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Home » recipes

Best Authentic Mexican Food Recipes

Authentic Mexican Food Recipes from Carne Asada Tacos to Salsa Verde, Homemade Corn Tortillas to desserts are here for you. Come and see!

Tacos, Tamales, Burritos, Salsas, Desserts ! The rich sauces, chiles and spices of traditional dishes are surprisingly easy to make at home. Here is a list of some of our favorite recipes.

Authentic Mexican Food Recipes on Everyday Southwest

Authentic Mexican Food Recipes are at the heart of good Southwest cooking. 

It is far more than chips and salsa or tortillas and refried beans.

The rich sauces, chiles and spices of traditional dishes are surprisingly easy to make at home.

What is Authentic Mexican Food?

Mexican food is a cuisine based on foods from ancient cultures of Mexico. Many dished from Mayan and Aztec people have survived such as pozole, tamales and hot chocolate.

The food has developed from fresh ingredients from the regions of Mexico including corn, tomatoes and chiles. Fresh seafood from the coastal regions and beef from Sonora creamy cheeses are also a part of the cuisine.

You are probably most familiar with the rich enchilada sauces and slow roasted beef tacos. Authentic Mexican Food can also be fresh and light like ceviche and grilled fish.

This list is just the beginning list of basic, Authentic Mexican Food Recipes.

I never seem to have a camera handy when cooking dinner. So, I will be adding more of our family's favorite recipes as I am able to photograph them.

Authentic Mexican Food Dishes

It's hard to put Authentic Mexican Food Dishes in a neat little row or category. So, let's start out with a few of my all time favorite Mexican food dishes.

  • Red Chile Beef Tamales Recipe- these have been a family favorite for generations.
  • Roasted Shrimp Chile Rellenos- these are roasted, not fried.
  • Easy Shrimp Tostadas or Tostadas de Camerón- Lightly poached ceviche on a crispy tostada shell.
  • Esquites or Mexican Street Corn Salad-Excellent on a salty chip! Not on the cob.
  • Elote or Mexican Style Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Butter
Shrimp mixture for Tostadas de Camerón with fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapeńos, cilantro and lime juice.

Basic Recipes for Tortillas, Fillings and Side Dishes

Many Authentic Mexican Dishes are built around delicious fillings (shredded beef, chicken, etc) and side dishes including refried beans and rice and so much more.

Mexican Side Dishes:

  • Homemade Corn Tortillas - so easy to make that you won't believe it!
  • Avocado Cilantro Rice- a light and delicious take on traditional side dish
  • Refried Beans with a healthy spin- Lentils
  • Black Bean Puree 

Fillings for Tacos, Burritos, Enchiladas, etc...

  • Mexican Shredded Jalapeno Chicken an easy Slow Cooker Recipe
  • Machaca Beef or Shredded Beef for tacos, burritos, enchiladas and more.
Homemade corn tortillas

Authentic Mexican Food Main Dishes-

These main dish recipes can be served as an entre with a side dish or two. They can also be diced or shredded for tacos or other dishes. Don't forget burrito bowls!

  • Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Mole- Award winning recipe!
  • Achiote Pulled Pork an Old World recipe for your slow cooker
  • Chipotle Grilled Flank Steak with a secret ingredient

Authentic Mexican Taco Recipes

  • Pollo Asado or Grilled Chicken Tacos
  • Crispy Chicken Tacos- Ever wonder where those crispy tacos shells came from?
  • Carne Asada Tacos
  • Hanger Steak Tacos with a surprising ingredient
  • Machaca Beef for tacos, burritos, enchiladas and more
image Potato Enchiladas Green Chile Tomatillo Sauce Recipe-

Enchilada Recipes

Mmmm... Enchiladas. Need I say more? The sauces, the creamy cheeses, baked to perfection, that describes Authentic Enchiladas.

  • Shrimp and Scallop Enchiladas- I learned this recipe from one of Phoenix's top chefs
  • Potato Enchiladas- Yes! Potatoes are a from the Americas and inportant in Authentic Mexican Food Recipes
  • Sour Cream Enchiladas- Don’t be scared. They are so delicious! If your kids freak out at the name “sour cream” just call them white enchiladas or creamy enchiladas or anything you like.
  • Green Chile Chicken Casserole- think enchiladas only quicker!

Salsas and Sauces

Actually, salsa means sauce. We tend to think of the condiment we eat on tortilla chips as "Salsa" and the rich moles and sauces we pour over enchiladas, burritos, etc.. as "sauces."

  • Fresh Tomato Salsa in the Blender- sooo easy!
  • Restaurant Style Salsa in your air fryer
  • Salsa Verde with Tomatillo Salsa      
  • Corn Salsa with Chipotle and Lime
  • Grilled Zucchini Salsa Verde
  • Lazy Roasted Tomato Salsa- oven version
  • Pineapple Salsa
Huevos El Diablo or Eggs Diablo

Breakfast Recipes

  • Huevos El Diablo or Salsa Cooked Eggs
  • Easy Chilaquiles with Fresh Salsa -or bottled, you choose
  • Avocado Tomatillo Chilaquiles
  • Huevos Rancheros in a Hurry- fast and easy

Burritos!

  • Breakfast Burritos El Diablo- 
  • Slow Cooker Pozole Burritos
  • Tequila Lime Shrimp Burritos

Soups and Stews

  • Gazpacho Recipe- no bread
  • Mexican Meatball Soup or Albondigas
  • Chile Verde Recipe with Four Peppers or two, it’s up to you.
  • Rustic Potato Soup or Caldo con Queso
  • Turkey Posole Recipe
  • Easy Chicken Posole
Mexican Dessert Peach Quesadilla

Mexican Desserts

  • Mini Apple Chimichangas 
  • Pastel de Elote or Sweet Corn Cake
  • Chipotle Cinnamon Brownies
  • Warm Mexican Chocolate Pudding - This kind of recipe is called a "pudding" but, it is more like a warm cross between a molten cake and a soufflé.
  • Peach Quesadilla

Watch this space for more Authentic Mexican Food Recipes! Bookmark it or Pin it for later!

Sandy Hoopes Everyday Southwest

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Hi, Welcome to Everyday Southwest.

I'm Sandy, a Southwest born and raised girl who loves cooking it's food and sharing it's culture.

Join me for some of my favorite recipes. We have everything from longtime family favorites to modern recipes with a healthy twist.

I'm glad you are here!

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