This city’s serene beauty is a backdrop for famous breakfast burritos, red chile enchiladas, and inventive modern New Mexican cooking.
Savor the Flavor during Annual Events
With an official cuisine all our own, you can bet that we have food festivals…and wine festivals…and beer festivals to explore. Visitors love sampling the flavors of New Mexico through culinary events.
What Is New Mexican Cuisine?
For nearly 500 years, cooks here have been blending Native American foods—like blue corn and squash—with chile peppers, wheat flour, pork and other ingredients that the Spanish settlers brought with them from Europe and Mexico. The result is what we now know as New Mexican cuisine. Today the smoke-kissed flavor of freshly roasted green chiles and the earthy fruitiness of red chile sauce are essential to our favorite dishes, such as breakfast burritos, stacked enchiladas and stuffed sopaipillas.
You will quickly learn to answer your Albuquerque servers question of “red or green?” with authority. Say “Christmas” if you want to sample both red and green chile, and dont be afraid to ask for the chile on the side if youre not sure. For an authentic taste of Native American fare, head to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to sample frybread, posole (hominy stew with chile) and other traditional feast day foods.
New Mexico Food Tour! (Albuquerque + Santa Fe Cuisine)
FAQ
What is the signature dish of Albuquerque?
What is the most popular food in New Mexico?
What is Albuquerque best known for?
Is Albuquerque a foodie city?
What to eat in Albuquerque?
While Albuquerque overflows with chile-laden New Mexican cuisine, the metropolis also has a few surprises up its culinary sleeves. It takes cues from Native American culture—both traditional and contemporary—and global dishes here are aplenty. The Duke City also has a sweet tooth: Candy, cookies, and popsicles rank among its favorite dishes.
Does Albuquerque have a restaurant?
No problem. Albuquerque restaurants span everything from brick-oven pizzerias to pit-smoked barbecue joints, Vietnamese cafés and prime steakhouses. Dining options include vegetarian, Mediterranean, Italian, Spanish, Greek and Chinese cuisine. Open the accessible version of Visit ABQ’s virtual experience.
What food did New Mexico eat?
The food in New Mexico, and Albuquerque specifically, is a representation of this history. In addition to the introduction of wheat and domesticated livestock to the Southwest, ingredients like safflower, a cheaper substitute for saffron, as well as anise seeds and citrus, arrived by way of Spain.
What to eat in New Mexico?
Sopapillas are hot puffs of fried dough and a classic New Mexican dessert. You get to drizzle (or drench) them with honey. Padilla’s are the right combination of chew and fluffiness with a light crispy exterior. Delicious. 3. Brunch from The Grove Cafe & Market