75 Mexican Recipes To Make Every Day A Fiesta

According to a recent survey by YouGov, one of the most popular cuisines in the U.S. is Mexican food. For Americans, the category likely runs the gamut of authentic dishes found throughout the country of Mexico to more Americanized recipes, like Tex-Mex. Either way, Mexican food is part of our weeknight dinners, our parties and celebrations, and our snacks. 

This round-up of 75 Mexican recipes covers everything: breakfast, dinner, drinks, desserts, and beyond. There are dozens of ideas for spicy, flavorful meals that come together easily on busy weeknights, like sheet pan fajitas and Instant Pot soup. You can recreate some of your fast food favorites with copycat recipes from Taco Bell and McDonald's, and if you're looking more authentic fare, we've got you covered with recipes for tamales, drinks like horchata, and vibrantly-flavored seafood dishes. 

Don't forget the sweets! Try making a tres leches cake, or decadent Mexican chocolate cupcakes. And if you're hosting friends for movie night or to watch the game, we've got you covered with snacks like totchos, salsas, and dips. Get ready to do a lot of bookmarking, because there are delicious recipes in this collection that absolutely everyone will love.

Pico De Gallo is a fresh and classic salsa that's always a favorite at parties and Mexican food feasts. While it does require some chopping, the best thing about pico de gallo is that it's such a simple recipe. Use the freshest tomatoes you can find (Roma tomatoes are a great choice because they have less pulp), plus white onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice. Serve this pico with crispy tortilla chips, and then bring out more to use as a condiment for tacos, breakfast egg dishes, and roasted meats. 

Recipe: Pico De Gallo

A michelada is a beer cocktail that's quite refreshing, especially on a hot day. Masterclass shares that the drink is a combination of light beer (Mexican beers like Sol or Corona are especially good here,) lime juice, salt, and hot sauce, and flavored tomato juice is also a common ingredient. Our recipe adds soy and Worcestershire sauces for a hint of Bloody Mary-like flavor, and Tajin chili-lime seasoning on the rim. Whip up a batch of these fizzy drinks for your next backyard barbecue or to kick back with on a lazy weekend. 

Recipe: Michelada

The best Mexican foods take time, like this recipe for Mexican tamales, and the final dish is so worth it. Pork shoulder is cooked slowly to soak up flavor from smoky ancho chiles until it's fall-apart tender. Fold the meat with freshly-made masa inside corn husks, then slowly steam them until the tamales are ready. Make them for dinner with sides of rice and beans, or let them serve as an impressive main course for your Mexican-themed dinner party. 

Recipe: Mexican Tamales

Taco Bell fans are so excited that the chain has finally put Mexican Pizza back on the menu, but it's actually really easy to recreate this menu item at home. It consists of a crispy tortilla base topped with Taco Bell-style ground beef (which you can also make yourself), a spicy sauce, refried beans, tomato, and three cheeses. There are two things that really make this copycat recipe a winner: The spicy sauce, which is a cinch to whip up, and layering the ingredients in the right order. This pizza is cheesy, meaty, and tastier than drive-thru.

Recipe: Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza

Kick off your Mexican feast with an easy taco recipe that comes together fast. At the store, look for taco-sized flour tortillas and boneless chicken breast tenderloins which need only a few quick cuts to prepare. Coat the chicken with taco seasoning and cook it up on the stovetop — this method is a great way to make chicken for burritos or nachos, too. Fill your tacos with the seasoned chicken, cubes of avocado, red onion, cilantro, and any other toppings you like. Serve them with Mexican rice or refried beans.

Recipe: 20-Minute Chicken Tacos

This is a favorite Latin American treat made by soaking a simple single-layer cake with three kinds of milk (tres leches!) which creates a delectably sweet and custardy texture. Since it needs time to cool completely, you can even bake it in advance. Poke holes in the cake, then pour a blend of regular, evaporated, and sweetened condensed milk over the top, giving it time to be absorbed by the cake. Top your Tres Leches with sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries. 

Recipe: Tres Leches Cake

Huevos rancheros is a breakfast dish that shines with the flavors of Mexico and the green, white, and red colors of the flag as well. Fresh and full of protein from eggs and avocado, it's a healthy way for savory breakfast lovers to start the morning. Start by making a quick cilantro guacamole and a pan-cooked salsa — both of these steps can also be done in advance if you'd prefer. Serve sunny side-up eggs on warmed corn tortillas with the salsa and guacamole, and other toppings like sour cream and refried beans. Crumbled bacon would also be delicious in this breakfast dish. 

Recipe: Huevos Rancheros

Here's a way to get that long-simmered, slow cooked flavor in a Mexican dish without needing to stay home all day. Fill your slow cooker with uncooked rice, beans, diced tomatoes, corn, and chicken stock, topped with boneless chicken breasts. Let everything cook for three to four hours, until the chicken is cooked through and easy to shred. Serve this comforting meal with shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa; you can even fold it into tortillas for a hand-held meal. It's also delicious reheated if you want to prepare it ahead of time. 

