The Atlas · Nº 09 ·Mexico

Most Popular Mexican Food

Mexican food is corn, chiles, and time: a taco grilled over coals and eaten standing up, a mole that can take a day and thirty ingredients, a salsa for every table. It leans hard on street food and sauces, and runs deepest in Oaxaca, home of the seven moles.

251 dishes ranked·44 in the global top 1,000 ·16,869 diner ratings·Best rank Nº 16

Plate I — The Origins

Fig. 1 Where 251 ranked mexican dishes were born. Dish origin

Drag to pan · Double-click or +/− to zoom · Select a marker for its entry

The Signature Dishes

The twelve highest-ranked Mexican dishes, by global position.

Tacos al carbon, street food from Mexico
Plate IIStreet Food · Mexico

1 Nº 16 worldwide

Tacos al carbon

Street Food

Skirt steak and other cuts grilled over live coals, then folded into a warm corn or wheat tortilla with charred peppers, onion, and coriander. The smoke off the fire is the whole point, finished with a squeeze of lime, and it tops our Mexican ranking.

★ 4.6|93% positive |133 ratings

Carne asada tacos, street food from Mexico
Plate IIIStreet Food · Mexico

2 Nº 24 worldwide

Carne asada tacos

Street Food

Thin slices of beef grilled over coals and tucked into a corn tortilla with guacamole, onion, chili, and lime. Food writers often call this the original taco, cooked over fire back in the 1500s, long before the fillings multiplied into everything Mexico grills today.

★ 4.6|90% positive |222 ratings

Cochinita pibil, pork dish from Mexico

3Cochinita pibilNº 38

Pork Dish

Yucatán's great pork dish: shoulder marinated in annatto, bitter orange, and garlic, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted until it shreds and turns deep red. It traces to Mayan pit-cooking, and in many homes it is still the Sunday meal, piled onto tortillas with pickled onion.

★ 4.5|300 ratings

Enmoladas, street food from Mexico

4EnmoladasNº 65

Street Food · Also Enchiladas con mole

Tortillas dipped in warm mole, rolled around shredded chicken and crumbled cheese, then blanketed in more of the sauce and a scatter of onion. Cooks make them precisely because there is mole left over, and the result is rich enough to build a whole meal on.

★ 4.5|113 ratings

Esquites, street food from Mexico

5EsquitesNº 95

Street Food · Also Ezquites

Corn kernels cooked with epazote, spooned warm into a cup and loaded with lime, chili, cotija, and often a swirl of mayonnaise. It is the off-the-cob version of elote, sold from evening street carts, and its name comes from the Nahuatl word for toasted corn.

★ 4.4|137 ratings

Barbacoa, technique from Mexico

6BarbacoaNº 109

Technique

An old way of cooking meat, usually lamb, goat, or mutton, in a stone-lined pit layered with agave leaves, sealed and left to steam overnight until it pulls apart. It runs strongest in central and northern Mexico, and the word is a likely ancestor of barbecue itself.

★ 4.4|219 ratings

Tacos, street food from Mexico

7TacosNº 116

Street Food

Mexico's national dish and its most open format: a soft griddled tortilla folded around almost anything, eaten by hand at taquerías at any hour. The fillings shift by region, from Sonora's grilled carne asada to Baja's battered fish to the slow-cooked carnitas of Michoacán.

★ 4.4|821 ratings

Sopa Tarasca, vegetable soup from Mexico

8Sopa TarascaNº 131

Vegetable Soup · Also Tarascan Pinto Bean Soup

A puréed pinto bean soup from Michoacán, simmered with tomato in chicken broth and deepened with dried pasilla chiles that lend smoke more than heat. It carries the name of the Purépecha people, whom the Spanish called Tarascans, and arrives crowned with tortilla strips and crema.

★ 4.4|32 ratings

Quesadilla, snack from Mexico

9QuesadillaNº 146

Snack

At its simplest, a tortilla folded over melting cheese and warmed on the griddle, though chorizo, squash blossom, or potato often join it. The Spanish brought both the dairy and the name, meaning little cheesy thing; in Mexico City, confusingly, you may have to ask for the cheese.

