I’m Milton Guevara, and like many people, I have a weekend ritual that brings me comfort and connection. On Saturday mornings, I wake up, put on some music, pour myself a cup of coffee, and try to make a pot of black beans that tastes just like my grandmother’s.
I start by sorting through dry beans, tossing out any that are cracked or broken. I add them to a pot with water, garlic, onion, salt, and a few avocado leaves—an ingredient my family has always used for a subtle earthy flavor. Then I set the pot on the stove to simmer slowly for hours. It’s a ritual that I inherited from my mom, who learned it from her mom.
These beans, served with fried eggs, rice, fresh salsa, and warm homemade tortillas, are one of my favorite meals. In my Mexican-Salvadoran household, beans are a staple. They feed us all week long and carry memories of family meals around the kitchen table.
And I’m not alone in feeling this way. Bricia Lopez, the co-owner of the Los Angeles restaurant Guelaguetza, feels the same.
“I just made beans yesterday for the week,” she laughed when we spoke.
Bricia believes food is more than just something we eat. In Mexico, food is woven into every part of life.
“Food and Mexico go hand in hand. It’s the essence of our soul,” she said. “We celebrate with food. We mourn with food. It’s part of who we are as a community.”
This is what makes Mexican food so powerful. And the beautiful part is, you can bring these traditions into your own kitchen, too. Right now is an incredible time to start cooking Mexican food at home. There are more cookbooks, restaurants, and resources than ever before to help you.
In this guide, we’ll share five simple takeaways to help you start your journey into Mexican cooking. These tips come from Bricia Lopez and Rick Martinez, two chefs who are deeply passionate about this cuisine.
1. Stock Your Pantry
The first step in learning Mexican cooking is building your pantry with the right ingredients. Many of these items are easy to find in grocery stores or online.
Dried chiles are essential. Bricia explains that dried chiles, which are simply fresh chiles that have been dried, form the base of countless Mexican dishes. Drying them intensifies their flavors, making them smoky, earthy, and slightly sweet.
Start with four common types:
- Guajillo – mild heat, slightly tangy
- Ancho – sweet and smoky
- Morita – similar to chipotle, with a rich, smoky flavor
- Arbol – small, spicy, and fiery
Once you get comfortable, you can experiment with others.
Rick also recommends keeping staples like long-grain white rice, a few pounds of beans (black beans, pinto beans, or whatever you enjoy), and Mexican oregano. Mexican oregano is more floral and less bitter than the Italian version, though you can use the Italian kind if that’s what you have.
Fresh ingredients are just as important: onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomatillos, and cilantro are used in almost every dish.
And finally, invest in a few basic tools. A cast iron skillet or comal (a traditional flat griddle) is perfect for toasting chiles, charring tomatoes, or heating tortillas. A molcajete—a stone mortar and pestle—is great for grinding spices and making salsa, though a blender works fine too.
2. Start with the Basics
When you’re ready to cook, begin with something simple. Rick suggests making salsa.
Salsas are a great entry point because they’re versatile and forgiving. You can make them with just three ingredients—like tomatoes, jalapenos, and garlic—or you can get creative with dried chiles and herbs. Salsas can be fresh, roasted, boiled, or even fermented.
The more you make salsas, the better you’ll understand how Mexican flavors balance. Sweetness from tomatoes, acidity from lime, smokiness from chiles, and a bit of salt all work together like music. Rick says it’s like building a song, where each ingredient plays its part.
Once you’re comfortable making salsas, you can move on to other foundational recipes, like making your own tortillas.
3. Take Your Time
Great Mexican food takes time. Dishes like tamales, mole, and pozole are meant to be cooked slowly, often over hours or even days. This can feel intimidating, but don’t rush the process.
Even something as simple as beans takes time to simmer, but the payoff is worth it. When I cook beans, rice, and salsa in big batches, I freeze extra portions. That way, I always have something delicious ready to eat, even on busy days.
Bricia acknowledges that time can be hard to come by. She’s a mother of two and runs multiple businesses, but she still believes in slowing down for good food.
“Anything worth your while is going to take time,” she said. “And what’s life without great food?”
4. Embrace Your Sazón
Sazón is a Spanish word that means flavor, but in the kitchen, it means something more personal. It’s your own unique cooking style—the way your hands season a dish, the little choices you make without even thinking.
Two people can follow the same recipe with the same ingredients and end up with two slightly different dishes. That’s sazón. Over time, as you practice, you’ll develop your own.
Bricia believes everyone’s sazón is as unique as a fingerprint. And Rick says one of the greatest compliments a cook can receive is, “I can taste your sazón in this dish.”
5. Share Your Food
Finally, don’t forget to share. Cooking is about connection, and Mexican food especially is meant to be enjoyed with others.
When I made pozole recently, I invited friends over because this hearty hominy-and-chile stew is too special to eat alone. Sharing it brought us together around the table.
Bricia says this is part of what makes Mexican cooking so beautiful.
“Women have kept the culture alive with their two hands and their love for family,” she said. “Sharing food is how we give back to the world.”
Rick agrees. Even if you don’t have much, you share what you have. It’s the most intimate way to show generosity and love.
Final Thoughts
Mexican food is vibrant, layered, and full of history. It can be slow and complex, but it’s also joyful and forgiving. Start small. Learn to make a salsa or a simple tortilla. Fill your pantry with beans and chiles.
And remember, your beans may never taste exactly like your grandmother’s—but that’s okay. They’ll taste like yours. And as you practice, you’ll develop your own sazón that makes every dish uniquely yours.
So put on some music, grab your ingredients, and get cooking. Then, invite someone over to share the meal. Because food is always better when it’s enjoyed together.