Recipe: Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken and Rice

We know you love Taco Bell, but this recipe is proof that anything they make, you can make at home — and it will taste better, too! To get that Doritos flavor, look for nacho cheese-flavored hard taco shells from brands like Old El Paso. Cook up ground beef with a packet of taco seasoning or your own homemade blend. Fill the tacos with the beef along with diced tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and shredded cheese. For a side, consider making a copycat batch of Fiesta Potatoes. 

Recipe: Copycat Taco Bell Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme

Mexican street corn, or elote, is more popular than ever and it's no wonder why. According to Serious Eats, this savory side is made by grilling whole ears of corn until the kernels are tender and have a few char marks. They're then slathered in a blend of Mexican cotija cheese and spices. This recipe comes together with only five ingredients, and the ears are ready in less than 20 minutes. Serve Mexican street corn alongside tacos, grilled meats, or burgers. 

Recipe: Mexican Street Corn

Folks who are serious about flavor will surely enjoy this authentic and versatile sauce. Mole is a traditional Mexican recipe that blends ingredients like dried chiles, pepitas, tomato paste, chocolate, and spices into a thick sauce that's used to flavor stews and meats. This recipe takes about an hour from start to finish, but mole can be made in advance, then stored in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to six months. Food Network suggests using your mole to make enchiladas, to top tacos and roasted meats, and to add flavor to cooked veggies.

Recipe: Mole Sauce

Making a pot of homemade chili is easy to prepare and will be ready in less than half an hour. It's a flavorful vegetarian dish that's perfect for dinner, especially when served with corn bread, tortilla chips and your favorite toppings. The recipe utilizes easy-to-find and inexpensive canned beans (three kinds) plus tomato sauce and jarred salsa. And you can easily customize the chili by adding your favorite cooked veggies like carrots and peppers, and different spices like cumin and chipotle chili powder. 

Recipe: 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili

For those who haven't yet tried this creamy drink, The Spruce Eats explains that sweet horchata is a popular Mexican beverage made with rice, sugar, and various spices. Different regions of the country put their own twist on the drink by adding nuts, fruit, and herbs. To make the recipe, start by letting rice and almonds soak in water overnight, then blend them up and strain to remove the solids. Blend the sweet liquid with two kinds of milk, cinnamon, and vanilla, and serve your horchata over ice. Add a splash of rum to create a homemade version of RumChata.

Recipe: Horchata

You don't need giant-sized ingredients to make a giant burrito! This recipe requires easy-to-find ingredients like tortillas, black beans, rice, avocados, and a shredded Mexican cheese blend. The key to its size? "Gluing" tortillas together with melted cheese to make one large wrapper. Stuff it with a blend of rice, beans, or fillings like shredded chicken, fried potatoes, and scrambled eggs. Melt cheese over the top, and it's ready to serve! So what does one do with a giant burrito? Slice it up for a party or turn it into dinner for the whole family. 

Recipe: Giant Burrito

It just isn't a Mexican fiesta without glasses of icy margaritas. Unfortunately, since the drink is made with two kinds of alcohol, young folks or those who don't drink get left out of the fun. Luckily, nonalcoholic cocktails are more popular than ever, and a flavorful mocktail like this one can be enjoyed by all. It's made with limeade, honey, orange extract, and grapefruit juice to replicate the citrus flavors of a classic margarita. Blend with ice to make the frozen drink, and serve in glasses with rims dipped in salt, Tajin seasoning, or even sugar. 

Recipe: Margarita Mocktail

Make a Mexican-inspired savory breakfast with this tasty twist on nachos. Crisp waffle fries serve as a base to hold scrambled eggs, bacon, melty cheese, beans, and toppings of your choice like sour cream, guacamole, and sliced jalapeños. You can also swap out the bacon for vegan carrot bacon, sausage crumbles, or diced ham. This sheet pan breakfast serves six, making it especially perfect for sleepovers, holiday mornings, or just to treat your family on weekends. 

Recipe: Breakfast Nachos

Even Taco Tuesdays can become ho-hum if they don't get changed up once in a while, and fresh taco salads are a terrific way to shake things up! Our recipe shows you how to brown a flavorful onion and beef mixture and make a zesty, creamy sauce for drizzling. Create a build-your-own taco salad bar with bowls of shredded lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, guacamole, pickled jalapeños, shredded cheese, and olives. Make your own toasted tortilla strips or serve the salads with tortilla chips. 

