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Berros Regionales from Mexico

Berros Regionales

★ 4.5
Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Rooted in Mexico, Berros Regionales is a salad enjoyed for generations.

About Berros Regionales

Rooted in Mexico, Berros Regionales is a salad enjoyed for generations. The dish is built around lemon, walnuts and bacon.

🏛️ History & Culture

Berros Regionales, a watercress-based salad, reflects the deep-rooted presence of berros (watercress) in Mexican cuisine, which has been cultivated and consumed in the central highlands since the colonial era. The exact origin of this specific combination of lemon, walnuts, and bacon is not formally documented, and its history is best described as a regional home-style creation rather than a storied national dish.

Across Mexico, watercress salads vary by household, but the core pairing of crisp, peppery leaves with a tart citrus dressing is a common refresher for rich main courses, especially in the central and northern states. The inclusion of walnuts nods to local harvests, while bacon reflects Spanish-introduced pork, making the dish a practical, everyday side that balances freshness with savory depth at family meals and market stalls alike.

🍳 How to make Berros Regionales

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Berros Regionales

A traditional Mexican watercress salad from the central highlands, balancing peppery greens with toasted walnuts, smoky bacon, and a bright lemon vinaigrette. Often served as a light starter or alongside grilled meats.

Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy

Recipe ingredients

  • 200 g (7 oz) fresh watercress, thick stems removed, or null
  • 100 g (3½ oz) Mexican walnuts (nueces), toasted, lightly crushed, or null
  • 120 g (4 oz) thick-cut bacon (tocino), diced, or null
  • 60 g (2 oz) queso fresco or añejo, crumbled; substitute feta if unavailable, or null
  • 1 whole avocado, ripe, sliced, or null
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) fresh lime juice, plus extra wedges for serving, or null
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, or null
  • 1 tsp honey or Mexican honey (miel de abeja), or null
  • 0.5 tsp (½ tsp) fine sea salt, or null
  • 0.25 tsp (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper, or null
  • 15 g (¼ cup) fresh epazote leaves, optional, torn; adds traditional herbal note, or null
  • 1 whole serrano or jalapeño chile, thinly sliced, optional, or null

Steps

  1. 1 Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking often, until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Set aside.
  2. 2 In a cold skillet, add the diced bacon and cook over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon is deeply crisp and browned (internal safe endpoint reached when fat is fully rendered and edges are crisp). Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels; reserve 1 tbsp of the rendered bacon fat and discard the rest.
  3. 3 In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and the reserved 1 tbsp of warm bacon fat until emulsified. Taste and adjust salt or acid.
  4. 4 Place the cleaned watercress in a large bowl. If using, scatter the torn epazote and sliced chile over the top. Drizzle with about two-thirds of the dressing and toss gently to coat, being careful not to bruise the leaves.
  5. 5 Add the toasted walnuts, crispy bacon, and crumbled queso fresco. Toss once more very gently.
  6. 6 Arrange on a platter or individual plates, tuck slices of avocado alongside, and finish with the remaining dressing and an extra squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.
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Ingredients
Steps

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