Mexican Ingredients at Marks & Spencer, Lidl and Aldi

The Mexican Aisle You Did Not Know Existed

When British home cooks decide to attempt Mexican food, they often assume they need to visit a specialist Mexican shop or order ingredients online. And while Mexican shops are indeed the best source for authentic, specialist ingredients, you can make genuinely excellent Mexican food using ingredients available at Marks & Spencer, Lidl and Aldi - three supermarkets that you probably already visit regularly.

Marks & Spencer

M&S has quietly built one of the best Mexican ingredient selections of any mainstream British supermarket. Their focus on quality over quantity means that what they stock tends to be genuinely good.

What to Buy

• Chipotle paste: M&S's own-brand chipotle paste is excellent - smoky, well-balanced and concentrated enough that a small jar lasts for weeks. Use it in marinades, sauces, soups and even salad dressings. This single ingredient will transform your Mexican cooking more than any other.
• Corn tortillas: M&S stocks corn tortillas that are significantly better than most supermarket offerings. They have actual corn flavour and hold together well when heated.
• Avocados: M&S's "Perfectly Ripe" avocados are reliably good - a genuine rarity in British supermarkets.
• Fresh chillies: Good selection including jalapenos, red chillies and occasionally habaneros.
• Coriander: Excellent quality, usually available in generous bunches.
• Limes: Consistently good quality. Buy a net of 5-6 - you will use them all.
• Soured cream: M&S soured cream is rich and tangy - perfect for topping tacos and enchiladas.
• Dark chocolate (70%+): For mole. M&S chocolate is excellent quality.

What to Skip

• Pre-made meal kits: Overpriced for what you get. The individual ingredients are better value and more versatile.
• Pre-made guacamole: Never as good as homemade. Buy avocados instead - guacamole takes 5 minutes to make.

Lidl

Lidl is the budget-conscious Mexican cook's best friend. Their rotating "Middle of Lidl" aisle occasionally delivers extraordinary Mexican finds, and their permanent range includes several essential ingredients at unbeatable prices.

What to Buy

• Fresh chillies: Lidl's chilli selection is surprisingly good and remarkably cheap. Jalapenos, red chillies and bird's eye chillies are usually available.
• Limes: Often the cheapest in any major supermarket. Stock up.
• Tinned chopped tomatoes: Essential for salsas and sauces. Lidl's own brand is perfectly good and costs a fraction of branded alternatives.
• Tinned kidney beans and black beans: Lidl stocks both. Drain, rinse, and use in burritos, bowls and refried beans.
• Onions, garlic, peppers: The holy trinity of Mexican cooking, all available for pennies.
• Chicken thighs: Excellent value. For Mexican cooking, thighs are almost always preferable to breasts - more flavour, more moisture, more forgiving.
• Spices: Cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic powder - all available at lower prices than branded alternatives.
• "Middle of Lidl" Mexican specials: During Mexican-themed weeks, Lidl has stocked corn tortillas, tortilla chips, chipotle sauce, and even masa harina.

What to Skip

• Pre-made salsa in jars: Usually too sweet and not spicy enough. Making fresh salsa takes 10 minutes and costs less.

Aldi

Aldi's approach to Mexican ingredients mirrors Lidl's - excellent basics at low prices, with occasional speciality finds in their "Specialbuys" range.

What to Buy

• Tortilla wraps: Aldi's flour tortillas are decent for burritos and quesadillas. Not as good as corn tortillas, but practical and cheap.
• Tinned black beans: Aldi stocks these consistently. Essential for refried beans, burrito bowls and soups.
• Fresh coriander: Usually available and cheap.
• Avocados: Hit or miss on ripeness, but the price is right. Buy 2-3 days before you need them.
• Pork shoulder: For carnitas (Mexican pulled pork). Aldi's pork shoulder is excellent value.
• Rice: Long-grain white rice for Mexican rice.
• Cheese: Mild Cheddar or Monterey Jack for quesadillas and nachos.
• Jalapeno slices (jarred): Available in the condiments aisle. Good for nachos and quick garnishes.

Building a Complete Mexican Meal from Each Shop

M&S Mexican Night (serves 4, approximately 18 pounds)

Corn tortillas + chicken thighs + chipotle paste + avocados + limes + coriander + soured cream. Marinate chicken in chipotle paste and lime juice, grill, slice, serve in tortillas with guacamole and soured cream. Total preparation time: 30 minutes.

Lidl Mexican Night (serves 4, approximately 8 pounds)

Flour tortillas + chicken thighs + tinned tomatoes + fresh chillies + onion + garlic + limes + tinned black beans. Make a quick salsa from the tomatoes and chillies, grill the chicken, warm the beans. Total preparation time: 25 minutes.

Aldi Mexican Night (serves 4, approximately 9 pounds)

Tortilla wraps + pork shoulder (slow-cooked in advance) + tinned black beans + avocados + jarred jalapenos + rice + cheese. Assemble burrito bowls with rice, pulled pork, black beans, guacamole, jalapenos and grated cheese. Total preparation time: 15 minutes (plus advance slow-cooking).

What You Still Need from a Mexican Shop

While M&S, Lidl and Aldi cover the basics admirably, certain essential Mexican ingredients remain unavailable at mainstream supermarkets:

• Dried chillies: Guajillo, ancho, pasilla, arbol, morita - the backbone of Mexican sauces.
• Masa harina: For making fresh corn tortillas at home.
• Mole paste: For mole sauce.
• Achiote paste: For cochinita pibil and Yucatecan dishes.
• Mexican oregano: Different from Mediterranean oregano - more citrusy and less minty.
• Piloncillo: Unrefined cane sugar for cafe de olla and mole.
• Dried hibiscus flowers: For agua de jamaica.

For these, visit our directory of Mexican shops across the UK. Many also offer online ordering with delivery.

For recipes using ingredients from all these shops, explore our recipe collection.