Cooking Techniques Our 15 Best Mexican Recipes By Food & Wine Editors Updated on May 1, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Caitlin Bensel These vibrant Mexican recipes come from celebrated Mexican chefs, including Enrique Olvera of Pujol in Mexico City and Cosme in New York City; Elena Reygadas of Rosetta and La Panadería de Rosetta in Mexico City; and Marcela Valladolid, host of Food Network's Mexican Made Easy. The experts are making classic Mexican recipes new with extra spice, flavor-building techniques, and a little sweetness. Plus, Paola Briseño González shares the secret to perfect tamales, and Fermín Núñez packs bonus recipes for corn tortillas and salsa with his grilled chicken tacos. 01 of 15 Morisqueta con Costillas de Res en Salsa Roja (Rice with Saucy Braised Beef Ribs) Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey Morisqueta is Mexico's unsung rice-bowl hero found in regions along the Pacific, specifically Michoacán. It's essentially a taco in rice form: rice topped with a saucy pork, beef, or seafood guisado, beans, raw cabbage for texture, and some crema to pull it all together. Get the Recipe 02 of 15 Pollo al Pastor with Charred Tomato Salsa Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and John Somerall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis In this flavor-packed chicken, Juan Pablo Loza, director of culinary operations at Rosewood Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, shares his passion for the al pastor style of cooking. Get the Recipe 03 of 15 Spicy Paloma Shandy Victor Protasio Use a crisp Mexican lager like Good People Beerito for this update to the classic Paloma cocktail from Rick Martinez, author of Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico. Try Tajín Clásico Seasoning for the chili-lime salt. Get the Recipe 04 of 15 Coctél de Camarón (Mexican Shrimp Cocktail) with Saffron Jen Causey Javier Cabral and Paola Briseño González update a replenishing family recipe for coctél by charring vegetables for an umami-packed stock and adding saffron. Get the Recipe 05 of 15 Banana Leaf-Wrapped Lamb Shank Tamales with Morita Chile Salsa DYLAN + JENI These smoky braised-lamb tamales, favorite at event producer Paola Briseño González's holiday tamale parties, get a pop of freshness from bright cilantro-onion relish, while a wrapper of banana leaves perfumes the masa with a softly sweet aroma as they steam — masa recipe included. Get the Recipe 06 of 15 Charred Chile–Marinated Grilled Chicken Tacos Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva To help build deep layers of flavor in these tacos, 2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Núñez begins his marinade by toasting and charring aromatics: dried chiles, cinnamon, allspice, and onions all hit the heat before soaking with juicy chicken thighs for an hour, imparting smoky flavor before they cook quickly on the grill or in the oven. Get the Recipe 07 of 15 Xeni Atapakua (Three-Seed Pipián with Sorrel) Photo by Felipe Luna Atapakua is a Purhépecha term that refers to whole range of stew-like dishes thickened with masa. In this version from Imelda Campos Sebastián (also known as doña Mela) of Michoacan, Mexico, sorrel adds bright acidity to the masa-thickened sauce made of a blend of seeds and vegetables. Get the Recipe 08 of 15 Spicy Pea Guacamole © Con Poulos Enrique Olvera, chef and owner of Pujol in Mexico City, adds a lovely sweetness to his guacamole with green peas. He doesn’t use lime juice — he likes to show off the flavor of the avocado — but you can add a squeeze if you prefer. Get the Recipe 09 of 15 Crispy Pork Belly Tacos with Pico de Gallo © Con Poulos Also the chef-owner of Cosme in New York City, Enrique Olvera stuffs tacos with crispy pork belly, confited in fat, and serves them with a tangy salsa spiked with Mexican beer. Get the Recipe 10 of 15 Al Pastor Fish Tacos Caitlin Bensel Swap pork for flaky white fish in this riff on sweet and spicy al pastor tacos from Marcela Valladolid, host of Food Network's Mexican Made Easy. Get the Recipe 11 of 15 Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts with Mole Negro © Maura McEvoy Oaxaca is famous for its complex mole sauces, often made with more than 20 ingredients, like unsweetened chocolate, seeds, and chiles. Since moles are so time-consuming to make, most Mexican cooks rely on the prepared pastes sold at the outdoor markets, and Mexican chef Alejando Ruíz Olmedo is no exception. Instead of stewing chicken in the mole, he takes a more elegant approach: He roasts chicken breasts until the skin is crisp and serves the mole alongside. Get the Recipe 12 of 15 Pork and Chorizo Pozole © Fredrika Stjärne Chopped judge Aarón Sánchez streamlines his pozole — the slow-simmered, elaborately spiced Mexican stew made with hominy — by using two time-saving ingredients: fresh chorizo (which is already spiced) and pork cut into small, quick-cooking cubes. Get the Recipe 13 of 15 Vanilla-Sugar Conchas Victor Protasio "For me, experimenting with the Mexican tradition of sweet bread has always been fundamental," says chef Elena Reygadas of Panaderia Rosetta in Mexico City. She enriches her dough with eggs and butter and lets the dough rise slowly overnight, with airy results. Get the Recipe 14 of 15 Oaxacan Coffee Victor Protasio With a float of whipped cream and just enough sweetness to temper the bitter coffee and herbal notes in the mezcal, this spiked coffee cocktail from Yana Volfson is well-balanced and fortifying. Get the Recipe 15 of 15 Strawberry-Mango Paletas © John Kernick Mexican chef and cookbook author Fany Gerson brings bright paletas from her company La Newyorkina to Brooklyn. These bright, red-and-orange-hued ice pops are perfect to make in May when juicy strawberries are at their peak. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit