13 Tex-Mex Classics That Taste Like a Friday Night in San Antonio

Tex-Mex is not a copy of Mexican food, and it is not quite Texan either. It is its own delicious thing, born where two cultures shared a kitchen. Think melted cheese, warm tortillas, cumin, chili powder and sizzling skillets that turn heads in a restaurant. The best part is how easy and budget friendly most of these dishes are at home. Ready to turn your kitchen into the best cantina in town..

Steak Fajitas, the Tex-Mex Dish That Sizzles

You hear fajitas before you see them. That loud sizzle across the dining room is pure Tex-Mex theater, and you can make it at home with a cast iron skillet. Skirt steak soaks in lime, garlic and cumin, then hits a smoking hot pan with peppers and onions. Wrap it all in warm flour tortillas with sour cream and guacamole. What is your must have topping: A) guac, B) sour cream or C) pico?

You will need: 1 1/2 lb skirt or flank steak, juice of 2 limes, 3 tbsp oil, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 3 bell peppers, 1 large onion, flour tortillas.

How to make it: 1. Mix lime, oil, garlic and spices and marinate the steak for 1 to 4 hours. 2. Sear the steak in a very hot skillet for 3 to 4 minutes per side. 3. Rest it 10 minutes, then slice thin against the grain. 4. Cook the sliced peppers and onion until charred at the edges. 5. Pile everything on the skillet and serve with tortillas.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is cozy, bright and full of texture. Shredded chicken simmers in a tomato and chile broth, then you top it with crunchy tortilla strips, avocado, cheese and a squeeze of lime. It is a great way to use leftover chicken, and it freezes well. On a chilly night, a bowl of this feels like a warm blanket with a little kick.

You will need: 2 cups cooked shredded chicken, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 jalapeno, 1 can diced tomatoes, 6 cups chicken broth, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, corn tortillas cut in strips, avocado, cheese, lime.

How to make it: 1. Cook the onion, garlic and jalapeno in a little oil until soft. 2. Add tomatoes, broth and spices and simmer 20 minutes. 3. Stir in the chicken and heat through. 4. Bake the tortilla strips at 400°F for 8 minutes until crisp. 5. Ladle the soup into bowls and pile on the toppings.

Restaurant Style Mexican Red Rice

The secret to fluffy red rice is toasting the rice in oil until golden before any liquid goes in. Then it simmers in tomato sauce and chicken broth with garlic and onion. Do not lift the lid while it cooks. This is the side that shows up next to almost every combo plate in Texas, and once you nail it, you will never buy the boxed kind again.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups long grain rice, 2 tbsp oil, 1/2 onion diced, 2 garlic cloves, 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cumin.

How to make it: 1. Rinse and drain the rice well. 2. Toast it in oil, stirring, until light golden. 3. Add the onion and garlic for 1 minute. 4. Pour in the tomato sauce, broth, salt and cumin and bring to a boil. 5. Cover, cook on low for 20 minutes, then rest 5 minutes and fluff.

Tex-Mex Queso Dip Everyone Hovers Over

Put out a bowl of warm queso and watch everyone gather around it. This homemade version is smooth and creamy without any processed cheese block. Evaporated milk keeps it silky, and a can of green chiles gives it that classic Tex-Mex flavor. Keep it warm in a small slow cooker for game day. Honest question: can you ever stop at just one chip?

You will need: 2 cups shredded white American or Monterey Jack, 1 cup shredded cheddar, 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 can (4 oz) green chiles, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, tortilla chips.

How to make it: 1. Toss the shredded cheese with cornstarch. 2. Warm the evaporated milk in a pot over medium low heat. 3. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted. 4. Stir in the chiles and spices. 5. Serve warm with chips, and add a splash of milk if it thickens.

Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos for Tex-Mex Night

Nachos are the ultimate share plate, and a sheet pan makes them easy for a crowd. The trick is layering, so every chip gets some cheese and toppings instead of a sad bare pile on the bottom. Use seasoned ground beef or leftover chicken. Add the cold toppings after baking. Is this A) a snack, B) a dinner or C) both in your house?

You will need: 1 bag tortilla chips, 1 lb ground beef, 1 packet or 2 tbsp taco seasoning, 1 can black or pinto beans, 3 cups shredded cheese, jalapenos, diced tomato, sour cream, guacamole, green onions.

How to make it: 1. Brown the beef and add the seasoning with a splash of water. 2. Spread half the chips on a lined sheet pan. 3. Top with half the beef, beans and cheese. 4. Repeat the layers. 5. Bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes and finish with the cold toppings.

Austin Style Breakfast Tacos

In Texas, breakfast tacos are a way of life. Soft flour tortillas get stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy potatoes, cheese and a spoon of salsa. They are cheap, fast and easy to customize for picky eaters. Make a big batch on Sunday and wrap them in foil for busy mornings. Which filling wins: bacon, chorizo or potato and egg?

You will need: 8 small flour tortillas, 8 eggs, 2 small potatoes diced, 4 slices bacon or 1/2 lb chorizo, 1 cup shredded cheddar, salsa, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Cook the bacon or chorizo and set aside. 2. Fry the diced potatoes in the drippings until crisp. 3. Scramble the eggs softly with salt and pepper. 4. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet. 5. Fill with eggs, potatoes, meat, cheese and salsa.

