Mexico: One Plate at a Time Season 1 Episodes

Episode 1

The Whole Enchilada

The word "enchilada" simply means "in chile," and in Mexico, the most beloved version is actually a street snack: a corn tortilla dipped in chile sauce that's a far cry from the limp, stuffed tortillas swimming in a sea of red sauce and molten cheese that we're familiar with in the U.S.

Episode 2

Let's Talk Tacos

Gleefully dispelling the notion that tacos are crispy shells jammed with ground beef and shredded lettuce, Rick takes us on a journey in search of the real thing.

Episode 3

The Straight Cheese on Quesadillas

Accompanied by his 8-year-old daughter, Lanie, Rick pays homage to the magic of melted cheese.

Episode 4

Sopes and Gorditas: Masa Appeal

Every culture has its small bites-sushi, dim sum, tapas, mezze. But in Mexico, these flavorful tidbits fall into a different kind of category: "antojitos," the foods you crave.

Episode 5

Tacos from the Ground Up

Homey tacos de cazuela-soft corn tortillas rolled around fillings simmered slowly in earthenware pots-are the soul of Mexican comfort food. And nothing makes them more appealing than just-baked tortillas.

Episode 6

Ceviche in the Limelight

Rick is out to prove a tasty point about ceviche, the traditional Mexican seafood salad marinated in lime and chiles: it's so ancient, so elemental and so easy, you don't even need a kitchen to make it.

Episode 7

Green Sauce and Tomatillos: Mexican Vine Dining

Rick takes us out to the garden to discover just what a tomatillo is and isn't (hint-it's not very closely related to a tomato), with tips on how to grow tomatillos, what to look for when buying them and how to judge their ripeness.

Episode 8

A La Mexicana: The Soul of Mexican Cooking

Call it coincidence or call it fate, but Mexico's national colors-red, white and green-wind up at the center of a whole family of emblematic, home-style "comfort food" dishes, known simply as "a la Mexicana."

Episode 9

Fruit, Aguas, Ices & Paletas: The Ripe Stuff

Fruit is everywhere in Mexico-sweet, colorful and refreshing. And it's sold ripe, so the lush smell of tropical fruit is always in the air.

Episode 10

Rice to the Occasion

Rice is everywhere in Mexico: as the second course in a traditional comida, a beautiful accompaniment to seafood, heaped onto a plate in a market fonda. But it wasn't always this way. Rick traces the history of this relative newcomer to the Mexican diet.

Episode 11

Caldo de Pollo & Tortilla Soup: The Super Bowl

Every culture has its soothing, soulful soup, and in Mexico, it's Caldo de Pollo, a light chicken broth flavored with aromatic vegetables and herbs.

Episode 12

Chiles Rellenos and Other Cool Stuff

What makes these stuffed chiles in a golden souffle batter so special? Rick takes us into the Frontera kitchen to show us firsthand.

Episode 13

Fish a la Veracruzana: How to Fish for Compliments

Rick takes us to the port of Veracruz for a look at the city's most famous contribution to Mexican cooking, a fittingly Mediterranean fish preparation known simply as "a la Veracruzana" that features a whole fish baked in a tangy sauce.

Episode 14

Carne Asada: The Great Steak Out

How do you turn a backyard cookout into party to remember? At Rick's place, you raise the stakes and get the guests involved in the cooking.

Episode 15

Adobo: Chiles Cut and Dried

Chiles are the hot, spicy peppers that are used solely to make Mexican food so incendiary, right? Wrong. Rick deftly debunks the most common myths about the role of chiles in Mexican cooking.

Episode 16

Beans Inside and Out

An exploration of the deceptively complex and varied world of beans, one of Mexico's most ubiquitous staple foods.

Episode 17

Barbacoa and Cochinita Pibil: Down to Earth Cooking

Succulent meat, slowly cooked in pits lined with smoldering embers is the stuff of barbecue dreams.

Episode 18

Mojo & Escabeche: The Light Fantastic

Authentic Mexican food is fresher, more complex, and especially lighter than most Americans realize. Case in point: two classic Mexican preparations, Mojo and Escabeche

Episode 19

Three Hot Tamales

Tamales are sold by the steamer-full on street corners and plazas, prepared by the hundreds for parties, eaten as a morning or evening snack, and universally loved. And when it comes to rolling your own, making tamales is easier than you think.

Episode 20

Seafood Stew: The Perfect Warm-Up

Thu, Feb 19, 2026

It is a total-immersion introduction to seafood stew. Rick takes us from Chicago's Maxwell Street Mexican Market to the seafood stalls and restaurants of Veracruz where he shops for seafood, providing myriad helpful tips along the way.

Episode 21

Beyond Chips & Salsa

Thu, Feb 19, 2026

There's nothing like crispy, warm, homemade tortilla chips, fresh from the fryer. And fresh-made chips deserve fresh-made salsa.

Episode 22

Holy Mole: Mexico City

Thu, Feb 19, 2026

Richly complex, shrouded in mystery and misconceptions, mole is widely regarded as the crowning achievement of Mexican cooking. Its origins are the stuff of myth and magic and the flavors and techniques come together with remarkable depth.

Episode 23

Chocolate: The Magic Ingredient

Thu, Feb 19, 2026

Mexico is the birthplace of chocolate, and to the Aztecs, it was the original food of the gods.

Episode 24

Green Mole & Pipian: Lessons of the Mayoras

Thu, Feb 19, 2026

A tangy, tomatillo-based sauce thickened with toasted pumpkin seeds, pipian verde is served with everything from chicken to fish and seafood in the most sophisticated restaurants and the most humble market fondas.

Episode 25

Cajeta & Flan: Plaza Sweets

Thu, Feb 19, 2026

Join Rick as he makes goat's milk cajeta, classican Mexican vanilla flan, and more in this master lesson in confection-making.

Episode 26

Pozole: The Life of the Party

Thu, Feb 19, 2026

Pozole, the slow-cooked stew of corn and pork, is Mexico's number-one party food. Rick shows that preparing pozole is an all-day affair.