Recipe: Taco Salad

At Mexican restaurants, fajitas are typically served in a sizzling cast iron pan — a dramatic and enticing presentation for sure, but not all that convenient for the home cook. Try this recipe instead, where the peppers, onions, and sliced chicken all broil up on the same sheet pan. Plus, the whole thing takes only 30 minutes! Set out warm tortillas to wrap around the chicken and peppers, along with toppings like sour cream, salsa, cilantro, and shredded cheese. 

Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Chipotle's popular guacamole recipe is simple, made with just a few ingredients: Avocados, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, salt, and jalapeño. That means it's ridiculously easy to make their guacamole for yourself at home. Our recipe adds a splash of lemon juice to the mix, and although it omits the diced jalapeño, you can easily add some for a little heat. To protect that vibrant green color, douse the avocado chunks immediately with the lime and lemon juices. 

Recipe: Copycat Chipotle Guacamole

Take a break from donuts and make a batch of homemade sopapillas instead. Though this fried dough isn't Mexican but actually a creation of the southwestern U.S., sopapillas have a similar combination of a crisp, crunchy exterior and cinnamon-sugar coating that's found in Mexican treats like churros and buñuelos. The simple dough is lightly scented with nutmeg, and unlike many bread doughs needs only a 15 minute rest. The rolled dough is cut into squares, then deep-fried until light and puffy. Coat them in cinnamon-sugar and eat them with honey while they're warm. 

Recipe: Sopapillas

This recipe is delicious any time of the year, but especially nice in summer when you can add fresh tomato, corn, and herbs from the garden or farmer's markets. Plus, it's a healthy and light salad to have for lunch or dinner on a warm day. Blend up a quick dressing made with Mexican flavors like cumin, lime juice, and plenty of cilantro. Toss this with cooked quinoa, black beans, and veggies, and it's ready to enjoy. Or make it in advance, keep it in the fridge, and serve the salad cold. 

Recipe: 15-Minute Mexican Quinoa Salad

Puff pastry is common ingredient in dessert recipes like fruit-filled pastries and homemade Pop Tarts, but it's also delicious in savory foods — like these tacos. Make the filling by browning ground beef with taco seasoning, onion, and taco sauce, then stir in shredded cheese. Add this filling to squares of store-bought puff pastry and fold into little pockets. They bake up in about 15 minutes. Serve them with beans, Mexican rice, or a salad for dinner, or set them out as appetizers at your next party. 

Recipe: Cheesy Puffy Tacos

You might be used to seeing taquitos in the frozen foods case, but they're so easy to make at home. Use your air fryer to cook them up fast, and fill them any way you wish — our recipe calls for store-bought rotisserie chicken. Pull the meat into shreds, then layer it in tortillas with salsa, refried beans, and cheese. Roll up the taquitos and cook them in the air fryer for just three minutes! Serve them with sides like seasoned rice or cooked corn, plus toppings like sour cream and cilantro.

Recipe: 15-Minute Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos

Although this cocktail was created to celebrate the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos, it's a fantastic drink to enjoy any time of the year. The exclusive recipe for the Flor de Muertos Margarita was created by celebrity chef Richard Sandoval, and features the intriguing flavor of edible marigold petals. The flowers and passionfruit puree contribute color as well as sweet flavor to the drink. They're blended with tequila, agave, and sour mix, and served over ice. 

Recipe: Chef Richard Sandoval's Flor De Muertos Margarita

This Mexican recipe is exactly what you need when it's time to feed a crowd. Instead of filling, folding, and cooking individual quesadillas, this method makes 10 servings in a single, sheet-pan batch. Just layer tortillas over the pan so that they form a single layer, then fill the center — we suggest beans, shredded cheese, green chiles, and salsa, but you can add your favorites like cooked chicken or beef, grilled onions, and jalapeños. Fold up the ends of the tortillas to enclose the filling, then bake and slice.

Recipe: Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Many Mexican dishes are rely on rice, either served on the side or folded in with other ingredients to make a filling meal. Cook up a big batch of this red rice to go with favorites like tacos or quesadillas, or keep it covered in the fridge for a future dishes. Layer it in burritos, stir into taco soup, or to make a skillet dinner. Just simmer rice with onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, and vegetable stock until tender — it's ready in just 30 minutes. 

Recipe: Mexican Red Rice 

The warming flavors of Mexican hot chocolate — dark chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne — are captured in decadent cupcake form. The recipe takes you through making your own chocolate cupcakes (it's easy!) and then a light and airy whipped cream frosting. Garnish the cupcakes with a sprinkle of cayenne and cinnamon sticks. These treats are welcome everywhere: birthday parties, holiday gatherings, for a Valentine's day dessert, and as the star of a summertime potluck. 

Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

There are three reasons that this skillet meal is amazing: First, the whole thing cooks up in one pot so you don't have to dirty a lot of dishes. The second reason is that it's fast, going from stovetop to table in only 20 minutes. And the third reason is the flavor, of course! The taco-spiced dish has seasoned beef, corn, black beans, and tomatoes; it's delicious served over Mexican rice, folded into tortillas, or served with salty tortilla chips.

