15 Must-Try Traditional Foods in Oaxaca (In-Depth Guide)

When the time comes and you touch down in Oaxaca, you don’t want to waste a single meal searching for the best food in Oaxaca.

This list of traditional Oaxacan dishes is your cheat sheet to help you seek out the food that made Oaxaca number one on Travel & Leisure’s top 25 best cities in the world in 2020.

From Oaxacan street food dishes like charcoal-grilled tlayudas to the ultra-complex mole negro, these are the do not miss dishes that embody the core of what makes Oaxacan cuisine so special. 

Mexican food as a whole is only as good as the sum of the country’s regions and their unique cuisines. Oaxacan food and its culture are a powerhouse of flavor and heritage that definitely ups the average.

Traditional Food in Oaxaca

Empanadas

These are not the empanadas that you might have eaten at your local tapas bar or while traveling through South America. Instead of the flaky pastry dough, these Oaxacan empanadas are made out of masa dough that is very similar to what tortillas are made of.

The shape is similar to a large quesadilla and the edges are not crimped or rolled like their Spanish cousins.

They are also cooked completely differently as they are cooked on a comal de barro (clay flat griddle) over a charcoal fire.

The fillings are also varied and unique to Oaxaca including flor de calabaza (squash blossoms) with quesillo (Oaxacan cheese) and epazote.

Other varieties that we loved were both mole amarillo with chicken and huitlacoche (corn fungus) with quesillo and onions. When it comes time to order, be warned that they are large and filling enough to make one a decent-sized meal.

Where to try Empanadas in Oaxaca:

Tacos del Carmen | Jesús Carranza 110, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca Oax. | What to order: Empanada with mole amarillo

La Guerita | Nicolás del Puerto 207A, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. (inside Mercado de la Merced) | What to order: Empanada with huitlacoche (seasonal) or Empanada with flor de calabaza (squash blossoms)

Tlayudas

Although the flavors of this traditional Oaxacan dish will be familiar, it is served in a way that is very unique to this region of Mexico.

Giant corn masa balls are pressed into burrito-sized or bigger tortillas before being griddled on a hot ceramic comal.

These thin tortillas are then brushed with the leftover lard (asiento) from making chicharron (pork rinds) and then stuffed with refried beans flavored with avocado leaves and quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese).

It is then folded in half before being grilled over an open charcoal fire resulting in a crispy texture, a charred flavor, and a smoky aroma. 

Also known as the “Mexican Pizza”, tlayudas can be ordered plain (sencillo) or you can upgrade with the addition of several different types of meat.

The varieties of meats are offered are fairly consistent including tasajo (salt-cured beef), cecina blanca (grilled pork), cecina enchilada (chili marinated pork), and chorizo links.

Some tlayuda restaurants even offer grilled chile de agua and nopales (cactus) for the vegetarian eaters in the group.

Be warned, this is not a snack and is often huge enough to feed two people even if you are used to American portions. Although tlayudas are offered in markets and restaurants in Oaxaca, the best ones are sold from street carts.

PRO TIP: Make sure to get one that is cooked over an open charcoal flame as this may be one of the best street foods in Oaxaca you’ll ever try.

Where to try Tlayudas in Oaxaca:

Tlayudas Doña Luchita | Av. de la Independencia 1503, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Tlayudas with tasajo and/or chorizo

Tlayudas La Chinita | Calle de Nuño del Mercado 20 de Noviembre &, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Tlayudas con todo (with everything) plus cecina enchilada and/or chorizo | Pro Tip: Arrive 15 mins before they open to avoid the long wait

Carnes Asadas

Tasajo

In Oaxaca, extremely skilled carniceros (butcher) cut thin ¼ inch thick sheets of beef before giving the meat a coating of salt. The meat is then hung to semi-cure and dry but without letting it get to a jerky-like texture.

The best versions we had in Oaxaca were tender and had a real smoky flavor from being cooked over a charcoal fire.

Tasajo can be cut from the leg, loin, flank, or any large piece of boneless beef. To try tasajo, visit Mercado 20 de Noviembre and follow the smoke to the hall of meat (pasillo de humo).

Chorizo

This isn’t that super greasy mystery meat in a plastic tube from your local grocery store. If you are thinking of the hard-cured Spanish chorizo, it’s not that either.