★ 4.4|459 ratings

Mole, sauce from Mexico

10MoleNº 153

Sauce

Not a single sauce but a whole family of them, built on dried chiles ground with spices, seeds, nuts, and sometimes chocolate into something dark and layered. Puebla and Oaxaca are its heartlands, and a serious mole can call for dozens of ingredients and most of a day.

★ 4.4|233 ratings

Carnitas, pork dish from Mexico

11CarnitasNº 181

Pork Dish

Pork shoulder simmered slowly in its own fat until the meat turns tender and the edges crisp, then chopped and folded into warm tortillas. A specialty of Michoacán, it is weekend and party food, sold by the kilo straight from wide copper pots.

★ 4.3|306 ratings

Tacos gobernador, street food from Mexico

12Tacos gobernadorNº 189

Street Food

A griddled taco of shrimp, melted cheese, onion, tomato, and coriander, named for the Sinaloa governor it was supposedly first served to. Think of it as the seafood side of the quesadilla, browned on the comal until the tortilla crisps at the edges.

★ 4.3|105 ratings

The Departments

Every Mexican dish in our ranking, grouped the way you'd order them.

The Complete Ledger

All 251 Mexican dishes in the world ranking. Every entry, leaf by leaf.

251 entries
  1. 16 Tacos al carbon Street Food Sonora ★ 4.6
  2. 24 Carne asada tacos Street Food Mexico ★ 4.6
  3. 38 Cochinita pibil Pork Dish Yucatán ★ 4.5
  4. 65 Enmoladas Street Food Puebla ★ 4.5
  5. 95 Esquites Street Food Mexico ★ 4.4
  6. 109 Barbacoa Technique Mexico ★ 4.4
  7. 116 Tacos Street Food Mexico ★ 4.4
  8. 131 Sopa Tarasca Vegetable Soup Michoacán ★ 4.4
  9. 146 Quesadilla Snack Mexico ★ 4.4
  10. 153 Mole Sauce Mexico ★ 4.4
  11. 181 Carnitas Pork Dish Michoacán ★ 4.3
  12. 189 Tacos gobernador Street Food Sinaloa ★ 4.3
  13. 203 Chilaquiles Breakfast Mexico ★ 4.3
  14. 210 Salsa macha Salsa Orizaba ★ 4.3
  15. 248 Gorditas Zacatecanas Snack Zacatecas City ★ 4.3
  16. 261 Escabeche de cebolla Pickling Yucatán ★ 4.3
  17. 284 Carlota de limón Dessert Mexico ★ 4.3
  18. 322 Mole Poblano Sauce Mexico ★ 4.2
  19. 334 Seven Moles of Oaxaca Sauce Oaxaca ★ 4.2
  20. 342 X'Nipek Salsa Yucatán ★ 4.2
  21. 395 Camarones el mojo de ajo Shrimp/Prawn Dish Mexico ★ 4.2
  22. 397 Caldo de queso Soup Sonora ★ 4.2
  23. 415 Gordita Snack Mexico ★ 4.2
  24. 438 Sopa de tortilla Soup Mexico ★ 4.2
  25. 441 Tortas Sandwich type Puebla de Zaragoza ★ 4.2
  26. 452 Guacamole Dip Mexico ★ 4.2
  27. 480 Gringas Street Food Mexico ★ 4.2
  28. 489 Mole negro Sauce Oaxaca ★ 4.2
  29. 490 Antojitos Street Food Mexico ★ 4.2
  30. 491 Queso fundido Appetizer Mexico ★ 4.2
  31. 553 Pan de muerto Sweet Bread Mexico ★ 4.1
  32. 581 Mulita Wrap Mexico ★ 4.1
  33. 598 Salsa Salsa Mexico ★ 4.1
  34. 717 Enfrijolada Breakfast Mexico ★ 4.1
  35. 722 Pozole Stew Mexico ★ 4.1
  36. 724 Pan dulce Sweet Bread Mexico ★ 4.1
  37. 793 Salbute Street Food Yucatán ★ 4.1
  38. 917 Salsa de cacahuate y chile de árbol Salsa Mexico ★ 4.0
