mexicanmedium
Carnitas — Michoacán pork shoulder, crisped to order
Carnitas is pork shoulder cooked low and slow in its own fat, then crisped hard at the end. The two-stage cook is the whole point.
200 min 6
Read 01 / Cuisines · North American
Mexican.
Salsa, masa, smoke, time.
48 recipes4 core techniques10-item pantry
02 / Intro · The shape of it
Mexican cuisine is what UNESCO calls "intangible cultural heritage" — corn, beans, and chili threaded across two thousand years of cooking and refined into one of the world's three or four most influential national cuisines. The cliché of "Mexican food" outside Mexico (gloopy cheese, ground beef in a hard shell) misses the actual range: ceviches in Veracruz, mole in Oaxaca, cochinita pibil in Yucatán, birria in Jalisco, al pastor in Mexico City. None of them rhyme.
The structural ingredient is masa — corn that's been nixtamalized, ground, and either pressed into tortillas or thinned into atole. Everything else is built around it. A tortilla is the plate, the spoon, the napkin, and half of the dinner.
Souschef's Mexican recipes will work with what you can get in Berlin, London, or Brooklyn — dried chiles by mail, fresh corn tortillas when you can find them, decent cotija from the Lateinamerika import shop. We'll teach you to toast and re-hydrate guajillo and ancho, to char tomatillos under the broiler, and to fix bad guacamole.
03 / Techniques · The four that matter
Master these first.
01
Dry-toasting dried chiles
Stem and seed the chiles, then press them flat on a dry cast-iron pan for 15–30 seconds per side until they smell smoky and start to puff. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes. The base of nearly every Mexican sauce.
02
Charring under the broiler
Tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic blackened under high heat until the skin blisters. The char becomes the smoke in the salsa.
03
Nixtamalization (in spirit)
If you have access to dried corn, calcium hydroxide, and a few hours, you can make masa from scratch. If not, Maseca or fresh masa from a tortillería is a reasonable shortcut.
04
Marinating with citrus and chiles
Long marinades in lime, sour orange, and chile paste denature the proteins on the surface — the basis of ceviche, al pastor, and most of the country's grilled meats.
04 / Soundtrack · Boleros de Oro & Rancheras
Cook to this.
05 / The library · 48 mexican recipes
Tonight's dinner.
mexicanhard
Mole Poblano — the real version, made on a Sunday
Mole poblano is a project, not a quick dinner. Clear a Sunday, toast carefully, and the sauce will outlast the afternoon.
240 min 8
Read 
mexicanmedium
Pozole Rojo — Guajillo-ancho hominy stew with pork
Pozole is the weekend broth — slow-cooked pork shoulder and bloomed hominy in a deep chile broth, served with enough toppings to make every bowl different.
240 min 6
Read 
mexicanmedium
Birria de Res — Jalisco-style beef stew with consomé
Birria is beef stewed in dried-chile adobo until it falls apart, served with the braising liquid as consomé. Dip a tortilla in the fat, griddle it, fill it with the meat, and dunk the whole taco back in.
270 min 6
Read 
mexicanmedium
Cochinita Pibil — Yucatecan pork in achiote and sour orange
Cochinita pibil is Yucatán's buried-fire pork: marinated in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves, and slow-cooked until it shreds under a fork.
270 min 8
Read 
mexicaneasy
Enchiladas Verdes — Tomatillo salsa, shredded chicken
Enchiladas verdes are tortillas dipped in tomatillo salsa, filled with shredded chicken, and baked under more salsa. The tortilla should go in soft, not crispy.
60 min 4
Read 
mexicanhard
Chiles en Nogada — Poblano, walnut cream, pomegranate
Chiles en nogada is a September dish — roasted poblanos filled with spiced pork and fruit picadillo, blanketed in walnut cream, and scattered with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
150 min 6
Read 
mexicaneasy
Huevos Rancheros — Fried eggs on charred tomato salsa
Huevos rancheros is fried eggs on fried tortillas, drowned in a comal-charred tomato salsa. It is a breakfast, not a brunch project.
