The Christmas season is upon us, meaning it’s time to celebrate! In Mexico, the season runs from early December through the end of January, but special foods are eaten all month long.
This guide lists some common Mexican Christmas Foods, with recipes and links to purchase these delicacies if you can’t find them locally.
This guide covers everything you need to make your holiday memorable, from pan de muerto (bread of the dead) to tamales.
Christmas in Mexico isn’t necessarily as we know it in the United States.
Instead, it’s called Nochebuena, and it is celebrated on December 24th rather than December 25th.
However, this doesn’t mean Mexicans don’t have all the festivities associated with Christmas.
This includes one traditional holiday dish you might be familiar with: tamales.
As you might imagine, tamales are an important part of Nochebuena. So, if you want to try something new this Christmas, try this delicious Mexican Christmas food list!
1. Pork Tamales
Pork tamales are traditional Mexican Christmas Foods for the holiday season.
They’re made of masa, or corn dough, wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf with pork or chicken inside.
Often, they’re topped with cheese and red or green chili sauce. These tamales are traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve. But they can be enjoyed any time from November through January.
2. Pozole
Pozole is one of the delicious Mexican Christmas foods many people associate with the holiday season.
The word pozole comes from the Nahuatl word pozolli, which means mixture.
Pozole is a savory soup traditionally made with pork, hominy, and various spices, such as cumin, garlic, and oregano.
Meanwhile, the ingredients are typically simmered in water or chicken broth for at least two hours before being served.
Other variations of this dish include chicken instead of pork and corn tortillas instead of hominy. It’s usually garnished with onion, cilantro, and lime juice.
3. Ponche Navideño
Ponche Navideño is also considered one of the quintessential Mexican Christmas Foods.
To make this festive treat, you’ll need a few things: white sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and brown sugar.
The procedure: First, add all these ingredients to a large pot and boil over medium heat.
Next, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Lastly, remove from heat and cool completely before serving Ponche Navideño warm or cold with ice cubes in glasses or cups (or add some rum).
You can add some fruit, such as papaya chunks, pineapple slices, and guava nectar.
Add canned peaches to your Ponche Navideño for an extra twist on this delicious winter drink!
4. Champurrado
One of the most traditional Mexican Christmas Foods on this list is a hot cocoa-based drink called champurrado. In Spanish, the word champurrado means chilled or spiced.
It is a popular drink during Christmas time in Mexico because it symbolizes the return of warmth after the cold months of winter.
Also, it’s part of a tradition that says drinking champurrado while it’s still hot will keep you warm in winter.
The authentic recipe for champurrado includes chocolate, ground cinnamon, sugar, and piloncillo (unrefined sugar).
However, some variations include ingredients such as tamarind and chili pepper paste.
5. Buñuelos
Buñuelos, a Mexican Christmas Food, is a fried dough pastry often served on the holiday. The dough is made from flour, water, and salt, with an egg yolk or egg white beaten in.
Further, the batter is deep-fried in vegetable oil until it puffs up and becomes golden brown, then topped with powdered sugar.
Buñuelos and hot chocolate, coffee, or hot milk are typically eaten as a snack or dessert on Christmas morning.
6. Pavo
Mexico has several traditional Christmas dishes that vary depending on location. One of the most popular Mexican Christmas foods is pavo, or turkey. It is eaten almost all over Mexico on December 24th.
7. Cochinita Pibil
This well-known Mexican Christmas food is made with pork and banana leaves. It is slow-cooked in an underground pit. The meat is served with a side of pineapple and habanero chilies.
8. Ensalada Navideña
Ensalada Navideña is a delicious dish you can enjoy as one of your traditional Mexican Christmas Foods.
Ensalada Navideña translates to Christmas salad and originates in Oaxaca, Mexico.
It has several ingredients, including lettuce, onions, tomatoes, avocado, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, peas, and beans.
The dressing contains mayonnaise or sour cream mixed with vinegar and salt.
The dish is served cold and can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a side dish throughout the holiday!
9. Lomo de Puerco (Pork Loin)
Lomo de Puerco is on the list of traditional Mexican Christmas Foods eaten in Mexico on Christmas Eve.
The dish is prepared with pork loin, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, and bay leaves.
Then, it is simmered until tender and served with diced raw onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
Besides, the most famous recipe for Lomo de Puerco has been attributed to Mexico’s former president Vicente Fox from Guanajuato.
His recipe includes bacon or ham and pomegranate juice, which gives it a very sweet taste that complements the savory flavors of the other ingredients.
10. Pierna de Puerco Adobada
Pierna de Puerco Adobada is a slow-roasted pork dish with orange juice, garlic, and spices marinade.
It’s typically served with white rice and beans (frijoles charros) but is also good with corn tortillas and salsa.
This is one of the Mexican Christmas Foods that require planning, as it needs to be started the night before.
