Mexican recipes with fewer than 5 ingredients

One of the great myths about Mexican cooking is that it is complicated. Yes, mole poblano takes 30 ingredients and three days of work. But everyday Mexican cooking, the kind eaten in homes and at street stalls, is surprisingly simple. Many of Mexico's most iconic dishes are made with a handful of basic ingredients: maize, chile, tomato, onion, cilantro and little else.

In this article we present 10 authentic recipes you can make with 5 ingredients or fewer (not counting salt, oil and water, which are taken for granted). They are real recipes, not simplified versions. They are made exactly the way they are made in Mexico. And they can all be made with ingredients available in any US grocery stores.

1. Cheese quesadillas (2 ingredients)

The simplest Mexican recipe there is, and one of the most satisfying. In Mexico, a quesadilla is simply a corn tortilla folded with melted cheese inside. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Ingredients: Corn tortillas + a good melting cheese (Oaxaca in Mexico, mozzarella in the US).

Method: Warm a tortilla in a dry pan or comal. When it is hot and flexible, put a generous layer of cheese on one half. Fold. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side until the cheese melts and the tortilla is slightly crisp. Serve with salsa verde if you have it.

Cultural note: In Mexico City there is a legendary debate: do quesadillas contain cheese? In the capital, if you order a mushroom or chicharrón quesadilla it does NOT come with cheese (yes, it is confusing). In the rest of Mexico, quesadilla = cheese, always.

2. Frijoles de olla (4 ingredients)

Pot-cooked beans are the foundation of Mexican eating. They are cooked slowly with water, salt, onion and a sprig of epazote (or a bay leaf as a substitute). The result is a thick, silky, comforting broth eaten on its own with tortillas or as an accompaniment to any dish.

Ingredients: 500g of black or pinto beans + 1/2 onion + 1 sprig of epazote or bay + salt.

Method: Soak the beans overnight. Drain and place in a large pot with fresh water (the water should cover the beans by 5cm). Add the onion and the epazote. Bring to the boil and then lower to a medium-low heat. Cook for 2-3 hours (1 hour in a pressure cooker) until soft. Salt at the end. The beans are ready when the broth thickens naturally.

3. Raw salsa verde (4 ingredients)

Raw salsa verde is the quickest salsa to make and one of the most versatile. It is used for tacos, enchiladas, chilaquiles or simply with totopos.

Ingredients: 6 green tomatoes (tomatillos) + 2 serrano chiles or green chiles + 1/4 onion + fresh cilantro.

Method: Blend everything raw with a little water and salt. Done. 5 minutes. If you cannot find tomatillos, use green plum tomatoes (unripe on purpose) with a squeeze of lime for the acidity.

4. Mexican red rice (4 ingredients)

Red rice is the universal accompaniment to Mexican food. It is made with rice, tomato, onion and chicken stock. The technique is the key: the rice is fried before being cooked, which gives it a toasted flavor and a perfect, loose texture.

Ingredients: 1 cup of long-grain rice + 2 tomatoes + 1/4 onion + 1.5 cups of chicken stock.

Method: Fry the rice in a little oil over a medium heat until golden (5-7 minutes, stirring constantly). Meanwhile, blend the tomatoes with the onion. Pour the salsa over the fried rice (mind the splatters), mix and add the hot stock. Cover, lower the heat to minimum and cook for 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid. Leave to rest, covered, for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.

5. Classic guacamole (5 ingredients)

Real Mexican guacamole is far simpler than what most restaurants outside Mexico serve. No garlic, no cumin, no sour cream. Just avocado, onion, chile, cilantro and lime.

Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados + 1/4 finely chopped white onion + 1 chopped serrano chile (or green chile) + chopped fresh cilantro + the juice of 1 lime.

Method: Mash the avocados with a fork (do not blend; it should have texture). Mix with onion, chile, cilantro and lime. Salt to taste. That's it. See more details in our guacamole recipes.

6. Red chilaquiles (4 ingredients)

Chilaquiles are the quintessential Mexican breakfast and are made with ingredients you probably already have at home: tortillas (or totopos), salsa roja, cheese and cream.

Ingredients: Corn totopos (or cut, fried tortillas) + salsa roja (tomato, chile, garlic blended) + crumbled fresh cheese + sour cream.

Method: Heat the salsa roja in a pan. When it boils, add the totopos. Mix quickly - the totopos should absorb the salsa but keep some crunch. Serve immediately with crumbled cheese and cream on top. Add a fried egg if you want the full breakfast.

7. Loaded elote (5 ingredients)

Mexican street elote is corn on the cob covered in mayonnaise, chili powder, lime and cheese. It is addictive, it is street food, it is pure Mexico.

Ingredients: Cooked corn cobs + mayonnaise + chili powder (hot paprika works) + lime + grated Parmesan (a substitute for cotija).

Method: Boil or broil the cobs. Smear generously with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with chili powder, grated cheese and a squeeze of lime. Eat straight from the cob.

8. Refried bean tacos (3 ingredients)

The humblest taco and one of the tastiest. In Mexico, millions of people have a refried bean taco with salsa for breakfast every day. It is nutritious, cheap and delicious.

Ingredients: Corn tortillas + refried beans (pot-cooked beans mashed and fried in lard or oil) + salsa to taste.

Method: Warm the tortilla, spread a generous spoonful of refried beans, add salsa. Fold and eat. For refried beans: mash cooked pot beans and fry them in hot oil, stirring, until you get a thick paste.

9. Yucatecan sopa de lima (5 ingredients)

An aromatic soup from the Yucatán made with chicken, tomato, lime, tortilla and onion. It is comforting, light and full of flavor.

Ingredients: Chicken breast + 3 tomatoes + 1 onion + 2 limes + cut, fried tortillas.

Method: Boil the chicken with onion until cooked. Shred. Roast the tomatoes and the remaining onion. Blend and add to the broth. Return the shredded chicken. Just before serving, squeeze the lime into the hot broth and top with strips of crisp fried tortilla.

10. Potato with chorizo (3 ingredients)

A classic filling for tacos, quesadillas and sopes. Three ingredients, ten minutes, incredible flavor.

Ingredients: 3 cooked potatoes cut into cubes + 200g of Mexican chorizo (or crumbled Spanish chorizo as an alternative) + tortillas to serve.

Method: Crumble the chorizo and fry it in a pan without oil (the chorizo releases its own fat). When browned, add the cooked diced potatoes. Mix and cook for 5 minutes until the potatoes absorb the color and flavor of the chorizo. Serve in tacos.

The lesson of Mexican simplicity

These recipes demonstrate a fundamental truth about Mexican cooking: great flavors do not require endless lists of ingredients. They require good ingredients, the right techniques and the perfect balance of chile, acid, salt and fat that defines the cooking of Mexico.

Explore more simple recipes in our section of Mexican recipes and find the ingredients you need in our recommended shops. Mexican cooking is for everyone, and these 10 recipes prove it.