Mexican Food for Children: Mild, Fun Recipes

"Mexican food for children? But isn't it all spicy?" This is the question we hear most from Spanish parents when we suggest cooking Mexican for their children. And the answer is a resounding no. Mexican cooking is much more than spice - it is colourful, varied, nutritious and full of flavours that children love: sweet corn, melted cheese, creamy beans, soft avocado, rice with tomato.

In Mexico, children eat the same food as adults, just without chilli (or with very little). Quesadillas, esquites, red rice, molletes and chicken tacos are everyday foods that Mexican children devour with enthusiasm. And in Spain, these dishes can easily be prepared with supermarket ingredients.

These recipes are designed specifically for children's palates: no spice, with mild flavours, appealing textures and, where possible, fun shapes that invite the little ones to take part in the cooking.

1. Cheese quesadillas: the universal favourite

If there is one Mexican dish that never fails with children, it is quesadillas. They are so simple that children can make them themselves, and so delicious that adults devour them too.

Ingredients:

• Wheat tortillas (the ones from Mercadona work perfectly)
• Cheese that melts well: mozzarella, gouda, a four-cheese mix
• Optional: cooked ham, shredded cooked chicken, sliced mushrooms

Preparation (5 minutes):

1. Heat a pan over medium heat (without oil).
2. Place a tortilla, cover half with plenty of cheese.
3. Fold in half. Cook for 2 minutes per side until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crisp.
4. Cut into triangles so they are easy to grab.

To make it fun: Let the children choose their own fillings. Prepare bowls with different options (cheese, ham, sweetcorn, halved cherry tomatoes) and let each one build their quesadilla. Interactive cooking is the best way to get children to try new things.

2. Mexican red rice: the perfect side dish

Mexican red rice is one of the most comforting dishes there is. It is soft, aromatic, slightly sweet from the tomato and perfect for children who are fussy about food - because it is basically orange rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 2 medium tomatoes
• ¼ onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cups chicken stock (or water with a stock cube)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Salt
• Optional: ½ cup frozen peas and ½ carrot, diced (children like the colours)

Preparation (25 minutes):

1. Blend the tomatoes, onion and garlic with ½ cup of stock.
2. Heat oil in a pot. Fry the rice over medium heat, stirring, until golden (5 minutes).
3. Add the blended tomato. Cook until absorbed (3 minutes).
4. Add the remaining stock, peas and carrot. Salt to taste.
5. Cover, lower the heat to a minimum. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes without uncovering or stirring.
6. Turn off the heat, let it rest covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Tip: If your child does not like seeing "bits" of vegetable, blend everything together (tomato, carrot, peas) and the rice will turn a uniform orange with no visible pieces of vegetable.

3. Esquites in a cup: magic corn

The esquites are the Mexican street snack children adore. It is basically corn with mayonnaise, lime and cheese - what child doesn't like that?

Ingredients (children's version):

• 2 tins of sweetcorn (drained)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Juice of 1 lime
• Grated Parmesan or Manchego cheese
• A pinch of sweet paprika (not hot)
• Salt

Preparation (10 minutes):

1. Melt the butter in a pan. Sauté the corn for 5 minutes until lightly golden.
2. Serve in cups or mugs.
3. Add mayonnaise, lime, cheese and paprika.
4. Mix and eat with a spoon.

Note: In the Mexican version chilli powder (Tajín) is added, but for children we leave it out. If your children tolerate a little heat, a very small pinch of Tajín gives the authentic touch.

4. Soft chicken tacos

Chicken tacos are the perfect introduction to the world of tacos for children. Shredded cooked chicken with tomato, avocado and cheese - no spice, all soft, all delicious.

Ingredients:

• 2 cooked, shredded chicken breasts
• 1 tin of crushed tomato
• ½ onion, very finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• Ground cumin (pinch)
• Small wheat tortillas
• Grated cheese, chopped lettuce, avocado
• Soured cream or Greek yoghurt

Preparation:

1. Sauté the onion and garlic. Add tomato, cumin and salt. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the shredded chicken. Mix and cook for 5 minutes more.
3. Heat the tortillas in a pan.
4. Assemble the tacos: tortilla + chicken + lettuce + cheese + avocado + soured cream.