  39. 930 Red Pozole (Pozole rojo) Stew Mexico ★ 4.0
  40. 934 Tacos de canasta Street Food Tlaxcala ★ 4.0
  41. 953 Carne en su jugo Meat Soup Guadalajara ★ 4.0
  42. 957 Tacos de adobada Street Food Mexico ★ 4.0
  43. 984 Sincronizadas Snack Mexico ★ 4.0
  44. 999 Tacos de camarones Street Food Baja California ★ 4.0
  45. 1,050 Sopa Poblano Vegetable Soup Puebla de Zaragoza ★ 4.0
  46. 1,055 Huevos divorciados Egg Dish Mexico ★ 4.0
  47. 1,066 Enchiladas Suizas Wrap Mexico ★ 4.0
  48. 1,086 Alambre Meat Dish Mexico ★ 4.0
  49. 1,096 Elote Street Food Mexico ★ 4.0
  50. 1,100 Bolillo Bread Mexico ★ 4.0
  51. 1,108 Salsa verde Salsa Mexico ★ 4.0
  52. 1,127 Tacos al pastor Street Food Mexico ★ 4.0
  53. 1,128 Salsa de chipotle quemado Salsa Mexico ★ 4.0
  54. 1,178 Tiritas pescado Saltwater Fish Dish Zihuatanejo ★ 4.0
  55. 1,195 Sopa de lima Soup Yucatán ★ 4.0
  56. 1,220 Garnacha Street Food Santo Domingo Tehuantepec ★ 4.0
  57. 1,230 Marranitos Cookie Mexico ★ 4.0
  58. 1,233 Sope Snack Culiacán ★ 4.0
  59. 1,246 Frijoles de la olla Side Dish Mexico ★ 4.0
  60. 1,269 Molote Savory Pastry Mexico ★ 4.0
  61. 1,273 Pollo asado Chicken Dish Mexico ★ 4.0
  62. 1,295 Chiltomate Salsa Yucatán ★ 4.0
  63. 1,343 Frijoles charros Stew Mexico ★ 3.9
  64. 1,353 Green Chili Stew Stew Mexico ★ 3.9
  65. 1,431 Chilorio Pork Dish Sinaloa ★ 3.9
  66. 1,486 S Sikil pak Dip Yucatán ★ 3.9
  67. 1,507 Tlacoyo Street Food Mexico ★ 3.9
  68. 1,538 Panucho Snack Yucatán ★ 3.9
  69. 1,544 Tlayuda Street Food Oaxaca ★ 3.9
  70. 1,583 Poc chuc Pork Dish Yucatán ★ 3.9
  71. 1,594 Bionico Street Food Sweets Guadalajara ★ 3.9
  72. 1,612 Pastel Azteca Casserole Mexico ★ 3.9
  73. 1,665 A Armored Tacos (Tacos acorazados) Street Food Morelos ★ 3.9
  74. 1,677 H Huevos migas Egg Dish Michoacán ★ 3.9
  75. 1,720 Sopa de aguacate Vegetable Soup Mexico ★ 3.9
  76. 1,725 Chintextle Spread Oaxaca ★ 3.9
  77. 1,748 Totopo Flatbread Oaxaca ★ 3.9
  78. 1,782 T Tacos de frijoles con queso Street Food Mexico ★ 3.9
  79. 1,817 Enchiladas Wrap Mexico ★ 3.9
  80. 1,865 Birria Stew Jalisco ★ 3.9
  81. 1,868 Mole manchamantel Sauce Oaxaca ★ 3.9
  82. 1,918 C Codzitos Appetizer Yucatán ★ 3.9
  83. 1,954 S Salsa de canela botanera Salsa Oaxaca ★ 3.9
  84. 1,972 Pepita con tasajo Stew Chiapas ★ 3.9
  85. 1,979 Coyotas Cookie Hermosillo ★ 3.9
  86. 2,013 Green Chile Cheeseburger Burger Mexico ★ 3.9
  87. 2,081 Mole amarillo Sauce Oaxaca ★ 3.8
  88. 2,219 A Asado de boda Pork Dish Zacatecas ★ 3.8
  89. 2,229 S Salsa de chile pasilla Sauce Mexico ★ 3.8
  90. 2,253 C Cacahuates botaneros Snack Oaxaca ★ 3.8
  91. 2,257 H Hongos al ajillo Vegetable Dish Oaxaca ★ 3.8
  92. 2,297 Puerto Nuevo-Style Lobster (Langosta de Puerto Nuevo) Lobster Dish Puerto Nuevo ★ 3.8
  93. 2,304 F Frijoles puercos estilo Jalisco Snack Jalisco ★ 3.8
  94. 2,355 Choriqueso Snack Mexico ★ 3.8
  95. 2,410 Burrito Wrap Ciudad Juárez ★ 3.8