To make, in a blender, combine the following ingredients:
- Water
- Canola oil
- Large oranges peeled and quartered
- Kosher salt
- Bay leaves
11. Menudo
Menudo is a traditional dish eaten on Christmas in Mexico. It is made by boiling cow’s feet, stomach, and other animal parts with salt and lime.
The mixture is then strained through a colander or strainer to remove the bones, skin, and hair from the soup.
Afterward, garlic cloves, onions, and cilantro leaves are added for flavor. Finally, red chili pepper sauce is added for spice. Looking for Mexican Christmas Foods that’ll suit your palate? Menudo won’t disappoint!
12. Calabaza en Tacha
Typically, the base for this Mexican Christmas food, calabaza en tacha, is pumpkin.
The pumpkin is cut into pieces, boiled in water with salt and sugar, and then mashed with a fork.
This can be done beforehand and stored in the fridge until needed.
First, add a little butter if desired while cooking the masa to avoid drying out too much. It is important to keep stirring while cooking so the masa does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Next, in a separate pan, fry some chopped onions and garlic in oil until soft but not browned. Finally, add cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
13. Chiles en Nogada
Nogada is a traditional Mexican dish from the Puebla region typically served as a main course during Christmas.
It consists of chiles en nogada, poblano peppers stuffed with meat and fruit. The dish is topped with walnuts and pomegranate seeds in a creamy walnut sauce called nogada.
Furthermore, it’s garnished with parsley or other herbs and often served alongside beans, rice, slices of avocado, and crème Fresca or whipped cream.
Nogada comes from combining the words nuez (walnut) and gala (pomegranate), two ingredients used in the dish.
The name of this special Mexican Christmas Foods translates to Walnut Pomegranate.
14. Mixiote
Mixiote is a wrapped meat dish served at all Christmastime celebrations, birthdays, and other special occasions.
Mixiotes are traditionally made with goat but can also be made with pork or chicken. They are cooked in a pot over a wood fire until tender and flavorful.
This specialty, which is one of the Mexican Christmas Foods, uses meat cut into small pieces.
Then, slowly fry in a large pot with chopped garlic, onion, and cilantro. Once the meat has been browned, strips of dry corn tortilla are added for flavor and texture.
15. Bacalao a la Vizcaína
Bacalao a la Vizcaína is a traditional Mexican Christmas food from the 18th century.
The recipe consists of salted cod and potatoes. The dish includes onion, garlic, pepper, salt, and bay leaves.
Bacalao a la Vizcaína is typically served with rice or warm tortillas. It is traditionally cooked in an earthenware pot, which adds a wonderful flavor to the fish.
Today, many cooks use pressure cookers for this recipe. It can take up to two hours for this dish to cook on low heat but one hour on high heat in a pressure cooker. If you want your cod dry, ensure you cook it sparingly.
16. Birria
Birria is a soup made with goat or lamb. The broth is typically served with rice and sometimes vegetables like carrots and celery.
The dish is often served on Christmas Eve as a family meal. It’s similar to other meat dishes like Posole and Guisado de Puerco.
Moving on, Birria can be made differently – some recipes call for tomatoes, while others don’t use any.
This food on the list of Mexican Christmas Foods’ main ingredients are usually dried chiles, garlic cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, oregano leaves, black pepper grains, and white onion. It also uses red wine vinegar in some variations of the recipe.
17. Romeritos
Romeritos are popular Mexican Christmas Foods. The ingredients include water, flour, salt, and shortening. The dough is then rolled out and cut into long strips.
Then, these are twisted into a spiral shape. Next, you dunk the spirals in boiling water for about 15 seconds before letting them cool on a plate. They can be eaten as is or sprinkled with sugar.
18. Mexican Wedding Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cookies are a great example of traditional Mexican Christmas Foods.
They’re sweet doughs made with butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and vanilla extract.
The dough is chilled, shaped into balls, and rolled in powdered sugar.
After they’ve been coated in sugar, the cookies are baked on a greased cookie sheet for 12 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
This delicious cookie can be enjoyed as part of the dessert table or as a midday snack.
19. Queso Relleno
Queso Relleno is a typical Mexican dish that consists of a tortilla dipped in an egg mixture, then fried, and finally stuffed with cheese.
The tortilla is then usually covered with tomato sauce and baked or boiled. Queso Relleno can be eaten as an appetizer or as the main course.
Also, this Mexican Christmas food makes a great side dish paired with rice and beans.
Queso Relleno is typically served during special occasions like Christmastime or birthdays.
This is mainly because it symbolizes abundance and prosperity.
20. Mole Poblano
Mole Poblano is a traditional Mexican dish eaten at Christmas time. It can be made from chicken or pork and has a distinctive dark-brown color and an earthy flavor.
Traditionally, the meat for this recipe is simmered in a mixture of dried chiles, garlic, onion, tomatoes, and spices until it becomes tender.
Next, this mixture is blended into a mole poblano paste sauce, which includes ground nuts such as almonds and peanuts.