Here in Oaxaca, they are hand-crafted sausage links flavored with ancho chili, pasilla chili, clove, cinnamon, oregano, garlic, cumin, and black pepper.

Lastly, they mix in a little vinegar to give it that sour pop that is unique to chorizo from several regions of Mexico. The fatty ground meat is mixed with spices and vinegar before being rested for a few days.

This is then stuffed into natural casings and tied in 2-inch segments. You can try this sausage out with almost any breakfast dish in Oaxaca or as an add-on to a tlayuda.

Cecina and Cecina Enchilada

These thin wide sheets of pork which can be as long as 5 to 6 feet in length are cut by a carnicero (butcher) that has incredible knife skills. The meat is salted to lightly cure it as a traditional method for preservation.

Simple cecina just gets the salt, but cecina enchilada gets a rubdown with a paste made of Guajillo chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, and garlic but varies depending on the butcher’s secret recipe.

In some parts of Mexico they use beef, but in Oaxaca, they use exclusively pork leg and loin for this difficult to execute butchery technique.

Mole

No Oaxaca food guide would be complete without a serious focus on the moles of the region. This mother sauce is really a dish on its own, and whatever it is served with is in a supporting role.

It is said that there are seven traditional moles in Oaxaca but if you include mole almendrado, then that makes eight.

But why stop there with classifying the moles of Oaxaca as it is a little futile considering there are well over a thousand variations. It gets even more complex as each cook in each town has their own versions.

The simple answer is that there are seven main variations of mole including mole negro, mole amarillo, mole verde, coloradito, mole rojo, manchamantel, and chichilo. 

The word mole is from the Uto-Aztecan language Nahuatl meaning sauce. This vague term definitely left the door open for many dissimilar versions to fall under one umbrella name.

The difference between the chocolate and dried chili-flavored mole negro that cooks for 10 hours is nothing like mole amarillo that is spiked with yellow chilhuacle chilies and thickened with masa.

Although each version of molé is very different, they all hold a special place in the Oaxacan cuisine. This is serious business and the people of Oaxaca have a tremendous amount of pride in the moles of this region.

Make sure to try as many different variations as possible with as many different accompaniments as possible such as with chicken, in tamales, over enchiladas, and stuffed in empanadas.

Where to try Moles in Oaxaca:

Restaurante Coronita | #68000, Díaz Ordaz 208, Zona Lunes Feb 09, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez Oax. | What to order: Mole negro with chicken and rice

Levadura de Olla | Murguía 304, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez Oax. | What to order: Tamal de requesón with flor de calabaza and mole coloradito

Las Quince Letras | C. de Mariano Abasolo 300, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Mole almendrado with beef tongue or chicken, and rice

Related: What is Mole?

Memelas

This may be the simplest of all the Oaxacan dishes. It is literally a semi-thick corn tortilla cooked on a comal and topped with black beans spiked with avocado leaf and either quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese) or queso fresco (a crumbly salty cheese).

There are other variations that we tried that simply consist of hot salsa and cheese. The beauty in this dish is its simplicity and the attention to detail that goes into each ingredient. 

When eating memelas, you can taste every ingredient and the masa that is used is the star of the show. Our favorite versions were those that made the financial and sourcing commitment of using maize criollo (heirloom nixtamalized corn masa).

Maize criollo only uses non-GMO heritage corn that is a complete protein source with incredible corn flavor and aromas. Many places that serve memelas offer many different variations of meats and guisados to add on or on the side but first, try them in their purest form.

Where to try Memelas in Oaxaca:

La Guerita | inside Mercado de la Merced – Nicolás del Puerto 207A, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Memelas with chicharron prensado, cochinita pibil or tinga de Pollo

Memelas De Gio/Memelas Doña Mago | Av Belisario Domínguez 913, Reforma, 68150 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Memelas with salsa verde or salsa rojo

Tamales Oaxaqueños

Every region of Mexico has its own variations of these self-contained masterpieces. The humble tamal in Oaxaca is an unapologetic celebration of the corn that is used to make the masa (a dough made of nixtamalized corn flour and pork lard) that is connected to the heritage of this region.

