15 must-try traditional foods in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you! Thank you for your support!
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is a captivating destination known for its tropical beaches, sunny weather, and delicious cuisine so get ready to explore the must-try foods in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico!
Overall, I have spent around six months enjoying the wonders of this special region in Mexico so I got to taste lots of different foods all around the Yucatan Peninsula. Food here is a special mix of local ingredients, Mayan traditions, and some Spanish influence.
In this blog post, you will find the must-try foods in the Yucatan Peninsula with descriptions and photos. I have tried all of them myself so I’m ready to share with you all my favorites from Yucatan cuisine. Happy travels!
Read more » 20 most gorgeous cenotes in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
1. Marquesita
A marquesita is a thin, rolled, crunchy waffle usually filled with sweet (or savory if you wish!) ingredients like caramel, jams, fruit, and Nutella. The best part? You can choose your own fillings! My go-to order is a marquesita with banana and nutella.
Marquesita originated back in the 1930s in Merida when an ice cream vendor looked for a way to keep the sales going in the colder months and came up with this crunchy treat. Daughters of local wealthy aristocrats (Marquesas) loved it, which is how it got its name.
I love marquesitas so much—they’re one of my favorite foods in the Yucatan Peninsula. You definitely have to try one! They are a true street food, so you won’t find them in restaurants or bars.
Instead, look for colorful street stalls that pop up in the streets, parks, and sidewalks in the evening in every city and town across the Yucatan Peninsula. It will be hard to find them during the day but I’ve sometimes seen some stalls here and there.
2. Cochinita pibil tacos
Visiting the Yucatan Peninsula without trying cochinita pibil tacos is like visiting Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower! Tacos are probably the most famous Mexican food however every region across Mexico has its own traditional variation of tacos.
Here in the Yucatan Peninsula, those are cochinita pibil tacos. Cochinita Pibil is a traditional Yucatec Mayan pork dish in which the meat (suckling pig!) is marinated in a blend of sour orange juice and annatto seeds and then slowly roasted in a traditional way: buried under the ground.
Normally I’d prefer other types of meat however I had to try this cochinita pibil pork. It turned out to be absolutely amazing. The pork was incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful. I actually tried them so many times in so many places that I became a self-proclaimed expert, haha!
If the meat isn’t tender and juicy, then it hasn’t been cooked properly—you should try to find a better taco spot! We tried many taco spots in Tulum and a dozen of the best taco places in Cancun so be sure to check them out. Tacos is something I’ll really miss from Mexico.
3. Sopa de lima
Sopa de lima is a popular lime and chicken soup and one of my favorite traditional foods in the Yucatan Peninsula. This iconic soup has its origins in Yucatán’s Mayan culture, and you’ll likely find it in Mayan or traditional Mexican restaurants.
If you want to try some traditional Mayan foods during your trip to the Yucatan Peninsula, this might be one of the best options for you! I love this soup so much—I had it, I think, at least five times during our travels around the peninsula. One of the best Yucatan foods for sure!
Sopa de lima is a light soup made with shredded chicken, onions, tomato, tortilla chips, and its unique zing from Yucatecan sweet lime. It is a slightly sour taste but that depends on the recipe—I’ve had some that were really tangy and others that were much milder.
4. Panuchos and Salbutes
Salbutes and panuchos are two similar-looking Yucatán street foods often referred to as ‘Yucatecan tacos’. I mean, don’t they look like tacos? They definitely do to me! And I have to say that the taste is pretty similar too.
So, what’s the difference? First of all, panuchos and salbutes are bigger than regular tacos—both the tortillas and the amount of toppings. The ingredients are quite similar: tortillas, some kind of meat, veggies, and salsa. Just like tacos! But the difference here lies in the tortillas.
Salbutes (my favorites!) have a puffy deep-fried tortilla with a crispy and slightly chewy texture. But panuchos have a unique twist—before being deep-fried, the tortilla is stuffed with a thin layer of black bean paste making them a bit firmer than salbutes. Give them a try!
