Ultimate Mexico Travel Guide for Vegans & Vegetarians (2024)

Is it easy to find vegetarian food in Mexico? How hard is it to be vegan in Mexico?

Tacos al pastor, aguachile, carne en su jugo, menudo: Given that many of Mexico’s arguably most emblematic foods have meat or seafood, it’s no wonder people think it’s difficult (read: impossible) to be a vegetarian or vegan in Mexico.

After reading this post, you will know:

• What to expect as a vegetarian or vegan in Mexico
• Recommendations for where and what to eat in cities like Mexico City, Guadalajara and Queretaro
• PLUS must-know Spanish vocabulary for vegans and vegetarians

Special thanks to my vegan and vegetarian friends who graciously shared their advice and recommendations so I could put together this guide for vegans and vegetarians traveling in Mexico 🤓

What can vegetarians and vegans eat in Mexico?

At first glance, it might seem like Mexican cuisine revolves around meat and animal products. However, that’s just not the case.

In fact, my friend Álvaro pointed out that there are lots of typical Mexican dishes that don’t involve meat:

• Quesadillas
• Sopes sin carne
• Chiles rellenos de queso

You can jazz up even the simplest quesadilla up to your liking with all the tasty Mexican salsas.

In addition to vegetarian options being readily available in Mexican cuisine, my friend Estreyah pointed out that the vast variety of fresh produce at a reasonable price makes Mexico a great country for plant-based eaters regardless of your income.

Natural meat alternatives are staples in Mexican cooking. You’re probably familiar with frijoles (beans), lentejas (lentils), papas (potatos), champiñones/hongos (mushrooms).

Adventurous eaters need to try huitlacoche (corn fungus), flor de calabaza (squash blossom) and nopal (cactus).

What do vegans and vegetarians need to know before traveling to Mexico?

My friend Estreyah has been a vegan in Mexico for 13 years & during that time, she said that veganism in Mexico has evolved a lot.

However, in spite of that evolution, my friends Jim & May from Learn Spanish and Go want you to know that not everyone in Mexico is up to speed on what being vegan means.

Similarly, your definition of vegetarian might differ from the average Mexican waiter or cook’s understanding of the term. 

For example, in some parts of Mexico, vegetarian is sometimes only understood to mean someone who doesn’t eat red meat. This understanding is especially prevalent in small towns in Mexico. Going off that definition, the cook or waiter might think chicken or fish (maybe even pork) is still okay.

Álvaro pointed out that even if a dish doesn’t look like it has meat in it, there’s still a chance it was prepared using animal products like caldo de pollo (chicken broth), caldo de res (beef broth) or manteca (lard). 

Vegans & Vegetarians in Mexico: Watch out for THIS ingredient

Whenever anything is fried, there’s a good chance it got a smear of manteca (animal lard) before getting thrown on the comal. Estreyah advises you to really be on the lookout for this because manteca can pop up anywhere including in beans.

The preparation of many dishes that involve the comal (pictured below) often include manteca. It’s the number one ingredient vegans and vegetarians traveling in Mexico need to ask about beforehand since it likely won’t be visible once your dish is served.

Traditional Mexican dishes that vegans and vegetarians can eat

If you’re starting to worry that you won’t be able to eat anything in Mexico, let me reassure you that’s definitely not the case. Jim and May shared some of their go-to plates:

Although this popular breakfast dish is often served with eggs, chicken and/order cheese, you can order chilquiles sencillos for tortilla chips with either salsa verde or salsa rojo. If you don’t want cream, be sure to ask for your chilaquiles, sin crema.

Don’t let anyone tell you that this popular street food can’t be made vegetarian or vegan-friendly. Tacos de papa (potatoes) and tacos de frijoles (beans) are two tasty option. Just check to make sure there isn’t chorizo in with the potatoes and/or the tortillas were not wiped with manteca (lard) before being thrown on the comal.

Made with corn masa and steamed in a corn husk or banana lead, tamales are prepared with a variety of fillings. Vegetarians and vegans traveling in Mexico should try tamales de acelgas (swiss chard) and tamales de ceniza (bean).

Sopes and gorditas are two more highly-customizable options. Depending on where you are in Mexico, huaraches and tlacoyos are similar dishes. Order yours topped with potato or beans. Personally, I love a gordita stuffed with nopales (cactus).

Here are a few more options for vegans and vegetarians traveling in Mexico:

• Guacamole
• Champiñones al ajillo (garlic sauteed mushrooms)
• Frijoles de la olla (bean soup sort of…cooked beans with more flavor)
• Verduras al vapor (steamed vegetables)
• Tostadas sencillas (also called “tostadas pobres” because they don’t have meat)

Spanish vocabulary for vegans and vegetarians

Instead of saying you’re a vegetarian or vegan (Soy vegetariano/a vegano/vegana), you can say you don’t eat meat, chicken, fish, or seafood: No como carne, pollo, pescado ni mariscos.

If you want to go the mile and be extra firm, you can say: No puedo comer carne ( I can’t eat meat).

