have them with Nutella, peanut butter, and jams.

Buñuelos

The Buñuelos are crispy, fried wheat sweet tostadas. Once they come out of the oil or lard, they are covered with raw powder sugar or honey. This version is from the center of Mexico; there are other versions in the Yucatan Peninsula, too.

Churros

I believe there is no need for a description here, but the one very important fact is that the combination “Churros con chocolate” exists thanks to Mexico and our cacao.

Calabaza en dulce (squash in raw sugar)

This is one of the most popular Mexican desserts and, I am going to dare say that it possibly belongs to pre-Hispanic times. Why?

Squash is a staple food. Sweet Squash is also part of the Day of the Dead tradition and other religious celebrations, and it is possible that the kinds of honey mentioned before could have been used instead of the raw sugar that is used today.

This is the end of my list of the most popular Mexican dishes, but I am sure you have guessed already that the Mexican dishes are not limited to this post. We have so many plates that we can fill an encyclopedia.

However, this post is intended to give you a taste of our cuisine. Please make sure you try some of our flavors and share what you think in the comments below. 🙂