13 Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes

Blue pot of chunks of pork, authentic carnitas, with a bay leaf and wooden spoon on top

Authentic Carnitas1/13

This Mexican carnitas recipe is authentic braised and fried pork that makes for conversation-stopping, fall-apart-tender awesomeness.

Four glasses filled with michelada cocktails and a lime wedge between them.

Michelada2/13

The customary morning-after equivalent of a Bloody Mary in Mexico—except this is lighter, less tomato-y, and all around lovelier.

White oval dish with four chicken drumsticks, chopped green tomatillos, cilantro, onion, sliced chiles

Braised Chicken with Tomatillos3/13

Slightly tart and eminently easy, this tomatillo sauce makes ample so you can stash some in the fridge for later. Cook once, eat twice.

Three sweet and spicy tacos on a white plate with wedges of lime alongside.

Sweet and Spicy Tacos4/13

Who needs those spice packets? There's ample zing in these slightly citrusy tacos to be both sassy and sophisticated.

A cast-iron skillet filled with chilaquiles on a wooden cutting board with a block of queso fresco and half a jalapeno beside it.

Chilaquiles5/13

Essentially eggs scrambled with chips (or day-old tortillas) and salsa, chilaquiles is equally enticing in the a.m. as the p.m., with a cup of hot joe or a bottle of cold cerveza.

Two chicken enchiladas with green sauce in a black shallow bowl with cubed avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and a lime half.

Chicken Enchilada With Green Sauce6/13

"I may never use store-bought sauce again." That's what folks are saying about this super simple Tex-Mex standby with a simple salsa verde that's made from scratch. And so worth it.

A glass baking dish with four chicken enchiladas topped with cheese, sliced scallions, and cilantro leaves.

Chicken Enchiladas | Black Bean Enchiladas7/13

Enchiladas that are offer something to please everyone, whether vegetarians or carnivores, including a simple yet spectacular green chile sauce.

Spicy Mango Ice Pops8/13

Forget about pleasing the kids. These spicy little lovelies boast mango with a hint of lime. Certain to woo the sophisticate in you.

Two chipotle maple barbecue beef brisket tacos on a wooden surface.

Chipotle Maple Barbecue Beef Brisket9/13

All the messy, smoky goodness of a backyard barbecue minus the messy, smoky backyard.

Potatoes with Mexican chorizo stuffed into pitas with a glass of beer in the background.

Potatoes with Mexican Chorizo10/13

Easy, authentic, and awesome any time of day, whether accompanied by steaming hot coffee or cold cerveza.

Mexican Hot Chocolate | Chocolate Caliente11/13

This concoction of hot milk and Mexico's incomparable chocolate is whipped into a frenzy with a milinillo--Mexico's unplugged answer to the immersion blender.

A person assembling a slow cooker barbacoa taco with a pot of shredded barbacoa meat, a small dish of onions, a bottle of hot sauce, and some cilantro around the taco plate.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Tacos12/13

With barely any effort, you can turn out terrific taco-ready barbacoa—that's uber tender shredded meat infused with a hint of heat.

A basket containing two Baja-style tempura fish tacos and some pickled vegetables, with a bottle of Pacifico on the side.

Baja-Style Tempura Fish Tacos13/13

Relax with these crunchy-tender fish tacos filled with a kicky cabbage slaw and sweet-tart mango-banana salsa. Think flip-flops and a beer—all year long.