10 Classic Mexican Dishes Made Liver-Healthy With Small Changes

Traditional Mexican food has a soul of its own. It's rich in flavor and heritage, but some recipes you love can be high in saturated fat, refined carbs, and sodium – a mix that isn't liver-friendly. No worries! You can flip through Abuela's recipe book and make a few smart swaps. These changes can help you support your liver health, especially if you've been diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) or its more serious form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

Traditional recipe: The star ingredient is the poblano pepper, which you peel and roast before stuffing it with ground meat. It’s topped with a creamy walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds.

Liver-friendly swap:

• Use lean ground turkey instead of fatty beef to cut saturated fat and ease the liver's workload.
• Use unsweetened almond yogurt instead of cream to lighten the sauce while keeping its creamy texture.

Traditional recipe: Mole is a traditional dish from Puebla, a city in central Mexico. It's a rich, dark sauce made with chocolate and spices, served over shredded chicken. The sauce blends onions, garlic, roasted ancho chiles, tomatoes, unsweetened cocoa powder, chocolate, and cinnamon, then simmers until thick and flavorful. It's topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Liver-friendly swap:

• Use skinless chicken breast to reduce saturated fat.
• Choose dark chocolate to cut added sugars.
• Season with low-sodium ingredients to support liver health.

Traditional recipe: Picture empanadas wrapped in corn husks. You prepare the masa (corn dough) with lard and fill it with red meat and cheese. You wrap the tamales and steam them until soft.

Liver-friendly swap:

• Use olive oil instead of lard to lower saturated fat.
• Fill the dough with steamed vegetables, black beans, or shredded boiled chicken for lean protein and fiber.
• Choose whole-grain corn dough to boost fiber and support liver health.

Traditional recipe: This recipe relies on a flavorful marinade. You blend softened guajillo or chipotle peppers with adobo seasoning, which is a mix of garlic, oregano, black pepper, and other spices. You add lime juice, onion, pineapple, and garlic. You marinate pork chops for an hour, cook them, chop, and garnish the tacos with roasted pineapple, red onion, and lime juice.

Liver-friendly swap:

• Use grilled chicken with low-sodium or no-salt-added adobo seasoning.
• Pair with whole-corn tortillas for more fiber, or use lettuce wraps for a lighter touch.

Traditional recipe: Pozole is a comforting Mexican soup often served at family celebrations. You boil pork shoulder with onions, peppers, garlic, and spices for at least 45 minutes. You save the broth, chop the pork, and simmer it with white hominy. Hominy is dried corn that has been soaked to remove its outer layer. You add garlic, onions, and hot peppers, then cook for 45 minutes and garnish with sour cream.

Liver-friendly swap:

• Use shredded chicken breast. 
• Garnish with radish, lime, and avocado.

Traditional recipe: Enchiladas are a classic Mexican dish made with corn tortillas filled with shredded meat and topped with a rich sauce. Red enchiladas use tomato sauce, while green ones use tomatillo sauce. You usually top them with melted cheese and heavy cream.

Liver-friendly swap:

• Fill the tortillas with lean chicken instead of beef. 
• Use homemade tomato or tomatillo sauce to avoid added sugar.
• Choose queso fresco or low-fat cheese and skip heavy cream to cut saturated fat.

Traditional recipe: In Mexico, tostadas are popular botanitas, or appetizers packed with bold flavor. You use deep-fried tortillas and top them with ingredients like sour cream, cheese, and meats. These toppings, along with the frying, make them high in fat and calories.

Liver-friendly swap:

• Choose baked tostadas instead of fried to lower unhealthy fats. 
• Skip the sour cream. Top with avocado, tuna, cilantro, and lime juice for healthy fats and lean protein that support your liver.

Traditional recipe: Mexican rice may appear liver-friendly, but it starts with sautéing white rice in oil and adding high-sodium bouillon cubes. After toasting the rice, you mix in carrots, peas, onions, and tomato sauce, then cook until tender. This makes the dish flavorful, but it is high in sodium and fat.

Liver-friendly swap:

• Use brown rice or quinoa for extra fiber. 
• Sauté with a light drizzle of olive oil or skip it. 
• Choose low-sodium options for both the tomato sauce and the bouillon cubes.

Traditional recipe: This soup uses vermicelli noodles, which are thin pasta similar to spaghetti but cut into short pieces. You toast them in oil and simmer them in a comforting tomato-based broth. The result is an easy, comforting dish, but it can be high in fat and sodium.

Liver-friendly swap:

• Skip frying the noodles. 
• Use whole-wheat vermicelli for added fiber. 
• Make your own low-sodium tomato broth with fresh tomatoes to support liver health.

Traditional recipe: Cochinita pibil is a traditional dish from the Yucatán Peninsula. You marinate pork in achiote paste made with annatto seeds, orange juice, garlic, vinegar, cumin, cloves, and other spices. You slow-cook the pork in banana leaves until tender and serve it with pickled red onions.

Liver-friendly swap:

• Replace the pork with chicken breast to lower saturated fat and make the dish lighter. 

You don't have to give up the flavors and dishes you grew up with to take care of your liver. Mexican food is rich in tradition, love, and bold flavors. With a few simple swaps, you can reduce unhealthy fats, added sugars, and sodium while keeping the taste and cultural roots you cherish. These changes support your liver and help you lose weight, which is the primary treatment to manage MASH.