Here Are The 16 Dishes You Have To Eat In New Mexico During Your Lifetime

New Mexico doesn't just have signature dishes - we have our own cuisine. Sure, you can find some of these foods beyond our borders. But it's more enjoyable to eat these dishes where they were invented — or perfected! (Fine, we're biased.) So, if you want a taste of the Land of Enchantment, tuck into these 16 most famous dishes in New Mexico. Please note that they are not ranked in order of culinary superiority.

1. Blue corn pancakes

Blue corn improves everything, from tortillas and pizza dough to muffins and pancakes. Yellow corn is fine and dandy but blue corn adds a welcome nuttiness to dishes. Take blue corn pancakes up a notch by topping them with New Mexican piñon nuts.

2. Piñon coffee

Alternatively, sip on piñon nut coffee, which gives your morning joe that little extra something. This pine nut comes from the piñon pine and its delicate flavor is beloved by New Mexicans.

3. Breakfast burrito

In New Mexico, the first meal of the day often involves a breakfast burrito. Potato, egg, and cheese are the core ingredients, enhanced by add-ons like bacon, chorizo, or carne adovada. Sometimes the cheese is melted over the outside of the tortilla while other times it's sprinkled inside. The egg on top is optional, but some swear by it. Douse this bundle of wonder with green or red sauce.

4. Carne adovada

Carne adovada is what happens when pork is marinated in a puree of onion, red chile, and spices for 24 hours or more. The result is delicious.

5. Posole (also spelled pozole)

Posole is hominy corn that has been boiled in a combination of water and lime. This causes the corn to puff up and gives it an entirely different texture and taste than regular corn. You'll probably encounter it as a side dish or sometimes as a soup.

6. Green chile stew

If you’re in New Mexico and feeling under the weather, don’t expect people to bring you chicken noodle soup. To recover quickly, you need green chile stew. This dish also makes regular appearances at potlucks. Everyone’s recipe is a little different and, although pork is the most common meat choice, some prefer beef.

7. Chile rellenos

No one claims that chile rellenos were invented here. But perfected? Order this dish and judge for yourself.

8. Frito pie

There’s chile and then there’s chili. Frito pie is all about the latter. It’s topped with cheese and sometimes served in the bag.

9. Tacos

When you order tacos in New Mexico, it’s likely that you’ll receive soft shell tacos. These taste fresher and are less messy – a definite advantage if you fancy a taco on your lunch break and don’t want to return to work wearing its contents!

10. Biscochito (sometimes spelled bizcochito)

Our state cookie is crumbly and traditionally made using lard. The dominant flavor is cinnamon with a distinctive undertone of anise. It isn’t Christmas without biscochitos but, thankfully, you can find these cookies year round.

11. Red and green sauce

Some people might say that a condiment doesn’t belong on this list. Those people would be wrong! Red and green sauce is integral to so many of our dishes that it deserves a spot in the New Mexico Food Hall Of Fame – if only such a place existed.

12. Enchiladas

You can find rolled enchiladas anywhere but here they’re frequently served flat and arranged in a stack.

13. Green chile cheeseburger

The green chile component of the GCCB (green chile cheeseburger) can either be in the form of a sauce or just chopped chiles. Restaurants vie to win awards for the best one and the battle is intense.

14. Sopaipillas

Sopaipillas can either be served as a savory or sweet dish. Savory ones are stuffed with cheese, beans, and sometimes meat. Sweet versions of this fried dough are accompanied by honey, which should be liberally drizzled on top.

15. Indian taco

Frybread with taco toppings. What's not to love?

16. Green chile on pizza

Chile improves any dish and pizza is no exception. Most pizzerias in New Mexico offer it as a topping. Try it with ham or pepperoni.

How many of these have you eaten? What other food or drinks would you add to this list? This New Mexican restaurant serves some of the best iconic food of the state if you'd like to try some of these dishes.