Madrina Vegana is the vision of Erica Muñoz—founder, executive chef, and the creative mind redefining plant-based Mexican cuisine.

Growing up in a Mexican-American household, being the only vegan felt a little… alien. Add lactose intolerance to the mix, and traditional family meals became a test of creativity.

Duck carnitas, no. 
Chicarrones, sorry.
Chile relleno, close!
Sunday menudo, OMG.

Too often, Erica Muñoz found herself eating rice, beans, and potatoes while everyone else enjoyed the full richness of Mexican cuisine. She knew there had to be a way to honor the flavors, traditions, and family recipes she grew up with without sacrificing her values, her health, or the soul of Mexican food.

That belief became the foundation of Madrina Vegana.

As founder and executive chef, Erica set out to prove that plant based Mexican food does not have to be a compromise. Every dish is intentionally crafted to deliver bold flavor, texture, and nostalgia. The food is made not just for vegans, but for everyone at the table, including skeptics, family members, and lifelong carnivores.

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EXPANDING MINDS AND PALATES

At Madrina Vegana, plant-based Mexican cuisine is celebrated as more than delicious. It is better for our bodies, kinder to animals, and more sustainable for the planet.

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“I didn’t want to recreate Mexican food without meat—I wanted to recreate the feeling of growing up around it.”

— Erica Muñoz, Founder & Executive Chef

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AN ACCIDENTAL COOK

Erica’s path to the kitchen was not traditional. For over 22 years, she built a successful career as a day spa owner and esthetician, focused on wellness and helping people feel their best. Cooking was not always her specialty, and her three sons would be the first to admit it. When the pandemic paused everything, it gave her the space to reconnect with food and reimagine the dishes of her childhood through a plant based lens.

What began as experimentation quickly became purpose. In 2021, Erica launched Madrina Vegana through pop ups and food festivals from New York to Miami. By the end of 2022, people were driving over an hour just to get their favorite Madrina Vegana dish.

That was the moment she knew this was more than food.
It was a movement.

To Erica, food, wellness, and aesthetics are deeply connected. They are all about making people feel good. Madrina Vegana is where those passions collide, led by a chef who refused to believe that culture and plant based eating could not coexist beautifully.