See 10 of the tastiest Mexican mains, sides and dessert dishes to add to your Mexican food truck menu
Mexican street food is world-renowned and wildly popular for very good reasons. It’s a combination of hot, tangy, sweet, hot, fresh and healthy and is relatively easy to make. From the Mexican stable of tacos and burritos to maybe less well-known dishes such as huaraches and Mexican “crispy dogs”.
There are also numerous restaurant chains which have opened up to capitalise on this demand such as the likes of Chipotle and Taco Bell in the US and Wahaca and Chiquito in the UK. And where restaurant success goes food trucks often follow which can be seen in the number of Mexican food truck businesses now popping up.
So if you are looking to start a Mexican food truck and need some menu inspiration then you have come to the right place. I’ve put together 10 of the most popular Mexican food truck menu items, which are all suitable for mobile catering operations.
1. Tacos
First up is Tacos and probably one of Mexico’s most famous exports and a good item to have on the menu at a Mexican food truck or as a dedicated Mexican Taco truck.
Tacos consist of small corn or wheat tortillas filled with various meats such as fish, chicken or beef, veggies, topped with guacamole, cheese and sour cream and folded to make spicy bite-sized snacks.
2. Nachos
Another famous Mexican Street food favourite is Nachos.
Nachos consist of fried tortilla chips which are covered with melted cheese and a variety of toppings, which include meats like ground beef or grilled chicken, vegetables such as chilli peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, and olives.
Salsa, guacamole and sour cream are often used as a topping to give it a zingy fresh taste.
3. Burritos
A popular Mexican food, especially in the Southern states of the USA, burritos are a good Mexican food truck menu item.
These are tortilla wraps filled with shredded meats like beef (carnitas) and rice, beans, avocado and salads.
And it’s a pretty low-maintenance sort of food to make which always helps when you are in the confines of a food truck with limited space.
This dish also comes as a Burrito bowl which is basically a bare burrito but without the tortilla wrap as some customers like a dish which doesn’t contain wheat.
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4. Enchiladas
Enchiladas is a corn tortillas rolled around a filled with a variety of ingredients which include beef and chicken, cheese, beans, potatoes, and vegetables and covered with chilli-based sauces, such as salsa Roja (made from red tomato, ground onion, garlic, chilli, salt and pepper to taste) or cheese-based sauces.
5. Tortas (Sandwich)
Tortas are the Mexican equivalent of a sandwich or baguette and are sold throughout Mexican at market stands and bodega counters.
These tasty items and can be filled with a wide range of tasty fillings just like a sandwich. Some popular torta fillings include grilled hotdogs or fried chicken with cheese, avocado, and pickled and spicy sauce.
They are a great Mexican menu food item for a food truck as there are easy to make and versatile.
6. Quesadillas
A quesadilla consists traditionally of a corn or sometimes flour tortilla that is filled largely with Oaxaca cheese (a stringy Mexican cheese made by a stretched-curd method), and sometimes meats such as chorizo, beef, chicken and cooked pork. It’s then topped with spices and veggies such as chopped onion, tomato, serrano chiles, and cilantro, folded and cooked on a griddle.
Quesadillas are often served with red or green salsa, guacamole and salad as a side.
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7. Tortilla-wrapped hotdogs
Mexican hot dog taquitos, also known as “crispy dogs” are a simple but very tasty Mexican snack and potential food truck item.
They are basically hotdogs wrapped in a tortilla and deep-fried to produce a savoury crispy snack or side dish that can be dipped in mustard or a spicy sauce.
8. Huaraches
Huaraches are the Mexican equivalent of the world-famous Italian pizza and are a great addition to any food truck menu.
The base is made with only two ingredients which are Masa Harina (a type of dough flour) and water. The base is then flattened to make an oval shape and a range of toppings are added to it (just as you would do with a pizza) such as chorizo, refried beans, tomatoes and avocado.
You don’t tend to see huaraches being sold in food trucks or markets outside of Mexican or South of the border in the US, which means there could be the potential to stand out from the crowd selling these in your local.
9. Churros
Mexican food trucks are not just about the spicy savoury dishes but also do some tasty desserts and Churros are a perfect example of this.
Churros are a deep-fried dough pastry, made from sugar, salt and flour (kind of like a long doughnut) that is served with a warm chocolate dipping sauce.
10. Paletas
Another great example of a Mexican dessert and a good item to sell on a food truck is Paletas.
The word “Paleta” actually means small stick in Spanish and refers to traditional Mexican ice lollies, made from fresh fruit, pure cream, and sugar.
There is a great street food vendor, named simply Paletas based in Bristol UK, that sells a lovely range of fruit-flavoured Paletas to give you some ideas of the potential.
Gavin D is the founder of Street Food Central and Tru Foo Juice Bar Co. and has worked in the mobile catering industry for over 7 years.
