Blog
Tips, guides and stories about Mexican cuisine in the US
Welcome to the Recetas Mexas blog, your source for information about Mexican cuisine in the US. Here you'll find detailed guides about Mexican ingredients, practical tips for cooking authentic dishes with products available in American grocery stores, and articles about the rich culinary culture of Mexico. Explore our recipes, products and restaurants for more.
Our articles cover everything from toasting and rehydrating dried chiles for rich, complex salsas to understanding the difference between corn and flour tortillas and when to use each. Learn traditional techniques like nixtamalization that give tortillas their distinctive flavor and texture.
Written by our team of Mexicans in the US, every article combines first-hand cultural knowledge with practical advice for American kitchens.
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We also publish store reviews of Latin and Mexican stores across US cities, product comparisons (which bottled mole is most authentic, what brand of totopos tastes best), seasonal guides (chiles en nogada in September, rosca de reyes in January, pan de muerto in November) and the fascinating stories behind dishes like mole poblano, tamales andpozole that carry centuries of pre-Hispanic and colonial tradition.
Whether you're a complete beginner curious about Mexican cuisine or an experienced cook looking to perfect your technique, our blog has something for every level. All recipes and techniques are adapted for ingredients available at Walmart, Kroger, H-E-B and Latino markets across the US.
Latest Articles
Open Sunday, Open Late: What the Hours in Our US Directory Show
Which day Mexican restaurants in the US actually close, how many serve past midnight, and why the grocery stores keep longer hours than almost anyone.
Comal, Molcajete, Tortilla Press: What's Worth Buying in the UK and What Isn't
Seven pieces of Mexican kitchen kit judged against a small British kitchen, an induction hob and limited cupboard space. What to buy, improvise or skip.
Tequila, Mezcal and Raicilla: Reading the Label in a British Bottle Shop
One line on the back label decides whether a bottle is agave or industrial sugar. What the NOM tells you, what additive-free means, and where raicilla fits.
The Michelin-Starred Mexican Restaurants in Our US Directory
Three of the 630 Mexican restaurants we list in the US hold a Michelin star. Who they are, and what the top of the Google-rated fine-dining tier looks like.
Supermercado, Mercado, Carnicería: the 536 Stores We List
The four kinds of Mexican and Latin store in our US directory, what each one is good at, which words on the sign tell you what, and where they are.
Taquerías in the US: Where the 241 in Our Directory Are
A taquería is a specific kind of business, not a small restaurant. Where they cluster across the US, what the price tiers look like, and what the data shows.
A Mexican Food Walk Through Seattle, Street by Street
The 36 Mexican restaurants and stores our directory lists in Seattle, grouped by the street they are on, in the order you would actually walk them.
Six Mistakes That Ruin a Salsa, and How to Fix Each One
Bitter, watery, foamy, flat, raw-tasting, separated. The six ways a homemade salsa goes wrong, what causes each, and whether the batch can be rescued.
The Heat Scale of Mexican Chiles, With US Equivalents
From poblano to habanero in Scoville order, with the American peppers that come closest, what each chile actually tastes like, and how to dial heat down.
Tequila, Mezcal and Raicilla: Reading the Label on a US Shelf
What 100% de agave, NOM, additive-free and joven actually mean, how to taste without burning your palate, and what the US market gets that Mexico does not.
A Year of Mexican Holidays, and What Gets Cooked for Each
Month by month, the dishes tied to each Mexican celebration — and why Cinco de Mayo is not Independence Day, which is the mistake the US makes every year.
What a Cantina Actually Is, and the 26 in Our US Directory
A cantina is a bar with a kitchen, not a restaurant with tequila. The history, how the US version diverged, and every cantina our directory records.