A cuisine built on corn, beans and chillies (fresh, fermented and smoke-dried). Ancho, chipotle, lime, coriander and cumin work alongside tomatillo, avocado and crema. Comal-toasting of spices, slow-stewed adobos, charred salsas and griddled tortillas shape the table.
This Tex-Mex-inspired beef enchilada recipe is richly seasoned, easy to make, and always such a crowd favourite. Tender flour tortillas are filled with seasoned ground beef and black beans, rolled, and smothered in homemade red enchilada sauce, then topped with melted cheese and fresh coriander for a comforting, flavourful dish.
Birria is a Mexican braise of long, patient ambition. Originally a goat or lamb dish from Jalisco, it has long since adopted beef in much of Mexico and almost entirely in the popular taco version. The flavour comes from a layered chile base: guajillo for fruit and colour, ancho for raisin sweetness, pasilla for earthy depth, and a handful of arbol for a sharper heat. These are simmered with onion, garlic, cinnamon and peppercorns, blended smooth with chipotles in adobo and fire-roasted tomato, then poured over seared chuck and short rib for a long oven braise. Three hours later the meat is meltingly tender, sitting in a rust-red consomme that is the whole point: ladled over the shredded beef in a bowl, scattered with raw onion, cilantro and lime, or used to dip crisp taco shells for the now-iconic quesabirria. The recipe takes time but very little technique; almost everything happens unattended in the oven. Plan ahead and make it a day in advance so the flavours settle and the fat lifts cleanly off the top before you reheat.
Skirt or flank steak (cuts that take a marinade well and grill fast) sit in a punchy marinade of lime, orange, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, oregano and coriander for 2-4 hours, then grill quick over high heat. Sliced thin against the grain so the long fibres become tender bites.
Tomatillos, jalapeño, onion and garlic blitz into a green salsa, briefly cooked. Crisp tortilla chips toss into the simmering salsa for 2 minutes, long enough to coat, short enough that they keep some crunch. Topped with eggs and the standard creamy garnishes.
Poblanos are charred and skinned, slit and stuffed with melting cheese. They get a coating of egg-white batter (whites whipped to stiff peaks, yolks folded in), fry in shallow oil until puffy and golden. Served in a simple roasted-tomato salsa.
Tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeños, garlic and onion roast under the grill until blackened in spots. Blended with coriander and lime to a green salsa. Pork shoulder cubes brown hard in a heavy pot, then simmer for 90 minutes in the green salsa with cumin, oregano and stock until the pork is fork-tender. Eaten with tortillas.
Chilli con carne is a hearty, flavour-packed stew that celebrates bold Mexican spicing combined with slow-cooked beef, beans, and tomatoes. This version builds deep, complex flavours through toasted whole spices, umami ingredients (marmite and soy sauce), and slow simmering. The result is a comforting, warming dish that improves with time and is perfect for feeding a crowd.
Pork shoulder is rubbed with a paste of achiote, orange and lime juices, garlic, oregano and warming spices, then left to marinate overnight. The pork is wrapped in banana leaves and roasted low and slow until it shreds with two forks. The pibil sits in its own bright red juices; warm corn tortillas and habanero-bright pickled red onions are the only accompaniments needed.
Carnitas are a classic Mexican dish of slow-cooked, tender pork that's finished until crispy and golden. The meat is cooked low and slow in its own fat with aromatic spices, citrus, and a hint of cola for sweetness, creating incredibly flavourful, versatile shredded pork. This dish is endlessly adaptable, perfect for filling burritos, tacos, quesadillas, or topping salads.
Corn kernels, fresh in season, frozen the rest of the year, are charred in a hot dry pan with a bit of oil until many kernels are blackened. Off the heat: mayo, sour cream, lime, garlic, chilli powder and cheese are folded through. Coriander and more cheese top each bowl.
The combination of already flavourful spiced beef with the particularly fiery salsa makes this burrito a force to be reckoned with. This specific burrito variation combines crunchy tortilla chips, creamy nacho cheese sauce, and a bold chile de árbol red salsa to create a complex, heat-forward flavour profile that packs a punch.
The fully loaded burrito is where all of your hard work and efforts come together to repay you in full. Packed with your choice of seasoned meat or vegetables, flavourful rice, smooth and filling beans, cheese, salsa and more, it's an entire meal wrapped up to go. This customizable template allows you to build your perfect burrito based on available ingredients and personal preference.
