It’s irresistible to take a plate of a guilty pleasure of heavily rooted traditional Mexican food. These homemade delights are made from the freshest ingredients, richly seasoned with fragrant, zesty, and piquant spices.
What are the best Mexican dishes? Authentic Mexican dishes are different from their Tex-Mex cousins. They don’t contain flour, wheat, cumin, canned vegetables, and yellow cheese.
Real Mexican food uses fresh produce, white cheese, and slow-roasted pork. The usual garnish would be fragrant herbs like cilantro, parsley, and epazote.
Related: 5 Savory Ways to Add Mexican Flavors to Your Meal
The best Mexican dishes are rustic, hearty, and deceptively simple but as varied as the regions where they originated, it is known for their rich flavors, vibrant colors, and unique combinations of ingredients. Check out these Mexican classic dishes and see why you should give them a try:
Chilaquiles
This should be on top of your list of authentic Mexican dishes you will order the next time you enter an authentic Mexican restaurant.
Chilaquiles are a grand slam on the Mexican menu. It’s a traditional breakfast dish whipped together from a leftover dinner tortilla and salsa.
Preparing this dish begins stacking fried tortilla chips, then simmering with either red or green salsa in a pan. You can serve it with layers of shredded chicken strips, avocado slices, radishes, chopped onions, and sprinkles of queso fresco.
To make it the most perfect meal for your day, finish off with a drizzle of crema.
When we say crema, we mean the slightly tangy condiment that is rich and thick. You can add variety to this dish by serving it with eggs or rice.
Pozole
Guess what the top Mexican dishes include? You can not get enough of traditional Mexican food without a bowl of this classic stew on your table.
It’s an authentic Mexican dish worth celebrating because of its warmth, spicy aroma that has a robust but satisfying flavor.
This soup has found its way to the hearts of Mexicans. The broth is made with a base made from chili and earthy spices and garnished with oregano, shredded cabbage, sautéed garlic, lime, salsa, and radishes.
This beloved stew is prepared in different versions: either with red, green, or clear soup stock.
Made with pork and hominy, pozole is one of the best authentic Mexican comfort foods that is normally eaten on special occasions, fiestas, or holidays like Mexican Independence Day.
This dish is traditionally reserved for special occasions because the maize is believed to be a sacred plant.
Tamales
If you are looking for go-to Mexican comfort food, you are looking at Tamales. You see them sold on every street corner and roadside stand in the Riviera Maya.
They come in savory or sweet fillings and can be eaten with salsa or mole sauce toppings.
The first tamales were first developed for the Aztec, Mayan, and Inca tribes who needed nourishing food to take into battle. Hence, the way it is prepared and wrapped.
This grab-and-go Mexican favorite is made from masa, a corn-based dough, and then stuffed with meat, vegetables, chilies, and cheese before it is wrapped like a packet in a corn husk or banana leaf. They are steamed until firm.
Chiles en Nogada
Do you want authentic Mexican food that is a party to the eyes as it is on your palate?
Chiles en Nogada is made with all the colors of the Mexican flag and looks like fireworks at first glance. The garnishes represent each color on the Mexican flag, as the dish commemorates Mexican Independence. This dish is a great representative of Mexican culture, because of the colors of the traditional ingredients.
Related: 5 Tips On How To Find the Best Authentic Mexican Food
Think about a large roasted poblano chili pepper stuffed with picadillo and bathed in nogada. Picadillo is a mixture of pork, chopped fruits, and spices. Nogada is a milky, walnut cream sauce, sprinkled with ruby-red pomegranate seeds.
You should try this popular summer Mexican dish always served during the celebration of Mexican Independence Day. It is the showmanship of patriotism on a delightful dish that is both playful and savory.
Cochinita Pibil
What are the top Mexican dishes? If you are craving traditional Mexican cuisine, try this slow-roasted pulled pork from the Yucatán Peninsula. It is usually made from braised shoulders or loins of suckling pigs.
Traditionally, they were barbecued in underground pit ovens after being marinated for hours in orange juice, lime juice, and achiote seed paste until the meat turns vividly red. The finished dish boasts of a tangy, smoky, and sweet flavor that seeps out from its banana leaf wrappings.
Nowadays, they are cooked in ovens in Mexican homes. When they come fresh out of the oven, they bring out a scent of bold spices, honey-sweet citrus zest, and warm, piquant notes of roasted chilis.
Try chilling out in the afternoon with this authentic Mexican dish favorite paired with a side of rice or corn tortillas.
Mole Poblano
If you ever step on the streets in the city of Puebla during Cinco de Mayo, you will smell the aroma of mole poblano filling the streets. Mole Poblano is the Aztec word that means mix or sauce.
Preparing this traditional Mexican dish requires attention to detail and a lot of patience.
The aromatic and rich sauce that features chocolate and a delicate mix of flavors gives the distinct flavor that you will surely love. It is typically served piping hot and smothered over chicken and rice.
Mole Poblano is mildly spicy but nothing fierce. It’s more like a gravy sauce with meat, usually chicken, cooked in it. Even if it features chocolate, it doesn’t taste like chocolate at all. The chocolate contributes to the traditional deep-colored and richly-textured sauce.
Tacos
Tacos are a traditional Mexican dish made with a corn or flour tortilla and filled with various meats, vegetables, and spices. They can be garnished with sour cream, cheese, and salsa for added taste. Tacos are a common menu item at Mexican restaurants, and the tradition of “Taco Tuesday” has become popular in the United States, where many people gather to enjoy tacos on Tuesdays, this tradition has become a way for families and friends to come together and enjoy a delicious Mexican meal.
Enchiladas
Another classic Mexican dish is enchiladas. Enchiladas are made by rolling a tortilla around a filling, usually meat or cheese, and then smothered in a flavorful sauce. They are often served with sour cream and cheese on top, making them a delicious and satisfying meal.
Elote
Mexican street corn salad, also known as Elote, is a popular side dish that is often served at Mexican restaurants and food trucks. It is made by grilling corn on the cob, then topping it with a mixture of sour cream, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime juice.
These dishes are not only delicious, but they also offer a wide range of interesting flavor and texture combinations.
If you’re looking for interesting Mexican dishes, you’ll find a wide variety to choose from in Mexican cuisine. From classic favorites like tacos and enchiladas to lesser-known options like tamales and street corn salad (Elote), there’s something delicious and unique for everyone to try.
Traditional Mexican Cuisine At Its Finest
Mexican cuisine is delicious. It’s not only delicious, but it is also healthy. With traditional Mexican dishes, you are assured that you can improve your health while enjoying delicious food.
These greatest all-time Mexican classic dishes to try are just a few of the reasons why you should count on finding an authentic Mexican restaurant in your city or spin up one in your kitchen.
Contact or visit us at for more authentic Mexican food!
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or known as El Rincon among the locals around the restaurant serves Mexican food and drink made from the freshest ingredients.
Besides serving food for our customers in Carrollton and Addison we’re also active in communities across Texas.
