This list includes 41 Mexican foods that start with M, ranging from “Machaca” to “Muéganos”. It covers everything from everyday street foods to regional specialties and traditional sweets. Use it for meal planning, travel research, recipe hunting, or quick cultural reference.
Mexican foods that start with M are a mix of savory and sweet dishes rooted in regional traditions. For example, machaca highlights northern drying and preservation techniques, while muéganos appear at festivals as sweet treats.
Below you’ll find the table with Dish, Translation, Region, and Main ingredients.
Dish: Shows the dish name in Spanish, so you can recognize the original term when browsing recipes or menus.
Translation: Gives a concise English translation or meaning, helping you understand the dish without reading full recipes.
Region: Identifies the state or area where the dish is most popular, so you can trace its culinary roots.
Main ingredients: Lists two to five key ingredients, enabling quick decisions about flavor profiles and potential recipe matches.
Mexican foods that start with M
| Name | English name/translation | Region | Core ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machaca | Shredded dried beef | Northern | Dried beef, tomato, chile, onion |
| Machitos | Grilled goat or lamb intestines | Northern | Lamb/goat intestines, onion, cilantro, lime |
| Manchamanteles | Tablecloth stainer mole | Oaxaca/Puebla | Pork, ancho chiles, pineapple, plantain |
| Mango | Mango | National | Mango, lime, chili powder, salt |
| Manitas de Puerco | Pickled pig’s feet | National | Pig’s feet, vinegar, oregano, chiles en escabeche |
| Margarita | Margarita cocktail | National | Tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, salt |
| Mariscada | Seafood platter | Coastal regions | Assorted seafood, garlic, butter, lime |
| Marquesita | Crispy cheese-filled crepe | Yucatán | Flour, egg, Edam cheese, cajeta |
| Mazapán de Cacahuate | Peanut marzipan | National | Peanuts, powdered sugar |
| Memela | Toasted masa cake | Oaxaca/Puebla | Masa, refried beans, cheese, salsa |
| Menudo | Beef tripe soup | National | Beef tripe, hominy, dried chiles, lime |
| Mermelada | Fruit jam or preserves | National | Fruit (guava, tejocote, fig), sugar, citrus |
| Mezcal | Mezcal spirit | Oaxaca/National | Agave |
| Mezcalita | Mezcal cocktail | National | Mezcal, fruit juice, lime, chili salt |
| Michelada | Spicy beer cocktail | National | Beer, lime juice, assorted sauces, salt |
| Michmole | Pre-Hispanic fish stew | Central Mexico | Fish, tomatillo, epazote, green chiles |
| Michoacanas | Michoacán-style popsicles (paletas) | Michoacán/National | Fresh fruit, water or milk, sugar |
| Migas | Fried tortilla and egg scramble | National | Tortilla strips, eggs, onion, salsa |
| Milanesa | Breaded meat cutlet | National | Beef/chicken cutlet, breadcrumbs, egg |
| Minilla | Shredded fish hash | Veracruz | Shredded fish, tomato, olives, capers |
| Mixiote | Meat steamed in maguey leaf | Central Mexico | Lamb/pork/chicken, chiles, spices, maguey leaf |
| Molcajete | Meat and salsa served in a hot stone mortar | National | Grilled meat, nopal, cheese, salsa |
| Mole Amarillo | Yellow mole | Oaxaca | Chicken, chilhuacle amarillo, masa, tomatillo |
| Mole Coloradito | Little red mole | Oaxaca | Pork/chicken, ancho chile, pasilla chile, chocolate |
| Mole de Olla | Beef and vegetable pot stew | Central Mexico | Beef shank, vegetables, guajillo chile, corn |
| Mole Negro | Black mole | Oaxaca | Turkey/chicken, chilhuacle negro, nuts, chocolate |
| Mole Poblano | Poblano-style mole | Puebla | Turkey/chicken, multiple chiles, chocolate, seeds |
| Mole Verde | Green mole | Central/Southern | Pork/chicken, pumpkin seeds, tomatillo, jalapeño |
| Moletes | Sweet bread rolls | Puebla | Flour, egg, butter, sugar |
| Molletes | Bean and cheese open-faced sandwich | National | Bolillo bread, refried beans, cheese, pico de gallo |
