Tulum Mexican Cooking Class: Make Tortillas & Tacos

Savor mezcal and handmade quesadillas in a lively garden kitchen setting

A three-hour cooking class in a Mexican-style house in Tulum where you prepare a full traditional menu from scratch, including tortillas, tacos al pastor, guacamole and dessert. The class opens with a mezcal tasting and introduction to essential Mexican ingredients and techniques, then moves into hands-on cooking in the kitchen. At the end, you sit down together to share the meal you made, with beer, wine and mezcal included.

The Experience

You arrive at a Mexican home set in the Yucatan jungle gardens, where the class begins with a brief introduction to the essential flavors and ingredients that define Mexican cuisine. You'll learn how to classify and work with dried chiles, understand the tortilla-making process, and taste mezcal the right way—a foundation before you step into the kitchen. Many of the dishes come from the instructor's own family recipes, passed down through generations.

The hands-on cooking takes up the bulk of the three hours. You'll prepare tacos al pastor—thin pork loin strips marinated with three chiles, spices, achiote, orange and pineapple juice, served with grilled pineapple, cilantro and salsa. You'll make guacamole from scratch with tomatillo, chile serrano, cilantro, avocado and garlic, learning the family secret to keep it fresh and green. Tortillas come together in your hands, and you'll work with artisanal cheese for quesadillas. The menu rounds out with agua fresca (a traditional fruit water) and a light three-milk and crème cheese jelly dessert.

Once everything is cooked, you sit down at one table with the instructor and other participants to eat the food you've made together. Beer, national wine and mezcal are included throughout the class, from the opening tasting through the meal. The experience is built around joy, music and laughter—the phrase "mi casa es tu casa" sets the tone.

What’s included

• All ingredients and cooking equipment.
• mezcal tasting at the start.
• beer, national wine and mezcal throughout the class.
• the full meal you prepare (tacos al pastor, guacamole, tortillas, quesadillas, agua fresca and dessert).
• and the shared table meal at the end.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Rivera's Kitchen Tulum

Is this one for you?Book this if you have a free afternoon in Tulum and want to spend it making something with your hands instead of watching a demonstration. The three-hour window fits between other plans, and you leave with both the skill and the memory of eating together at the end.

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Top questions

What exactly do I cook during the three hours in Tulum?

You prepare tacos al pastor with marinated pork, grilled pineapple and salsa; guacamole with the instructor's family recipe; tortillas from scratch; quesadillas with artisanal cheese; agua fresca; and a three-milk dessert. Everything is made by hand in the kitchen, not demonstrations you watch.

Is the mezcal tasting part of the class, or do I pay extra for it?

The mezcal tasting is included at the start of the class as an introduction to its characteristics and how to taste it properly. Beer, wine and mezcal are all included in the price throughout the experience.

Can children join the cooking class in Tulum?

Children are welcome from age seven. Infants can attend but must sit on an adult's lap, and the space is wheelchair accessible if anyone in your group needs it.

What language is the class taught in?

The instructor teaches in both English and Spanish, so you can choose whichever works for your group.

Do I need cooking experience to join this class?

No. The class is designed to teach you traditional Mexican techniques from the ground up, starting with an introduction to essential ingredients and flavors before you begin cooking.

What happens at the end of the class—do we really eat together?

Yes. Once all the dishes are cooked, everyone sits down at one table to share the meal you've prepared together, along with the included drinks. It's a shared experience, not a takeaway.