Zihuatanejo Cooking Class: Make Chiles Rellenos

Cook three authentic Mexican dishes and eat what you made

A hands-on cooking class in Zihuatanejo de Azueta where you prepare chiles rellenos, tamales and enchiladas under the guidance of a native cook who shares family recipes and the secrets of prehispanic, Hispanic and contemporary Mexican cuisine. Pickup is included. The class runs four hours and ends with lunch you cooked, plus one drink. Minimum age is 16.

The experience

Four hours in a Mexican home kitchen, learning to make the dishes that define the region. Your host is a native cook who teaches you the techniques and the reasoning behind each step: why the chiles are prepared a certain way, how the sauces build flavor, what makes an enchilada authentic. You are the one doing the work: chopping, mixing, cooking at the stove. The goal is not to watch a demonstration but to leave knowing how to replicate these recipes at home, with the confidence that comes from having made them once under someone who knows.

The class takes you beyond the tourist version of Mexican food. You'll learn about the regional traditions baked into each dish: the prehispanic roots, the Spanish influences, the way contemporary cooks adapt them. Chiles rellenos, the jewel of Mexican cuisine, are stuffed and sauced the way they are done in Zihuatanejo itself. The tamales and enchiladas follow the same logic: real recipes, real technique, the kind of knowledge that lives in families and gets passed down. After cooking, you sit down with whoever came with you (or with new friends from the class), and eat what you made together, with one drink included.

Transportation is included, which means pickup from your hotel and the ride to the cooking space in the neighboring town of Coacoyul. The class is offered in English or Spanish, so language is not a barrier. Minimum age is 16.

What’s included

• Pickup from your hotel.
• four hours of hands-on cooking instruction in English or Spanish.
• all ingredients and equipment.
• the three dishes you prepare (chiles rellenos, tamales, enchiladas).
• lunch of the food you cooked.
• one drink.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (16 to 75 years) · Under 16: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by carelsytours

Is this one for you?You do the cooking yourself under live instruction, which means you leave with the skill to make these dishes again, not just the memory of watching someone else make them. This suits anyone who wants to learn a technique, not just taste a meal, and who is comfortable spending a morning in a kitchen doing the work.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What dishes do I actually learn to cook in this class?

Chiles rellenos (poblano peppers stuffed with cheese or meat and covered in tomato sauce), tamales, and enchiladas. Your host chooses these three as the most representative dishes of Mexican cuisine and teaches you the technique for each one so you can make them at home.

Do I cook the food myself or watch someone else cook it?

You do the cooking. This is a hands-on class where you prepare the dishes yourself while your host guides you through each step, shares the family secrets, and explains the reasoning behind the techniques.

What happens after the cooking is done?

You sit down and eat the food you cooked, sharing the meal with anyone who came with you or with other people in the class. One drink is included with lunch.

How long does the whole class take?

The class runs four hours from start to finish, including the cooking and the meal at the end.

Is transportation arranged for me?

Yes. Pickup from your hotel is included, and the class takes place in Coacoyul, a neighboring town near Zihuatanejo. The ride is part of the booking.