Mexican Restaurant Cooking Equipment

Mexican Restaurant Kitchen Equipment: What You Need to Know

Whether you're serving decades-old family recipes or offering a gourmet taco menu, our selection of Mexican restaurant cooking equipment can help your kitchen keep up with customer demand during your busiest hours, turning out perfectly topped tacos, fresh fajitas, and cheesy chimichangas. Your customers expect consistency in your flavors and presentation, and having the right equipment in your kitchen is crucial to correctly and efficiently cooking meat, tortillas, rice, and other sides. Below, you can learn more about the types of equipment commonly found in Mexican restaurants and how they can be used in your concept.

Common Questions About Mexican Restaurant Cooking Equipment

What equipment do I need to open a Mexican restaurant?

Here, you'll find a variety of Mexican restaurant cooking equipment options to prepare everything on your menu efficiently. From prepping necessary meal components such as tortillas and rice to grilling chicken and beef, you'll find compact countertop units and floor models that service high-volume kitchens. Some equipment needed to successfully execute a Mexican menu includes:

• Commercial griddles and charbroilers to cook chicken, beef, and other types of protein;
• Broilers to sear meat and cheese melters to melt cheese on plated food;
• Gas or electric fryers to create fried entrees and crispy tortillas;
• Commercial rice cookers to quickly and efficiently prepare rice for sides or fillings.

What is a plancha?

A plancha, or plancha grill, is essentially a specialized type of griddle commonly used to cook Spanish cuisine. Unlike a typical griddle, which provides an evenly heated surface, heat is concentrated on a plancha's center point. This creates a high-heat cooking surface that's perfect for searing meat, vegetables, and other food. If you can't find this type of Mexican restaurant cooking equipment for your commercial kitchen, you can achieve a similar result with a commercial griddle.

How can I use a tilt skillet in a Mexican restaurant?

Tilt skillets, also known as braising pans, are valued for their versatility and cooking capacity, with models able to handle more than 40 gallons of food while others handle relatively low volumes at 10 gallons. Because this equipment can be used for nearly every cooking method – including braising, grilling, steaming, and boiling – having one in your kitchen enables your cooks to prepare large batches of meats, vegetables, and sauces for your most popular menu items or weekly specials. Having equipment on hand that accommodates bulk food preparation can help your kitchen meet peak demand or quickly prepare food for catered events.

Why do I need a tortilla steamer?

Although chimichangas and some tacos may be served in crispy, deep-fried shells, other popular dishes are presented in soft tortillas. Steaming tortillas for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas ensures they arrive hot, fresh, and appealing at your guests' tables. Steamed tortillas are also easier to roll and fold, meaning they're less likely to break or crack when assembled with meat, vegetables, and other fillings. Including a dedicated tortilla steamer among your lineup of Mexican restaurant kitchen equipment is a great alternative to relying on microwave steaming, as it's more efficient and can keep a stack of several flour or corn shells warm at a time.