30 min 2
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mexicaneasy
Tinga de Pollo — Chipotle-braised shredded chicken
Tinga is shredded chicken braised in a chipotle-tomato sauce. It goes on tostadas, into tacos, or tucked into quesadillas — make more than you think you need.
55 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Salsa Verde — Charred tomatillo and jalapeño
Salsa verde is charred tomatillo and jalapeño, blended with onion and cilantro. The charring is not optional — it is what separates this from a salad dressing.
20 min 6
Read 
mexicaneasy
Salsa Roja — Comal-charred tomato and árbol
Salsa roja is charred tomato and chile de árbol, blended roughly and finished in hot oil. It is the base sauce for half of Mexican cooking.
20 min 6
Read 
mexicaneasy
Guacamole — Avocado, lime, and nothing else it doesn't need
Guacamole is mashed avocado with lime, salt, onion, chile, and cilantro. The technique is a mortar, not a food processor. Chunky is correct.
10 min 4
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mexicaneasy
Chilaquiles Rojos — Fried tortilla chips in red chile salsa
Chilaquiles is yesterday's tortillas fried crisp and then drenched in hot salsa until they begin to soften. The timing window between too crispy and too soggy is about two minutes.
30 min 2
Read 
mexicanmedium
Enchiladas Rojas — Guajillo-mulato red chile, beef or chicken
Enchiladas rojas are corn tortillas dipped in guajillo-mulato sauce, rolled with meat, and baked. The red is from the dried chiles, not from a jarred sauce.
70 min 4
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mexicanmedium
Chiles Rellenos — Battered poblano with cheese, in tomato sauce
Chiles rellenos are roasted poblanos stuffed with melting cheese, dipped in egg batter, fried until golden, and served in a plain cooked tomato sauce. Do not skip the batter.
60 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Arroz Rojo — Mexican tomato rice, done right
Arroz rojo is rice toasted in oil until golden, then cooked in a tomato broth. Each grain should be separate, red, and cooked through — not clumped and not wet.
40 min 4
Read 
mexicanmedium
Quesabirria — Birria-dipped tacos with melted Oaxacan cheese
Quesabirria are tortillas dipped in birria fat, filled with braised beef and Oaxacan cheese, then pressed on a griddle until the cheese melts and the tortilla turns a deep, brick-red. Serve with the consomé for dipping.
270 min 6
Read 
mexicaneasy
Tostadas de Tinga — Chipotle-shredded chicken on crisp tortillas
Tinga is shredded chicken simmered in a tomato and chipotle sauce with caramelised onion. Pile it on fried tortillas with refried beans, crema, and fresh garnishes and you have one of the most satisfying lunches in Mexico City.
50 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Agua de Jamaica — Hibiscus flower agua fresca
Agua de jamaica is Mexico's most iconic cold drink — dried hibiscus flowers steeped in hot water, sweetened, and served cold over ice. The color is a saturated burgundy that turns magenta when diluted, and the flavor is bracingly tart with notes of cranberry and rose.
20 min 8
Read 
mexicaneasy
Arroz con Leche — Mexican rice pudding with cinnamon
Mexican arroz con leche is short-grain rice simmered slowly in whole milk with cinnamon and orange zest until each grain is swollen and the pudding holds its shape on a spoon. It is denser and less sweet than its Spanish cousin, served at room temperature or cold.
45 min 6
Read 
mexicanmedium
Tres Leches Cake — Three-milk soaked sponge
Tres leches cake is a light sponge soaked overnight in a mixture of whole milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk until every cell of the crumb is saturated. The result is not wet — it is impossibly tender, trembling slightly, topped with barely sweetened whipped cream.
60 min 12
Read 
mexicanmedium
Churros con Chocolate — Fried dough with dark chocolate dipping sauce
Mexican churros are ridged cylinders of fried choux-adjacent dough, rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with a thick, dark Mexican chocolate sauce for dipping. They are street food, carnival food, and breakfast food simultaneously.
