Mexican churros: recipe, history and variants

What is it?

The Mexican churro is a long, ridged strip of flour dough fried in oil or lard until golden and crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. It is rolled in sugar with cinnamon and served freshly made, ideally accompanied by thick hot chocolate, café de olla or atole. Although its origin is Spanish, in Mexico the churro acquired its own identity with fillings of cajeta, dulce de leche, chocolate or jam, and became one of the most popular street snacks. Legendary venues such as El Moro in Mexico City, founded in 1935, keep this tradition alive and have elevated the churro to a symbol of Mexican urban culture.

Origin and history

The churro has an uncertain origin, attributed by some sources to Spanish shepherds of the Sierra de los Churros (hence its name), who fried dough of flour and water to accompany coffee. Another theory links it with Arab-Andalusian frying and the long buñuelos of the Maghreb. Larousse Cocina notes that it arrived in New Spain with the Conquest and settled as a street sweet in the squares. In Mexico the churro was transformed: it was no longer served alone, but accompanied by hot chocolate prepared with tablets of cacao, cinnamon and sugar, heirs of pre-Hispanic chocolate. México Desconocido documents that the churrería El Moro, opened in central Mexico City in 1935 by Spanish immigrants, popularised the filled churro formula and consolidated urban churro culture. Today there are traditional churrerías in Guadalajara, Puebla and Monterrey with century-old recipes.

Characteristic ingredients

Mexican churro dough combines wheat flour, boiling water, salt and sometimes an egg or a little oil. A firm paste is formed which is placed in a churrera or piping bag with a star nozzle, producing the characteristic ridges that increase the crunchy surface. It is fried in vegetable oil or lard at 180-190 °C, drained and immediately rolled in sugar with ground cinnamon. The filling is injected after frying, with cajeta from Celaya, dulce de leche, dark chocolate, condensed milk or strawberry jam. The accompanying chocolate is prepared with tablets of Mexican chocolate (Abuelita, Ibarra or artisanal), milk and a touch of cinnamon; it is whisked with a molinillo until foamy. The quality of the oil and the temperature are crucial: if it is cold the churro absorbs grease, if it is too hot it burns on the outside and stays raw inside.

Cultural significance

The churro is one of the most democratic snacks in Mexican culture: it is eaten at fairs, kermesses, outings to the cinema, at Christmas dinner and as a homemade snack. Mexico City has a real churro culture, with obligatory visits to El Moro, open 24 hours, and to neighbourhood churrerías in Coyoacán, Tlalpan and La Roma. In Guadalajara churros are accompanied by tejuino or café de olla. In the north of the country, especially in Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo, filled churros became popular as a street dessert. The churro-chocolate pairing evokes the memory of generations: trips to the theatre, road trips, Sunday family breakfasts. The Mexican tradition of filling churros with cajeta is an original contribution that distinguishes them from their Spanish relatives and connects them with the regional confectionery of Guanajuato.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Mexican and Spanish churros?

Spanish churros are usually thin, without additional sugar, and are dipped in thick chocolate. Mexican churros are thicker, are generously rolled in cinnamon sugar and are often filled with cajeta, dulce de leche or chocolate, an original Mexican contribution absent from the Iberian tradition.

What do Mexican churros taste like?

They have a crunchy exterior of toasted cinnamon sugar, and a soft, buttery interior with the neutral flavour of fried dough. The filling provides an intense note of caramel (cajeta), cacao (chocolate) or fruit. Accompanied by thick hot chocolate they offer a contrast of sweetness, the bitterness of cacao and the spice of cinnamon.

How are they traditionally served?

They are served freshly made, hot, in long strips of 15 to 20 cm cut with scissors, dusted with sugar and cinnamon, accompanied by a mug of thick hot chocolate for dipping. In Mexico they are also served filled on the spot or in a kraft paper bag as a street snack.

Where do churros originate?

Their exact origin is debated between Spanish shepherding from the Sierra de los Churros and Arab-Andalusian frying. They arrived in New Spain in the sixteenth century and became popular as a street sweet. The Mexican formula of the filled churro consolidated in the twentieth century, especially with the opening of the churrería El Moro in 1935 in Mexico City.