Chile de árbol salsaA red salsa to stir in by the half spoonful.
Chopped green onion and cilantroScatter them over the top last, so they stay bright.
Chopped raw onionWhite onion, cut small, in a dish with its own spoon.
Crushed dried red chiliA pinch for anyone who wants more heat in a red bowl.
Diced serrano chiliesAdd a few pieces, taste, then add more.
Dried oreganoRub a pinch between your palms over the bowl.
Extra hominyWarm a little more in broth for anyone who likes a fuller bowl.
Ground chiltepin chiliShake on a little at a time and taste as you go.
Lime or lemon wedgesSqueeze one over the bowl just before the first spoonful.
Tortillas and bread 5
Bolillo rollsSplit and toast them, then dunk the crust.
Flour tortillasTear off pieces and use them to scoop up the hominy.
Fried quick bread (sopaipillas)Tear one open and dip it, or save it for honey afterwards.
TostadasBreak one over the bowl, or eat it between spoonfuls.
Warm corn tortillasRoll one up tight and dip the end into the broth.
Plates for the same table 7
Barbacoa tacosKeep them small, since the bowl is already a meal.
Bean and cheese burritosCut them in half so they can be shared.
Fried eggs on tortillas with salsa (huevos rancheros)For the one person at the table who passes on the soup.
Fried potatoes with chorizoCrisp at the edges, to spoon into a tortilla.
Refried beansSpread them on a tostada and top with a little raw onion.
Scrambled eggs with chorizoA small plate, with a tortilla to fold them into.
TamalesServe them on a side plate, still in the husk.
Something sweet after 6
Cinnamon sugar cookiesSmall and crumbly, set out on a saucer.
Fried dough fritters (buñuelos)Break off pieces to eat with the coffee.
Papaya with limeCold wedges, to end the meal on something cool.
Rice puddingServe it cold, with cinnamon on top.
Sweet bread (pan dulce)Set a basket in the middle of the table for after the bowls.
Sweet pumpkin empanadasWarm them a little so the filling is soft.
Drinks 3
Chocolate corn drink (champurrado)Serve it hot in a mug, with the sweet bread.
Clay-pot coffee (café de olla)Pour it once the bowls are empty.
Hot corn drink (atole)Thick and mild, for anyone who found the soup too hot.
How it works
What to eat with menudo? Mostly what goes into the bowl, and something to dunk in it. These 30 ideas cover both, then add plates for the same table, sweets and three hot drinks.
Read the full guide
How menudo is served
Menudo is typically served with chopped raw onion, oregano, diced chilies, usually serrano, and lemon or lime, along with corn or flour tortillas. In southern Arizona a white menudo, made without red chili, gets lemon, ground chiltepin, cilantro and chopped green onion. In the United States, restaurants often feature the soup as a special on Saturday and Sunday.
Set the table for a pot of menudo
Put each topping in its own small dish, so every bowl is seasoned by the person eating it. One bread is enough. The soup is the meal, so keep any other plate small, and finish with sweet bread and something hot to drink.
Warm the tortillas in a dry pan and wrap them in a cloth, so the last one is as soft as the first.
Bring the pot back to a simmer before serving, since cold toppings cool every bowl.
Questions and answers
What do you eat with menudo?
Tortillas to roll and dip, and toppings stirred in at the table: onion, oregano, chilies and a squeeze of citrus.
What bread goes with menudo?
Besides tortillas, a bolillo: the short Mexican roll with a crunchy crust, split, toasted and dunked. Tostadas add crunch, and sopaipillas, a fried quick bread, soak up the broth.
What sides go with menudo?
Tamales, refried beans spread on a tostada, or scrambled eggs with chorizo for anyone still hungry. Barbacoa tacos and bean and cheese burritos suit a bigger weekend table, and cold papaya with lime cools things down at the end.
What do you drink with menudo?
Without alcohol: café de olla, the Mexican coffee made in a clay pot, or atole, a hot drink made from corn dough. Champurrado is atole made with chocolate.
Is Filipino menudo the same dish?
No. Filipino menudo is a tomato-sauce stew of sliced liver and pork with potatoes and carrots. It has no tripe, hominy or red chili sauce, so the toppings here are for the Mexican soup.