Mexican cuisine is rich, flavorful, and diverse, with a long and fascinating history. Whether you’re a fan of tacos, tamales, or mole, Mexican food has something for everyone. If you’re looking to explore the world of Mexican cooking, there’s no better way to start than by reading a good cookbook. From traditional classics to modern takes on Mexican cuisine, these books are packed with recipes, tips, and insights that will help you become a master of Mexican cooking in no time. So grab your apron and get ready to discover the delicious world of Mexican cuisine!

The Mexican Home Kitchen: Traditional Home-Style Recipes That Capture the Flavors and Memories of Mexico by Mely Martinez

Illustrated with stunning photography, this book includes recipes for stews, soups, and side dishes, along with famous dishes like mole, enchiladas, picadillo, and milanesa, and is rounded out with delicious salsas, drinks, and desserts.

For Mely Martínez, Mexican cooking has always been about family, community, and tradition. Born and raised in Tampico, Mely started helping in the kitchen at a very young age, since she was the oldest daughter of eight children, and spent summers at her grandmother’s farm in the state of Veracruz, where part of the daily activities included helping grind the corn to make masa.

Mely started her popular blog, Mexico in My Kitchen, to share the recipes and memories of her home so that her son can someday recreate and share these dishes with his own family. In the meantime, it has become the go-to source for those looking for authentic home-style Mexican cooking.

Recreate these favorite comfort foods using inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients:

• Caldo de Pollo (Mexican chicken soup)

• Tacos de Bistec (steak tacos)

• Carnitas (tender, crispy pork)

• Albondigas (Mexican meatballs)

• Tamales (both savory and sweet)

• Enchiladas (both red and green sauces)

• Mole Poblano (one of the most classic and popular moles)

• Nopales (recipes made with cactus paddles)

• Empanadas (beef and cheese filled)

• Chiles Rellenos (stuffed and fried poblano peppers)

• Pozole (both red and green versions)

• Camarones en Chipotle (deviled shrimp)

• Salsa Taquera (salsa for tacos)

• Pastel de Tres Leches (a luscious and moist cake that’s a Mexican favorite)

• Buñuelos (crispy dough fritters coated in sugar)

• Aguas Frescas (horchata, hibiscus, and tamarind flavors)

• and much more!

Complete with easy-to-follow instructions, beautiful images, and stories from Mexico, along with recipes for making corn and flour tortillas and tips for stocking your pantry, The Mexican Home Kitchen will have you enjoying this delicious cooking right in your own home.

Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico by Rick Martinez

Join Rick Martínez on a once-in-a-lifetime culinary journey throughout México that begins in Mexico City and continues through 32 states, in 156 cities, and across 20,000 incredibly delicious miles. In Mi Cocina, Rick shares deeply personal recipes as he re-creates the dishes and specialties he tasted throughout his journey. Inspired by his travels, the recipes are based on his taste memories and experiences. True to his spirit and reflective of his deep connections with people and places, these dishes will revitalize your pantry and transform your cooking repertoire.

Highlighting the diversity, richness, and complexity of Mexican cuisine, he includes recipes like herb and cheese meatballs bathed in a smoky, spicy chipotle sauce from Oaxaca called Albóndigas en Chipotle; northern México’s grilled Carne Asada that he stuffs into a grilled quesadilla for full-on cheesy-meaty food euphoria; and tender sweet corn tamales packed with succulent shrimp, chiles, and roasted tomatoes from Sinaloa on the west coast. Rick’s poignant essays throughout lend context—both personal and cultural—to quilt together a story that is rich and beautiful, touching and insightful.

Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless and Deann Groen Bayless

As much as Rick Bayless loves the bold flavors of Mexican food, he understands that preparing many Mexican specialties requires more time than most of us have for weeknight dinners. Mexican Everyday is written with an understanding of how busy we all are. It is a collection of 90 full-flavored recipes―like Green Chile Chicken Tacos, Shrimp Ceviche Salad, Chipotle Steak with Black Beans―that meet three criteria for “everyday” food: 1) most need less than 30 minutes’ involvement; 2) they have the fresh, delicious taste of simple, authentic preparations; and 3) they are nutritionally balanced, fully rounded meals―no elaborate side dishes required.

Filled with recipes featured on Rick’s Public Television series, Mexico―One Plate at a Time, this book provides dishes you can enjoy with family and friends, day in and day out.

My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions by Gabriela Camara

Inspired by the flavors, ingredients, and flair of culinary and cultural hotspot Mexico City, Gabriela Cámara’s style of fresh-first, vegetable-forward, legume-loving, and seafood-centric Mexican cooking is a siren call to home cooks who crave authentic, on-trend recipes they can make with confidence and regularity. With 150 recipes for Basicos (basics), Desayunos (breakfasts), Primeros (starters), Platos Fuertos (mains), and Postres (sweets), Mexican food-lovers will find all the dishes they want to cook—from Chilaquiles Verdes to Chiles Rellenos and Flan de Cajeta—and will discover many sure-to-be favorites, such as her signature tuna tostadas. More than 150 arresting images capture the rich culture that infuses Cámara’s food and a dozen essays detail the principles that distinguish her cooking, from why non-GMO corn matters to how everything can be a taco.

With celebrated restaurants in Mexico City and San Francisco, Cámara is the most internationally recognized figure in Mexican cuisine, and her innovative, simple Mexican food is exactly what home cooks want to cook.

These cookbooks offer a window into the country’s history, culture, and culinary traditions, providing readers with an opportunity to learn about the ingredients, techniques, and flavors that make Mexican cuisine so unique and flavorful. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a novice in the kitchen, there’s a Mexican cookbook out there that will help you expand your culinary horizons and discover the delicious world of Mexican cuisine.

***All cookbook descriptions courtesy of Amazon