Cooking Mexican Food Far Away from Mexico

The Struggle Is Real

Cooking Mexican food far away from Mexico is a challenge that every passionate home cook eventually faces. The moment you crave tacos al pastor or a proper mole poblano, you realise how dependent authentic Mexican cooking is on its geography – its corn, its chillies, its soil, and of course its soul.

Far away from Oaxaca or Puebla, finding ingredients becomes a treasure hunt, and replicating traditional textures requires both creativity and patience. You can’t simply “substitute chilli for chilli” – each pepper brings its own heat, aroma, and colour. Thus, every chilli is better suited to a particular type of ingredient or cooking method. You can’t mimic nixtamalized corn with supermarket flour – you won’t get those tasty and pliable corn tortillas for your tacos if you’re using a regular corn flour.

But here’s the good news: Mexican cuisine is incredibly resilient. Its techniques are adaptable, and its spirit welcomes improvisation – as long as you respect the process.

In the post below, I’ve accumulated what I’ve learned so far in terms of how to cook Mexican food far away from Mexico, and that includes substitutions, equipment, and some further useful hints and tricks. 

1. Ingredients: The Mexican Pantry Challenge

Chilies & Spices

Fresh Mexican chillies – jalapeño, poblano, serrano, chipotle, guajillo, ancho, pasilla – are rarely found outside North America. Whilst jalapeno is becoming more available worldwide, fresh ones like poblano are very difficult to source. Dried varieties, however, can often be sourced online or from Latin importers.

Spices like cumin, oregano (Mexican oregano if possible), cinnamon (Ceylon), and clove are easier to find, but always toast them before use to bring out the oils, just as abuelas do.

Corn: The Sacred Base

Real Mexican cuisine begins with corn – nixtamalized corn. Unfortunately, real masa harina or dried corn for nixtamalization can be hard to find. Maseca is the most accessible commercial brand, but artisanal masa from heirloom corn varieties (white, blue, red, yellow) has a flavour and texture that’s hard to match. Organic and heirloom masa harina is available from Masienda (amazon US) or Bob’s Red Mill (iHerb).

If unavailable:

• Source dried corn kernels and make your own masa by cooking and soaking them in cal (calcium hydroxide), then grinding with a molino or strong blender (blender will give you too wet consistency, so the below dehydration method might be required).
  
• For making masa harina: try blending masa dough and dehydrating it (my “tortilla from scratch” method) – it’s surprisingly close to traditional masa harina (yet quite a long process).

2. Equipment: The Modern Mexican Arsenal

To cook Mexican food right, you don’t need a professional kitchen, but you do need the right tools.

Mexican cooking is tactile – pressing, grinding, toasting, charring. These tools bring you closer to that authenticity. I strongly recommend buying a small cast-iron pan for frying your tortillas (no need to import it, it is usually widely available), but please do buy a good tortilla press, it will save you time and also nerve energy whilst making the process more enjoyable (I’ve bought a cast-iron one by Victoria via amazon US).

3. The Essentials: Tortillas, Fillings, and Salsas

Tortillas: The Foundation

Nothing replaces the aroma of fresh corn tortillas.
To make them far from Mexico:

1. Masa: Use nixtamalized corn masa (best but truly labour-intensive process when far away from Mexico) or masa harina (cheapest is Maseca, heirloom is Masienda, and organic is Bob’s Red Mill).
   
2. Pressing: a tortilla press is essential for even thickness. It is not expensive so I’d urge you to buy one (check it out on amazon).
   
3. Cooking: On a comal or cast iron pan, 20 seconds each side, until it is puffing in the middle. More instructions are available on my post dedicated to making real tortillas here.
   
4. Keeping warm: Stack and wrap in a cloth or tortilla warmer.

Fillings: The Heart

Traditional fillings depend on regional meats (like carnitas, al pastor, or cochinita pibil).

Outside Mexico:

• Use local pork shoulder or beef brisket for slow cooking.
  
• For plant-based versions, try mushrooms, jackfruit, lentils, or beans seasoned with chipotle and cumin.

Check out my favourite fillings and recipes here.

Cooking tips:

• Slow-cook in heavy pots or Dutch ovens to mimic clay pots (cazuelas).
  
• For grill-based dishes, a cast-iron grill pan or oven grill does wonders.

Salsas: The Soul

Mexican food without salsa is like a mariachi without trumpets.

• Dry-roast tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chillies on a comal.
  
• Blend roughly for texture – never over-puree.
  
• Fresh herbs like coriander complete the flavour. So is a sprinkle of lime and seasoning.

You probably won’t find fresh Mexican oregano or epazote, so you can try sourcing them in dried format. 

Check out my favourite salsas and recipes here.

4. Tips & Tricks for Remote Mexican Cooks

Substitutions That Work

• Tomatillos → Green tomatoes + lime juice + green chili + touch of apple cider vinegar.
  
• Achiote (annatto) → Sumac + paprika + turmeric blend.
  
• Epazote → Oregano + mint combo.
  
• Queso fresco → Crumbled feta or ricotta.

Ingredient Sourcing

• Online: Amazon Global, iHerb, MexGrocer UK, CoolChile (EU).
  
• Shipping: Use your local forwarding services to receive U.S. products internationally.

Method Adjustments

• If you can’t find masa harina – make your own via soak → blend → dehydrate → grind. Check more details here.
  
• For salsas, dry roast instead of frying to save oil and bring out smoky flavours.
  
• For beans, a pressure cooker or slow cooker mimics the clay pot tenderness. Check out my post about how to cook beans better.

5. Help: Books That Keep Me Inspired

A few books that help me stay close to Mexico, wherever I cook:

• Mexican Table by Thomasina Myers
• The Best Mexican Recipes by American Test Kitchen
• Nopalito by Gonzalo Guzmán
• The Essential Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy (a true classic)
• My Mexico City Kitchen by Gabriela Cámara
• Masa by Jorge Gaviria
• Tacos by Alex Stupak

Check them out on Amazon.

6. Inspiration: Modern Mexican Voices

Whether you’re in Tbilisi, Berlin, or Bali, these creators bring Mexican flavours to your screen:

• Rick Martínez (Mi Cocina on YouTube) – joyful, authentic, and inventive.
  
• Gabriela Cámara (Contramar, Mexico City) – refined yet simple coastal style.
  
• Pati Jinich (Pati’s Mexican Table) – approachable, warm, and family-rooted.
  
• De Mi Rancho a Tu Cocina – YouTube treasure of traditional village cooking.

7. My Mexi-terranean Fusion

Living abroad taught me that authenticity doesn’t have to mean imitation. I started blending Mexican techniques with Mediterranean ingredients – creating what I call Mexi-terranean cuisine. Think:

• Tacos with hummus or falafel fillings
  
• Cochinita pibil spiced lentils
  
• Salsa verde with sumac
  
• Tortillas made from local heirloom corn and olive oil

It’s Mexican at heart – Mediterranean by circumstance – and completely me.

8. Why Flexitarian Mexican?

Because it’s inclusive, healthier, and deeply connected to the land.
Traditional Mexican food was largely plant-based – beans, corn, squash, tomatoes, chillies – with meat as flavour, not centrepiece. Flexitarian Mexican cooking honours that ancestral wisdom while embracing modern environmental consciousness.

It’s not about restriction – it’s about intention. Cooking this way keeps your table open to everyone, from carnivores to vegans, all sharing the same tortillas.

[How to Make Tortillas • My Favourite Taco Fillings • Salsas That Taste Great]

P.S. I’m quite sure I’m not alone in this struggle, please let me know your own tips and tricks and what have you found works for you when cooking Mexican food far away from Mexico!