There are many variations of tamales in Oaxaca that are different than the ones you will get in Mexico City, but the King of all is the banana leaf-wrapped version containing molé negro.

Other versions are also really delicious and deserve their own attention including tamales containing mole amarillo, mole verde, frijol (black bean with avocado leaf), rajas (roasted chilies in cooked tomato sauce), and chipil (fragrant herb).

Not all tamales come in a banana leaf wrapper as some utilize totomoxtle which means corn husk from the Nahuatl language.

Even beyond all of these variations, there are many other varieties from the seven regions of Oaxaca including variations with mussels and others made with bananas.

Where to try Tamales Oaxaqueños in Oaxaca:

Exquisitos Tamales | 68070, Flavio Pérez Gasga 102-104, Luis Jimenez Figueroa, Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. (inside Mercado Sanchez Pascuas, located at the entrance on Calle de Tinoco y Palacios) | What to order: Tamales en hoja de platano with mole negro, mole amarillo, mole verde | Pro-tip: Get there before 10am before she runs out

Lety’s Tamales | Nicolás del Puerto 207A, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. (inside Mercado de la Merced) | What to order: Tamales with chipil con queso, frijol, mole negro

READ MORE:

Best Oaxaca Restaurants Best Markets in Oaxaca

Tetelas

This anytime antojito (snack) that you must eat in Oaxaca is similar to memelas but served in a unique form. First, a ball of masa is flattened in a tortilla press before being stuffed with black beans flavored with avocado leaf and quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese).

This is where tetelas are differentiated from memelas as they fold the stuffed masa into a triangle encapsulating the filling in the center.

The tetela is then placed on the clay comal (griddle) and cooked until the masa is browned up and the cheese inside is melted. 

Beans and quesillo are the traditional fillings, but you can customize your tetelas with whatever the vendor or restaurant has on offer that day.

Some of our favorites are chorizo con papas, frijol de haba, and chicharrón prensado. The filling is important but great masa is key, and the best versions are made with maize criollo (heritage heirloom corn).

Where to try Tetelas in Oaxaca:

Tortilleria Moneda | Calle de Los Libres 110, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Tetelas with frijol de haba (seasonal), frijol con queso

Itanoni | Av Belisario Domínguez 513, Reforma, 68050 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Tetelas Clasica, Espirituosa or Antojadiza

Entomatadas

This ultra-simple dish consists of soft fried and folded corn tortillas topped with a tomato sauce spiked with epazote, queso fresco, and raw onion.

What separates this Oaxacan breakfast dish from an enchilada is that they are not stuffed and the sauce is not spicy as it doesn’t have chilies in the recipe.

As with most simple dishes, the details matter. If any of the few ingredients are not perfectly executed, the dish is a bust. Well, the Oaxacan cooks and chefs know what they are doing and this dish is a star among the many amazing breakfast dishes in this delicious valley.

Where to try Entomatadas in Oaxaca:

Fonda Florecita | inside Mercado de la Merced – Nicolás del Puerto 207A, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Entomatadas sencillo (plain) or with tasajo/chorizo or your choice of meat

La Casa del Tio Guero | Calle de Manuel García Vigil 715, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Entomatadas sencillo (plain) or with chorizo or your choice of meat

Enmoladas

What happens when you mix the king of the moles and enchiladas together? You get one of the richest and most decadent traditional breakfast dishes in Oaxaca.

This simple dish of few components is composed of wildly complex parts such as the star of the dish which is mole negro that is made with up to 30 ingredients.

Enmoladas start with tortillas that can be stuffed with chicken or cheese but are often left unfilled.

They are then smothered in mole negro and topped off with queso fresco and raw onion slices. This dish was originally conceived as a way to use up the leftover mole from the previous night.

Where to try Enmoladas in Oaxaca:

Fonda Florecita | inside Mercado de la Merced – Nicolás del Puerto 207A, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Enmoladas sencillo (plain) or with tasajo/chorizo or your choice of meat

La Casa del Tio Guero | Calle de Manuel García Vigil 715, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Enmoladas sencillo (plain) or with chorizo or your choice of meat

Enfrijoladas

Another one of the traditional Oaxacan breakfast foods comes either stuffed with meat or just folded fried tortillas.

What makes this dish so delicious is the sauce that is made from black beans that are cooked with avocado leaves and then thinned down.

