White onion
The white onion is the onion most used in Mexican cooking, eaten raw, grilled, boiled and ground into sauces. Finely chopped and paired with cilantro, it is the near-universal garnish of the Mexican taco.
Description
Larousse notes that the onion, native to northern Asia and Palestine and cultivated for over 5,000 years, was introduced to Mexico by the Spanish. White onion is the most used in the country, followed by red and small cambray onions, which are often grilled or pickled. White onions should be firm and shiny when bought.
Use
Onion is eaten raw, grilled or boiled and ground into many guisos; with chile and tomato it defines dishes described as a la mexicana. Rick Bayless repeatedly rinses chopped raw onion under cold water before adding it to salsas and guacamole, to keep its sharpness from overwhelming them.
On tacos
Chopped white onion with cilantro tops tacos of carnitas, suadero, al pastor and birria, and N+ lists cooked cebollitas among the usual accompaniments to suadero. In the al pastor trompo, an onion is often set at the base of the spit.
Reviews
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See also
References
- "Cebolla". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Simple Guacamole for Tacos". Rick Bayless. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "State by Plate: Michoacán and carnitas". Mexico News Daily. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Tacos: qué es el suadero y de qué parte del animal sale". N+. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Trompo Tacos Are So Much More Than Tacos al Pastor". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2026-10-10.