  96. 2,414 Devilled Shrimp (Camarones a la diabla) Shrimp/Prawn Dish Mexico ★ 3.8
  97. 2,432 Salsa verde enchiladas Wrap Mexico ★ 3.8
  98. 2,474 Tamal Street Food Mexico ★ 3.8
  99. 2,517 Tacos de pescado Street Food Baja California ★ 3.8
  100. 2,618 T Tamales de capitas o siete cueros Vegetable Dish Oaxaca ★ 3.8
  101. 2,661 M Mexican-Style Mushrooms (Hongos a la mexicana) Side Dish Mexico ★ 3.8
  102. 2,674 Camarones enchipotlados Shrimp/Prawn Dish Mexico ★ 3.8
  103. 2,682 S Salsa arriera Sauce Mexico ★ 3.8
  104. 2,715 V Veracruz-Style Oysters (Ostiones a la veracruzana) Oyster Dish Veracruz ★ 3.8
  105. 2,723 P Pollo al acuyo Chicken Dish Veracruz ★ 3.8
  106. 2,780 Gallina pinta Soup Sonora ★ 3.8
  107. 2,856 Machaca Beef Dish Mexico ★ 3.8
  108. 2,869 Mojo de ajo Sauce Mexico ★ 3.8
  109. 2,902 Enchiladas mineras Wrap Guanajuato City ★ 3.8
  110. 3,170 C Camarones en verde Shrimp/Prawn Dish Veracruz ★ 3.8
  111. 3,172 Shrimps in Tamarind Sauce (Camarones en salsa de tamarindo) Shrimp/Prawn Dish Mexico ★ 3.8
  112. 3,173 Tequila Shrimps (Camarones al tequila) Shrimp/Prawn Dish Mexico ★ 3.8
  113. 3,188 S Shrimp-Stuffed Cucumbers (Pepinos rellenos de camaron) Appetizer Baja California ★ 3.8
  114. 3,263 S Salsa de chile cascabel Sauce Mexico ★ 3.8
  115. 3,276 S Sopa de hongos y poblano Vegetable Soup Puebla ★ 3.8
  116. 3,283 A Avocados rellenos de verduras Appetizer Michoacán ★ 3.8
  117. 3,286 C Chilpachole de jaiba Seafood Soup Veracruz ★ 3.8
  118. 3,287 P Puerco en naranja Pork Dish Mexico ★ 3.8
  119. 3,322 C Chiles capones Vegetarian Dish Puebla ★ 3.8
  120. 3,330 O Octopus in Almond Sauce (Pulpo almendrado) Octopus Dish Veracruz ★ 3.8
  121. 3,332 C Calabacitas con camarones Vegetable Dish Mexico ★ 3.8
  122. 3,339 P Patitas de puerco en frijol negro Stew Oaxaca ★ 3.8
  123. 3,340 E Ejotes al oregano Vegetable Dish Mexico ★ 3.8
  124. 3,364 Q Quails in Chili Sauce (Codornices en salsa de guajillo) Game Dish Mexico ★ 3.8
  125. 3,395 G Guiso de flor de calabaza Stew Mexico ★ 3.8
  126. 3,477 Enchiladas de camaron Wrap Mexico ★ 3.8
  127. 3,585 Tacos Arabes Street Food Puebla ★ 3.7
  128. 3,592 Pipian Sauce Mexico ★ 3.7
  129. 3,595 M Mole de Queretaro Sauce Querétaro ★ 3.7
  130. 3,600 Crema de flor de calabaza Vegetable Soup Mexico ★ 3.7
  131. 3,618 Conchas Sweet Bread Mexico ★ 3.7
  132. 4,049 W White Pozole (Pozole blanco) Stew Mexico ★ 3.7
  133. 4,098 Sopa de habas Vegetable Soup Mexico ★ 3.7
  134. 4,099 Mancha manteles Stew Puebla ★ 3.7
  135. 4,144 C Calabacitas a la mexicana Vegetable Dish Mexico ★ 3.7
  136. 4,226 Mollete (Mexico) Sandwich Mexico ★ 3.7
  137. 4,259 Torta Cubana Sandwich type Mexico ★ 3.7
  138. 4,280 Salsa ranchera Salsa Puebla ★ 3.7
  139. 4,281 Ensalada fruta Fruit Salad Mexico ★ 3.7
  140. 4,313 P Pollo encacahuatado Chicken Dish Puebla ★ 3.7
  141. 4,507 Green Pozole (Pozole verde) Stew Mexico ★ 3.7
  142. 4,558 M Machacado ranchero Beef Dish Coahuila ★ 3.7
