Mexican cuisine is adored across the world for its delicious diversity – but what many dishes do have in common is a winning combination of fresh, zesty ingredients with deep, rich flavours. From much-loved classics such as tacos, fajitas and quesadillas to regional specialities (and a few Tex-Mex favourites), here are some easy Mexican-inspired recipes to try at home – perfect for Cinco de Mayo and beyond.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover 40 delicious Mexican recipes everyone will love, ordered from appetisers and snacks to main meals, desserts and drinks.
Guacamole is a seemingly simple creation that's easy to get wrong. The key is to use perfectly ripe avocados, and to add a decent squeeze of lime juice to cut through the creaminess. This recipe adds half of the lime juice to chopped onions, which are then combined with the other ingredients (this will take the edge off the acidity and let the natural flavours sing). If you're not planning on scooping up the whole lot in one sitting, reserve the avocado stones and add them to the finished guacamole – it will help to prevent your dip from turning brown.
Elote, or street corn, is ubiquitous in Mexico, where its history stretches back centuries. The zingy, spicy snack consists of a corn cob that's charred on the grill, then slathered in a mixture of butter, cheese, mayonnaise, lime, chilli and coriander. Topped with a cheesy, chilli-infused sauce, our tasty barbecued corn on the cob recipe takes inspiration from the traditional Mexican street food.
Get the recipe for Mexican-style barbecued corn on the cob here
This Mexican-inspired black bean soup recipe gets its distinct flavour from chipotle paste, loved for its smokiness and thick texture – so be sure not to swap this out. Before you purée the ingredients, reserve half to mash with a fork (this will help to keep the texture nice and chunky). A bowl of this wonderfully smoky and subtly spicy soup would make a wonderful midweek supper, and you could freeze some for future meals, too.
Nachos were invented in 1940s Mexico by restaurateur Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Anaya, who served crisp tortilla chips with cheese and jalapeños to a group of US women whose soldier husbands were stationed nearby. They’re now the ultimate snack, and this recipe – with smoked tofu, Cajun spices, guacamole and, of course, cheese – makes them even more delicious.
Nachos topped with melted cheese, jalapeños and guacamole are undeniably delicious – but adding juicy shredded steak takes them to a whole new level. Inspired by the Mexican dish carne asada, this recipe sees silverside beef marinated in paprika, cumin and chilli before being slow cooked in ale for four to five hours, making it beautifully tender. The easy dish is also a great way to use up leftover roast beef or steak.
A combination of chilli powder, cumin, garlic salt and olive oil makes these Mexican-inspired potato wedges incredibly moreish. Make a meal of it and serve your wedges with a fried egg, avocado, salsa and corn on the cob – perfect for brunch (or at any time of day, really). You could also serve them with a creamy dip made with sour cream or yogurt, with a little paprika stirred through.
This is a simpler take on the classic Mexican breakfast, where fried eggs are usually served on corn tortillas and drowned in a chilli-laced red sauce. Our recipe uses cooked tomatoes and refried beans, resulting in a breakfast dish that's hearty enough to eat for supper. Crumbled feta, sliced avocado and hot sauce bring a wonderful balance of flavours and textures to the plate, so don't leave them out.
Loaded with fried potato cubes, chopped vegan sausage, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and avocado, there are so many flavours and textures to enjoy in this dish. It's served with pickled red onions, which are easy to make (and ready by the time you've prepared everything else). Make extra onions and store them, still submerged in vinegar, in an airtight container in the fridge – they'll add a wonderful zing to a whole host of dishes.
Tostadas are a Latin American dish that has fried or toasted tortillas as its base – and the crispiness works beautifully with sashimi-grade fish for a Japanese twist. This recipe uses soy sauce and orange juice–marinated tuna, chipotle mayo, and a garnish of sliced avocado and fried leeks. To make your own (very basic) tostadas, simply cut circles from a tortilla and toast them.
These little tostadas are wonderfully light, making them perfect for serving at parties, or as a starter. A combination of diced avocado, courgette, lime, chilli, basil and maple syrup makes the sweet and fragrant topping. Our recipe also shows you how to make a Paloma cocktail, traditionally made with tequila and grapefruit, but here made with gin. You could also skip the spirit entirely for a non-alcoholic version.
Although it's better known as a Peruvian dish (there's even some debate over whether it actually originated in Ecuador), ceviche is popular throughout the coastal regions of Mexico. The acid in lemon or lime juice is used to 'cook' the fish. This recipe features delicate sea bass, avocado, crunchy radish, lemon juice and olive oil – you can eat it as it is, or pile it onto a tostada.
