Mexican cooking is famous for its strong flavors and this also applies to the side dishes.
When celebrating a taco party, having a casual barbecue or preparing a festive dinner, Mexican side dishes will always make any meal livelier with their bursts of color and taste.
Tangy guacamole, charred grilled street corn, comforting rice and beans among others provide different options for your table. This article presents several easy-to-make Mexican sides that are both popular and full of flavor — everything needed to amaze friends at every mouthful!
The 11 Best Mexican sides dishes and recipes
1. Guacamole
Ultimately, I’m a huge fan of the flavors, both creamy and zesty, which guacamole combines. I love the subtle, metallic taste of ripe avocados, the sour tang of lime, the cooling fragrance of cilantro, the vibrant heat of jalapeños.
I think this is a dish to please any palate, to make any occasion special. And yes, it’s a favorite of mine, because it always leaves people filled with appreciation for simplicity and deliciousness .
Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
1. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl.
2. Mash the avocado with a fork or potato masher; leave it a bit chunky.
3. Add the lime juice and salt, and mix to combine.
4. Stir in the diced onion, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, and minced garlic.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding ground cayenne pepper if desired.
6. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or alongside your favourite Mexican dishes.
2. Refried Beans
So good in a taco or a fajita. These wraps do not feel complete without refried beans!
Ingredients
2 cups cooked pinto beans (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth (optional, for consistency)
Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat the vegetable oil or lard in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the minced garlic, ground cumin and chili powder, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Stir in the cooked pinto beans, crushing them with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Or, blend the beans with broth before adding them to the pan.
5. Then let it cook and stir from time to time while bubbling away for about 10 minutes, until the beans are thick and creamy; add more stock as needed if they look dry.
6. Season to taste with salt, and garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve warm.
3. Mexican Rice
The variety of colors and fragrances makes this dish so appetizing to me. Every time I make it, the kitchen gets filled with the scent of spices, tomatoes and onions.
The rice with tomatoes and onions is such a wonderful combination. I love how it goes well with nearly every main dish.
The colors are delightful and traditional, like real home food.
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 cup peas (optional)
- 1/4 cup diced carrots (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional, for garnish)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional, for serving)
Instructions
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is golden brown.
2. Sprinkle the diced onion and minced garlic over the rice. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onion is softened.
3. Stir in the chicken stock, tomato purée, salt and cumin. Bring to a boil.
4. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to the barest simmer, cover the pan and cook for 18-20 minutes until the rice is completely cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed. 5) If you use frozen peas and diced carrots, season them along with the rice when you return the rice to the stove after taking it off the heat, and stir in the vegetables at the very end of the cooking process.
6. Take the saucepan off the heat and let it rest, covered, an extra 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, sprinkle with chopped cilantro if using, and serve with lime wedges.
4. Elote
This popular Mexican street food is a burst of flavors and textures and I love it! The first I tasted this combination of sweet corn, cream and spicy seasoning, it sucked me in.
Ingredients
4 ears of corn, husked
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste
Butter (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat a grill until medium-high. Grill the corn until charred and cooked through, turning occasionally, about 7-10 minutes.
2. While the corn is grilling, in a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and sour cream (or Mexican crema) until well blended.
3. As soon as the ears are ready, brush with the mayonnaise and sour cream mixture.
4. Generously sprinkle cotija cheese over each cob, pressing some against the creamy layer.
5. Dust corn with chili powder, shake on to taste. Salt can be added, and butter if desired.
6. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the top right before eating.
5. Pico de Gallo
Newly ripened tomatoes, red onions, freshly chopped cilantro – this is a simple, tasty, eye-catching topping that never fails to delight me. I love building this punch of color and taste to dive into.
Each ingredient has its role to play and provide that vivid accent to the main dish. I even love making that myself, know it’s wholesome and clean.
Ingredients
- 3 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (seeds removed for less heat)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Optional: 1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños.
2. Add the chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt to the bowl.
3. If using, add the minced garlic to the mixture.
4. Stir all the ingredients together until well mixed.
5. Correct the seasoning, adding more salt or more lime juice if needed.
6. Let the Pico de Gallo stand for 15 minutes, so that the flavours meld before serving. 613 words
6. Chiles Rellenos
It’s a traditional Mexican dish made with roasted chiles stuffed with a hearty filling and covered with oozy cheese; the textures and flavors are wonderful.
Every time I eat it, my taste buds do a joyous jig. The first time I had it, I knew I had discovered something wonderful.
The roasted chiles are heavenly in the mouth, the filling is savory and valiant, and the cheese is oozy and salty. If you like food experiments, I’d say you have to try it.
Ingredients
- 6 large poblano peppers
- 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup queso fresco, crumbled
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
- Salt, to taste
- 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
Instructions
1. Grill or broil the poblano peppers over an open flame until the skin is blackened and blistered, then put them in a plastic bag to steam for 10 minutes. This makes it easy to peel the outer skins. Slit the top open and remove the seeds
2. Combine the Monterrey Jack cheese and queso fresco, and stuff each pepper with the mixture.
3. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until they hold peaks but aren’t too dry. Whisk the yolks until combined, and stir them into the whites with a rubber spatula.