  143. 4,635 S Salsa de chapulines Salsa Oaxaca ★ 3.7
  144. 4,646 Arroz rojo Side Dish Mexico ★ 3.7
  145. 4,680 Guacachile Salsa Oaxaca ★ 3.7
  146. 4,698 Chile relleno Snack Puebla de Zaragoza ★ 3.7
  147. 4,792 Memela Snack Oaxaca ★ 3.7
  148. 4,837 Tacos de cabeza Street Food Mexico ★ 3.7
  149. 5,047 Chalupa Appetizer Puebla de Zaragoza ★ 3.7
  150. 5,085 Salsa de piña picante Salsa Mexico ★ 3.6
  151. 5,176 Mole blanco Sauce Oaxaca ★ 3.6
  152. 5,180 Pico de gallo Salsa Mexico ★ 3.6
  153. 5,187 M Mole chichilo Sauce Oaxaca ★ 3.6
  154. 5,222 C Chile pasilla con queso Vegetable Dish Oaxaca ★ 3.6
  155. 5,226 D Dzik de pescado Saltwater Fish Dish Yucatán ★ 3.6
  156. 5,239 Churipo Stew Michoacán ★ 3.6
  157. 5,277 Rajas con crema Side Dish Mexico ★ 3.6
  158. 5,278 Danger Dog Hot Dog Hermosillo ★ 3.6
  159. 5,297 Papadzules Egg Dish Yucatán ★ 3.6
  160. 5,330 Cabrito Goat Dish Monterrey ★ 3.6
  161. 5,509 Pueblo Bread Bread Mexico ★ 3.6
  162. 5,645 Q Queso fundido al tequila Cheese Dish Mexico ★ 3.6
  163. 5,748 Torta ahogada Sandwich Guadalajara ★ 3.6
  164. 5,850 E Empanadas de Santa Rita Savory Pastry Chihuahua City ★ 3.6
  165. 5,852 G Gorditas de huevos Breakfast Mexico ★ 3.6
  166. 5,855 T Tortas hamburguesas Sandwich Mexico ★ 3.6
  167. 5,877 A Asado mazatleco Beef Dish Mazatlán ★ 3.6
  168. 5,889 C Ceviche de Sierra Appetizer Mazatlán ★ 3.6
  169. 5,906 Tacos de lengua Street Food Mexico ★ 3.6
  170. 5,914 Escamoles Insect Dish Mexico ★ 3.6
  171. 5,983 Cemita Sandwich Puebla de Zaragoza ★ 3.6
  172. 6,036 Caldo Tlalpeño Soup Tlalpan ★ 3.6
  173. 6,080 Empalme Sandwich Nuevo León ★ 3.6
  174. 6,096 P Pan de Acambaro Bread Acámbaro ★ 3.6
  175. 6,112 Aguachile Appetizer Sinaloa ★ 3.6
  176. 6,175 Cocadas Dessert Colima City ★ 3.6
  177. 6,178 C Corunda Snack Michoacán ★ 3.6
  178. 6,193 Enchiladas rancheras Wrap Mexico ★ 3.6
  179. 6,206 Caldo de siete mares Seafood Soup Mexico ★ 3.6
  180. 6,218 Salsa borracha de Oaxaca Salsa Oaxaca ★ 3.6
  181. 6,226 Taquitos Wrap Mexico ★ 3.6
  182. 6,312 M Mole zacatecano Sauce Zacatecas ★ 3.5
  183. 6,313 F Fava Beans in Broth (Caldo haba) Vegetable Soup Mexico ★ 3.5
  184. 6,316 C Carne cocida en limón Snack Chiapas ★ 3.5
  185. 6,321 C Corn Field Soup (Sopa de milpa) Vegetable Soup Mexico ★ 3.5
  186. 6,348 R Ranch-Style Chicken Soup (Caldo de pollo ranchero) Chicken Soup Guanajuato ★ 3.5
  187. 6,359 F Fish in Coconut Sauce (Sere de pescado) Saltwater Fish Dish Quintana Roo ★ 3.5
  188. 6,362 B Botanas de camarón seco Snack Chiapas ★ 3.5
  189. 6,365 C Caldo de fandango del valle Chicken Soup Oaxaca ★ 3.5
  190. 6,375 Q Quarantine Broth (Caldo de cuarentena) Chicken Soup Nayarit ★ 3.5
  191. 6,385 C Chiles veracruzanos Meat Dish Veracruz ★ 3.5
  192. 6,397 R Rebocado Stew Mexico ★ 3.5
  193. 6,491 Tortilla Flatbread Mexico ★ 3.5
  194. 6,580 Mole coloradito Sauce Oaxaca ★ 3.5
  195. 6,659 Caldo de camarón Seafood Soup Mexico ★ 3.5
