Chapulines are roasted Oaxacan grasshoppers with garlic, salt, chile and lime, eaten as a snack, in tacos or sprinkled over guacamole and tlayudas.

Chapulines (grasshoppers) are a pre-Hispanic Oaxacan protein, harvested across the Valles Centrales after the rains and roasted with garlic, salt, lime and chile. They sell year-round from the row of vendors on Calle Miguel Cabrera outside Mercado Benito Juarez, sized small to large by the gram. Modern restaurants such as Casa Oaxaca serve them tableside on guacamole; traditional rooms put them on the standard salsa selection.

Where to eat Chapulines in Oaxaca

6 editor picks for Chapulines in Oaxaca, ranked by editorial score. All Oaxaca signature dishes · Chapulines across every city.

Make it at home

Serves 420 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 200g cleaned grasshoppers (frozen, from a Mexican grocery)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tsp chile de arbol powder
  • Sea salt

Method

  1. Thaw the grasshoppers and pat dry.
  2. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over high heat.
  3. Add the grasshoppers in a single layer; toss to crisp, about 4-5 minutes.
  4. Lower the heat; add garlic and stir 1 minute.
  5. Off the heat, add lime juice, chile powder and salt to taste.
  6. Serve in small bowls with guacamole, on tlayudas or as a botana with mezcal.

Editor tip. Keep the heat hot through the first minute or two; chapulines steam and turn rubbery if the pan is too cool.

Common allergens: Insects (allergen for shellfish-allergic people).