This base is either blended or smashed before getting added to a pan of hot lard with onions and garlic.

The tortillas are dipped into the sauce and then covered with more on the plate. They are then sprinkled with queso fresco and shaved onions. This sounds simple but it is one of the most soul-satisfying dishes we tried in Oaxaca.

Where to try Enfrijoladas in Oaxaca:

Caniruninu | inside Mercado Organico La Cosecha – C. Macedonio Alcalá 806, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Enfrijoladas sencillo (plain) or with your choice of meat

Levadura de Olla | Murguía 304, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez Oax. | What to order: Enfrijoladas rellenas de chicharron en adobo de chiles secos

Tacos

Tacos play a significant role in the culinary landscape of Mexico and Oaxaca is no exception. Although you might not think of tacos when visualizing the food of Oaxaca, there are many contenders in the ranks for the best tacos in Centro de Oaxaca alone.

You will find traditional tacos that are folded in half with meats from other regions like carnitas and al Pastor outside of most of the markets in Oaxaca city. 

The best tacos we tried were larger in size than a classic street-style taco you will find in Mexico city.

They are also rolled encasing the meat inside before being crisped up on a clay comal. Anything goes when it comes to eating tacos in Oaxaca and different variations of fillings are endless.

Some of our favorites were chile relleno, chorizo, chicharron (fried pork belly), tasajo con papas (salt-cured beef with potatoes), and whatever guisados (stews) are on offer that day.

Where to try Tacos in Oaxaca:

Tacos del Carmen | Jesús Carranza 110, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca, Oax. | What to order: Tacos de chili relleno, chorizo, or chicharrón prensado | Pro-tip: Chili Relleno tacos runs out early so try to arrive before 11am

Tortilleria Moneda | Calle de Los Libres 110, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: tacos con chicharrón, chorizo con papas (sausage with potatoes)

Lechoncito de Oro | Calle de los Libres s/n, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca, Oax. | What to order: Tacos with chicharrón | Pro-tip: These are street-style tacos so its a good idea to order two pieces minimum as they are smaller in size

Sopa de Guias

This rainy season soup takes advantage of the young shoots, tendrils (guides), and blossoms from Güichi pumpkin plants. The best part of this soup is its use of all parts of the plant including the squash itself.

Often the soup is accompanied by masa dumplings with an indent in the middle called chochoyones that float in the broth. Along with the dumplings are corn on the cob that is cut into small sections. 

One of the main ingredients that elevate the flavors and aromas of this Oaxacan dish is an herb called chepil which is typically used in soups and stews in the region.

The soup is often served alongside a container of ancho chili salsa to add a pop of heat and add some depth to this simple soup. Sopa de Guias is a pleasantly refreshing soup providing a break from all the rich flavors of Oaxacan cuisine.

Where to try Sopa de Guias in Oaxaca:

El Sazon de Tia Maya | inside Mercado Organico La Cosecha – Calle Macedonio Alcalá 806, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Sopa de guias with tasajo

Las Quince Letras | Calle de Mariano Abasolo 300, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Sopa de guias with tasajo

Piedrazo

The name of this dish translates directly to stone because of the hard piece of bread that makes up the base of this dish. Small fist-sized pieces of bread used to be dried on the roof of people’s houses but now they are roasted until crusty and toasted in ovens.

The bread then gets a soak in a mother fruit vinegar that is often made of fermented pineapple rind. It is then topped with carrots, potatoes, and onions from the same pickling vinegar that the bread was dipped in.

Next, it gets some shreds of quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese) and a sprinkling of chili salt. This Oaxacan snack is a punch in the mouth as it is sour, spicy, and salty and sure to wake up your palette.

Where to try Piedrazo in Oaxaca:

Street carts surrounding the Zocalo | Portal del Palacio, OAX_RE_BENITO JUAREZ, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Piedrazo con todo

Aguas Frescas Susi | inside Mercado Benito Juarez – Las Casas S/N, OAX_RE_BENITO JUAREZ, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Piedrazo con todo

Nieves

Although the name translates from Spanish as “snows”, it is closer to ice cream in texture than shaved ice desserts.