  196. 6,663 Chiles en nogada Vegetable Dish Mexico ★ 3.5
  197. 6,674 Pescado zarandeado Saltwater Fish Dish Nayarit ★ 3.5
  198. 6,778 Tostada Street Food Mexico ★ 3.5
  199. 6,786 Tamales de elote Breakfast Mexico ★ 3.5
  200. 6,827 Huevos ahogados Egg Dish Mexico ★ 3.5
  201. 6,828 Torta de la barda Sandwich Tampico ★ 3.5
  202. 6,914 E Enchiladas coloniales Wrap Chihuahua ★ 3.5
  203. 6,981 E Enchiladas regias Wrap Mexico ★ 3.5
  204. 6,996 C Chiles de la Sierra Appetizer Puebla ★ 3.5
  205. 7,026 B Berros regionales Salad Mexico ★ 3.5
  206. 7,031 Caldo queso Soup Baja California ★ 3.5
  207. 7,032 Mixiote de escamol Egg Dish Hidalgo ★ 3.5
  208. 7,133 Platáno frito Side Dish Mexico ★ 3.4
  209. 7,194 T Tacos de chapulines Street Food Oaxaca ★ 3.4
  210. 7,200 Mole de olla Stew Mexico ★ 3.4
  211. 7,213 Arroz a la tumbada Rice Dish Veracruz ★ 3.4
  212. 7,319 C Ceviche Colima Saltwater Fish Dish Colima City ★ 3.4
  213. 7,393 Tripas Street Food Mexico ★ 3.4
  214. 7,441 Pambazo Sandwich Mexico ★ 3.4
  215. 7,735 Huevos rancheros Egg Dish Mexico ★ 3.3
  216. 7,783 A Ahuatle Insect Dish Hidalgo ★ 3.3
  217. 7,791 C Cuchamas Insect Dish Mexico ★ 3.3
  218. 7,809 Entomatadas Breakfast Mexico ★ 3.3
  219. 7,887 Jamoncillo Dessert Mexico ★ 3.3
  220. 7,905 Enchiladas Potosinas Wrap San Luis Potosí City ★ 3.3
  221. 7,913 Chapulines Insect Dish Oaxaca ★ 3.3
  222. 7,925 Huachinango a la Veracruzana Saltwater Fish Dish Veracruz ★ 3.3
  223. 7,970 Chicatanas Insect Dish Oaxaca ★ 3.2
  224. 7,980 Chileatole verde Soup Puebla ★ 3.2
  225. 7,994 Sopa de albondigas Meat Soup Mexico ★ 3.2
  226. 7,997 Bizcochito Cookie Mexico ★ 3.2
  227. 8,004 Nachos Snack Piedras Negras ★ 3.2
  228. 8,043 Mixiote Meat Dish Mexico ★ 3.2
  229. 8,066 Arroz verde Side Dish Mexico ★ 3.2
  230. 8,074 G Guacamaya Sandwich León de los Aldama ★ 3.2
  231. 8,091 Caldo de pollo Chicken Soup Mexico ★ 3.2
  232. 8,121 C Chiapaneca Bread Soup (Sopa de Pan Chiapaneca) Bread Soup Chiapas
  233. 8,156 Arroz con lima Rice Dish Mexico ★ 3.2
  234. 8,157 Nopales con huevo Appetizer Mexico ★ 3.2
  235. 8,188 Caldo de res Soup Mexico ★ 3.2
  236. 8,199 Chongos Zamoranos Dessert Zamora de Hidalgo ★ 3.2
  237. 8,249 Tacos de papa Street Food Mexico ★ 3.1
  238. 8,292 B Betabeles Salad Mexico ★ 3.1
  239. 8,341 Salpicón de res Salad Mexico ★ 3.1
  240. 8,389 Torta de tamal Sandwich Mexico ★ 3.0
  241. 8,438 J Jumiles Insect Dish Taxco ★ 3.0
  242. 8,439 Huevos Motuleños Egg Dish Motul de Carrillo Puerto ★ 3.0
  243. 8,477 Caesar Salad Salad Tijuana ★ 3.0
  244. 8,528 Charales Appetizer Jalisco ★ 2.9
  245. 8,550 Higado encebollado Offal Dish Mexico ★ 2.9
  246. 8,686 Chinicuiles Insect Dish Mexico ★ 2.7
  247. 8,699 Ensalada de nopalitos Salad Mexico ★ 2.6
  248. 8,704 Menudo Offal Soup Mexico ★ 2.6
  249. 8,712 Capirotada Dessert Mexico ★ 2.6
  250. 8,789 Romeritos Vegetable Dish Mexico ★ 2.2
  251. 10,708 P Panocha Pudding Mexico
Leaf 1 of 7