Like ceviche? You'll love aguachile, a Mexican dish that sees fresh seafood tossed in chilli-spiked lime juice and served immediately. We love this punchy version, made with scallops, chilli, lime, cucumber and tequila.
The trick to getting really succulent, aromatic pulled pork is to marinate it overnight in the fridge before slow cooking it in white wine and chicken stock. Once shredded, the pork is dressed in a sticky, spicy sauce. Chopped red onion, lime and fresh coriander cut through its richness and add a wonderful crunch. You could also make a vegan version by using tinned jackfruit in place of pork.
What we love about enchiladas is that they don’t require last-minute attention, so once they’re rolled up and in the oven, you can put your feet up. These ones are filled with a rich beef chilli and topped with chipotle and grated Cheddar, but you could also use chicken, turkey or soya mince. You could use the sauce as a base for chilli con carne or as a jacket potato topping, too.
Barbacoa is a Mexican style of slow cooking seasoned meat until it's wonderfully smoky and tender – and the meat is often shredded and served in tacos. It takes eight hours in the oven or slow cooker, but it's definitely worth the wait. We serve ours with a squeeze of lime, chopped red onion, coriander and fresh green chilli.
Fajitas are a favourite in Tex-Mex or Tejano cuisine, and this recipe – made with chicken and lots of crunchy peppers – is perfect for an easy, crowd-pleasing supper. Halve the quantity of red and green chillies in the recipe for a less spicy version, and avoid adding the seeds (unless you want it really hot). A dollop of sour cream and some avocado slices will also help temper the heat.
There's no end to the combination of fillings that you can stuff in a soft tortilla, but tacos al pastor – tacos filled with marinated and grilled pork – are famously good, and a speciality in Mexico City. In this recipe, the aromatic and punchy meat is served with chopped pineapple and a jalapeño, garlic, avocado and onion salsa.
The great thing about quesadillas is that you can chop and change the filling depending on what you have to hand. Oh, and they're incredibly quick and easy to throw together, too. This recipe uses cooked turkey – though leftover roast chicken would also be good – plus guacamole, apple, chopped cherry tomatoes and sweetcorn. The flavour combination works surprisingly well.
This delicious (and wonderfully simple) treat of a recipe brings together two Mexican favourites: fajitas and Margaritas. You don’t actually have to make a cocktail (though that would make a lovely accompaniment). Instead, the chicken is infused with the flavours of a classic Margarita thanks to a marinade of tequila, triple sec and lime, bringing a real freshness to the dish.
The meat from confit duck legs just falls apart – making it the perfect taco filling. It sounds fancy (and rather tricky), but you can buy the duck ready-prepared for an easier supper. Use shop-bought tortillas, and all you'll have to do is reheat the meat, then whip up a quick chilli and lime yogurt, and make a sweetcorn salsa to pile on top.
This is the perfect build-your-own dinner. Burritos originated in northern Mexico, and they're now ubiquitous across the US and beyond. Lay out a selection of chicken, homemade salsa, guacamole, black beans, quinoa (or rice) and salad – that way, everyone can add as little or as much as they like.
There are various theories about the origins of chilli con carne, although the most popular is that it was introduced to the US by 'chilli queens' who sold it in San Antonio, Texas in the early 19th century. Whatever the truth, it's an incredibly versatile dish – and the perfect match for many things, from rice and quinoa to jacket potatoes and tortilla chips. We suggest cooking a big batch and storing it in the freezer, so you have speedy meals on standby for the rest of the month.
Take roast chicken to dizzy new heights of deliciousness with this recipe, inspired by the chicken sold at market stalls in Mexico City. This dish is actually pretty easy to make, with less than 30 minutes of preparation time. You make the ancho rub from scratch using dried chillies and spices (including cinnamon and fennel seeds), then make it into a paste to massage into the chicken as a marinade. Make extra spice mix – it’s equally wonderful with fish or roasted vegetables, or even sprinkled on fruit or popcorn.
These satisfyingly sticky and tender pork ribs are inspired by cochinita pibil: marinated, slow-roasted pork from Mexico’s Yucatán region. The recipe involves a number of processes and requires a bit of time and patience, but the result is beautiful – and perfect for a special occasion. Dish your ribs up straight from the oven or cook them on the barbecue, ensuring the meat is fully cooked through before serving.
A guaranteed crowd-pleaser, spicy slow-cooked beef chilli is a great dish to feed a large family. This recipe requires braising steak, beef stock, kidney beans and smoky chipotle paste. When your chilli is ready, serve it with homemade guacamole, sour cream, tortilla chips and rice.