5. Longaniza de Valladolid
Longaniza de Valladolid is a very popular smoked sausage from the city of Valladolid in the Yucatan Peninsula. It’s somewhat of a local legend! No matter which city we visited—Cancún, Mérida, Playa del Carmen, Valladolid, or Tulum—we always noticed this name on the restaurant menus.
So, when we finally arrived in Valladolid, I had to try this iconic dish. Longaniza is actually a Spanish sausage similar to chorizo, but its characteristics vary greatly from region to region. This Yucatecan version is made with pork marinated in spices and then smoked over local wood.
If you’re traveling to Valladolid and want to try this dish, I recommend checking out IX CAT IK Tradicional Cocina Maya. It is often regarded as one of the best places to try local traditional Mexican and Mayan food.
The longaniza dish was absolutely delicious! The sausage was juicy, slightly spicy (but not too much), and perfectly grilled. It was served with fresh veggies and classic side dishes like corn tortillas and mole. Simple but very delicious! I really liked it.
6. Tortas
Tortas are essentially Mexican sandwiches, usually sold by the same vendors who sell tacos. In most cases, if you can buy tacos, you can also find tortas at the same stand (or taco restaurant).
Although tortas are eaten all over Mexico, there are regional variations in what they put inside the sandwiches.
The ingredients are similar to those in tacos—grilled meat, veggie toppings, and salsas—all packed inside a soft, crusty bread roll. Tortas are larger than tacos and will keep you full for longer. We saw plenty of people ordering multiple tortas for take-away!
7. Papadzules
Papadzules are another traditional dish from the Yucatan Peninsula with its origins dating back to ancient Mayans. It is a simple dish consisting of rolled corn tortillas filled with hard-boiled eggs and dipped in pumpkin seed salsa.
Locals eat this dish for breakfast, lunch, or as a light dinner and you will likely find it in every restaurant serving Mayan cuisine and traditional Mexican restaurants often visited by locals. Touristy spots may not have them.
We had this dish for lunch in Merida when we tried one of the most famous Mayan restaurants in the city, Museum of Yucateca Gastronomy (yes, it actually is a restaurant with a small exhibition of traditional Mayan tools they used in the kitchen).
8. Agua de Chaya
Finally, a drink! Once I discovered agua de chaya, it became my go-to order whenever we went to a restaurant. Not all of them had it, but quite a few did. I gave it a name the “Mayan mojito”!
Agua de chaya (which translates to “chaya water”) is a refreshing, non-alcoholic drink made from a unique and nutritious plant native to the Yucatan Peninsula—chaya. It was an absolute lifesaver in the tropical heat!
This drink is made by blending fresh chaya leaves with water and is often mixed with other ingredients like lime juice and pineapple, sometimes sweetened with honey. Chaya is packed with vitamins and antioxidants, making this drink both super refreshing and healthy. I loved it!
9. Pok Chuk
Pok Chuk is one of the most iconic Mayan dishes you’ll find in the Yucatan Peninsula. And it’s quite simple—it consists of grilled meat (most often pork) served with veggies like pickled red onions and refried black beans.
Pok Chuk means “grilled on charcoal” in the Mayan language. For us, the meat felt a little too dry, but overall, I can see how this could be a great dish for meat lovers. If you’re one and want to try something from Mayan cuisine, this is it!
10. Pollo Pibil
I love trying new foods when traveling, but I know not everyone eats everything. I usually prefer chicken over beef or pork, so if you’re anything like me, your must-try dish in the Yucatán Peninsula has to be pollo pibil which is a slow-roasted chicken!
If you remember cochinita pibil—the slow-roasted pork dish prepared using a special traditional method inherited from the ancient Maya—then you’ll know that pollo pibil is essentially the same, but made with chicken. We had this meal in Restaurante Kinich in Izamal, Mexico.
I really liked this dish. The chicken was served with veggies and warm tortillas, so I grabbed a tortilla, made a sort of taco, and ate it that way. The meat was tender, juicy, and had a delicious smokiness with a slightly sour taste, thanks to the traditional Mayan marinade.
