The Mexican pantry is filled with fragrant herbs, fresh vegetables, and dried chiles. The good news is that you probably have many of the necessary ingredients in your pantry already, but feel free to check the glossary if any of them are unfamiliar to you.
I’ve divided the ingredients list into three sections. The A-list includes those used most often and found in a Mexican kitchen. The B-list has items that you should have around if you want to make Mexican food often.
The C-list ingredients are those used for special dishes and worth having if you’re an adventurous cook and want to expand your Mexican food repertoire.
Luckily, it’s easy these days to find the ingredients you’ll need to make delicious Mexican food at home. Even your non-Latino supermarket will likely have many of the items you need to get started. So, roll up your sleeves and get ready for your Mexican food adventure. Let’s get cooking!
BEANS
CHEESES
(see “Guide to Mexican Cheeses,”)
CILANTRO
CINNAMON
CORN
CUMIN
GARLIC
JALAPEÑO PEPPERS
LIMES
ONIONS
RICE
SERRANO CHILES
TOMATOES
TORTILLAS
VANILLA
ANCHO CHILES
CANNED CHIPOTLE PEPPERS
CHILI POWDER
CREMA
MASA
NO PALES
PLANTAINS
POBLANO or PASILLA CHILES
TOMATILLOS
ANNATTO SEEDS
CHAYOTE
EPAZOTE
HOMINY
JAMAICA
JÍCAMA
PILONCILLO
PRICKLY PEARS
TAMARIND PODS
