When you hear “Mexican food,” you probably think of dishes like tacos & burritos—and you’re not wrong for thinking that. However, some of the “Mexican” foods we love aren’t actually from Mexico but are instead American creations that have been influenced by Mexican flavors. Here are thirteen popular foods that you won’t find in Mexico, even though they might be staples at your local Mexican restaurant. You’ll be surprised to see how many “Mexican” foods are really American!
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Chimichangas
Chimichangas are deep-fried burritos filled with meat, beans & cheese and despite what most people think, they originated in Arizona, not Mexico. The story goes that a chef accidentally dropped a burrito into a fryer—lo and behold, the chimichanga was born. In Mexico, burritos are typically simpler & not fried so you might have trouble finding a chimichanga if you’re traveling in Mexico and craving one.
Hard Shell Tacos
Hard shell tacos, stuffed with ground beef, lettuce & shredded cheese, are a favorite in the United States yet most Mexican people make tacos with soft corn tortillas instead. You might find hard-shell tacos in some places in Mexico but they’re few and far between. The crispy taco shell is an American twist that’s not so common in most Mexican restaurants.
Queso Dip
The creamy, melted cheese dip we usually serve with tortilla chips is a staple in many American Mexican restaurants—but queso dip as we know it doesn’t really exist in Mexico. Instead, you might find queso fundido, which is a dish of melted cheese often mixed with chorizo & served with warm tortillas. The idea of dipping chips into a bowl of cheesy sauce isn’t a typical part of Mexican cuisine.
Fajitas
While grilled meats are popular in Mexico, the concept of fajitas served on a hot skillet with all the fixings is a Tex-Mex creation—in fact, fajitas originated in Texas. They feature sizzling strips of grilled meat with onions & bell peppers. You might be able to find some fajitas in Mexico but they’re nothing like the way they’re presented in the U.S so you may be disappointed.
Burritos Loaded with Rice and Beans
Burritos are a Mexican invention but huge burritos stuffed with rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, & guacamole are entirely American. Most Mexican people eat smaller & simpler burritos that are filled with just one or two ingredients like meat or beans. They’re also more common in the northern regions of Mexico and not as prevalent throughout the country as you might think.
Taco Salad in a Fried Shell
Taco salads are served in a crispy fried tortilla bowl and loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, beans, cheese, & meat—but they’re an American creation as most Mexican people don’t typically serve salads in edible bowls! The very idea of a taco salad doesn’t really fit with traditional Mexican dishes and that’s why you won’t find it on most menus over there. That doesn’t make it any less delicious, though!
Enchilada Sauce from a Can
You’ll find canned enchilada sauce in the majority of American kitchens since it makes for a quick & convenient meal yet in Mexico, they usually make sauces from scratch. These use a mixture of chiles, tomatoes & spices, with rich flavors that you’re not able to get in the same way from a can. Using fresh ingredients is an important part of authentic Mexican cooking—you wouldn’t catch many people there daring to use pre-made sauce!
Flour Tortilla Quesadillas
In America, we often make quesadillas with large flour tortillas stuffed with cheese & various fillings—but in Mexico, they usually use corn tortillas instead. They might also include ingredients like squash blossoms, mushrooms, or huitlacoche (a type of corn fungus) to make their quesadillas even tastier. Cheese isn’t always the main ingredient and the fillings often vary quite a bit more than here in the States.
Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Cheesy Gordita Crunch is something on most Taco Bell menus & it combines a hard shell taco wrapped in a soft flatbread with a layer of cheese in between—and it’s a purely American invention! Such combinations aren’t part of traditional cuisine in Mexico since layering different types of tortillas and shells is unique to American menus. And that’s even though the name “Gordita” is Spanish!
Double-Decker Tacos
The double-decker taco features a hard shell taco that’s stuck to a soft tortilla using refried beans as “glue” and it’s as fun & tasty as it sounds! Yet it’s not something you’ll find in Mexican restaurants because their tacos are typically simple—just a soft corn tortilla and a few fresh ingredients. If anything, the double-decker is another example of American creativity with Mexican flavors.
Sour Cream on Everything
We usually top most Mexican-style dishes with sour cream but in Mexico, they use “crema” instead—it’s different from American sour cream & used more sparingly. Crema is more like creme fraiche and Mexican dishes are more likely to be topped with fresh ingredients like cilantro, onions & various salsas instead. Such heavy-handed use of sour cream is an American take on Mexican food.
Chili con Carne
Chili con carne is a comfort food for many Americans as we’re unable to resist the heartiness of this stew made with ground beef, beans, tomatoes & chili peppers. But you won’t really find it on local menus when traveling in Mexico because they don’t combine chilies and meat in the same way that we do. It’s more of a Tex-Mex dish, with a heavy focus on the Tex side of things.
Mexican Pizza
The so-called “Mexican pizza” is made from layers of tortillas with ground beef, beans, cheese & salsa, that looks somewhat like a pizza and it’s a dish that Taco Bell popularized. But despite the name, it’s not from Mexican cooking—they tend to eat regular pizzas in Mexico that don’t typically include the same ingredients. The Mexican pizza is another American take on Tex-Mex flavors that you won’t find south of the border.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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