Recipe: 20-Minute Cheesy Taco Skillet

Much like the menu item at Taco Bell that inspired it, this recipe screams late-night snack food for the tired and inebriated! Hey, sometimes that's just what we need, right? To build these nachos, first warm up your tortilla chips in the oven, though if you're just too hungry, you can skip this step. Then warm up canned, refried beans and canned nacho cheese sauce to spoon over the top. Add a drizzle of taco sauce, and start noshing. 

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Copycat Taco Bell Triple Layer Nachos

When Taco Bell abruptly discontinued potato dishes in 2020, it exposed the grim reality that favorite foods like Fiesta Potatoes can disappear at any moment. That's a good reason to learn to make the chain's Fiesta Potatoes at home — and this copycat recipe tastes better, too. Cubes of cooked potato are coated in an easy, spiced oil before going into the oven to crisp up. While they bake, make a savory cheese sauce to drizzle over the top. Enjoy them on their own, as a side for tacos, or folded into burritos. 

Recipe: Taco Bell Copycat Fiesta Potatoes

These tacos are flavorful, savory, filling, and best of all, meat-free. This recipe has just a few easy steps: Just roast cauliflower florets with a coating of garlic and spices, blend up a beautiful green sauce made with avocado and cilantro, and finally assemble your tacos. Add the roasted cauliflower along with white beans and shreds of red cabbage, or add your own favorite toppings like vegan cheese shreds, sliced jalapeños, and cubes of roasted sweet potato. Drizzle the tacos with avocado sauce, and serve them with Mexican rice or ears of roasted sweet corn. 

Recipe: Cauliflower Tacos

Guy Fieri says that if the chili you're eating is the best you've ever had, then it's probably his recipe for Dragon's Breath Chili (via YouTube). Our copycat version incorporates everything delicious about Fieri's popular recipe, including chili peppers, garlic, lager-style beer, and beans, and adds a twist that will make this recipe even more accessible. Instead of beef, sausage, and chicken stock, our meat-free recipe uses Beyond Meat products and vegetable stock. The chili needs a couple of hours to simmer, but it makes enough to feed a crowd. Serve it with avocado, sour cream, or cornbread.

Recipe: Guy Fieri's Dragon's Breath Chili With A Twist

Stuffed peppers have been a favorite family dinner for decades, and now they're even more delicious thanks to spicy Mexican flavors in the mix. Cook up the ground beef (ground turkey or chicken could also work) with a blend of garlic, chili powder, cumin, and other spices. Combine this with rice and beans, then fill the colorful bell peppers. Bake them with a sprinkle of cheese and then they're ready to serve. Stuffed peppers are delicious with guacamole and sour cream on the side, and they're pretty enough to serve at a dinner party, too. 

Recipe: Stuffed Peppers

According to Muy Bueno Cookbook, conchas are a type of Mexican sweet made from a soft, brioche-like bread and a crisp topping with a seashell pattern. Our recipe turns these colorful sweets into little cupcakes. Follow the steps to create a yeast-risen, buttery dough that gets divided and topped with a colorful dough made of sugar and butter. Use a round cookie cutter or even a paring knife to create the shell pattern, and you've got cupcakes that are festive and lightly sweet. Be sure to factor in time for the dough to rise in two stages.

Recipe: Pan Dulce Conchas Cupcakes

This is such an easy recipe to put together, a great choice for a family meal or when you want leftovers to enjoy during the week. Use your Instant Pot for all the steps, including sautéing the vegetables and browning the ground beef. Then add in tomatoes, chiles, beans, and stock; the soup cooks up in just 10 minutes. Serve it with your favorite taco toppings like shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and avocado. 

Recipe: Instant Pot Taco Soup

Recreate one of your favorite fast food breakfasts at home — It's going to taste even better than what you're used to ordering. Some of the steps can even be done in advance to help your morning go a little faster, like browning the sausage and vegetables and rehydrating the dried onion. The recipe shows you how to fold this mixture up with American cheese inside flour tortillas. The surprising final touch is microwaving it in parchment paper, which steam-heats the burrito the same way they do at McDonald's. Pair it with a copycat McDonald's hash brown.

Recipe: Copycat McDonald's Breakfast Burrito

The Washington Post describes tinga as a slow-cooked dish where meat is braised until very tender in a sauce made of tomatoes, chipotle peppers, and onion. Chicken tinga cooks up in the slow cooker in just four hours, and you can use the meat and sauce to fill tacos, top nachos, make melty quesadillas, or just serve over cooked rice. The recipe calls for chicken tenders which cook through quickly, but you can also use chicken thighs to make tinga — just increase the slow cooker time to eight hours for thigh meat. 