When cooled, the sauce is gritty, and the meats are added back in. So, if your appetite calls for the best Mexican Christmas Foods, reply with Mole Poblano!
21. Pollo Almendrado
Pollo almendrado, or almond-flavored chicken, is a popular dish in Latin America during the holiday season.
This dish is typically made with finely ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes orange zest.
What’s more about this Mexican Christmas food? The chicken is then cooked over low heat until it is tender and the coating has browned.
It’s common for this dish to be served with rice or mashed potatoes on the side.
22. Mole de Pavo
Mole de Pavo is a Mexican Christmas food, specifically from Puebla and Oaxaca.
Its reddish color symbolizes the blood of Christ, so it’s often served during the Christmas season.
This dish is prepared with turkey, onions, pumpkin seeds, almonds, raisins, and spices like cumin, coriander seeds, and cinnamon. It’s usually served with rice or corn tortillas on the side.
To make this delicious Mexican Christmas food, you will need about three hours of cooking time.
First, brown the turkey pieces in olive oil until they become nice and crispy on each side. Next, add some chopped onion for more flavor.
23. Flan Napolitano
In Mexico, Christmas is the most important event of the year. Mexicans celebrate by eating traditional dishes and sharing them with family and friends.
One of the most popular dishes is flan Napolitano, a creamy custard baked in a tart shell. Further, Flan Napolitano is made with eggs, sugar, and milk or cream.
The rich caramel flavor makes it a delicious dessert after any meal. It’s also traditionally served with fruit such as strawberries or applesauce on top.
Meanwhile, this Mexican Christmas Foods was created in honor of Pope Benedict XIII, who visited Mexico in 1752.
He loved this dessert so much that he declared it his favorite food for the rest of his life!
24. Gelatinas
Gelatinas are a popular Mexican holiday treat. This recipe is easy to make but requires some planning.
You can make the gelatin mixture ahead of time and store it in an airtight container for up to two weeks before using it.
Ingredients for this Mexican Christmas Food are unflavored gelatin powder, cold water, and boiling water (to dissolve gelatin).
Sugar, cherry-flavored gelatin mix (or any flavor you like), additional whipped cream, or whipped topping, if desired.
Directions: Combine the dry gelatin with cold popcorn syrup in a small bowl.
Stir until well mixed and set aside. In a large saucepan, bring the boiling water just to a boil.
25. Niño Envuelto
A niño envuelto is a type of bread served at Christmastime in Mexico.
It is shaped like a wrapped baby and is made by baking soft, white bread dough with sugar, cinnamon, and raisins.
This sweet bread can be seen in most houses during the holidays.
The most common way to serve it is fresh with butter and hot chocolate, but it can also be eaten on its own or dipped in coffee or tea.
A niño envuelo is one of the traditional Mexican Christmas Foods at Christmastime that symbolizes all that is good about the holiday season.
26. Mexican Hot Chocolate
Mexican hot chocolate is a traditional drink in many areas of Latin America. It has been used as a symbol of hospitality since the colonial era.
It is often served with cinnamon or other spices and sometimes with sweetened condensed milk.
Additionally, the drink can be made by mixing water, cocoa powder, sugar, and fat, such as butter, in a saucepan on the stovetop until it begins to simmer.
After letting the mixture cool for five minutes, it is poured into cups and topped with whipped cream or marshmallows.
27. Atole de Calabaza
Atole de Calabaza, or pumpkin atole, is a traditional Mexican holiday drink with a light flavor. It is often made with water and piloncillo, brown, unrefined sugar.
However, the consistency of the drink can vary from thin to thick depending on how much water is used.
Many people enjoy adding cinnamon sticks and ground cloves for additional flavor. Above all, it is regarded as a part of the Mexican Christmas Foods list.
28. Sweet Tamales
One of the most popular desserts in Mexico is the tamale. Tamales are made from corn dough shaped into a triangular or rectangular shape and then steamed inside a corn husk.
This Mexican Christmas food can be filled with different fillings such as beans, vegetables, fruit, or meat.
One of Mexico’s most popular holiday tamales is Rosca de Reyes, which translates to King’s Cake.
It’s made with a sweet dough surrounding an almond-paste filling. It’s often decorated with colored sugar and dried fruits.
29. Marranitos
Marranitos are popular Mexican Christmas foods in many grocery stores around the holidays.
They are small and round, similar to miniature cinnamon rolls. They are usually made with sweet dough and frosted with a sweet sugar coating.
In addition to that, the dough is typically stuffed with dulce de leche or other types of custard fillings. After that, it is baked until golden brown and then frosted.
Marranitos can be found in many shapes, including stars, hearts, shamrocks, and even individual pastries.
30. Rosca de Reyes
Rosca de Reyes is a traditional bread shaped like a ring served on December 24th in Mexico. It’s filled with black beans, cheese, and other fillings.
The best part about Rosca de Reyes? The person who gets the slice with the little toy baby Jesus inside wins! All in all, this ends today’s topic: Mexican Christmas Foods!