| Molotes | Fried masa turnovers | Puebla/Veracruz | Masa, potato, chorizo, salsa |
| Mondongo | Tripe soup (Yucatán style) | Yucatán/Southeast | Beef tripe, achiote, sour orange, tomato |
| Montados | Folded flour tortilla with fillings | Chihuahua | Flour tortilla, steak/beef, beans, cheese |
| Morcilla | Blood sausage | Central Mexico | Pork blood, onion, herbs, spices |
| Morelianas | Caramel wafer cookies | Michoacán | Flour, milk, piloncillo |
| Morisqueta | Rice and beans dish | Michoacán | White rice, beans, tomato sauce, cotija cheese |
| Mosco | Orange-flavored liqueur | Toluca | Orange, alcohol, syrup |
| Motuleños (Huevos) | Motul-style eggs | Yucatán | Fried eggs, tortillas, black beans, ham, peas |
| Mucbipollo | Savory chicken tamal pie | Yucatán | Masa, chicken/pork, achiote, banana leaf |
| Muéganos | Sticky syrup candy clusters | Puebla/Tlaxcala | Flour, piloncillo syrup, anise |
| Muelas de Cangrejo | Crab claws | Coastal regions | Crab claws, garlic, butter, lime |
Descriptions
Machaca
A traditional dried meat, often scrambled with eggs (machacado con huevo) or used as a filling for burritos. It was originally a way to preserve meat in the arid climate.
Machitos
A northern delicacy where intestines are braided or wrapped and then grilled or fried until crispy. It is a flavorful dish often served in tacos with salsa.
Manchamanteles
A unique sweet and savory mole whose name means “tablecloth stainer.” Its reddish sauce features a distinctive blend of chiles and sweet fruits like pineapple and plantain.
Mango
While a fruit, mango is a quintessential Mexican street food, served on a stick or in cups and topped with lime juice, salt, and chili powder for a sweet, sour, and spicy treat.
Manitas de Puerco
A classic cantina snack (botana), these pig’s feet are pickled in vinegar with herbs and chiles, resulting in a tangy and savory dish often served cold.
Margarita
The world-famous cocktail that has become a symbol of Mexican festivity. It features a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and salty flavors, served on the rocks or frozen.
Mariscada
A generous platter featuring a variety of grilled or fried seafood, such as shrimp, octopus, fish, and clams. It’s a celebratory dish perfect for sharing by the coast.
Marquesita
A beloved Yucatecan street dessert. A thin, crispy crepe is rolled up and traditionally filled with salty Edam cheese (queso de bola), creating a unique sweet and savory crunch.
Mazapán de Cacahuate
A popular Mexican candy, this is a crumbly, sweet confection made from ground peanuts. Unlike Spanish marzipan, it uses peanuts instead of almonds.
Memela
A simple but delicious antojito. It’s a slightly thick, toasted corn masa disc topped with refried beans, salsa, and cheese. It’s a staple breakfast or snack in Oaxaca.
Menudo
A famous and hearty soup made from beef stomach in a red chile broth with hominy. It’s a traditional weekend dish, especially popular as a hangover cure.
Mermelada
Mexican jams often feature local and tropical fruits like guava, tejocote, or prickly pear. They are used as a sweet spread for bread or as a filling for pastries.
Mezcal
A distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. Known for its smoky flavor, it is traditionally sipped straight, often accompanied by orange slices and sal de gusano.
Mezcalita
A cocktail similar to a margarita but made with mezcal instead of tequila. The smoky flavor of the mezcal adds a complex and delicious twist.
Michelada
A refreshing beer cocktail. The simplest version is beer with lime and salt (chelada), but a full michelada includes hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and other savory ingredients.
Michmole
A pre-Hispanic stew from the State of Mexico, typically made with fish in a green broth flavored with the herb epazote. It’s a light yet flavorful dish.
Michoacanas
A famous style of paletas (popsicles) known for using generous amounts of fresh, natural fruit. They come in an endless variety of water-based and milk-based flavors.