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga 

A sheet pan version of one of the best snack foods ever, nachos, means that it's easy to feed the whole crew — whether that's the family at dinnertime or all your besties who came over to watch a movie. The prep work needed before assembling the nachos include dicing peppers, onion, and tomatoes, and browning the ground beef (ground turkey or meat-free crumbles can also be used), which can all be done in advance. Layer everything over tortilla chips with shredded cheese and then bake. With bowls of toppings set in the middle, you can even serve the nachos at a party instead of the usual charcuterie board!

Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos

Tacos filled with a savory, spicy mushroom filling are quick and easy to make, plus they're perfect for vegan and vegetarian Mexican food fans. Sauté sliced mushrooms (the recipe recommends cremini, oyster, or shiitake) with spices until they're browned and soft. While they cook, whip up an easy guacamole with diced red onion and lime juice. Load your tortillas with mushrooms and guac, and favorite toppings like pickled jalapeños, vegan cheese shreds, and chopped cilantro. Tasty sides to serve with the tacos include seasoned rice and black beans. 

Recipe: Mushroom Tacos With Guacamole 

Here is a classic Mexican dish that serves as many as six people and/or makes for great leftovers the following day. The recipe consists of flour tortillas filled with chicken, enchilada sauce, onion, and cilantro; they're rolled up and loaded into a baking dish to be smothered with more sauce and shredded cheese. They bake up in just 25 minutes. Cooked, rotisserie chicken saves time when making the enchiladas, and although the homemade sauce takes only 10 minutes to prepare you can certainly swap in a store-bought sauce if you wish.

Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas

Although Mexican street corn made in an Instant Pot won't have char marks like corn cooked on the grill, the benefit is that it cooks up in only two minutes. Begin by making the sauce — a blend of sour cream, chili powder, lime juice, and feta cheese, though cotija or queso fresco can also work. Then, place the shucked ears of corn in the Instant Pot with some water to steam them through. Place the corn on skewers and add some sauce. They're delicious on their own or served with grilled meats or tacos. 

Recipe: Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn

According to The Mazatlán Post, aguachile is a dish from the Sinaloa region of western Mexico consisting of shrimp tossed in a blend of lime juice, crushed chili peppers, cilantro, garlic, and salt. To make it, blend the sauce ingredients and pour it over butterflied shrimp. Allow the shrimp to marinate for at least 30 minutes which allows the citrus juice to cure the shrimp and make it safe to eat. Aguachile has spicy, vibrant flavor and looks gorgeous when assembled in a serving dish. Enjoy it with tortilla chips and a cold Mexican beer. 

Recipe: Aguachile

Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme may look like a feat of culinary origami, but you'll be surprised at how easy it is to recreate this meat and veggie-loaded wrap at home. Start by browning the meat with spices and a surprising ingredient used in Taco Bell's seasoned beef mixture. (Don't worry, it's safe!) After this, the recipe shows you how to perfectly layer the beef, nacho cheese, crisp tostada, veggies, and sour cream — and, of course, how to wrap it all up in a tortilla. It's a delicious, hand-held creation that's excellent for lunch or dinner.  

Recipe: Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme

So many recipes for dishes like taco meat, taco salads, and Mexican-inspired pasta and rice dishes call for a packet of taco seasoning. While the store-bought blend is convenient there are good reasons to make homemade taco seasoning, like controlling how much salt is used and the ability to customize the flavor. This recipe calls for six ingredients, including salt, chili powder, and cumin, but feel free to try other spices like garlic powder, chipotle chili powder, and coriander. It makes about ½ cup of taco seasoning, which you can store in a jar in your pantry. Use two tablespoons of homemade to substitute for one store-bought packet. 

Recipe: Homemade Taco Seasoning

This lightened-up chili still has lots of savory flavor, but is made with lean, ground turkey and replaces the tomato-heavy base with chicken stock and green chilies. Start by sautéing the turkey with pepper, onion, and spices until cooked through, then add the stock, white beans, and corn. Simmer the chili until it's thickened, which only takes 30 minutes. Serve your chili with toppings like chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, and slices of cornbread on the side.

Recipe: White Turkey Chili

If you were a fan of the old Domino's Chicken Taco pizza, it's almost impossible to find it anymore since the pizza chain dropped it from its national menu (via Reddit). The good news is you can recreate that spicy pizza at home. Kristen Carli's recipe walks you through the steps to make an easy pizza dough and cook up some lean chicken breasts. Load the pizza crust with provolone cheese, cubed chicken, diced veggies, and taco seasoning, then bake for about 12 minutes. To shorten the time, use shredded rotisserie chicken and store-bought pizza dough. 

