Eating out with a diet

Mexican · Vegetarian5 min read

Is Mexican food vegetarian?

The easy orders, the questions about lard and broth, and the dishes to pass on at a Mexican restaurant.

By the Forkiee editorial team. Reviewed by an editor before publishing. Editorial standards.

Short answer

Often, with a few questions. Guacamole and fresh salsa usually have no meat in them, but refried beans and tamales are traditionally made with lard, and Mexican rice and mole sauce can be cooked in chicken broth. Ask the kitchen which fat and which broth it uses before you order.

A plate with a bowl of guacamole, two quesadillas, shredded lettuce and tomato slices
Guacamole with quesadillas. Flour tortillas can be made with lard or with shortening, so ask which one the kitchen uses. Photo: “Vegetarian Mexican food guacamole quesadillas etc 20260829 163711 (8)” by Gerardolagunes, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The menu at a glance

Usually fine
  • GuacamoleAvocado mashed with onion, chile, lime juice, tomato and cilantro.
  • Pico de galloFresh salsa of tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic and lime juice.
Ask first
  • Mexican riceCan be cooked in chicken broth. Ask whether the kitchen makes it with vegetable broth instead.
  • Refried beansTraditionally cooked with lard, which is pork fat. Ask what fat the kitchen uses.
  • Bean and cheese burritoThe flour tortilla and the beans can both contain lard. Ask what fat went into them, and what rennet the cheese uses.
  • Cheese quesadillasAsk whether the flour tortillas are made with lard or shortening, and what rennet the cheese uses.
  • EloteGrilled corn on the cob topped with mayonnaise, cheese, chile powder and lime. Ask about the cheese if you avoid animal rennet.
  • Enchiladas with moleMole sauce can be made with chicken broth, even when the enchiladas hold cheese or vegetables.
  • Cheese or vegetable tamalesThe masa dough is traditionally made with lard. Ask what fat went into it.
  • TlayudaThis big crisp tortilla usually comes with refried beans, chorizo and Oaxaca cheese. Ask for it without chorizo, and ask about the beans.
Usually skip
  • PozoleA hominy soup traditionally made with pork. Vegan versions are becoming more common, so check the menu for one.
  • Chiles en nogadaThe poblano peppers are stuffed with a meaty picadillo.
  • CevicheRaw fish or shrimp cured in citrus juice.
  • Baja fish tacosBattered and fried fish or shrimp.

Where meat hides in Mexican food

  • Lard
  • Chicken broth
  • Meat fillings
  • Cheese and rennet
  • Salsas and dips
  • Fish and shrimp

Lard. Lard is rendered pork fat. In Mexico it traditionally gives refried beans and tamales their richness, and some flour tortillas are made with it, though shortening works too. Ask which fat went into the beans, the masa and the tortillas.1,2,4

Chicken broth. Mexican rice can be cooked in chicken broth, and so can mole sauce, which is used as a base for enchiladas. Vegetarian standards exclude meat stock, so ask whether vegetable broth was used.1,3,5,6

Meat fillings. Tamales are often filled with pork or chicken, chiles en nogada hold a meaty picadillo, and a tlayuda usually carries chorizo. Ask what is inside before you order.6

Cheese and rennet. Strict vegetarian standards rule out animal rennet and accept vegetarian rennet. If that matters to you, ask how the cheese on quesadillas, burritos and elote was made.1

Salsas and dips. Guacamole is usually avocado with onion, chile, lime, tomato and cilantro, and pico de gallo is tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic and lime, so neither usually holds meat. The salsa does not make the dish, though: Baja fish tacos come topped with pico de gallo.6,7,8

Fish and shrimp. Seafood is popular across Mexico. Ceviche is raw fish or shrimp cured in citrus, and Baja-style tacos are often battered fish or shrimp.6

What to ask the waiter

  1. Are the refried beans cooked with lard?
  2. Is the rice made with chicken broth?
  3. Does the mole or enchilada sauce contain chicken broth?
  4. Are the tortillas or the tamale dough made with lard?
  5. Is the cheese made with animal rennet?

If you eat vegan, also leave off the cheese and crema, since vegan standards exclude dairy products.

Questions people ask

What are some vegetarian Mexican dishes?

Guacamole and pico de gallo usually have no meat. Bean and cheese burritos, cheese quesadillas, elote and cheese or vegetable tamales are built on beans, cheese, corn or vegetables, but ask whether the beans, tortillas or masa are made with lard, and whether any rice or sauce uses chicken broth.

Are refried beans vegetarian?

Traditionally they are made with lard, which is pork fat. Ask the kitchen what fat it cooks them in before you order.

Is Mexican rice vegetarian?

It depends on the kitchen. Mexican rice can be cooked in chicken broth, though vegetable broth works in its place. Ask how the rice is made.

Is Mexican food vegan?

Some of it. Guacamole and pico de gallo usually contain no animal products. Beans and rice can be vegan when cooked without lard or chicken broth, but cheese, crema and many fillings are not, because vegan standards exclude dairy products.

Sources

  1. Vegetarian Society, Trademark Criteria
  2. America's Test Kitchen, A Love Letter to Lard
  3. America's Test Kitchen, Mexican Rice
  4. America's Test Kitchen, Homemade Taco-Size Flour Tortillas
  5. America's Test Kitchen, Chicken in Mole-Poblano Sauce
  6. CNN Travel, Best Mexican food: 23 dishes you'll want to order
  7. America's Test Kitchen, Classic Guacamole
  8. America's Test Kitchen, Pico de Gallo

Good to know

This article is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional before changing how you eat, especially if you live with celiac disease, a severe food allergy or another health condition.

How this page was made. Written by the Forkiee editorial team with AI assistance and checked against the sources above and the allergen and diet lists the Forkiee app uses. Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen, so ask.