34 Mexican recipes

Create your own Mexican feast. Our barbacoa lamb carnitas make the ideal centrepiece, along with enchiladas, fajitas and tacos. Whip up some sides such as lime and paprika elotes (corn on the cob) and get the Mexican-themed cocktails flowing (think frozen margaritas and mezcal cocktails). Don't forget the guacamole! For a mid-week Mexican dinner, try charred sweetcorn soup or our easy quesadilla filling ideas.

Not spotted your favourite Mexican dish? Do you know an awesome Mexican chef or food writer that you’d like to see featured here? Email us or contact us on social media at @olivemagazine to let us know!

Easy Mexican recipes

Chocoflan

Edson Diaz-Fuentes's festive flan cake, featuring chocolate, caramel and cinnamon, is known as 'flan imposible' and combines two popular Mexican desserts.

Esquites (Mexican corn salad)

Bring comforting Mexican flavours to the table with esquites, a charred sweetcorn side dish topped with jalapeño mayonnaise and cool mozzarella. This recipe comes from Soho’s El Pastor restaurant.

Crab tostadas

This recipe comes from Tacos Padre, a stall at London's Borough Market. It's a vibrant celebration of crabmeat and is best garnished with coriander, jalapeños and fresh lime.

Tikin xic (sea bream cooked in banana leaves)

Tuck into this Mexican-style tikin xic, where sea bream is marinated in a blend of garlic, cinnamon, cloves, achiote paste and orange juice, then baked in banana leaves.

Chicken enchiladas

Pack plenty of protein into your midweek family meal with smoky chipotle chicken, crunchy peppers and black beans.

Crab tostadas

Check out Edson Diaz-Fuentes' crisp crab tostadas for a crowd-pleasing savoury snack. Edson says: “In Coyoacán in Mexico City, my local market has become famous for (among other things) a tostadas stand that has expanded and become hugely popular. The stand offers a wide variety of tostadas: chicken tinga, prawn cocktail or pata (cow’s hooves), which is one of my favourites. I like to pair fresh crab with the simple, raw freshness of a jalapeño and lime mayonnaise, and serve this with crispy tostadas and avocados.”

Tacos al pastor

This dish was developed by Lebanese immigrants in Mexico who combined the cooking style of shawarma with Mexican ingredients such as achiote and chillies. It’s usually cooked on a spit but this is a simplified version, which is very easy to make at home.

Pibil-style pork ribs

Try Edson Diaz-Fuentes' peppery pork ribs for a crowd-pleasing Friday night dinner. Edson says: “Cochinita pibil is the emblematic dish of Yucatán. The whole suckling pig, known as cochinita, is doused in achiote marinade, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted in a pit. Achiote paste, a mix of crushed annatto seeds and spices, has a deep, vibrant red colour and unique peppery, musky flavour that pairs beautifully with pork.”

Classic nachos

For a homemade Mexican-style feast, you can’t go wrong with a tray of classic nachos loaded with beef, beans, cheese and chilli.

Spicy Mexican rice

This vegan rice dish can be eaten on its own or, if you want to add some protein, it’s good with beans, crumbled feta, cooked chicken or prawns stirred through. Ready in 30 minutes, it's a great dinner to have up your sleeve, midweek.

Chiles en escabeche

Try Edson Diaz-Fuentes' chiles en escabeche – Mexican-style pickle – for your next weekend project. Edson says: “you’ll see big jars of these pickles in torterías and fondas. You can really taste all the flavours from the spices but they’re not too spicy. When preparing my pickles, I like combining layers of flavours by using aromatics such as coriander seeds, honey and smoky dried chillies. Enjoy them in your favourite torta or sandwich with a cold beer.”

Thomasina Miers' Mexican pork chops

Ancho is a dried poblano chilli with a sweet earthy flavour. These Mexican pork chops from Thomasina Miers make for an impressive main and prove that Mexican food doesn't mean Tex Mex!

Short rib suadero

This recipe comes from Tacos Padre, a stall at London's Borough Market. It takes a little effort and time to make, but it's so worth it for those meltingly tender beef short ribs.