4. Dredge the stuffed peppers in flour, then dip them into the egg batter.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the peppers until golden on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.
6. For the sauce, saute the onions and garlic in a little oil. Add the tomatoes, cumin, and broth, and let all simmer until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens. Serve the chiles rellenos hot, served with the tomato sauce.
7. Salsa Verde
If you’re ever having any doubts about the relationship between time, energy and taste, my friends. I present to you: Salsa Verde.
As sauces go, it’s at the top of my list. Its color is a vibrant green that I always like to think embodies freshness of ingredients.
For me, it’s tomatillos, chili pepper and cilantro all the way, a tangy, zingy profile that lends a Mexicanness to any dish.
Ingredients
Tomatillos (1 lb, husked and rinsed)
Jalapeño peppers (2, stemmed)
Fresh cilantro (1/2 cup, roughly chopped)
White onion (1 small, chopped)
Garlic cloves (2, peeled)
Fresh lime juice (2 tablespoons)
Salt (to taste)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Toast the tomatillos and jalapeños on a baking sheet until the tomatillos are soft and charred, about 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the roasted tomatillos and jalapeños, including their juices, to a blender.
4. Blend in the chopped cilantro, chopped onion, garlic cloves, the juice of a lime, and a big pinch of salt.
5. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Adjust the salt to taste.
6. Let the salsa verde come to room temperature and serve with your favourite Mexican dish or dip with tortilla chips.
8. Nopales
Nopal cactus, or prickly pear, is one of the most unique and nutritious plants I know. After reading about the myriad ways it shows up as an ingredient in cultures around the world, I fell in love with its distinctive slightly tart flavor and the many health benefits it offers.
Whether I eat it in a cactus leaf salad or as filling in a taco, to me it’s a part of both old traditions and new health-oriented eating.
Ingredients
4 cactus paddles (nopales), cleaned and diced
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 serrano pepper, chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Put the chopped onion and minced garlic in the skillet again, stir it all together and sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add the diced nopales to the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cactus becomes tender.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and serrano pepper (if using) and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Remove it from the heat, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve it with lime wedges on the side.
9. Queso Fundido
There is something very comforting about melted cheese. When I first came across this melted cheese appetizer from Mexican cuisine, I was smitten.
My preferred version makes for a bubbly hotpot of saucy goodness, with a mix of melted cheese, chorizo and peppers. This dish makes for the best possible start I can imagine to any meal, with some of the most delicious flavors that make you want more by the end.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (such as Oaxaca, Asadero, or a mix of Monterey Jack and mozzarella)
- 1/2 cup crumbled chorizo sausage
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup diced tomatoes (optional)
- 1 small jalapeño, diced (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Tortilla chips or warm flour tortillas for serving
- Lime wedges for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a skillet over medium heat cook the chorizo for 5-7 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Remove the chorizo from pan and reserve.
3. Meanwhile, add the onion to the skillet and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
4. Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the cooked chorizo with the onions and garlic. Add the chopped tomatoes and jalapeño, if using.
5. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the dish, evenly distribute the chorizo mixture over the cheese.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve immediately with tortilla chips or warmed flour tortillas. Garnish with lime wedges for a zingy flavor.
10. Esquites
Esquites is a delicious snack and one of my favorite Mexican street food that I absolutely adore ! It’s corn kernels combined with mayo, cheese, lime and chili taste is addictive !
Ingredients
4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 6 ears of corn)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Combine the oil, seasoning, turmeric and lime fillets in a bowl. Set aside. Put a large skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, add the butter and once melted, add the corn kernels. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
2. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the corn to a large bowl.
3. Place the mayonnaise, cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, chili powder, salt and pepper in the bowl of corn. Mix.
4. Squeeze lime juice over the corn mixture and mix again.
5. Serve warm, optionally garnished with extra cotija cheese and chili powder.
11. Tostones
Tostones are wonderful little golden cubes, like the most perfect of snacks that you can simply toss into your mouth as you wander along the wayside of the Caribbean. When I follow my favorite recipe, I can never manage to cut the plantains wrong enough to wreck them.
Tostones are simply the best.
Ingredients
3 green plantains
2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
Salt (to taste)
Optional: garlic sauce or dipping sauce of your choice
Instructions
1. Begin by peeling the green plantains. Cut them into 1-inch thick slices.
2. Preheat the vegetable oil to hot in a deep frying pan.
3. Brown the plantains (again, in batches), turning occasionally, until golden and tenderish; about 3-4 minutes per side.
4. Drain the plantain slices on a paper towel and, using a flat-bottomed glass or a tostonera (a plantain press), then smash each slice so that it is about half the original thickness.
5. Put the slices of flat plantain back in the hot oil, and fry them again until crisp and golden-brown, which should only take another 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels one last time.
6. Season the tostones with salt to taste while hot and serve immediately. Serve the garlic sauce or dipping sauce on the side, if desired.