Nieves are made using water as the base and are spun in metal cylinders inside buckets separated by rock salt and ice. They have to spin between ninety minutes to two hours for the mix to set up. The slower the process, the less large ice crystals will form.

The flavors are near endless with some of the stationary vendors offering up more than thirty different versions.

There are a couple of different flavors that are ubiquitous with Nieves that you must eat in Oaxaca including leche quemada (burnt milk) and tuna (prickly cactus pears). If you are not sure, ask the vendor for the best combination to have a fun and sweet experience.

Where to try Nieves in Oaxaca:

Nieves Chaguita | inside Mercado Benito Juarez – Las Casas S/N, OAX_RE_BENITO JUAREZ, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Leche quemada con tuna

Nieves de la Soledad | Av. de la Independencia 105, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Mango, tuna, leche quemada

Nieves Rosita | along 2 de Abril road at Mercado Tlacolula – 70400 int mercado municipal, 70400 Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oax. | What to order: Nuez (walnut) con leche quemada

Chocolate/Cacao

Cacao has a huge significance in the culinary heritage of the region even though, not much of it is grown in Oaxaca.

Even more importantly, it is at the core alongside maize in the fundamentals of the mythology and history behind the culture of the people of the region.

Chocolate (cacao) is used in everything from savory sauces like mole negro to sweet beverages like champurrado.

The most significant uses come in the form of beverages made with ground cacao and maize like pozontle and chocolateatole.

These drinks play an integral part in the large celebrations associated with quinceañeras, weddings, and baptisms and are rarely found in markets or restaurants.

When ordering a cup of hot chocolate in Oaxaca, you can either have it with milk or water. To properly enjoy this popular drink in Mexico, make sure to get a pan de yema to dip in your hot beverage just as locals do.

Where to try Chocolate in Oaxaca:

Rito Chocolateria | 68000, Calle Porfirio Díaz 708 -H, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Centro, Oax. | What to order: Chocolate con agua o leche (water or milk) iced or hot, bean-to-bar chocolate

Texier Chocolateria | Colón 518, Zona Feb 10 2015, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Various selection of chocolate bars

Fonda Florecita | inside Mercado de la Merced – Nicolás del Puerto 207A, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax. | What to order: Chocolate con agua o leche (water or milk)

Pan de Yema

This flaky crusted yeast-leavened bread is an integral part of almost all festivals in Oaxaca including Dia de Los Muertos.

This bread dough is made without the use of extra liquids, relying on eggs and egg yolk for its hydration which adds to its sponge-like rich texture. The dough is also flavored with anise seed and topped with sesame seeds before baking.

The origins of this bread are uncertain but it most likely came to Oaxaca in the 19th century with an Italian baker named Manuel Mazza who later became the Father in Law of former President Benito Juárez.

Now the bread is eaten year-round with beverages like Oaxacan hot chocolate and café de olla. It is also used in dishes where it is sliced to absorb mole, and it’s also made into capirotada (bread pudding served during Lent).

Look for this bread in any of the markets where there will be a ton to choose from. Also, watch out for knock-off versions sold by unscrupulous vendors that use dyes instead of egg yolk to make this bread.

Where to try Pan de Yema in Oaxaca:

Restaurante Coronita | #68000, Díaz Ordaz 208, Zona Lunes Feb 09, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez Oax. | What to order: Pan de yema with hot chocolate

Mercado 20 de Noviembre | November 20, 512, OAX_RE_BENITO JUAREZ, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax.

Mercado Tlacolula | 70400 int mercado municipal, 70400 Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oax.

MORE ON OAXACA: Oaxaca Food Guide

Wrap-Up: Oaxaca Food Guide

The core of Oaxacan cuisine is a deeply rooted connection to the history and tradition of Oaxacan food. This commitment to preserving the roots of this cuisine can be tasted in restaurants and in the homes of Oaxaca’s amazing chefs and cooks.

If you really want to understand the culinary landscape of Oaxaca, you will need to eat your way through this list of dishes along with some mezcal while discovering more along the way.

Our guide to Oaxacan food is just the start and with a little effort, you will find delicious treats from all over the state. Also, make sure to taste several versions of each dish as each vendor and restaurant will have their own take and variations that make it unique.

Any way you approach this list, you will be the winner as you will get to try some of the best food in the world.