Everything you need to know about being a vegetarian in Mexico

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Dining as a Vegetarian in Mexico

Mexico is known for its amazing cuisine, but being a vegetarian in Mexico can add a twist to dining in Mexico.

Of course, this depends on where you are…

This blog is an exclusive guide for vegetarians, not vegans or meat eaters.

I am going to write the Spanish names for the dishes so that you can read the menu and know some of the dishes. Don’t worry, I will include the translation or explanation if there’s not a translation.

Diverse Cuisine

Mexico has such a diverse amount of dishes!

As it it such a big country, at times there are different names for the same dish in different parts of the country.

Let’s look at some common dishes that are vegetarian.

Also, I am going to share some insider tips and important information with you. These are important facts to pay attention to while you’re eating in Mexico.

Quesadillas

So, as a said before, this is not a guide for vegans, as I have included cheese here.

There are many different types of quesadillas that you can order, so you’re definitely in luck.

You can order

cheese quesadilla- straight forward and with lots of melty cheese! yum!
mushroom quesadilla is another item that is common on many menus. The mushrooms have a bit of a different taste than what I am used to, but they’re good.
huitlcoche quesadilla. If you don’t know what huitlacoche is let me tell you… but know that it really is tasty! So huitlacoche is called ‘corn smut’ or a ‘Mexican truffle’. It is dark brown or blackish-grey. It’s a plant disease (I know… but try it) that grows on cobs of corn. It looks like big black kernels or stones.
Flor de Calabaza quesadilla. Flor de calabaza is ‘squash blossoms’. The big orange flowers that grow on pumpkin vines.
Refried beans- Refried beans are basically mashed up beans, think mashed potatoes consistency.

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If you’re wondering where to try a green tortilla, you can check it out at The 7 Best Casual Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta.

Nopales quesadillas- Nopales are big cactus leaves. They have a little bit of a slimy consistency, so if you see that not to worry, it is supposed to be like that. Of course, they remove all of the spikes then cook it. Nopales are kinda like green peppers. They often add onion, tomato and peppers to the nopales, but it can also just be nopales.
Potato quesadillas- Here they make mashed potatoes and add it to the tortilla with cheese, sometimes onion and other spices or added too.
Calabazas- ‘Calabazas’ are zucchini. Sometimes they are mixed with corn, spinach, peppers, or on their own.

These types of quesadillas all have cheese in them, and some have beans too.

Tacos

Although most tacos are meats, there a few options for you.

Now, you may not find all of these options in all restaurants, but in some.

Soy meat tacos
potato tacos -these are like mashed potato tacos
bean tacos – they use refried beans for these tacos

Another option is called Tacos de Canasta

tacos de canasta is like a fried taco with some vegetarian options. Some of those options are mashed potatoes and refried beans. They make put the ingredients inside of the tortilla and fry it in oil, so it is golden and a bit crispy.

Enchiladas

There are different types of enchiladas that are meat and vegetarian.

Some of the vegetarian enchilada types are:

potato enchiladas
cheese enchiladas
bean enchiladas

For all of these enchiladas you can usually choose green or red salsa to put on top of your enchiladas.

Did you know that there are different types of enchiladas? Yep! They actually have different names. What is different about them is the type of sauce that is put on top of them.

Enchiladas = a red or green chili sauce
Enmoladas = a mole sauce
Entomatadas = a tomato sauce
Enfrijoladas = a bean sauce
Enchiladas suizas = a cheese sauce

Other Vegetarian Dishes

Tortas in Mexico are different than a sandwich, they are like a sub or a hoagie. They usually have beans, salsa, and a toasted bun. They also have sandwiches which are strictly on slices of bread.

Tortas de Panela- This is a sub with panela cheese, tomato, avocado, lettuce, mayonaise and you can choose salsa or other toppings too.

Tortas de Nopales- cheese with breaded nopales breaded with eggs

Pambazos- These are subs that are covered in a red sauce. You can get vegetarian or meat options. A popular style is with mashed potato inside. It’s very tasty!

Elotes- corn on the cob with mayonaise, cheese, salsa & tajin or pepper flakes on it. This is a very popular dish.

Esquites- corn off of the cob mixed with cream, cheese and epazote. Epazote is a common Mexican herb that is not spicy. Think of it as a spice like oregano.

Calabazitas- cubed zucchini with corn, cheese, tomato, onion, mixed together and cooked.

Quelites- Quelites is a type of spinach found in Mexico. It is breaded with egg and a green mild sauce. It’s often served with rice or beans.

Tlayuda- if you’re in Oaxaca or the surrounding areas you will find tlayudas. They are thin crispy large tortillas. You have the option of adding vegetables like mushrooms or huitlacoche to them. They sometimes have cabbage inside of them too.

Chili rellenos- This is a stuffed poblano pepper that is breaded and put in a tomato sauce. You can order meat or vegetarian. Your pepper can be stuffed with cheese. They are very tasty and not spicy usually.

Chile en Nogado- This is a poblano pepper. Now often they are stuffed with pork and dried fruit, but there are some places that offer vegetarian filling instead.