Gazetteer

A Regional Tour of Mexican Food

Where Mexico's ranked dishes were born, and what to order there.

Questions, Answered

Mexican food, frequently asked. Answered from the data.

What is the most popular Mexican food?
Tacos al carbon rank highest of any Mexican dish on our map, #16 of 10,833: skirt steak grilled over coals in a warm tortilla. By sheer weight of ratings the everyday favorites win out, led by Tacos al pastor, plain Tacos, and the Burrito. All 43 Mexican street foods & snacks →
What food is Mexico known for?
Tacos and the street-food world around them: street foods are Mexico's biggest category, from Tacos al carbon to Esquites. Its most distinctive strength is the sauces, with salsas like Salsa macha and moles such as Mole Poblano showing up far above the global rate. All 34 Mexican sauces & condiments →
What is Mexico's national dish?
Mexico has no single official one, but two dishes carry the claim: tacos, eaten everywhere in endless forms, and mole, the deep sauce of chiles, spices, and sometimes chocolate from Puebla and Oaxaca. Both rank near the top of our list, with Tacos al carbon the highest at #16 worldwide.
What is the most famous Mexican sauce?
Mole leads our Mexican sauces, a family of rich chile-based sauces that can fold in seeds, nuts, and chocolate, ranking #153 worldwide. Behind it come Salsa macha, a crunchy Veracruz oil-and-chile salsa built on peanuts, and the tart pickled onions of Escabeche de cebolla from Yucatán.
What should I eat in Oaxaca?
Mole, in as many colors as you can find. Oaxaca contributes 24 dishes to our Mexican ranking, the most of any state, and it is mole country: the Seven Moles of Oaxaca, the dark and bitter Mole negro, and the big crisp Tlayudas piled with beans, cheese, and meat.
What is the most popular Mexican soup?
By our ranking it is Sopa Tarasca, a puréed pinto bean soup from Michoacán finished with dried chiles and tortilla strips, the best-placed Mexican soup at #131 worldwide. Pozole, the hominy soup simmered with pork and dressed with radish, lime, and oregano, is the better-known name abroad. All 41 Mexican soups & stews →