35 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Champurrado — Thick chocolate masa atole
Champurrado is the thick, warm, chocolate-spiked atole that vendors serve from clay pots alongside tamales throughout Mexico — particularly on Día de los Muertos and at posadas. Made with masa harina, Mexican chocolate, and piloncillo, it is thicker than hot chocolate and more deeply flavored than any powder-mix version.
25 min 4
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mexicanmedium
Tortas Ahogadas — Guadalajara's drowned pork sandwich
Tortas ahogadas are Guadalajara's signature sandwich — carnitas in a crusty birote roll, soaked (drowned) in a ferocious chile de árbol tomato sauce and eaten immediately, ideally standing up. The sauce is not decoration; the entire sandwich is submerged.
65 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Caldo Tlalpeño — Chipotle chicken and chickpea soup
Caldo tlalpeño is a Mexico City classic — a smoky, dark-orange broth of chicken and chickpeas spiked with chipotle and finished with epazote. It takes its name from Tlalpan, a township south of the capital, and is the preferred Sunday family lunch soup.
65 min 6
Read 
mexicaneasy
Gorditas de Elote — Sweet fresh corn gorditas
Gorditas de elote are thick fresh corn patties cooked on a comal — not the savory masa gorditas filled with beans and cheese, but the sweet version made with blended fresh corn, masa harina, and a small amount of sugar. They are sold at morning markets across central Mexico, eaten plain or with crema and a pinch of salt.
35 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Frijoles de la Olla — Pot beans, the Mexican way
Frijoles de la olla are whole beans cooked from scratch in water with onion, garlic, and epazote. Every other bean preparation in Mexican cooking starts here.
130 min 6
Read 
mexicaneasy
Frijoles Refritos — Lard-fried beans, the real version
Refritos means fried well, not fried twice. The beans are cooked from scratch, then mashed and fried in lard until creamy and thick enough to hold their shape on a plate.
25 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Pico de Gallo — Raw tomato and serrano salsa
Pico de gallo is a raw salsa — ripe tomato, white onion, serrano, cilantro, and lime. Nothing is cooked, nothing is blended, and the knife work shows.
15 min 4
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mexicaneasy
Aguachile Verde — Sinaloan shrimp in serrano-cucumber-lime water
Aguachile is raw shrimp marinated in a serrano-cucumber-lime water until the acid just cures the surface. It is served within minutes of assembling — the shrimp should be rare in the center.
20 min 4
Read 
mexicanmedium
Tlayudas — Oaxacan large crispy tortilla with asiento and quesillo
A tlayuda is a large, partially dried Oaxacan tortilla griddled until crispy, spread with asiento (unrefined pork fat), black beans, quesillo, and your choice of toppings. It eats like a pizza.
35 min 2
Read 
mexicaneasy
Sopa de Tortilla — Tomato broth with fried tortilla strips and avocado
Sopa de tortilla is a tomato-chipotle broth with crispy fried tortilla strips and cold avocado added at the last second. The contrast between the hot broth and the cold, creamy avocado is the dish.
45 min 4
Read 
mexicanmedium
Fish Tacos — Baja-style beer batter, white fish, chipotle crema
Baja fish tacos are battered white fish served in a double tortilla with shredded cabbage, chipotle crema, and lime. The batter should be light enough to shatter, not a crust.
40 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Flautas de Pollo — Crispy rolled tacos with chicken
Flautas are corn tortillas rolled tightly around seasoned chicken and fried until completely rigid. They should snap when you bite into them, not bend.
40 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Elotes Callejeros — Mexican street corn on the cob
Elotes are charred corn on the cob covered in crema, mayonnaise, chile powder, lime, and cotija cheese. The char comes first — without it, you have corn with toppings, not a street corn.
