Discover 5 Restaurants With the Best Pipian in Puebla, Mexico

If you had time for just one dish in Puebla, then it should definitely be mole poblano. Without question. It’s a defining dish in traditional Mexican cuisine and considered by many to be a national dish of Mexico.

But did you know that there’s another famous mole you can try in Puebla? There are actually two. It’s called pipian and it exists in two versions – pipian verde (green) and pipian rojo (red). I’ll describe them in more detail below but pipian basically refers to any Mexican sauce made with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) as its main ingredient.

While mole poblano may be the signature dish of Puebla, pipian is something you should definitely try as well. Here are five restaurants where you can try pipian in Puebla.

WHAT IS PIPIAN?

Pipian refers to any sauce in Mexican cuisine made with pepitas or pumpkin/squash seeds as its main ingredient. This is what differentiates it from traditional mole which is typically made with nuts like peanuts, sesame seeds, and pine nuts. Depending on the cook, pipian can be made with nuts as well but its key ingredient is pepitas.

Pipian is prepared throughout Mexico and exists in different varieties. In Puebla, pipian verde and pipian rojo are the most common.

Pipian Verde (Green Mole)

Pipian verde or “green mole” is the most popular type of pipian in Puebla. Aside from ground toasted pumpkin seeds, it’s made with a multitude of green ingredients like tomatillos, pureed vegetables, herbs, and chili peppers (poblano, jalapeño, serrano). Other commonly used ingredients include garlic, sesame seeds, peanuts, and spices.

Like mole poblano, it’s traditionally served over chicken with a side of rice and corn tortillas. It can also be served as a sauce over enchiladas.

Pipian Rojo (Red Mole)

Pipian rojo is similar to pipian verde except it’s made with red ingredients like ripe tomatoes and red chili peppers (guajillo, chipotle). It’s served in the same way as green mole – over chicken with a side of rice and fresh corn tortillas.

WHERE TO FIND THE BEST PIPIAN IN PUEBLA

You can enjoy pipian verde or pipian rojo on their own but some restaurants in Puebla do serve them together in one dish, often with mole poblano as well. If you have limited time in Puebla, then ordering a mole degustation platter is a great way to try all three.

5. Cocina Isabel (Mercado Municipal La Acocota)

Mole of any type can be a bit pricey. At good non-touristy restaurants, you can expect to spend about MXN 150-200 on pipian.

If you’re traveling on a budget, then a great place to try it is at a market fonda (family-owned eatery). One of the best markets in Puebla is Mercado Municipal La Acocota. It’s home to many fondas where you can try pipian or mole poblano for cheap. At La Acocota, a good fonda to go to is Cocina Isabel or Cemitas Robert y Antijitos Lulú.

Compared to a proper restaurant, the mole at fondas tends to be thinner. They probably water down the mole paste to bring down the cost but at just MXN 50-60 per plate, I’m not complaining.

Cocina Isabel is about one of five or six fondas at La Acocota. Fondas are always a great option if you want cheap but good traditional food in Mexico.

Cocina Isabel

Address: Mercado Municipal La Acocota, C. 16 Nte. 605, La Acocota, 72377 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 9AM-6PM, daily
Expect to Pay: About MXN 52

4. Clementina Cocina Poblana

As described, some restaurants in Puebla serve two or three types of mole in one dish. At Clementina Cocina Poblana, you can get a pipian duo over chicken for MXN 195, but I suggest getting these chicken enchiladas with three moles instead. It costs just MXN 139 and you get to try all three at a much lower price.

Here’s a closer look at the pipian verde. Most restaurants in Puebla garnish their green mole with whole pumpkin seeds.

Pipian is known for its nutty flavor and it isn’t as sweet or rich as mole poblano.

Don’t you just love the bright color of this pipian rojo? In our experience, pipian rojo in Puebla can range from a dull muted red to a bright orange.

The pipian rojo at Clemetina is tasty but their green mole is better.