Recipe: Copycat Domino's Chicken Taco Pizza 

Spicy, tantalizing, homemade salmon tacos that take less than 30 minutes? C'mon — you can totally do this! Start by slicing and seasoning a salmon filet and baking it through in the oven. While that happens, whisk together an easy avocado lime crema and quick-pickle some jalapeño slices in red wine vinegar. Fill your taco shells with the cooked salmon and a generous drizzle of crema... Delicious! Serve your tacos with a cold pitcher of sangria and sides of seasoned rice or black beans. 

Recipe: 20-Minute Fish Tacos

This is an especially comforting dish to make on a cold day. A traditional soup of Mexico, albondigas (or caldo de albondigas) consists of seasoned meatballs and lots of vegetables in a spicy broth. Our recipe does require some prep work, like shaping the meatballs and chopping veggies like onion and poblano pepper, but the soup itself simmers up in a short time. Plus, the recipe makes eight servings so it's perfect for a big family dinner or when you want to feed all your roommates more than once. Serve the soup with warm tortillas (or chips) for dipping. 

Recipe: Albondigas

Do you have a crowd to feed for breakfast, or want a substantial breakfast-themed dish to serve for dinner? A spicy Mexican breakfast casserole is the recipe you're looking for. Though it takes close to an hour to bake, pulling this dish together is very easy. Sauté chorizo, whisk eggs, then layer everything in the baking dish — black beans, jalapeño, salsa, shredded cheese, and tortilla pieces. Warm, cheesy, and spicy, it's a casserole that everyone will love. Serve slices with sour cream, and crispy hash browns or tater tots on the side. 

Recipe: Mexican Breakfast Casserole

These are some of the easiest nachos you'll ever make, because most of the work is done for you in a slow cooker. Layer ingredients like chicken breasts, black beans, taco seasoning, and diced tomatoes in the slow cooker where they'll simmer away for a few hours while you work, nap, or just dream of the nachos in your future. Spread the cooked, shredded chicken and sauce over tortilla chips with cheese, and after a brief blast in the oven the nachos are ready. Add your favorite toppings like sour cream, cilantro, jalapeños, and guacamole. 

Recipe: Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Nachos

Take the spicy, creamy flavor of Mexican elote and turn it into an easy salad that's perfect as a side dish for dinner or a party. Sauté easy-to-find frozen corn with red onion and a little oil — since the recipe doesn't have the typical grilling step for street corn, this helps warm the corn through, soften the onion, and give everything a toasty flavor. Toss the cooked corn with lime juice, feta cheese (queso fresco or cotija are also good here), shredded Cheddar, and spices. The whole recipe takes only 20 minutes.

Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Salad

This dish isn't exactly nachos, but it may ruin all other nachos for you! Instead of tortilla chips, the base is a layer of crispy French fries, and they're topped with decadent, spicy, citrus-marinated pieces of steak. Melt a layer of cheese over the steak and fries, then add your favorite nacho toppings like guacamole, sour cream, diced jalapeños, and pico de gallo. It's a restaurant-quality indulgence that you can easily make at home. Plan for the steak to marinate for at least one hour or better yet, let it sit overnight. 

Recipe: Carne Asada Fries

When someone asks about your favorite kind of chili, does your mind immediately go to that little cup of beef and bean chili from the Wendy's drive-thru? Hey, no judgement here — we think it's pretty tasty, too! Recreate it at home to have for dinner or for a week's worth of lunches. All of the ingredients like ground beef, canned beans, canned chiles, and tomato sauce are easy to find at the store. Let everything simmer together for 2-3 hours on the stovetop, then curl up with a little (or big) bowl of chili topped with shredded cheese.

Recipe: Copycat Wendy's Chili 

Take your typical taco Tuesday to a whole new level by skipping the usual ground beef or chicken, and trying this herby shrimp filling instead. The secret to all the flavor is chimichurri sauce, an easy-to-make blend of cilantro, parsley, onion, and garlic. Toss deveined jumbo shrimp in the chimichurri, then sauté them for just a few minutes on each side. Stuff toasted flour tortillas with your saucy shrimp, and serve them with seasoned rice or beans. 

Recipe: Shrimp Tacos

Why make something at home that you can easily buy in a can? There are actually many reasons to make your own refried beans: For one, this recipe is made without preservatives or lard (a common part of Mexican cooking), so it's lighter and healthier. You can also play with the seasonings to make it your own. And while canned refried beans are completely puréed, a homemade version can be processed for less time to leave more texture — it's up to you! Serve this blend of pinto beans, aromatics, and toasted spices with tacos, layered into burritos, or as a topping for your next batch of nachos. 

Recipe: Refried Beans

There's a reason why the quesadillas at Taco Bell are so delicious. It's the spicy sauce, and incredibly, you can make this sauce at home in only five minutes. Check your fridge and pantry because you likely already have many of these ingredients on hand, like ranch dressing, Sriracha, cayenne, sugar, and pickled jalapeños. Toss everything in the food processor or blender, and it's ready. Don't just save it for quesadillas, though — it's a tasty dip for tortilla chips or burritos, too. Use it to add a little extra zing to tacos or burgers.