25 min 4
Read 
mexicanhard
Tamales de Puerco Rojo — Red chile pork tamales
Red pork tamales are the Christmas tamale — braised pork shoulder in guajillo-ancho adobo, folded into beaten masa and steamed in corn husks. Make them in a large batch; they freeze perfectly.
180 min 12
Read 
mexicaneasy
Sopa de Lima — Yucatecan lime and chicken soup
Sopa de lima is the Yucatecan soup built on sour Mexican lime (lima agria) and a base of charred onion, tomato, and chicken. The fried tortilla strips are added at the last moment.
60 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Esquites — Mexican street corn salad in a cup
Esquites are elotes in a cup — corn kernels cooked in butter with epazote, then served in a cup with all the same toppings as street corn. The butter and epazote are not optional.
25 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Salsa Macha — Dried chile oil with peanuts and sesame
Salsa macha is a dried chile condiment from Veracruz — crispy fried chiles, peanuts, and sesame in warm oil, blended to a coarse paste. It goes on everything.
25 min 12
Read 
mexicanmedium
Pozole Verde — Tomatillo and pepita hominy stew with chicken
Pozole verde swaps the guajillo-ancho red base for a tomatillo-pepita green sauce. It is the lighter version — brighter, more herbal — but no less serious.
150 min 6
Read 
mexicaneasy
Ceviche de Camarón — Mexican shrimp ceviche with avocado
Mexican shrimp ceviche is raw shrimp cured in lime juice for 20–30 minutes until the flesh turns opaque, then combined with tomato, cucumber, avocado, and serrano chile.
30 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Caldo de Pollo — Mexican chicken broth with vegetables
Caldo de pollo is the Mexican chicken broth — bone-in chicken simmered with charred onion, garlic, and epazote until the broth is rich and the meat is tender enough to eat as-is.
105 min 6
Read 
mexicaneasy
Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza — Squash blossom and Oaxacan cheese
Quesadillas de flor de calabaza are corn masa quesadillas filled with squash blossoms and Oaxacan string cheese, cooked directly on a comal. No flour tortillas, no skillet, no oven.
25 min 2
Read 
mexicanmedium
Gorditas de Chicharrón — Thick fried masa with pork crackling
Gorditas are fat corn masa cakes stuffed with chicharrón prensado (pressed pork crackling), fried until the exterior is golden and the inside is soft. Split them open and the steam escapes.
40 min 4
Read 
mexicaneasy
Camarones a la Diabla — Shrimp in árbol-guajillo fire sauce
Camarones a la diabla is shrimp tossed in a fire-red árbol-guajillo sauce cooked hot and fast. It should be spicy enough to be called diabla without being inedible.
30 min 4
Read 
mexicanhard
Tamales de Rajas con Queso — Poblano strips and Oaxacan cheese
Tamales de rajas are masa parcels filled with roasted poblano strips and melting cheese, wrapped in corn husks and steamed. The masa must be light enough to pull away from the husk cleanly.
150 min 12
Read 
mexicanmedium
Pepián Verde — Pumpkin seed sauce with pork or chicken
Pepián verde is a pre-Hispanic sauce built on toasted pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, and green chiles. It is the lighter, greener sibling of mole — rich but not heavy, and faster to make.
90 min 6
Read 
mexicanmedium
Sopes — Thick masa boats with beans and toppings
Sopes are thick corn masa rounds with pinched-up edges, cooked on a comal, fried briefly in oil, and loaded with refried beans and toppings. The shape is the difference between a sope and everything else.
45 min 4
Read 06 / FAQ · The cook's questions
About mexican.
What chile should I start with?
Guajillo. Mild, fruity, available in most spice shops or online. It's the workhorse of Mexican sauces and forgives mistakes.
Are flour tortillas inauthentic?
No — they're traditional in northern Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua) where wheat grows better than corn. Outside that region they're for burritos and quesadillas, not tacos.
Why does my guacamole turn brown?
Oxidation. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to cut off the air, or stir in lime juice and salt right when you mash it. Skip the avocado pit trick — it only protects the bit it's touching.
Souschef · Mexican · 2026