The Mexican Dish Michael Jackson Ate Nearly Every Single Day

At the peak of his career, Michael Jackson could easily afford anything he wanted, especially when it came to food. However, you might be surprised to know that, much like Elvis Presley, who ate a specific meal for six straight months, MJ also had a phase where he became so obsessed with one dish that he ate it almost every day. The late King of Pop was seemingly addicted to enchiladas while creating his mega-successful album, "Thriller," which was released in 1982 and went on to sell over 70 million copies worldwide. This interesting tidbit about Jackson's fondness for the Mexican dish was revealed by none other than his first private chef, Mani Niall.

In a California Eating blog post, Niall disclosed how he was tapped to serve as MJ's private chef in the lead-up to and during the Victory Tour in 1984. He revealed how a visit to the Golden Temple restaurant, where he was working as the kitchen and catering manager, led to a string of deliveries to an L.A. studio. According to Niall, Jackson loved the restaurant's food so much that he phoned for an order of red chile enchiladas, ginger-miso salad, and blueberry bars the next day. Jackson had the order delivered to the studio and even gave a generous $22 tip (in 1982). Before Niall knew it, he was booked for private cooking sessions at MJ's house, and he would go on to cook for him on the road. Of course, the menu always included Jackson's favorite enchiladas.

As one of the staples of Mexican cuisine, most traditional enchilada recipes are prepared with meat, such as beef or chicken. However, Mani Niall revealed in the blog post that Michael Jackson had embraced a meatless, vegetarian diet. It's safe to assume that MJ must have really enjoyed his no-meat enchiladas, which can be just as filling and even more flavorful than the traditionally meaty ones. According to Niall, Jackson liked his enchiladas spicy. "I quickly realized his favorite was a smoky red chile sauce from New Mexico, slathered over enchiladas, nachos, and potato skins," Niall wrote in the blog.

When Niall joined the singer on the latter's Victory Tour, which lasted for nearly six months, it was already a given that he would be cooking spicy enchiladas for MJ on the road. So as Niall packed all of the items he needed days before the kickoff concert in Kansas City in July 1984, he didn't hesitate bringing with him a bulk bag of New Mexican red chile powder, along with other herbs, spices, and French sea salt. Niall admitted that he used the red chile powder at every stop of the tour, implying that Jackson couldn't get enough of the Mexican dish.