Recipe: Copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce

Historically, cooking barbacoa involved wrapping the meat with wet leaves and layering it with hot rocks inside a deep pit, where it slowly cooked for hours. This recipe slow cooks beef in the oven, making it much more manageable for home cooks. Layer chuck roast and short ribs in the pot with ingredients that include diced onions, chipotle peppers, citrus juice, garlic, and chilies. Roast everything for 2-3 hours until the meat is very tender. Barbacoa can be used to fill tacos and top nachos, or simply serve it over cooked rice. 

Recipe: Barbacoa

Totchos are tater tot nachos, and using your air fryer is a really easy way to make up a batch. The tater tots go in the fryer basket first to get nice and crispy. After that, layer refried beans and shredded cheese over the tots, and fry them a few minutes longer to melt the cheese. You can stop right there, or add more toppings like salsa, guacamole, sour cream, fresh tomatoes, and cilantro. Totchos are great for a casual dinner or as a movie night snack. 

Recipe: 15-Minute Air Fryer Totchos

Change up your taco night by putting all those delicious taco fillings into a hearty pie. Bake an empty pie shell ahead of time, even the day before, so that it has time to completely cool. Then cook the filling of ground beef, taco spices, salsa, tomatoes, and sour cream. Layer the beef mixture and shredded cheese into the pie shell, and bake for just 15 minutes. Serve thick slices of taco pie with a green salad and Mexican rice. 

Recipe: Baked Taco Pie

Use jackfruit to make a unique, plant-based filling for your tacos. When shredded, jackfruit has a texture similar to pulled meat and a neutral flavor that can be seasoned up any way you'd like. Cook the shredded jackfruit with onion, garlic, honey, lime, and spices for about 10 minutes. It really is that quick! Fill hard or soft tacos with the jackfruit and other toppings like diced tomatoes, avocado, and pickled onions. 

Recipe: 15-Minute Jackfruit Tacos

Everyone has their favorite, go-to dishes that are easy to make, comforting, and flavorful. Well, here's one more to add to the rotation. This casserole has a layers of Mexican-spiced beef, corn, and tomatoes, as well as a generous helping of shredded cheese. They go over a layer of cornbread (made from an inexpensive boxed mix) in the bottom of a casserole dish. The whole thing bakes for just under an hour and emerges from the oven as a beautiful, melty creation with toasty, browned cornbread. Serve it with sour cream and pickled jalapeños.

Recipe: Mexican Cornbread Casserole

When you think of a chalupa, you might envision those puffy, crispy rounds sold at Taco Bell. The fried dough is also a traditional food of Mexico, with a history going back to the late 1800s. You should really make these at home, because they only require six ingredients and are ready in a half hour. Use the fresh chalupas to hold savory fillings like seasoned beef or chicken, or to make unique desserts by filling them with ice cream, fruit, and sweet sauces. 

Recipe: Chalupas

It really is possible to make a flavorful chili that's ready in only 30 minutes and, no surprise, an Instant Pot is involved. The recipe features affordable beef chuck roast which gets sliced and seared in the in the pot first with onions and garlic. Next come the black beans, chilies, tomatoes, and spices. Pressure cook everything for only 15 minutes; the result is a hearty chili with tender chunks of meat. It's delicious for dinner, Super Bowl parties, or as a make-ahead option for work lunch. 

Recipe: Instant Pot Steak Chili

This famous appetizer has been a party favorite for decades. Served with a big bowl of tortilla chips, hungry guests can dig down through layers of Mexican spiced cheese, refried beans, guacamole, salsa, lettuce, diced tomatoes, and black olives. The real reason it's remained such a favorite recipe is that 7-Layer Dip is easy to assemble and requires no cooking. The whole recipe comes together in only 15 minutes, and makes at least 12 servings. It can even be made up to two days in advance. Make the dip for potlucks, movie nights, Mexican-themed celebrations, and holiday get-togethers.

Recipe: 7-Layer Dip

Want to come home after a long day at work or school to a plateful of spicy steak fajitas? Pull out your slow cooker! Shop for skirt or flank steak, and rub the surface with the taco seasoning. Place the steak and sliced veggies in the slow cooker to simmer away on low for eight hours. The meat becomes perfectly tender, and a quick flash under the broiler before slicing will give it the sizzling, charred edges you get with restaurant fajitas. Fold the meat and veggies into warm tortillas or serve them over rice.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas

If you've tried to recreate the tender and flavorful ground beef from Taco Bell at home but keep missing the mark, this recipe will help take the mystery out of that meat. There's a secret ingredient in the fast food chain's ground beef that helps it stay extra moist after cooking: oats! Grind some regular oats in a food processor and add them to ground beef along with spices, a pinch of sugar, and a little MSG. (Another secret ingredient that helps bring out savory flavors in food.) The recipe makes plenty of beef for tacos, burritos, and nachos. 