Mooli and pomegranate ceviche

In this vibrant ceviche from Mexican restaurant Cavita, mooli – a mellow-flavoured type of radish – is paired with sweet and juicy pomegranate seeds.

Pan de elote (Mexican corn cake)

For a dinner party dessert with a difference, try these Mexican-style pan de elote from restaurant Cavita. These cakes can be eaten straight from the ramekins, but if you want to turn them out, make sure the ramekins are well-buttered and lined.

Red guacamole

If you don't fancy salsa macha, top your guacamole with toasted seeds, some chilli flakes, desiccated coconut and a drizzle of rapeseed oil. This recipe comes from Tacos Padre, a stall at London's Borough Market.

Mexican elotes

This classic Mexican street food is so easy to make at home. It's topped with crema, a saltier, creamier Mexican soured cream which pairs well with the fiery chilli powder in this easy recipe.

Pulled pork carnitas

Fill soft tacos with tender pulled pork cooked in smoky chipotle and oregano, and top with zingy red cabbage, chillies and coriander for an easy way to feed a crowd.

Pork pibil (cochinita pibil)

Pork pibil is a slow-cooked Mexican dish that’s great for the weekend, it may take a bit of time but it’s super easy. This spicy, low-calorie one-pot dish can feed up to eight people and is suitable for freezing to give your midweek meals some Mexican zing.

Mexican-style sweetcorn soup

Spice up your soup with punchy ancho chillies in this Mexican-inspired recipe.

Tajín cauliflower bites

Tajín is a classic Mexican seasoning made from lime, chilli and salt. It works so well on these moreish cauli bites with the cooling soured cream.

Queso fundido

Layers of melting cheese and spicy chorizo make up this seriously OTT hot Mexican dip. Be prepared to fight over this one. We also have a recipe video to check out how to make this Mexican dish properly.

Easy chicken mole

Mole – the best easy Mexican food! This recipe for cheat's chicken mole uses a clever product to mean it's ready in less than an hour and is under 300 calories – perfect for a midweek treat. Try our best low-calorie chicken recipes here.

Barbacoa lamb carnitas

If you're a fan of Mexican food, you'll love carnitas. These gluten free, slow-cooked lamb tortillas are great for a Mexican feast between friends. It's easy to make and everyone can get stuck in and make their own.

Mexican-style salad tortilla bowls

Try our vibrant vegan Mexican-style salad bowls. This quick and easy recipe is super fresh and has just the right amount of spice and zing – ready in 20 minutes.

Mexican-style breakfast corn muffins

Check out our moist and cheesy corn muffins. Packed with Mexican flavours these easy muffins are ready in less than an hour and make a simple and healthy breakfast.

Huevos rancheros

Eat your eggs Mexican-style today! That means piling on smoky beef chilli and a fiery homemade salsa made from tomatoes, green chillies, coriander and lime.

Mini charred sweetcorn tacos with feta avo crema and quick pickled onions

Pack in heaps of colour and flavour to your vegetarian entertaining with these vibrant tacos.

Orange and tequila crème caramel

Crème caramel is really popular in Mexico. Orange zest sharpens the flavour in this recipe from Thomasina Miers, which a little tequila in the caramel gives it a richer, deeper flavour.

Get the chillies right with our quick how-to video (plus we have an expert chilli guide so you can find the right chillies to buy for your recipe).

Mexican-inspired cocktail recipes

Bacalar cocktail

This Mexican-style cocktail balances Mezcal Amores with its smooth, smoky notes, with chardonnay and ginger ale.

Mezcal, pineapple and jalapeño smash

The smoky notes of the mezcal work wonderfully with the grilled pineapple and gentle heat from the chilli in this spicy drink. It’s simple to make and can easily be made into a jug cocktail for a crowd.

Margarita cocktail

You can't get more classic than a delicious margarita. Shake up this simple, punchy and citrussy tequila cocktail then check out our refreshing twists for summer.

Frozen mango and lime margaritas

Margaritas are great party cocktail and make a great accompaniment to Mexican dishes. Our frozen margarita is the perfect refresher for a hot day, with sweet mango and a dash of lime.

Make it a Mexican fiesta with our pick of the best tequilas, click here to try...