Family tip: Just like the quesadillas, prepare the ingredients in separate bowls and let each child build their own tacos. Children eat more when they feel they control what is on their plate.

5. Molletes for children

Molletes are the Mexican version of toast with beans and cheese. For Spanish children, it is a familiar concept - bread with something grilled on top - but with new and interesting flavours.

Ingredients:

• 2 ciabattas or bread rolls, cut in half
• 1 tin of black beans, mashed with a fork
• Plenty of grated cheese
• Cherry tomatoes, halved

Preparation:

1. Spread each half of bread with the mashed beans.
2. Cover with cheese and cherry tomatoes.
3. Grill in the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese bubbles.
4. Let it cool for a minute before serving.

Fun variation: Use biscuit cutters to make shapes in the cheese before grilling (stars, hearts). Children love food with shapes.

6. Mexican fideo soup

Fideo soup is the everyday soup in Mexico - the equivalent of the chicken-and-noodle broth that Spanish grandmothers make, but with a touch of tomato that gives it extra colour and flavour. It is the quintessential Mexican comfort food and children love it.

Ingredients:

• 200g fine vermicelli (the ordinary soup ones)
• 2 tomatoes
• ¼ onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Salt

Preparation (20 minutes):

1. Fry the vermicelli in oil until golden (3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly).
2. Blend the tomato, onion and garlic. Add to the vermicelli. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the stock. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until the vermicelli is soft and has absorbed most of the stock.

Tip: The secret is to brown the vermicelli well BEFORE adding the liquid. This step gives it a toasted flavour that is the hallmark of authentic Mexican fideo soup.

7. Fruit cocktail with chilli (no spice for children)

In Mexico, fruit is eaten with lime, salt and chilli. It sounds strange but it is addictive. For the children's version, we leave out the chilli and keep the lime and salt, which already transform the experience of eating fruit.

Ingredients:

• Mango in cubes
• Watermelon in cubes
• Pineapple in cubes
• Peeled cucumber in slices
• Jícama in batons (if you can find it in a Latin American shop)
• Lime juice
• A pinch of salt

Preparation: Mix all the fruit in a large bowl. Squeeze lime generously and add a pinch of salt. Mix well. Serve in cups or bowls. The combination of sweet + sour + salty is irresistible to children.

8. Mexican ice lollies

Paletas (ice lollies) are the favourite street dessert of Mexican children. Unlike industrial ice creams, Mexican paletas are made with real fruit and are fresh, natural and easy to make at home.

Strawberry paleta recipe:

• 500g fresh strawberries
• ½ cup sugar
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ cup water

Blend everything and pour into ice-lolly moulds (the IKEA ones work perfectly). Freeze for at least 4 hours. Other popular combinations: mango-chilli (without chilli for children), watermelon-lime, coconut, tamarind (with the acidity toned down for children).

Tips for introducing Mexican food to children

• Start mild: Quesadillas, red rice and esquites are the "safest" dishes for children who have never eaten Mexican food.
• No spice at the start: A taste for heat is acquired. Do not force it. In Mexico, children start with minimal amounts of chilli and increase it over the years.
• Make it interactive: Children eat better when they take part. Letting them build their own tacos or quesadillas is the best strategy.
• Colours and shapes: Mexican food is naturally colourful (red from the tomato, green from the avocado, yellow from the corn, white from the cheese). Make the most of it - children eat with their eyes first.
• Small portions: Offer a little of many things rather than a lot of one. Children are overwhelmed by large plates.
• Cook together: Quesadillas, molletes and paletas are perfect recipes for cooking with children. Taking part in the preparation increases their interest in eating the result.

Weekly Mexican menu for children

• Monday: Cheese quesadillas with mild guacamole (10 minutes)
• Tuesday: Mexican fideo soup with rice (25 minutes)
• Wednesday: Soft chicken tacos with red rice (20 minutes)
• Thursday: Grilled molletes with salad (15 minutes)
• Friday: Esquites in a cup + strawberry paletas for dessert (15 minutes)

Weekly cost: Less than €20 for a family of 4. All the recipes use Spanish supermarket ingredients and are prepared in under 30 minutes.

Discover more family recipes in our recipes section and find authentic Mexican ingredients in the nearest Latin American shops. Mexican food for children is nutritious, fun and much easier than you imagine.