12 Mexican Dinner Recipes That Go Way Beyond Taco Tuesday

Tacos are wonderful, but they are only the front door of Mexican home cooking. Behind it is a whole house of slow simmered soups, saucy enchiladas, steamed tamales and fall apart pork. These Mexican dinner recipes are the meals families make for Sunday gatherings, holidays and Day of the Dead celebrations. Many are cheaper than you think and feed a crowd. Still craving tacos? Our taco night ideas have you covered. Now grab some limes and cilantro and let us cook..

Mexican Dinner Recipes Start With Red Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas are the ultimate cozy casserole. Corn tortillas are dipped in red chile sauce, rolled around shredded chicken and baked under melted cheese. Top them with crumbled queso fresco, crema, cilantro and avocado for color and freshness. Using a rotisserie chicken makes this an easy weeknight meal. Homemade sauce from dried chiles tastes amazing, but a good canned sauce works in a pinch. Red or green sauce: which team are you on?

You will need: 12 corn tortillas, 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, 2 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce, 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, 1/2 cup queso fresco, 1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream, 1 avocado, cilantro, green onions

How to make it: Warm the tortillas so they bend without cracking. Dip each one in sauce, fill with chicken and a little cheese and roll. Lay them seam side down in a baking dish and pour the rest of the sauce on top. Cover with cheese and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. Add queso fresco, crema, avocado and cilantro.

Mexican Dinner Recipes for Celebrations: Pozole Rojo

Pozole is the soup Mexican families make for big celebrations like Independence Day and New Year. Pork and big, chewy hominy corn simmer in a red broth made from dried guajillo and ancho chiles. The fun is in the toppings: shredded cabbage, sliced radish, onion, lime, oregano and avocado. Everyone builds their own bowl. Which topping would you pile on first: A) radish, B) avocado, C) lime?

You will need: 2 lb pork shoulder in chunks, 2 cans (25 oz) white hominy, 4 dried guajillo chiles, 2 dried ancho chiles, 1 onion, 5 cloves garlic, 1 tsp oregano, 8 cups water, cabbage, radishes, limes, avocado

How to make it: Simmer the pork with half the onion, garlic and salt in water for 1 1/2 hours. Soak the chiles in hot water, then blend them with garlic and some broth and strain into the pot. Add the hominy and oregano and simmer 30 minutes. Serve with all the toppings.

Beef Birria With Consome

Birria went viral thanks to cheesy quesabirria tacos, but in Jalisco it has been a celebration stew for generations. Beef chuck braises with chiles, garlic and warm spices until it shreds. The rich red broth, called consome, is served on the side for sipping or dipping. Leftovers make the best tacos you will ever eat. Would you sip the broth or dunk in it?

You will need: 3 lb beef chuck or short ribs, 4 guajillo chiles, 2 ancho chiles, 2 chipotles in adobo, 1 onion, 6 cloves garlic, 2 tomatoes, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 3 bay leaves, 2 tbsp vinegar, 6 cups broth

How to make it: Soak the dried chiles in hot water and blend them with chipotles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, spices and vinegar. Brown the beef, add the sauce, bay leaves and broth and simmer covered for 3 hours. Shred the beef and serve with the broth, onion, cilantro and lime.

Mexican Dinner Recipes on a Budget: Pork Carnitas

Carnitas means little meats, and they are one of the best bargains you can cook. Cheap pork shoulder simmers in its own fat with orange and garlic until it falls apart, then it fries in the same pot until crispy at the edges. Pile it on warm tortillas with salsa verde, onion and cilantro. A big pot feeds a whole party for very little money. Crispy or soft carnitas: what is your vote?

You will need: 4 lb pork shoulder in large chunks, 1 orange halved, 1 onion, 6 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tbsp salt, 1 cup water, corn tortillas, salsa verde, limes

How to make it: Put the pork, orange, onion, garlic, bay leaves, spices, salt and water in a heavy pot. Cover and cook at 325 F for 3 hours. Shred the pork, spread it on a sheet pan and broil 5 minutes until crispy. Serve on warm tortillas with salsa and lime.

Chiles Rellenos

Chiles rellenos are roasted poblano peppers stuffed with melty cheese. The classic way is to dip them in a fluffy egg batter and fry them, then serve them on tomato sauce. This baked version is lighter and easier, and still full of smoky flavor. Poblanos are usually mild, but now and then you get a spicy one. Feeling lucky? Would you rather have them A) fried or B) baked?

You will need: 6 large poblano peppers, 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Oaxaca cheese, 1 cup cooked rice or corn, 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce, 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp cumin, cilantro

How to make it: Roast the poblanos under the broiler until charred, then steam them in a bowl for 10 minutes and peel. Cut a slit and remove the seeds. Stuff with cheese and rice. Simmer tomato sauce with onion, garlic and cumin. Pour into a dish, add the peppers and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.

Homemade Chicken Tamales

Tamales are a labor of love, and making them is a family holiday tradition called a tamalada. Everyone sits around the table spreading masa on corn husks, filling them and folding them up. Then they steam until tender. It takes a few hours, but you end up with dozens to share and freeze. Has your family ever had a tamale making party?

