Elote dip is a popular Mexican street food that is typically made with mayonnaise, Mexican crema, lime juice, chili powder, cotija cheese, and other spices. It’s generally served as a dip alongside boiled or grilled corn on the cob. But what makes up the rest of a typical Mexican street food menu? Let’s explore all the delicious options beyond just the elote dip!
Appetizers and Snacks
Mexican street food menus offer a variety of appetizers and snacks to start off your meal. Some popular options include:
- Quesadillas – Grilled tortillas filled with cheese, meats, beans, veggies, etc.
- Sopes – Thick, fried corn dough discs topped with beans, meat, lettuce, cheese, cream, and salsa
- Gorditas – Thick, fried corn dough pockets stuffed with meat, cheese, lettuce, cream, and salsa
- Tacos dorados – Crispy, rolled tacos filled with chicken or beef, lettuce, cheese, and salsa
- Empanadas – Fried pastries stuffed with meat, cheese, and spices
- Nachos – Tortilla chips topped with beans, cheese, meat, salsa, crema, etc.
- Guacamole and chips – Avocado dip with tortilla chips
- Esquites – Grilled corn served in a cup with mayonnaise, lime, chili powder, cheese, and salsa
These appetizers pack a flavorful punch and are perfect for sharing with friends. The variety of fillings and customizable toppings make Mexican street food snacks super satiating.
Tacos
Tacos are the star of Mexican street food. You’ll find a huge variety of meat, veggie, and seafood tacos served up from carts all over Mexico. Some taco fillings you may encounter include:
- Carnitas – Slow-cooked pulled pork
- Al pastor – Spiced pork cooked on a rotating spit
- Carne asada – Grilled steak
- Lengua – Beef tongue
- Chorizo – Spicy sausage
- Pollo – Shredded chicken
- Pescado – Grilled fish fillets
- Camarones – Shrimp
- Hongos – Mushrooms
- Rajas – Roasted strips of poblano pepper
- Papas – Potatoes
- Frijoles – Refried beans
Tacos are served on warm corn or flour tortillas. They’re typically topped with onions, cilantro, and salsas. Some popular taco garnishes are guacamole, lime, radish, pickled jalapeños and onions, and shredded cabbage. With so many types of tacos and customizable toppings, you could eat at a different Mexican street food stall every day and never get bored!
Tortas
Tortas are Mexican sandwiches served on crusty rolls known as teleras or bolillos. Street carts will stuff these rolls with an array of delicious fillings like:
- Milanesa – Breaded and fried thin cuts of beef or chicken
- Jamon – slices of ham
- Carnitas – Pulled pork
- Chorizo – Spicy sausage
- Bisteck – Thinly sliced steak
- Pollo – Shredded chicken
- Quesillo – String cheese
Tortas are topped with beans, avocado, onions, tomato, jalapeño, mayonnaise, and mustard. They make for a hearty, satisfying Mexican street food meal any time of day.
Sopes, Garnachas, and Pellizcadas
Several Mexican street foods are based on thick, fried corn dough:
- Sopes – Thick, fried corn discs topped with meat, lettuce, cheese, crema, and salsa
- Garnachas – Flat, fried corn dough topped with meat, onion, cilantro, salsa, and crema
- Pellizcadas – Small, thick corn pockets with savory fillings like chorizo, bean, or chicharron
The crispy-fried masa dough combined with flavorful fillings makes for an irresistible street food experience. Garnachas are sometimes also called sincronizadas when they’re made with two tortillas filled with cheese.
Soups and Stews
In addition to snacks and sandwiches, you can also find satisfying soups and stews sold at Mexican street food stalls. Some to look out for include:
- Pozole – A hearty hominy stew made with pork and chiles
- Menudo – Spicy tripe stew with hominy, chiles, and garnishes
- Birria – Savory beef stew, often served with tortillas
- Caldo de pollo – Classic Mexican chicken soup with veggies
- Caldo de res – Beef soup loaded with veggies and rice
- Sopa de fideo – Noodle soup with tomatoes, chiles, and avocado
These steaming hot soups and stews are ultra comforting and perfect for warming up with on a cool Mexican night. Street food vendors will ladle them fresh into bowls or bags for easy eating on the go.
Fresh Juices, Aguas Frescas, Licuados, and Champurrado
You’ll work up quite a thirst sampling your way through all that incredible Mexican street food. Luckily, there are tons of refreshing beverages available too. Some top options include:
- Aguas frescas – Freshly blended fruit drinks like horchata (rice, almond, cinnamon), tamarindo (tamarind), and jamaica (hibiscus)
- Licuados – Thick, creamy fruit smoothies made with milk or water
- Jugos – Fresh-squeezed juices like orange, carrot, beet, green veggie blends, etc.
- Champurrado – A warm, thick chocolate drink with masa and spices
Sipping one of these drinks is the perfect way to wash down tacos, tortas, and more! The variety of sweet, tart, and nutty flavors complements the spicy street food perfectly.
Desserts and Sweets
Dessert is an important part of any Mexican meal. Some classic street sweets you’ll see for sale include:
- Churros – Fried dough sticks rolled in cinnamon and sugar
- Fruits – Slices of watermelon, jicama, cucumber, and mango topped with chili powder and lime
- Paletas – Mexican fruit popsicles made from fresh fruit and cream
- Candies – Varieties like mazapán (peanut paste), cocada (coconut), and obleas (wafer sandwiches)
- Marquesitas – Thin crepes filled with cajeta (caramel), Nutella, and other spreads then rolled up
The combination of traditional and contemporary flavors makes Mexican street food desserts hard to resist. They’re the perfect sweet ending to an incredible meal.
Regional Specialties
Beyond the classics, Mexican street food menus also vary by region. Here are some of the top regional specialties you may encounter:
| Region | Specialties |
|---|---|
| Baja California | Fish and shrimp tacos, ceviche, clam and oyster street food |
| Northern Mexico | Gorditas, discada (mixed meats), grilled nopales (cactus) |
| Central Mexico | Pambazos (dipped sandwiches), barbacoa (pit-cooked meat), salsa verde |
| Southern Mexico | Tlayudas (large toasted tortillas), tasajo (salted beef) |
| Yucatan | Cochinita pibil (achiote pork), sopa de lima (lime soup), salbutes and panuchos |
Part of the fun and excitement of Mexican street food culture is discovering the incredible regional diversity across the country. No matter where you travel in Mexico, you’ll find inventive, mouthwatering flavors to try.
Marketplace Diversity
Beyond the menu items themselves, one of the joys of Mexican street food is the bustling marketplace atmosphere. Wandering through a mercado or tianguis (open-air market), you’ll encounter vendors selling all kinds of goods beyond just food, like:
- Fresh produce
- Spices, grains, and beans
- Housewares and pottery
- Textiles and clothing
- Toys and novelties
- Flowers, plants, and gardening tools
- Pet supplies
- Arts and crafts
The dizzying array of sights, sounds, and smells create an energizing backdrop as you explore the street food stalls and puestos. Soaking in the bustling marketplace culture is an essential part of the Mexican street food experience.
Conclusion
Far from being just an elote dip, authentic Mexican street food encompasses a delicious diversity of flavors, ingredients, and experiences. From stuffed gorditas to steaming pozole, spicy tacos to sweet paletas, the options are endless. Part of the joy is customizing your meal with a variety of salsas, garnishes, and regional specialties. With so many possibilities, you could eat at a new stall every day and never get bored! So next time you get a craving for Mexican food, go beyond the elote dip and explore the incredible world of authentic Mexican street cuisine.