36 Great Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes

Chicken tenders, Mexican-style four-cheese blend, green chile peppers and bottled green salsa fill these easy enchiladas. Buy hot or mild chilies to suit your family's taste for heat.

Quick Green Chili and Chicken Enchiladas

A tiny bit of taco seasoning mix packs big flavor in this south-of-the-border twist on traditional chicken salad. Try it in a tortilla wrap with crisp romaine lettuce.

Mexican Chicken Salad

Slow-cook pork shoulder roast and Mexican spices to tender goodness, then serve with corn tortillas. Fresh cilantro, green onion and bottled green salsa add the finishing touches.

Mexican Tacos Carnitas

Pair Mexican flavors with pasta for this comfort-food casserole that includes sausage, salsa and Monterey Jack cheese.

Mexican Mac and Cheese

For a change in routine, substitute green salsa for red in this easy Mexican-inspired meal.

Simple Salsa Skillet

Root beer and chipotle peppers yield pulled pork that's sweet, spicy, smoky and marvelously tender—perfect for wrapping in a tortilla with cheese and vegetables.

Shredded Pork Tacos

Create a meatless main dish in minutes by sauteing sweet potatoes, then adding canned corn and black beans. Top with a chipotle-flavor sour cream, avocado slices and fresh cilantro.

Mexican Sweet Potato-Veggie Medley

Wrap meat in multigrain tortillas with adobo sauce and fire-roasted tomatoes for a fresh take on chicken enchiladas.

Chicken Enchiladas Adobo

Corn and diced ham stud buttermilk pancakes topped with bright fruit salsa. Serve them for a savory brunch or light dinner with a green salad.

Mexican Cornmeal Pancakes with Black Bean and Pineapple Salsa

This easy-to-make dish travels well to potlucks or other gatherings. "It uses a variety of convenience foods that are stirred together in one big pot, and brings out the great flavor of all the ingredients," says recipe developer Nina Swan-Kohler of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Tex-Mex Cheesy Chicken Chowder

This easy slow-cooker meal has just five ingredients, all packaged or canned. Toss it together in minutes in the morning, and come home to a finished meal in the afternoon.

Mexican Meatball Stew

Tuck mango salsa, Gouda cheese, and chopped turkey or chicken into flour tortillas for sweet and smoky quesadillas.

Turkey-Mango Quesadillas

Combine pantry ingredients, such as canned bean dip and taco sauce, for this easy dip. Serve with tortilla chips.

Mexican Seven-Layer Dip

Either fresh or frozen tilapia works well for these tacos. Just rub the fish with seasonings, and it's ready for the skillet. Serve with a creamy chipotle sauce and a zesty combination of chopped onions, tomatoes and cilantro.

Tilapia Tacos with Chipotle Cream

Cook pork in a blend of cocoa powder, cumin, cinnamon, pumpkin and poblano pepper for a rich, hearty chili.

Mexican Winter Chili

Great for a potluck or family dinner, this 12-serving casserole combines polenta with ground turkey, spices, black beans, tomatoes and Monterey Jack cheese.

Mexican Polenta Pie

Switching a few ingredients in our 10-minute limeade drink creates new options. Go for Original Limeade, So Strawberry, Blue Lagoon, Pomegranate or the nonalcoholic Designated Driver.

Five-Way Margarita

Layer wedges of corn tortillas with a mixture of green salsa, sour cream, shrimp and corn for this casserole. Give it a fresh finish with some cilantro, sour cream and chopped tomato.

Fiesta Tortilla-Shrimp Casserole

Whip up this easy appetizer and store it in your fridge until it's snack time. To serve the skins hot and crispy, broil them just before serving.

Nacho Potato Skins

Thinly slicing tougher cuts of meat, such as beef chuck eye steak, flank steak and skirt steak, ensures tenderness. Tip: Pop the steak in the freezer for about 20 minutes before slicing—it should be firm but not frozen. Hold a chef's knife at a 45-degree angle to the meat and thinly cut across the grain.

Fall Vegetable Fajitas

Layer a tomato-bean mixture, cheese and tortillas for a casserole with south-of-the-border flavor. Let each guest top their portion with chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, green onions, olives and/or sour cream.

Tortilla-Black Bean Casserole

Based on Tex-Mex ingredients, this layered salad can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. For a fun presentation, assemble individual servings in clear jelly jars, dressing and all, then refrigerate.

24-Hour Tex-Mex Salad

Make this thick and chunky salsa with fresh tomatoes from your garden. Add more jalapeno peppers if you prefer more heat.

Best Salsa

Let your family or guests build their own filled tortillas. The recipe comes from Manny's Restaurante Mexicano in Kansas City. Although Manny makes his pico de gallo, chili sauce, refried beans and Mexican rice, you can substitute purchased products.

Fajitas

Combine cubed cooked chicken, corn, Mexican cheese, tortillas and salsa in individual-size baking dishes for this casserole dish, which you can make ahead and freeze.

Mexican Tortilla Casseroles

This lighter version of a classic brunch dish uses ground turkey sausage, skim milk, light sour cream and reduced-fat cheese to cut down on fat and calories. You can make this up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate until baking.

Mexican Sausage Strata

Make this hearty soup on the stove or in a slow cooker. Serve with sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese and tortilla chips for added taco flavors.

Aunt Bonnie's Taco Soup

Fresh tomatillos and jicama add authentic tartness and crunch to this made-in-minutes dinner. You can find both veggies at large supermarkets or Latin groceries.

Chicken Tacos with Avocado Salsa and Ranch Taco Sauce

This salsa does double duty as a tortilla dip or a meat topper. Serve with a slotted spoon over grilled pork, smoked bratwursts or sausages, grilled chicken or salmon.

Black Bean Salsa

Lime- and jalapeno-spiced guacamole adds a kick to layers of refried beans, cheese, tomatoes and onions. Serve seasoned tortilla chips on the side.

Bonanza Bean Dip

This taco-flavored main dish is a potluck favorite from a Fargo, North Dakota, reader. Serve it with tortilla chips so your guests can scoop and eat.

Mexican Biscuit Casserole

Fresh herbs, tomatoes and avocados create a refreshing salsa. Serve with pita or tortilla chips.

Avocado-Feta Salsa

Ground Beef and Salsa Chili, from The Dakota Diner in Webster, South Dakota, can be on the table in 30 minutes or less. Customize the heat level to your preference by the spiciness of the salsa you use.

Ground Beef and Salsa Chili

Use corn husks to package your fish fillets in this main dish. Roasting the corn for the salsa intensifies its flavor. Serve with tortilla chips for scooping up any leftover salsa on your plate.

Corn-Roasted Walleye

Sandwich creamy dulce de leche filling between homemade chocolate cookies for a Mexican-inspired dessert treat.

Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies with Dulce De Leche Filling

Start this veggie pizza with refrigerated dough, then spread on blended black beans, spices, salsa and garlic. Top with cheese, chopped red sweet pepper and sliced green onion.

Mexican Black Bean Pizza

Ground turkey, reduced-sodium and light ingredients, and a confetti of crisp, colorful veggies make this potluck staple more nutritious than a typical layered dip—but every bit as tasty.

Light and Layered Taco Dip