Crispy Pan Fried Quesadillas

Quesadillas are the fastest dinner in the Tex-Mex world. A little butter in the pan gives them a golden, crackly shell, and the cheese inside melts into gooey strings. Add leftover chicken, beans or sauteed peppers and you have a full meal in 10 minutes. Cut them into wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream for dipping.

You will need: 4 large flour tortillas, 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar, 1 cup cooked chicken or beans, 1/2 cup sauteed peppers and onions, 1 tbsp butter, salsa and sour cream.

How to make it: 1. Melt a little butter in a skillet over medium heat. 2. Lay a tortilla in the pan and cover half with cheese and fillings. 3. Fold it over and press down. 4. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden. 5. Rest 1 minute, then cut into wedges.

Chicken Fajitas on a Weeknight

Chicken fajitas are lighter than steak and just as tasty. Boneless thighs stay juicy and pick up a smoky char in a hot skillet. The marinade only needs 30 minutes, so this can be on the table fast on a busy night. Set out the tortillas and toppings and let everyone build their own. Kids love making their own wraps.

You will need: 1 1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs, juice of 1 lime, 2 tbsp oil, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt, 2 bell peppers, 1 onion, tortillas.

How to make it: 1. Toss the chicken with lime, oil and spices and rest 30 minutes. 2. Cook the chicken in a hot skillet for 5 to 6 minutes per side until 165°F inside. 3. Rest and slice into strips. 4. Char the peppers and onion in the same pan. 5. Mix together and serve with warm tortillas.

Mixed Fajita Platter for a Crowd

Cannot decide between chicken, steak and shrimp? Do all three. A mixed fajita platter is how Tex-Mex restaurants feed a hungry table, and it is easy to copy at home. Cook each protein separately in the same skillet so the flavors build, then pile everything onto one big platter. Serve with rice, beans and lots of warm tortillas. It feels like a party.

You will need: 1 lb steak, 1 lb chicken thighs, 1/2 lb shrimp, fajita marinade (lime, oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt), 3 bell peppers, 2 onions, tortillas, toppings.

How to make it: 1. Marinate each protein separately for 30 minutes. 2. Sear the steak and chicken, then rest and slice. 3. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes per side. 4. Char the peppers and onions. 5. Arrange everything on a hot platter and serve right away.

Frito Pie, a Tex-Mex Stadium Favorite

Frito pie is chili poured right over corn chips and topped with cheese and onions. At Texas football games, it is often served right in the chip bag, which kids find hilarious. At home, you can make it in bowls or a baking dish. It is cheap, filling and ready in minutes if you have leftover chili. Have you ever eaten one straight from the bag?

You will need: 1 large bag corn chips, 4 cups beef chili (homemade or canned), 2 cups shredded cheddar, 1 small onion diced, sour cream and jalapenos for topping.

How to make it: 1. Heat the chili in a pot until bubbling. 2. Divide the corn chips among bowls. 3. Ladle hot chili over the top. 4. Sprinkle with cheese and onion. 5. Add sour cream and jalapenos and eat right away while the chips are still crunchy.

Texas Chili Con Carne

Real Texas chili is all about the beef and the chiles. Many Texans say beans do not belong in it at all. Chunks of chuck roast simmer for hours in a sauce made from dried chiles and spices until they fall apart. It is rich, smoky and deeply red. So we have to ask: beans in chili, A) yes or B) never?

You will need: 3 lb chuck roast cut in 1 inch cubes, 4 dried ancho chiles, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 onion, 4 garlic cloves, 2 cups beef broth, 1 can tomato sauce, 2 tbsp masa harina, salt.

How to make it: 1. Soak the dried chiles in hot water and blend into a paste. 2. Brown the beef in batches. 3. Cook the onion and garlic, then add spices, chile paste, broth and tomato sauce. 4. Simmer covered for 2 1/2 hours. 5. Stir in masa mixed with water to thicken.

Creamy Homemade Refried Beans

Homemade refried beans taste nothing like the can. Pinto beans cook until soft, then get mashed in a skillet with a little bacon fat or butter, onion and garlic. They turn creamy, savory and perfect for spreading inside burritos or serving next to rice. A bag of dry beans costs very little and makes enough for the whole week.

You will need: 1 lb dried pinto beans, 1/2 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 3 tbsp bacon fat or butter, 1/2 tsp cumin, shredded cheese for topping.

How to make it: 1. Soak the beans overnight, then simmer with half an onion for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until very soft. 2. Save 1 cup of the cooking liquid and drain. 3. Fry minced onion and garlic in fat. 4. Add the beans and mash, adding liquid until creamy. 5. Season and top with cheese.

Cheese Enchiladas With Tex-Mex Chili Gravy

These are the enchiladas you find in old Texas cafes. Corn tortillas wrapped around cheddar and onion, then smothered in a brown chili gravy made with a simple roux and spices. It is pure Tex-Mex comfort, different from the tomato sauces you see in other styles. Serve with rice and refried beans for a full combo plate at home. Need more weeknight ideas? See our easy chicken dinners too.

You will need: 12 corn tortillas, 3 cups shredded cheddar, 1 small onion diced, oil. Chili gravy: 3 tbsp oil, 3 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2 cups beef or chicken broth, salt.

How to make it: 1. Make the gravy: cook oil and flour 1 minute, add spices, then whisk in the broth and simmer 5 minutes. 2. Soften the tortillas in warm oil. 3. Fill each with cheese and onion and roll. 4. Place in a dish and cover with gravy and more cheese. 5. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes.