50 Best Mexican Foods to Eat in Mexico: The Ultimate Culinary Guide

Thinly sliced pork marinated in dried chilies and spices, cooked on a vertical rotisserie and served with pineapple, onion, and cilantro.

Fried corn tortilla pieces simmered in red or green salsa, topped with crema, crumbled cheese, onions, and often served with eggs or shredded chicken.

A rich, complex sauce made from over 20 ingredients including various chilies and chocolate, traditionally served over turkey or chicken.

Slow-roasted pork marinated in achiote and bitter orange, wrapped in banana leaves and traditionally cooked in an underground pit.

A hearty hominy soup typically made with pork or chicken, seasoned with chilies and garnished with radish, lettuce, oregano, and lime.

Poblano chilies stuffed with picadillo, topped with a walnut-based cream sauce and pomegranate seeds, representing the colors of the flag.

Corn tortillas rolled around a filling (usually chicken) and covered in a tangy green tomatillo sauce, cheese, and cream.

Meat (traditionally lamb or goat) slow-cooked in a pit covered with agave leaves until tender and succulent, often served as weekend brunch.

A large, thin, crunchy toasted tortilla covered with a spread of refried beans, asiento, lettuce, avocado, meat, and Oaxaca cheese.

Pork small-cooked in lard until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, typically served in tacos with salsa and lime.

A spicy stew originally made with goat but now commonly beef, slow-cooked with chilies and spices, served with consommé for dipping.

A light chicken soup flavored with the unique, aromatic Yucatecan lime and served with crispy tortilla strips.

Whole fish split open, marinated in a chili-lime paste, and grilled over charcoal in a special mesh rack.

Fresh raw shrimp submerged in a liquid seasoned with chili peppers, lime juice, salt, coriander, and slices of onion and cucumber.

Masa dough filled with meats, cheeses, or vegetables, wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and steamed to perfection.

A sandwich made with birote bread filled with carnitas and literally 'drowned' in a spicy tomato and chili sauce.

The darkest and most complex of the seven Oaxacan moles, featuring toasted chilies and chocolate for a savory-sweet depth.

Thick corn cakes split open and stuffed with various fillings like chicharrón prensado, beans, or cheese.

Fried dough pastries dusted in sugar and cinnamon, often served with a side of warm chocolate sauce for dipping.

Fried eggs served on lightly fried corn tortillas, smothered in a cooked tomato-chili salsa and served with refried beans.

Corn tortillas dipped in a pumpkin seed sauce, filled with hard-boiled eggs, and topped with a tomato-chili salsa.

Battered and fried fish fillets served in corn tortillas with cabbage, pico de gallo, and a creamy white sauce.

Long, thin corn tortillas filled with shredded meat and fried until extra crispy, usually topped with crema and guacamole.

Thick corn tortillas with pinched sides, topped with beans, meat, lettuce, cheese, and salsa.

A traditional soup made with beef stomach (tripe) in a broth with a red chili pepper base, often used as a hangover cure.

Melted cheese served with chorizo or mushrooms, typically eaten by scooping the gooey mixture into warm flour tortillas.

Steamed tacos kept warm in a basket, typically filled with potato, beans, or chicharrón, known for their soft, moist texture.

A sweet, soft bread dusted with sugar, decorated with bone-shaped pieces of dough, traditionally eaten during Dia de los Muertos.

A traditional seafood rice dish from the coast, prepared with a variety of fresh seafood in a tomato and chili broth.

Tacos featuring shrimp, melted cheese, onions, and peppers, grilled until the tortilla is slightly crispy.

Dried, spiced beef that is rehydrated and shredded, often scrambled with eggs or served in flour tortillas.

Red snapper cooked in a Mediterranean-influenced sauce of tomatoes, olives, capers, and herbs.

Cigar-shaped masa treats filled with ingredients like potato and chorizo, then deep-fried and topped with salsa.

Slow-roasted suckling goat, a specialty of northern Mexico where it is often cooked over an open fire.

Oval-shaped masa cakes stuffed with beans, cheese, or fava beans, grilled on a comal and topped with cactus and salsa.

A regional version of enchiladas featuring tortillas dipped in guajillo sauce, filled with cheese, and topped with carrots and potatoes.

A traditional soup made with green chilies, potatoes, and cubes of fresh regional cheese in a light broth.

Shrimp tacos, either grilled or battered, typically served with similar toppings to fish tacos in coastal regions.

Pit-barbecued meat seasoned with chilies and spices, traditionally wrapped in the outer skin of agave leaves.

Fried tortillas stuffed with black bean paste and topped with shredded turkey or chicken, pickled onions, and avocado.

Street-vended sweet potatoes or plantains pressure-cooked in a mobile cart, served with condensed milk and strawberry jam.

The classic tortilla soup featuring a rich tomato-chili broth, crispy tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and crema.

A fresh-tasting mole made with pumpkin seeds, green chilies, and herbs like epazote and cilantro.

Corn kernels sautéed with epazote and onions, served in a cup with lime, chili powder, mayonnaise, and cheese.

Grilled corn on the cob slathered in mayonnaise, chili powder, lime, and crumbled cotija cheese.

Grilled butterfly-cut fish covered in two types of chili marinades, creating a beautiful red and green presentation.

Open-faced sandwiches made with bolillo bread, topped with refried beans and melted cheese, often served with pico de gallo.

Puffed deep-fried tortillas topped with lettuce, sliced tomato, pickled red onion, and shredded turkey or chicken.

A 'tablecloth stainer' mole that is sweet and savory, featuring pineapple, plantains, and chorizos.

A sweet, caramel-like sauce or candy made by slowly heating sweetened milk until it thickens and changes color.