Huevos rancheros is a classic Mexican breakfast dish featuring eggs poached in a rich, spiced tomato sauce with peppers and chillies. This rustic, flavourful dish is traditionally served with warm tortillas for scooping, allowing diners to customize their own wraps. The combination of runny egg yolks with the thick, delicious tomato stew creates a truly memorable dish.
This vibrant Mexican seafood soup features halibut, prawns, scallops, and clams in a spicy tomato broth with corn and lime. Topped with a fresh avocado salsa, it's a zesty and flavorful dish that brings the tastes of Mexico to your table. Perfect for a light yet satisfying meal.
Chilli con carne is a hearty, flavour-packed stew that celebrates bold Mexican spicing combined with slow-cooked beef, beans, and tomatoes. This version builds deep, complex flavours through toasted whole spices, umami ingredients (marmite and soy sauce), and slow simmering. The result is a comforting, warming dish that improves with time and is perfect for feeding a crowd.
Multiple dried chillies (mulato, ancho, pasilla) toast and rehydrate, then blend with toasted nuts, seeds, dried fruit, spices, fried onion and garlic, plantain, dark chocolate and a slice of toasted bread or tortilla into a thick paste. The paste cooks down with chicken stock into a glossy mahogany sauce, served over poached chicken with rice and warm tortillas.
Patatas bravas is a classic Spanish tapas dish featuring crispy roasted potatoes smothered in a rich, spiced tomato sauce. While originating in Spain, this dish has become popular across Latin American cuisines. The combination of golden, crispy potatoes with a flavourful paprika and chilli tomato sauce makes for an addictive side dish or appetizer. Traditionally served at room temperature with fresh parsley garnish.
Pollo asado is the Mexican answer to grilled chicken, and the marinade is the entire point. Achiote paste (ground annatto seed with garlic, cumin, oregano and vinegar) provides both the dish's distinctive brick-orange colour and a subtle, almost peppery earthiness. Sour orange (naranja agria) is the traditional citrus, though a blend of orange and lime juice mimics it where bitter orange isn't available. The chicken is marinated for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the acid tenderises the meat and the achiote stains right through to the bone. On the grill, the marinade caramelises into a deeply coloured crust while the meat underneath stays juicy thanks to the bone-in cuts. Regional differences matter: Yucatán-style pollo asado leans heavily on achiote and sour orange, drawing from pibil traditions; northern Mexican versions add more cumin and chilli; the version popular in Los Angeles and Texas often gets a touch of tomato paste in the marinade for extra colour. Difficulty for home cooks is low: it's grilled chicken with a confident marinade. The main pitfall is high direct heat scorching the achiote-stained skin before the meat cooks through; a two-zone fire fixes that. Served with charred spring onions, warm corn tortillas, lime wedges, and salsa or guacamole.
Masa harina mixes with lard or butter, baking powder and stock into a fluffy dough. A red-chilli pork shoulder filling has been simmered separately. Soaked corn husks get a layer of dough, a spoon of filling, fold and tie. Steamed standing upright for an hour.
Pork shoulder and pork ribs are simmered with onion, garlic and bay until tender, building a stock that becomes the soup base. Dried guajillo and ancho chillies are toasted, soaked and blended with the cooking stock, then strained back into the pot with cooked hominy and the shredded meat for a final simmer. The bowls are topped at the table with shredded cabbage, sliced radish, dried oregano, lime wedges and tostadas, so each diner finishes their own.
Pork shoulder is sliced thin, marinated in a paste of rehydrated guajillo and ancho chillies, achiote, vinegar, garlic, pineapple juice and spices, then seared hard in a screaming-hot pan. Served on warm corn tortillas with chopped onion, coriander, lime, and small chunks of charred pineapple.
Chicken thighs are poached with onion, garlic and bay until just cooked, then shredded with two forks. A sauce is built separately: sliced onion is caramelised, then chipotles in adobo and tinned tomatoes are blended in and simmered down with the poaching liquor. The shredded chicken is folded back through the sauce so every shred picks up the smoke and acidity. Spoon onto warm tostadas with avocado, crema and crumbled queso fresco.
A vibrant Mexican soup featuring crispy fried tortilla strips in a smoky tomato broth, topped with fresh avocado, cheese, and herbs. The combination of textures and flavors makes it a satisfying and authentic dish.
