My grandmother on my mother’s side is the best cook I know. She married at 18, had 10 children, and spent over half her life cooking for her family, only stopping at age 93. 

As the family grew and her children got married, my abuelita always had food ready on the stove in case one of my aunts, uncles or cousins stopped by to have lunch. That was the case with my sisters and me, who had lunch at her house at least twice a week while we were young. 

Having grown up very close to my grandmother’s cooking, I asked her to teach me how to cook her best Mexican recipes before I got married. Today, I prepare these recipes almost every week. 

Frijoles refritos

I’m probably one of very few Mexicans who are not fans of beans. Growing up, I would never eat them — I hated the flavor, the texture and, specifically, the smell.  

But as I grew up and realized how weird that was, I dared to try my grandma’s recipe for beans because everybody praised them. Even my dad would say that no one, not even my mom, could cook frijoles like my grandma. 

I finally tried her frijoles refritos as a teenager, and while I didn’t fall in love with frijoles themselves, this is the only bean recipe that I enjoy eating at home.  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of precooked Mexican beans (bayos)
• ½ chile guajillo with seeds removed
• ½ chile de árbol with seeds removed
• 50 g Mexican chorizo (It doesn’t taste the same if you cook the frijoles with Spanish chorizo, but if that’s all you’ve got, go ahead.)
• 1/3 cup bean stock (the water in which you cooked the beans)
• 1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• Salt to taste

Don’t be afraid to play around with the quantities depending on how spicy and liquefied you like your beans.

Instructions:

• In a hot pan, pour the oil and stir-fry the chiles with the chorizo until brown. 
• Blend the precooked beans with the chiles, chorizo and bean stock, using a blender or food processor.
• Pour the blended beans back into the same pan where you stir-fried the chiles, and add salt to taste. Stir with a wooden spoon and heat until the beans begin to bubble. If the consistency of the beans is too thick, you can add more bean stock to thin them out a bit.
• Sprinkle grated cheese on top (cotija, adobera or cheddar cheese). Enjoy served hot as a side dish with carne asada, scrambled or sunny-side up eggs, on tostadas, on molletes… and beyond. 

Abuelita’s tip:

If you live abroad like me and can’t find Mexican beans, use canned frijoles refritos and mix them with the browned chiles and chorizo for added flavor. 

Enchiladas

Unlike beans, enchiladas are my favorite Mexican dish. I could eat enchiladas every day if too many fried tortillas wouldn’t tip the scale!

This recipe is so tasty that, save for a few restaurants I know that make great enchiladas, I rarely order enchiladas when dining out because I know I have the best recipe at home.

Abu Ene’s Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup water for boiling
• ¼ cup water for mixing 
• 2 chiles guajillo with seeds removed 
• ½ chile de árbol with seeds removed
• ½ clove garlic, minced 
• 1 tsp. white vinegar 
• Tortillas
• Vegetable oil or olive oil

 For the filling:

• Boiled, shredded chicken 
• Mashed potatoes made with salt

Toppings:

• Lettuce, thinly sliced
• Shredded cheese (if you’re in Jalisco, have your enchiladas with adobera cheese. Otherwise, use cotija or cheddar cheese)
• Radish slices
• Fresh crema

Instructions:

• In a small saucepan, heat the water for boiling. Once boiling, add in the chiles and lower the heat to medium. Let it boil for two minutes and then transfer to a blender with the other ¼ cup of water.   
• Add the garlic, vinegar and salt to the blender and mix until you get a smooth consistency. Place the chile mix aside (on a plate is best) and reserve. 
• Pour the oil into a hot frying pan, making sure it covers the whole surface. Keep the heat at low to medium.
• Meanwhile, dip your tortillas in the chile mix and fry them one by one in the pan, doing each side for a few seconds and then setting aside. Place 3–5 of the fried tortillas on each of the plates you’ll be using to serve.
• On the plates, add the filling of your choice to each tortilla and fold it over twice. Repeat until you have at least three enchiladas per plate. 
• Garnish with the cheese, thinly sliced lettuce, a dollop of crema and a few radish slices before serving.

Abuelita’s tip:

You can add one raw egg to the chile mix if you want the dish to have more protein. The egg also helps the sauce and oil not to “jump” when you place the tortilla in the hot oil. 

Be generous with the oil; it must coat the entire bottom of the pan. The tortilla must float in the oil to prevent it from sticking. 

Chilaquiles

If you want to impress your friends and family with a delicious breakfast, nothing is more authentic than this flavorful chilaquiles recipe. Enjoy it with fresh orange juice and sliced bread or bolillos, and you’re in for a true Mexican feast!

Abu Ene’s Chilaquiles

Ingredients:

• Totopos (tortilla chips, preferably unsalted)
• 8 plum tomatoes 
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste 
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 4 guajillo chiles with seeds removed 
• 1 chile de árbol with seeds removed 
• 1/3 white onion (cebolla blanca), chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• Salt to taste

For the garnish:

• Fresh crema
• Shredded cheddar, adobera or cotija cheese
• Diced white onion 

Instructions:

• Place the tomatoes and the chiles in a saucepan, and cover with water. Cook until the skin on the tomatoes begins to split. 
• Drain the water and place the tomatoes and chiles in a blender, along with the onion, garlic and water. Strain the mix and reserve. 
• In a hot saucepan over low heat, heat the oil, and then add the tomato paste. Toast for a minute, and then add the reserved tomato sauce. Add the salt and oregano and boil on low to medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. 
• To serve, place the totopos on a plate and pour the sauce evenly on top. Garnish with the fresh crema, finely diced onion and shredded cheese and serve. 

¡Buen provecho! I hope you enjoy these recipes with your family and loved ones!

This article was originally published in 2023. It has been lightly edited for updates and clarity.