Migas
A popular breakfast dish made by scrambling eggs with crispy, fried tortilla pieces. It’s often topped with cheese, avocado, and served with refried beans.
Milanesa
A thin slice of beef, chicken, or pork, breaded and fried. It’s a staple in Mexican home cooking and is often served as a main course or in a torta (sandwich).
Minilla
A classic dish from the Gulf state of Veracruz. It’s a flavorful hash of shredded fish cooked with tomatoes, olives, and capers, often used as a filling for empanadas.
Mixiote
A traditional dish where meat is marinated in a chile sauce, wrapped in the papery outer skin of a maguey (agave) leaf, and slow-cooked until tender and aromatic.
Molcajete
Named after the volcanic stone mortar it’s served in, this dish is a sizzling feast of grilled meats, chorizo, cheese, nopales, and salsa, all served bubbling hot.
Mole Amarillo
One of the seven famous moles of Oaxaca. It gets its vibrant yellow color from the local chilhuacle amarillo chile and is typically a lighter, herb-infused stew.
Mole Coloradito
A brick-red Oaxacan mole that is sweeter than others, with a prominent flavor of ancho chiles and just a hint of chocolate to balance the flavors. It’s rich and complex.
Mole de Olla
Unlike other moles, this is a hearty soup or stew rather than a sauce. It features tender beef and vegetables like corn on the cob, chayote, and green beans in a savory chile broth.
Mole Negro
Often called the king of moles, this Oaxacan specialty is the most complex, using dozens of ingredients including the rare chilhuacle negro. It is dark, smoky, and slightly sweet.
Mole Poblano
Perhaps the most well-known mole internationally. This rich, dark-brown sauce from Puebla is a masterful blend of chiles, nuts, seeds, spices, and a touch of chocolate.
Mole Verde
A vibrant green sauce made from toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), tomatillos, and fresh green chiles. It has a fresh, herbaceous, and slightly tangy flavor.
Moletes
Not to be confused with the savory molletes, these are small, sweet, and fluffy bread rolls from Puebla, often enjoyed with coffee as a simple breakfast or snack.
Molletes
A classic Mexican breakfast or light meal. It’s a toasted bolillo roll, split and topped with a layer of refried beans and melted cheese, often finished with fresh salsa.
Molotes
Torpedo-shaped antojitos made from masa dough, stuffed with fillings like potato and chorizo or shredded chicken, then fried until golden and crispy.
Mondongo
The Yucatán Peninsula’s version of menudo. This tripe soup is distinguished by its regional ingredients, including achiote paste and a touch of sour orange for a unique flavor.
Montados
A specialty from the state of Chihuahua. It’s a large flour tortilla filled with meat, beans, and asadero cheese, then folded over like a quesadilla.
Morcilla
Also known as moronga, this is a type of sausage made by cooking pork blood with a filler until it’s thick enough to congeal when cooled. It’s often fried and served in tacos.
Morelianas
A traditional sweet from Morelia, Michoacán. It consists of two thin, crispy wafers sandwiched together with a layer of goat’s milk caramel (cajeta).
Morisqueta
A humble yet beloved dish from the Apatzingán region of Michoacán. It’s a simple plate of white rice topped with savory beans and often a simple tomato sauce and cheese.
Mosco
A sweet, orange-peel-flavored liqueur that is a specialty of Toluca. It is a popular local digestif, known for its strong but pleasant taste.
Motuleños (Huevos)
A breakfast dish from the town of Motul in the Yucatán. Crispy tortillas are topped with fried eggs, refried black beans, and a tomato-habanero sauce with ham and peas.
Mucbipollo
A large, baked tamal prepared for Hanal Pixán (Day of the Dead). It has a thick masa crust and is filled with chicken or pork in a savory achiote-seasoned gravy.
Muéganos
A traditional candy made from small squares of fried dough that are stuck together in a cluster with a sweet piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar) syrup.
Muelas de Cangrejo
A simple yet elegant appetizer, especially popular in coastal areas. Stone crab claws are typically steamed and served chilled or sautéed in a rich garlic-butter sauce.