Made with a beer batter, these Baja-inspired fish tacos are seriously light and crunchy. Keep the first batch of fried fish warm in the oven while you’re cooking the second. And make sure you have all of your toppings – creamy chipotle sauce, chopped red onion, shredded cabbage and shredded lettuce – ready to go in bowls, so everyone can assemble their own.
A spicy, Bloody Mary–inspired tomato sauce works wonderfully with tender, sweet prawns. The accompanying celeriac slaw provides some much-needed crunch, plus lots of acidity (all thanks to the lime dressing). You might also want to add a little mayo or sour cream to each taco, or just lay out a selection of condiments so people can build their own.
Tequila isn't just for cocktails. It works wonderfully as a cooking ingredient, and especially as a marinade for fish – as this recipe perfectly demonstrates. This luxurious sea bass dish, inspired by the classic Margarita cocktail, is made with Cointreau (orange liqueur), white or gold tequila and fresh lime.
This vegan take on chilli con carne makes clever use of store cupboard staples like black and kidney beans, passata, tomato purée, garlic, jalapeños and chilli flakes. Not only that, but it only takes 10 minutes to put together. Double up the quantities and stash the extra portions in the freezer – this is a great standby for easy suppers (just add brown rice, spoon it over jacket potatoes, or dollop it on nachos).
Quesadillas are originally from central and northern Mexico – and they couldn't be simpler to make. They consist of two tortillas filled with vegetables and/or meat and melted cheese. This recipe features smoky cooked butter beans and meaty mushrooms, plus mozzarella and Cheddar.
This vegan twist on fish tacos uses oyster mushrooms, whose meaty texture works especially well with the crispy batter. Our recipe uses beer for a light texture, and brings Cajun-style spices to the mix – the perfect marriage of Mexican and Louisiana cuisines.
Enriched with dark chocolate, smoked paprika and cinnamon, this sensational bean chilli is best cooked slow and low for a moreish and deeply spiced flavour. Stuffed inside crisp tortillas with a zingy pineapple salsa and sour cream on the side, it would make a fantastic feast for vegetarians (but it's also delicious with added chorizo).
These vegan burritos are made with plantain – large, savoury cooking fruits from the same family as bananas. They taste amazing when fried, becoming caramelised and crisp around the edges. For this recipe, perfect for breakfast or a snack, they’re paired with spicy tofu and homemade pico de gallo (a simple tomato, red onion and coriander salsa).
Jackfruit has long been grown and eaten in tropical and subtropical regions, including India, East Africa and parts of the Caribbean, and it's becoming increasingly popular elsewhere as a meat substitute. Its meaty texture, similar to pulled pork or tender brisket, works wonderfully in these tacos – and happily, you can buy it ready-prepared in a tin. In this recipe, it's shredded and fried with chipotle chilli, tomato, onion and spices, then served with sweetcorn salsa.
Fancy churros without the faff of deep frying? Well, great news: that’s exactly what these waffle churro dippers are for! Simply create and slice the waffles, then roll them in cinnamon sugar. When dipped in chocolate sauce, nobody will notice the difference.
Hot chocolate has been prepared for millennia in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Traditionally it's made by mixing Mexican chocolate – made with coarsely ground cacao, granulated sugar and cinnamon – with hot milk or water, and it often includes nuts, spices and even chilli peppers for a subtle kick. This authentic recipe includes a traditional method of making hot chocolate (involving roasting and crushing cacao beans), as well as a modern alternative.
Every cocktail lover – and especially those who also love Mexican food – should have a reliable Margarita recipe up their sleeve. This one is beautifully simple. Tequila is shaken with sugar syrup, sharp lime juice, orange liqueur and ice, then strained into a glass. If you're feeling brave, combine chilli or paprika and salt flakes, and use the mixture to line the rim of each glass.
For times when either a beer or a Bloody Mary just won’t cut it, there’s the Michelada, which is kind of like a cross between the two (though usually, no spirits are added). The Mexican cocktail sees salt, pepper, chilli spice and a zing of lime added to light beer – and our recipe adds tomato juice, too. It’s surprisingly refreshing, and would be great as a brunch cocktail.
How do you make a Margarita even more delicious? Throw in some fruit and, in this case, a little extra spice too. The mango brings a real sweetness to the otherwise tangy, salty cocktail, which some people might prefer if they usually find Margaritas a little too tart. The chilli brings a real punch, too.
Get the recipe for mango and jalapeño Margaritas here
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