Here’s more must-know Spanish vocabulary for vegans and vegetarians traveling in Mexico (for help with pronunciation, check out this YouTube video):

• Sin = without
• Carne = meat
• Jamon = ham
• Pollo = chicken
• Pescado = fish
• Manteca = lard
• Mariscos = seafood
• Huevo = eggs
• Leche = milk
• Queso = cheese
• Crema = Cream
• Miel (honey)

What are the best places in Mexico for vegans and vegetarians?

Everyone I spoke with for this guide said that something vegans and vegetarians should know before traveling to Mexico is that your experience will depend a lot on where you are in the country.  

In a second, I will share recommendations for some of the top destinations in Mexico for vegans and vegetarians. In case your travels take you to a city not mentioned here, you can use Happy Cow to find vegan and vegetarian restaurants wherever you are in Mexico (just make sure to double check the hours of operation on Google).

In addition to Mexico City & Querétaro, Jim & May from Spanish and Go said Puebla & Cholula as well as the hotspots in Quintana Roo (Cancún, Playa del Carmen & Tulum) all have delicious of vegan & vegetarian options.

Where to eat vegan and vegetarian in Mexico City

Estreyah lives in the Zona Roma in Mexico City and said she is surrounded by quality vegan options including restaurants and stores selling vegan products.

There is a big community of vegans in Mexico City, and many acknowledge it as one the most vegan-friendly cities in the world. You can plug into the vegan community via Facebook groups, vegan festivals & monthly meetups.

These are Estreyah’s picks for best vegan restaurants in Mexico City:

• Paxil – Plant Based Seafood
  • Orizaba 77 (4to puesto, Roma Nte., 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX
• La Plantisqueria – vegan seafood
  • Chihuahua 207, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX
• Plantasia
  • Puebla 120, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX
• Por Siempre Vegana
  • C. Manzanillo 18, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX

Where to eat vegan and vegetarian in Guadalajara

Astrid will tell you that Guadalajara isn’t what Mexico City is yet, but the vegan and vegetarian scene is growing a lot. She shared some spots where you can have the traditional Mexican culinary experience but veganized.

These are Astrid’s picks for the best vegan restaurants in Guadalajara:

• Choclo Y Maiz
  • Calle Gabriel Ramos Millán #37, Ladrón de Guevara, Ladron De Guevara, 44600 Guadalajara, Jal.
• Chicozapote
  • C. Manuel López Cotilla 1041, Col Americana, Americana, 44160 Guadalajara, Jal.
• La Flaca
  • Av. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla 1500, Ladrón de Guevara, Lafayette, 44600 Guadalajara, Jal.

My own pick for the best vegan-friendly restaurant in Guadalajara (which also happens to be one of the best restaurants in Guadalajara, imo) is Jamaica Records. The Hash Greens (croquettes), Collie Flowers (fried cauliflower) & Jamaican Fried Broccoli (fried broccoli hamburger) are incredible whether you’re vegan or not.

Where to eat vegan and vegetarian Querétaro

When I was living in Querétaro, I could almost always find a plant-based option on the menu of whatever restaurant where I was dining. In fact, I still think about the bean taco at El Álmacen—the downtown taproom of my beloved Cervecería Hércules.

Álvaro shared his recommendation for the best vegan restaurant in Querétaro:

• Cul & Cul
  • Calzada Pathé #1 esquina, Av Circunvalación, San Javier, 76020 Santiago de Querétaro, Qro.
• Tacogreen
  • Manuel Gutierrez Najera sur #22, La Cruz, 76020 Santiago de Querétaro, Qro.

Is Mexico gluten-free friendly?

When I originally shared this content with my YouTube audience, one subscriber reached out to me to suggest that I add information on how to order food without gluten.

Susan B. has Celiac disease and wants others to know that while maíz (corn) is safe to eat trigo (wheat) is not. Unfortunately, cross contamination is sometimes an issue which why it’s essential that your server understand what you can and cannot eat.

In addition to knowing what your tortilla is made out of, Susan also wants you to double check to ask if the papas fritas (fries) are prepare in a dedicated fryer.

Check out this guide by Legal Nomads for more about gluten-free travel in Mexico.

Related Articles

• Mexico City Airport Guide for Stress-Free Travel (What You Need to Know)
• 35 Tips for Traveling to Mexico for the First Time
• What NOT to Wear in Mexico (practical packing guide)

Final Thoughts on What It’s Like to Be Vegetarian or Vegan in Mexico

Now you know it’s easy to find vegetarian food in Mexico. After reading this guide, you should feel confident that it’s not hard to be vegan in Mexico.

With those fears put to rest, you can focus on the next task at hand…

If you’re moving to Mexico and feeling overwhelmed by everything you have to do, you need the 11-point Move to Mexico Checklist which you get for free when you download the also free (and completely updated) Move to Mexico Quickstart Guide.

Got questions about traveling in Mexico as a vegan or vegetarian? Please feel free to ask in the comments below. If you have experience traveling in Mexico as a vegetarian or vegan, I’d love for you to share your tips and recommendations!

Traveling as vegans and vegetarians in Mexico in 2024