11. Yucatecan tamales
Tamales are an ancient dish dating back 7,000 to 10,000 years and were an integral part of the ancient Aztec and Maya civilizations. They are made from cooked corn dough and filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables.
Today, tamales are a common food in various parts of Mexico. While they are typically wrapped in corn husks, Yucatecan tamales stand out because they are usually wrapped in banana leaves. They also feature unique spices and local ingredients, giving them a distinct flavor.
If you ask me, tamales are an acquired taste, but they’re definitely worth trying! We weren’t the biggest fans of this dish, but I’d still recommend giving it a shot—you don’t get to try ancient Mayan foods every day. You’ll find them in restaurants that serve traditional Mayan cuisine.
12. Elotes & Esquites
Here’s the thing—not every food you eat while traveling around the Yucatán Peninsula has to be Mayan. If you are like me and your visit to Cancun or Tulum is also your first time in Mexico then you should also try some other typical Mexican foods!
One thing you’ll notice here is that corn is a big deal! There are tons of food carts on the streets in the evening serving different corn dishes. Two of the most popular are elotes—boiled corn on the cob with spices and salsas—and esquites, corn kernels in a cup with flavorful toppings.
We decided to skip elotes, but I had to try esquites—corn in a cup. The corn is boiled and served in a cup, then topped with mayonnaise (or ketchup), grated cheese, and a spicy salsa of your choice. It was a simple, delicious, and cheap snack. Nothing outstanding but good enough!
13. Relleno negro
Relleno Negro translates to “black stuffing” and it is a traditional dish in the Yucatecan cuisine made with chicken and pork, bathed in a rich and flavorful black spice sauce (often referred to as chiles quemados or “burnt chilies”).
The star of the show here is the black sauce. It looks scary, but it is meant to be black. The color comes from toasting chili peppers and other spices which are then made into this iconic Yucatecan salsa. My husband ordered this and was really satisfied. He’s a picky eater!
14. Mayan hummus
Okay, this is actually funny—I tried Mayan hummus during a chocolate tour we did on Cozumel Island, but I had no idea what I was eating. It wasn’t until weeks later when I started reading about Mayan foods and Mayan hummus, that I realized I had already tried this dish!
Mayan hummus was one of the main protein sources for the ancient Maya. It is made with roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), tomatoes, and various local spices. Served with a warm homemade tortilla, it makes for a perfect afternoon snack. It has a nutty flavor, and yes—I liked it!
15. Quesabirria
Okay, so this one is for my husband! I started this list with my favorite Yucatecan food we tried in Mexico (marquesitas and cochinita pibil tacos), so it’s only fitting that I finish it with my husband’s favorite food—quesabirrias.
It didn’t originate in the Yucatán Peninsula, but it is a Mexican dish, and as I said, if this is your first time in Mexico, you’re allowed to try other foods from Mexican cuisine—not just Mayan and Yucatecan, okay? But honestly, quesabirrias are the ultimate comfort food. You’ll love them!
Quesabirria is made with a folded tortilla filled with tender beef and melted cheese. The tortillas are then dipped in broth and grilled until crispy. They are rich in flavor and crunchy. Melted cheese is my husband’s love language, so, obviously, quesabirrias were his favorite!
Happy exploring!
Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is one of the top travel destinations around the world. It offers a balanced mix of tasty food, a tropical climate, Mayan culture, gorgeous white sand beaches, secret cenotes, ancient ruins, and vibrant cities.
We have spent two winters or six months traveling around the Yucatán Peninsula, including the states of Yucatán and Quintana Roo, with its Riviera Maya, exploring all the beautiful places and trying traditional foods this peninsula had to offer.
I hope you enjoy your time in the land of the Maya as much as we did, and that this blog post gives you some travel inspiration! Trying different local foods is always one of my favorite parts of traveling, and Mexico treated us very well in this regard. Happy exploring!
PIN FOR LATER!