Clementina Cocina Poblana is a more modern restaurant near Mercado el Parian, one of the best places to buy souvenirs in Puebla. It’s a great place to enjoy a meal after a few hours of souvenir shopping at the market.

Clementina Cocina Poblana

Address: Av 6 Ote 411, Centro, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 9AM-7PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 139 (enchiladas con tres moles), MXN 195 (duo de pipianes)

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3. La Casa del Mendrugo

La Casa del Mendrugo is a proper sit-down restaurant in an historic building about a block away from the zocalo (main square). They serve great mole poblano and pipian verde, both of which you can enjoy in this duo. They serve them with a side of red rice and terrific blue corn tortillas.

La Casa del Mendrugo offers these sauces separately as well but I highly recommend getting this duo so you can try both. Unfortunately, they don’t serve pipian rojo.

Here’s a closer look at the green mole garnished with pumpkin seeds. Notice how much thicker it is compared to the pipian at the fonda?

Both the pipian verde and duo poblano at La Casa del Mendrugo will set you back MXN 190.

If you like museums, then you’ll have one more reason to visit La Casa del Mendrugo. It’s home to an interesting museum on the second floor with carved human skulls, bones, and seashells. Entrance is normally MXN 40 but diners can enter for free.

La Casa del Mendrugo

Address: C. 4 Sur 304 – C, Centro, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 9AM-9PM, Mon-Sat / 9AM-6PM, Sun
Expect to Pay: MXN 190 (pipian verde), MXN 190 (duo poblano)

2. Restaurante Casareyna

Restaurante Casareyna has a reputation for being one of the best restaurants in Puebla. It’s a fine dining restaurant that offers this beautiful mole degustation platter with four different types of mole – mole poblano, pipian verde, pipian rojo, and mole blanco.

If you have limited time in Puebla, then I suggest ordering this. It goes for MXN 245 and comes with rice, corn tortillas, and purple yam puree.

Restaurante Casareyna is the restaurant of the Casareyna Hotel. We learned about this place through our AirBnB host who couldn’t recommend it highly enough. And now I’m recommending it to you.

Restaurante Casareyna

Address: Privada 2 Ote. 1007, Centro, 72000 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 8AM-10:30PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 199 (pipian de le tia cris, verde), MXN 199 (pipian de la tia chela, rojo), MXN 199 (duo de pipianes), MXN 245 (mole degustation platter)

1. Antojitos Mellos

This is easily the best pipian rojo I’ve tasted so far in Puebla. Other pipian rojos have been pretty much the same but this one from Antojitos Mellos was clearly better. You can really taste the nutty flavor in this fantastic red mole.

Antojitos Mellos is open everyday but they only serve mole on Saturdays and Sundays. They prepare it in this huge cazuela (earthenware pot) and give you four large corn tortillas. I don’t know if you can appreciate how big this pot is but they literally give you a pool of pipian rojo.

Dunking shreds of corn tortilla in this nutty, deeply flavorful sauce was an absolute joy. It’s almost impossible to soak up all this rich sauce with just four tortillas but you’ll definitely want to try.

If your trip to Puebla lands on a weekend, then I highly recommend enjoying a meal at Antojitos Mellos. I haven’t tried the pipian verde but their mole poblano is terrific as well.

Antojitos Mellos is about a 20-minute walk east of the zocalo. It doesn’t get many tourists, which is never a bad thing if what you want is good local food.

Antojitos Mellos

Address: Av. Don Juan de Palafox y. Mendoza 2008, Barrio de los Remedios, 72377 Puebla, Puebla
Operating Hours: 1-10:30PM, daily
Expect to Pay: MXN 115 (pipian verde), MXN 115 (pipian rojo) – Sat and Sun only

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FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE BEST PIPIAN IN PUEBLA

Pipian may not get the same attention as mole poblano but it’s a dish that you should definitely look for in Puebla, especially if you have a taste for traditional local food. These complex sauces are a pillar in Mexican cooking so trying as many as you can while in Mexico is never a bad idea.

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