Recipe: Copycat Taco Bell Beef

Decent vegan options for breakfast tacos may be hard to find, which is why this 15-minute homemade option is genius. They're filled with a savory blend of tofu, mushrooms, and black beans, so there's lots of protein to start your day off right. Pre-pressed tofu is a time saver, because the excess water has already been removed. Make things even easier by slicing and sautéing the onions, peppers, and mushrooms in advance. The recipe makes six servings to feed a crowd or to feed yourself for several mornings. 

Recipe: 15-Minute Vegan Breakfast Tacos

A common ingredient called for in recipes for tacos, skillet meals, and casseroles is store-bought enchilada sauce — but the truth is that it's quick and easy to make at home with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Whisk flour and oil with spices that include chili powder and cumin, then blend in tomato paste and stock. Simmer for 10 minutes and your delicious enchilada sauce is ready. It keeps in the fridge for up to five days, but you can also freeze it in ice cube trays for easy and long-lasting portions.

Recipe: Enchilada Sauce

Take a cue from Chipotle when choosing a protein for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or nachos. Their sofritas is a meat-free, seasoned mixture that has plenty of smoky, spicy flavor, and this copycat recipe is an easy way to make it at home. Use a food processor or blender to make the sauce with roasted poblano peppers, adobo sauce, onion, and tomatoes. Pour it over browned and crumbled tofu and simmer for just a few minutes — then it's ready. Tofu-based dishes like sofritas can be kept in the fridge for up to one week. 

Recipe: Copycat Chipotle Sofritas

The word "stew" invites images of cold, winter days when huddling over a bowl of slow-cooked meat and veggies feels especially comforting. While this Mexican chicken stew is certainly comforting, it's also versatile. That's because this mix of sautéed veggies, seasoned chicken, tomatoes, corn, and stock can be served in so many ways. It's delicious over cooked rice, in a bowl with a side of cornbread, and also as a filling in tacos and burritos. Pour the stew over tortilla chips, add crema and avocado slices to make a chilaquiles-style meal. 

Recipe: Mexican Chicken Stew

If you have tortillas on hand, you can easily make a batch of crunchy tortilla chips, which are delicious when still warm from the oven. Making them yourself puts you in charge of what type of oil to use and how salty they'll be. Feel free to experiment with spices on the chips, like taco seasoning blend, chipotle chili powder, or cumin. Get your friends or kids to help brush the tortillas with oil and cut them into triangles. They'll only have to wait 15 minutes for the chips, which are tasty with nacho cheese dip, salsa, or guac.

Recipe: Homemade Tortilla Chips

Strips of bell pepper, onions, and chicken are tossed with pasta in this cheesy and super creamy dinner. It's a bit like a grown-up take on mac n' cheese, but with the zesty flavors of fajitas. Because it's made with cooked chicken breast, there is minimal prep work and the whole recipe takes less than a half hour to finish. Roasted, grilled, Instant Pot-cooked, or leftover rotisserie chicken all work well, or you can substitute black beans and omit the chicken all together. The recipe serves four. 

Recipe: Chicken Fajita Pasta

If a recipe says "California," you know it's going to include avocado! Not only does this filling burrito feature slices of this bright green fruit, it also has bacon, roasted potatoes, eggs, salsa, and cheese. The recipe takes you through the steps to create the burrito; several can even be done in advance, like cooking the bacon and potatoes and whisking up the eggs. It makes two, big breakfast burritos to feed you and your bestie for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. 

Recipe: California Breakfast Burrito

Everyone loves a good, homemade meatloaf! Not only is it a filling and comforting dinner dish, but the leftovers taste even better. This meatloaf recipe is a fun twist on the usual because it's loaded with spicy Mexican flavors from ingredients like taco seasoning, Rotel diced tomatoes with chiles, and salsa. The recipe takes just under an hour from start to finish, and is delicious served with cornbread or Mexican rice. And the leftovers? Use them to make quesadillas, to fill tacos, or to make a sandwich with guacamole and hot sauce. 

Recipe: Mexican Meatloaf

This is one of the most vibrant and flavorful tacos out there, all thanks to a simple chimichurri sauce. Made from parsley, lemon juice, vinegar, and spices, the sauce comes together in seconds using a blender. Sliced flank steak gets a quick rest in a spicy balsamic vinegar marinade to bring even more flavor to the taco filling. Serve the steak and chimichurri in soft corn tortillas with sour cream and diced tomatoes. The tangy, herby sauce can also be made up to five days in advance to help make the recipe go faster.

Recipe: Chimichurri Steak Tacos