A note- often this pepper is garnished on top with chapulines and pomegranate seeds. Chapulines are fried or cooked grasshoppers. So, I will let you make the decision there…

Of course, you can often find other cuisines in Mexico like vegetarian pizza, Chinese rice and vegetable dishes, vegetarian sushi, etc. Here, I am focusing solely on Mexican cuisine.

Lastly, salads are always universal too. Just make sure it doesn’t have bacon or ham on or on it.

Breakfast

You also have some great breakfast options too!

Of course, the common ‘huevos al gusto’. This means eggs your way. It often comes with beans on the side and salsa.
Omelettes- You can get cheese omelettes, or mushroom, onion, tomato, avocado etc. in your omelettes.
chilaquiles This is a very common dish that you can find at most restaurants. Some ways that you can get your chilaquiles is with eggs, beans, cheese, and potatoes on top or beside them. Chilaquiles are smaller pieces of tortilla or tortilla chips in salsa, usually a green or red salsa. People can order meats or vegetables to go with it. It is common for an egg to come on top of chilaquiles. I really like this dish and I recommend trying it!
A la Mexicana- This is scrambled eggs with onion, tomato and jalapeno peppers. Get it… the 3 colours of the Mexican flag!
Huevos divorciados- This dish is 2 fried eggs. Each one is served on top of a tostada. A tostada is a cripy and hard tortilla. One egg gets a red sauce on top, and the other gets a green sauce on top.
Molletes- Molletes are an open-faced bun with beans, grated cheese and any other toppings you choose. Usually guacamole will come on the side. The bun is toasted or broiled so the cheesy is all melted. I love this dish, I highly recommend it!
Crepes- They make them fresh often. You can choose your toppings and flavours such as fruit, chocolate, peanut butter, ice cream, nuts and more. Check out this video of how they make them! So good!

Sides

Maybe you don’t want a full meal, here are some vegetarian options of side dishes.

Guacamole- In Mexico, it’s common for jalapenos to be in guacamole. Something to consider if you don’t like spice. If you have the guacamole made for you, you can ask for it to be mild.
Nachos. There are meat option, but you can just ask for your nachos without meat. Sometimes I substitute the meat for avocado!! So delicious!
Queso fundido without meat. Make sure you check, this often comes with chorizo (sausage), so check if there is an option without sausage too. You can order this simple with just cheese or with mushrooms. You get soft tortillas on the side to basically make your own cheese taco or burrito. The cheese is so melty. One of my favourite dishes. I like to pair it with guacamole!

Beans. There are different types of beans like pinto or black beans. Also, you can get whole beans or refried beans. Refried beans are like mashed beans. * Check out the note about beans in the important notes section! *
Mexican rice- this dish is in a light tomato sauce with corn, carrots, peas and onion. It has a nice flavour and it’s not spicy.
Salsa and chips. If you have never tried freshly made chips, they are the best! They are basically cut up pieces of tortillas. There are so many different types of salsa that you can get, so check the spice level and what you prefer! The chips are called totopos in most parts of Mexico.

Some Vegetarian friendly places!

There are some places in Mexico are very tourist-friendly and have many vegan and vegetarian dishes. There are also some completely dedicated vegan and vegetarian restaurants.

From my experiences, some vegetarian friendly locations are:

Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Sayulita, Nayarit
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
Cancun, Quintana Roo
Tulum, Quintana Roo
Cabos San Lucas, Baja California
Mexico City, State of Mexico
Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Huatulco, Oaxaca

I have only listed a few popular places that I know have several option for you to enjoy.

This is not a complete list, feel free to add more places in the comments below.

If you would like to learn more about some of these places, here are a few places to get you started.

You can check out more about Puerto Escondido here: Must-Do things in Puerto Escondido! and about Sayulita with the 15 Must-Try Unique Experiences in Sayulita!

You can learn more about Huatulco here: Beaches in Huatulco!

You can learn more about Puerto Vallarta here: Ultimate Guide to Puerto Vallarta Boardwalk and 8 FREE things to do in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Important to Know

Sometimes the definition of vegetarian is… flexible in Mexico. So ask questions!

Some examples!

If I go to a pizza stand and they have different types of pizzas, I ask them if they have vegetarian pizza. They tell me – yes, hawaiian pizza. Yes, it has ham, but they explain that it’s vegetarian because it doesn’t have beef.
Tamales- They do offer vegetarian tamales like with peppers or cheese or beans. But… they are mostly made in manteca. Manteca is a pork fat or lard. They are literally saturated in it and cooked. So, consider if you will eat it or not.
Refried beans- several places that cook beans use manteca, a pork fat or lard in their bean sauce. So, you can ask them if they put manteca in the beans. Make sure it’s clear that it’s not a vegetable oil, but a meat oil/fat that you’re asking for. ‘Manteca de puerco’ is pork fat or lard.
If you order a salad ask if it has bacon or ham in it. Sometimes they do.
Sometimes when you order nachos they will come with beans on them or meats. Ask your server what comes on the nachos. If there are beans on the nachos, ask if they have manteca (pork fat or lard) in them.

These are a few words of caution so that you keep your stomach happy and peaceful as you enjoy your time in Mexico.

If you’re headed to Mexico be sure to read the Best Mexico Travel Tips! (Read Before You Go)!