Mexican-Inspired Recipes

For an a-maize-ing upgrade, this easy dinner recipe has you quickly fry soft corn tortillas in hot oil just until their edges are crisp. This turns them into a crispy handheld treat filled with a hearty mix of shredded chicken thighs and a quick homemade tomato salsa. 

Get a freezable Mexican meal rolling in no time with a no-cook filling and a sauce made from pantry ingredients. Pepper Jack cheese and a combination of black beans and corn tortillas give this meatless dish complete protein.

If you order a bowl of authentic Mexican chile verde in the Southwest, you'll find hunks of juicy, tender pork shoulder that have been braised for hours in a tart tomatillo-chile sauce. While the original is worthy of a special weekend project, we wanted a recipe that we could make on any lazy Sunday and still be delicious. By using storebought ingredients that bring maximum flavor with the minimal amount of fuss, we created a hearty and warming chile verde that is practically hands-off. In a rush? Try the pressure-cooker version of this recipe, instead.

To fast-track this recipe, substitute 5 3/4 cups of coleslaw mix for the cabbage and carrots.

Cotija, also known as queso anejado, is a crumbly, aged white cheese; look for it in specialty food stores or Latin markets. Feta cheese can be used in its place. Serve with Ponzu-Braised Chicken or our Spiced Shredded Pork.

Rather than double-fry it as they do in Baja, we rubbed ours with 3 spices and grilled it.

This Mexican favorite makes a festive dish for a Cinco de Mayo party or a fun family dinner.

This chicken stew uses the flavor of the whole chicken and tangy tomatillos and traditional Mexican enhancements such as cilantro, garlic, and onion to full advantage.

Dark chocolate and spices add richness to the Mexican chile sauce called mole (MOH-lay). Simmer it in a slow cooker along with chicken thighs for a warming weeknight dinner.

Our at-home version of the Mexican classic tacos al pastor pairs spicy pork tenderloin with sweet pineapple on the grill.

The bold flavors of saffron, bay leaves, and garlic infuse Valencia rice, a Spanish variety perfect for slow-cooked dishes and the traditional base for paella. Here, the grains are cooked up with golden-brown chicken thighs and garnished with pimiento-stuffed olives. Saffron gives the rice its warm yellow hue.

A frozen margarita recipe is only as good as the quality of the ingredients used. Opt for the best blanco tequila, a top-notch orange liqueur, and fresh lime juice—not sour mix. A high-power blender like a Vitamix or Hamilton Bar Blender will produce the best consistency for this boozy slushie. Salting the rim of your glass is a step we say is essential; it contrasts perfectly with the sweet-tart drink.

Rendering your own lard is what really makes these anise-flavored Mexican sugar cookies stand out, but you can use vegetable shortening in a pinch. Martha made this recipe on "Martha Bakes" episode 711.

Flavorful chicken thighs are oven-poached in an ancho chili powder-seasoned mixture of citrus juices before being pulled and shredded for topping on this hearty taco salad perfect for lunch or dinner.

It doesn't get simpler than this quick take on the classic Mexican soup, especially if you use store-bought broth and rotisserie chicken.

For an authentic touch, use fresh Mexican cheese (queso fresco) or aged (queso anejo) in place of feta.

A quesadilla is a tortilla typically filled with beans and shredded cheese then folded before being toasted or fried. Our version features cheese and cooked vegetables. Sour cream, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, and bottled salsa make great accompaniments to quesadillas, so serve them on the side.

As the days and nights turn cooler, dial up the heat with our easy pressure-cooker chile verde. Simply sauté an onion and brown a pork shoulder, then stoke the stew with green chiles and store-bought salsa. Invite some friends over, and you're ready to party. No pressure cooker? No problem—we made a one-pot version for the stovetop, too.

The chipotle chiles in this stovetop casserole lend an earthy, subtle heat to the dish. This make-ahead meal is perfect for dinner on a cool fall night.

For your next batch of rice and beans, punch up both the flavor and the nutrition by adding sliced mushrooms for antioxidants, bell pepper for vitamin C, scrambled eggs for extra protein, and creamy avocado for healthy fats. 

Take taco night to the next level with this weeknight spin on cheesy, crunchy flautas. After stuffing them with a smoky, spicy ground chicken-chipotle mixture, we skipped the traditional pan-frying route in favor of letting them crisp-up in the oven.

Based on a Mexican classic, this recipe can be made as mild or as spicy as you like. Serve with plain white rice; stir in some chopped cilantro for added flavor.

Make this Mexican standby suit your tastes: Use our cheese enchiladas as a base, then select a sauce and your choice of toppings for a fast dinner with fresh flavor every time.

This hearty Tex-Mex dish is meatless and easy to make-ahead -- two great reasons to add it to your dinner lineup.