Mexican ingredients you can buy at the supermarket

The big supermarkets are where most of us do our weekly shop. And although they are not specialist Mexican shops, they have more useful ingredients for Mexican cooking than you might imagine. With a little creativity and know-how, you can prepare a good number of authentic Mexican recipes with ingredients you find at your local supermarket.

In this article we take a tour of the supermarket aisles, identifying all the ingredients you can use for Mexican cooking, section by section, with substitution tips for when the exact ingredient is not available.

Fruit and vegetable section

Avocados

Supermarkets have avocados all year round, usually the Hass variety. They are the base of guacamole and an essential accompaniment to tacos, enchiladas and chilaquiles. Tip: buy the firm ones and let them ripen for 2-3 days at room temperature. If you need them to ripen quickly, put them in a paper bag with a banana.

Tomatoes

Supermarket tomatoes (especially ripe plum or vine tomatoes) are perfect for Mexican salsas. For red salsa, roast the whole tomatoes under the grill or directly in the pan until they blacken on the outside. That roasting step is what separates an authentic Mexican salsa from simple chopped tomato.

Limes and lemons

Supermarkets have limes (the Mexican lime) that are essential for Mexican cooking. If there are no limes, yellow lemons work, although the flavour is slightly different. A bag of limes gives you enough for a week of Mexican cooking.

White onion

White onion is the one used in Mexican cooking (not red for cooking, though red is good for pickling). Supermarkets stock white onions. They are essential for any salsa, stew or as a taco topping (chopped raw).

Fresh coriander

Supermarkets usually have fresh coriander in the herb section. If you cannot find it, try local greengrocers or Asian or Latin shops. Coriander is NON-negotiable in Mexican cooking: without coriander, many dishes lose their essence.

Pickled jalapeños

In the preserves section, supermarkets stock sliced pickled jalapeños. They are perfect for nachos, salads, burgers and as a general accompaniment. They are not fresh jalapeños (those are harder to find), but they work very well.

Fresh chillies

Supermarkets stock fresh green chillies that, although they are not serranos or jalapeños, serve as a substitute for adding heat to salsas and stews. They have a different heat (more direct, less herbal) but they do the job.

Tins and sauces section

Chopped tomatoes

Tinned chopped tomatoes are a quick alternative when you do not have time to roast fresh tomatoes. It is not the same as a roasted tomato, but for quick enchilada or chilaquil salsas it works.

Tinned black beans

Supermarkets stock tinned black beans. Drain them, heat them and mash them with a little oil, onion and garlic to make quick refried beans. They are not as good as pot beans cooked from scratch, but for a Tuesday night they are a lifesaver.

Tinned sweetcorn

Tinned sweetcorn is good for making quick esquites, adding to Mexican salads, filling quesadillas or making corn soup. Drain it and sauté it in butter with chilli and lime for instant esquites.

Soy sauce

Although it is not Mexican, soy sauce is useful as a substitute for Maggi sauce (a seasoning that Mexicans use in many dishes, especially in micheladas and cocktails). Look for the dark version.

Spices and seasonings section

Ground cumin

Cumin is fundamental in Mexican cooking, especially in adobos, beans and rices. Supermarkets stock ground cumin at a good price. Buy whole cumin too if you can - toasted and freshly ground, it tastes a thousand times better.

Paprika (sweet and hot)

Smoked paprika (sweet and hot) is a good substitute for Mexican chilli powder. It is not identical, but it brings colour and flavour to adobos and salsas. Hot paprika can be used in place of ground ancho chilli for many applications.

Oregano

Supermarket oregano is Mediterranean oregano, which is different from Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens). The Mexican one is more citrusy and minty. But the Mediterranean one works perfectly for pozole, beans and Mexican pizzas (yes, Mexican pizza exists).

Cinnamon, stick and ground

Cinnamon is fundamental for Mexican rice pudding, atole, hot chocolate, sweet tamales and puddings. Mexican cinnamon is Ceylon cinnamon (milder and sweeter) - supermarket cinnamon sticks are usually Cassia cinnamon (stronger). Use a smaller amount.

Chipotle paste or in adobo

Many supermarkets stock chipotle paste or chipotles in adobo in their world-food section. If you find them, buy them all - they are gold for Mexican cooking. A little chipotle in adobo transforms any salsa, mayonnaise or marinade.

Meat section

Pork shoulder

Perfect for carnitas. Buy the whole piece or in large chunks, cook it slowly with orange, garlic and spices, and you will have carnitas for the whole week.

Chicken

Chicken thighs with skin for tinga (shredded chicken in chipotle-and-tomato salsa) or for adobo chicken tacos. Thighs are tastier and juicier than breast for Mexican recipes.

Minced beef

For picadillo, mince tacos, chilli (it is not Mexican but uses similar ingredients) and chilli fillings.

Pork ribs

For guajillo-chilli rib adobo, or for a spectacular red pozole.

Dairy section

Sour cream

Supermarkets stock sour cream, which is essential for enchiladas, chilaquiles, enfrijoladas and as a general topping. If you cannot find it, mix double cream with a squeeze of lime.

Melting cheese

Grated mozzarella is the best substitute for Oaxaca cheese for quesadillas, nachos and Mexican bakes.

Feta cheese

As a substitute for Mexican fresh cheese. Crumble it over enfrijoladas, chilaquiles, sopes and tlacoyos.

World-food section and others

Flour tortillas

Supermarkets stock flour tortillas (wraps) that are good for burritos and quesadillas. They are not corn tortillas (which you will need to buy in Mexican shops), but for burritos and fajitas they work well.

Tortilla chips/totopos

Plain supermarket tortilla chips are the most accessible option for chilaquiles, nachos with cheese or as an accompaniment to guacamole. They are not nixtamalised corn totopos, but they do the job.

Long-grain rice

Long-grain rice is perfect for Mexican red rice. Remember: Mexican rice is first fried in oil until golden, then cooked in tomato salsa and stock. It is never simply boiled in water.

What you will NOT find at the supermarket

To be honest, there are fundamental ingredients you will need to buy in specialist Mexican shops:

• Corn tortillas: Authentic corn tortillas are not sold at mainstream supermarkets. You need a Latin shop.
• Dried chillies: Guajillo, ancho, pasilla, de árbol. Essential for authentic salsas.
• Nixtamalised maize flour: Maseca or similar, for making tortillas, tamales and dough.
• Epazote: The quintessential Mexican herb. Only in specialist shops.
• Achiote: For cochinita pibil and al pastor. In Latin shops.
• Tomatillos: The Mexican green tomato for authentic salsa verde.
• Oaxaca cheese: The Mexican cheese that stretches. Some import it.

A Mexican supermarket shopping list

With this basic supermarket list you can make at least 15 different Mexican recipes:

• Avocados (3-4), limes (1 bag), fresh coriander, white onion, plum tomatoes, fresh green chillies, pickled jalapeños, tinned black beans, tinned sweetcorn, sour cream, grated mozzarella, feta cheese, flour tortillas, tortilla chips, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, long-grain rice, chicken (thighs), pork shoulder, minced beef.

Complement this with corn tortillas and dried chillies from a Mexican shop, and you will have everything you need to cook Mexican all week. Check our Mexican recipes to put these ingredients into action.