You will need: 30 dried corn husks, 4 cups masa harina, 1 cup lard or shortening, 3 1/2 cups warm chicken broth, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 3 cups shredded chicken, 1 1/2 cups red or green salsa

How to make it: Soak the husks in hot water for 30 minutes. Beat the lard until fluffy, then add masa, baking powder, salt and broth until soft like hummus. Mix the chicken with salsa. Spread masa on each husk, add filling, fold and stand them in a steamer. Steam for 1 1/2 hours.

Mexican Dinner Recipes for the Grill: Carne Asada

Carne asada is the heart of a northern Mexican cookout. Thin skirt or flank steak soaks in a bright marinade of lime, orange, garlic and chiles, then hits a blazing hot grill for just a few minutes. Slice it thin against the grain and serve it with grilled onions, salsa and warm tortillas. It is the meal that turns a regular weekend into a party. Who is the grill master in your house?

You will need: 2 lb skirt or flank steak, 1/3 cup lime juice, 1/3 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeno, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, tortillas, salsa

How to make it: Blend the juices, oil, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, cumin and salt. Marinate the steak for 2 to 8 hours. Grill over very high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Rest 5 minutes, then slice thin against the grain. Serve with tortillas and salsa.

Sizzling Steak Fajitas

Fajitas were born on the Texas border, where ranch workers grilled cheap skirt steak over open fires. Today the sizzling platter is a restaurant showstopper, but it is easy at home in a cast iron skillet. Get the pan screaming hot so the peppers and onions char at the edges. Everyone wraps their own with guacamole, salsa and sour cream. What goes in your wrap first?

You will need: 1 1/2 lb skirt steak, 2 bell peppers sliced, 1 large onion sliced, 2 tbsp oil, 2 limes, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 8 flour tortillas, guacamole, sour cream

How to make it: Rub the steak with lime juice and spices and rest 20 minutes. Sear in a very hot cast iron pan for 3 minutes per side, then rest and slice. Cook the peppers and onion in the same pan until charred. Add the steak back and squeeze over more lime. Serve with warm tortillas.

Chicken Tinga Tostadas

Tostadas are flat, crispy fried tortillas piled high with toppings, and chicken tinga is one of the best things to put on them. Shredded chicken simmers in a smoky tomato and chipotle sauce with onions. Spread refried beans on the tostada first so everything sticks, then add the chicken, lettuce, crema and cheese. Crunch, smoke and freshness in every bite. How spicy do you like your chipotle?

You will need: 8 tostada shells, 3 cups shredded chicken, 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce, 2 chipotles in adobo, 1 onion sliced, 2 cloves garlic, 1 can refried beans, shredded lettuce, tomato, crema, queso fresco

How to make it: Cook the onion and garlic until soft. Blend the tomato sauce with chipotles and add to the pan. Stir in the chicken and simmer 10 minutes. Warm the beans. Spread beans on each tostada, then top with chicken, lettuce, tomato, crema and queso fresco.

Mexican Dinner Recipes From the Yucatan: Cochinita Pibil

Cochinita pibil comes from the Yucatan peninsula, where pork was traditionally wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in a pit in the ground. The marinade of achiote paste and sour orange juice turns the meat a bright red orange and gives it a tangy, earthy flavor. Pink pickled onions on top are a must. You can make it in a regular oven with foil. Have you ever cooked with achiote?

You will need: 4 lb pork shoulder, 3.5 oz achiote paste, 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup lime juice, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 2 tsp salt, banana leaves or foil, 1 red onion, 1/2 cup vinegar

How to make it: Blend the achiote, juices, garlic, spices and salt. Coat the pork and marinate overnight. Wrap in banana leaves or foil and bake at 325 F for 4 hours. Slice the red onion and soak in vinegar with salt. Shred the pork and serve with the pickled onions.

Camarones a la Diabla

Diabla means devil, and these shrimp live up to the name. They cook quickly in a fiery red sauce made from dried chiles, chipotle, tomato and garlic. It is one of the fastest dinners on this list, ready in about 20 minutes. Serve it with rice to cool things down and bread to wipe up the sauce. Be brave: on a scale of 1 to 5, how hot can you go?

You will need: 1 1/2 lb large shrimp, 3 guajillo chiles, 2 chiles de arbol, 2 chipotles in adobo, 2 tomatoes, 1/2 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp oil, lime, cilantro

How to make it: Toast and soak the dried chiles, then blend them with chipotles, tomatoes, onion and garlic. Cook the sauce in oil for 5 minutes. Add butter and the shrimp and cook 3 to 4 minutes until pink. Finish with lime and cilantro.

Mexican Dinner Recipes Abuela Makes: Albondigas Soup

Albondigas soup is the meatball soup that Mexican grandmothers make when someone needs comfort. Soft meatballs mixed with rice and mint simmer in a light tomato broth full of carrots, zucchini and potatoes. It is gentle, filling and loved by kids. A squeeze of lime and a little chopped cilantro make it bright. Is there a soup your grandmother always made for you?

You will need: 1 lb ground beef, 1/3 cup uncooked rice, 1 egg, 2 tbsp chopped mint, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce, 8 cups broth, 2 carrots, 2 potatoes, 1 zucchini, cilantro, limes

How to make it: Mix the beef, rice, egg, mint, salt and half the onion and roll into small balls. Cook the rest of the onion and garlic, add tomato sauce and broth and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs, carrots and potatoes and simmer 25 minutes. Add zucchini for 8 minutes. Serve with lime.