The trick to getting really succulent, aromatic pork is to marinate it overnight in the fridge before slow-cooking it in white wine and chicken stock. Once shredded, the pork is dressed in a sticky, spicy sauce. Chopped red onion, lime and fresh cilantro cut through its richness and add wonderful crunch. You could also make a vegan version by using tinned jackfruit in place of pork.
Made with a beer batter, these Baja-inspired fish tacos are seriously light and crunchy. Keep the first batch of fried fish warm in the oven while you’re cooking the second. And make sure you have all of your toppings – creamy chipotle sauce, chopped red onion, shredded cabbage and shredded lettuce – ready to go in bowls so everyone can assemble their own.
What we love about enchiladas is they don’t require last-minute attention, so once they’re rolled up and in the oven you can put your feet up. These ones are filled with a rich beef chili and topped with chipotle and grated Cheddar, but you could also use chicken, turkey or soy mince. The sauce can be used as a base for chili con carne or as a baked potato topping too.
Barbacoa is a Mexican style of slow-cooking seasoned meat until wonderfully smoky and tender, and it's often shredded and served in tacos. It takes eight hours in the oven or slow cooker but is definitely worth the wait. We serve ours with a squeeze of lime, chopped red onion, cilantro and fresh green chili.
Guacamole is one of those simple creations that's easy to get wrong. The key is using perfectly ripe avocados and adding a decent squeeze of lime juice for that wonderful burst of citrus that cuts through the creaminess. This recipe adds half of the lime juice to the chopped onions before combining with the other ingredients, to take the edge off the acidity and let the natural flavors zing. If you're not planning to scoop up the lot in one sitting, reserve the avocado stones and add to the finished guacamole – it helps prevent it turning brown.
Every cocktail lover – and especially those who also love Mexican food – should have a reliable margarita recipe up their sleeve. This one is beautifully simple. Tequila is shaken with sugar syrup, sharp lime juice, orange liqueur and ice, then strained into a glass. If you're feeling brave, mix chili or paprika and salt flakes and use to line the rim of each glass.
Fajitas are a favorite in Tex-Mex or Tejano cuisine, and this recipe with chicken and lots of crunchy peppers is perfect for an easy, crowd-pleasing supper. Halve the quantity of red and green chilies in the recipe for a less spicy version and avoid adding the seeds unless you want it really hot. A dollop of sour cream and some avocado slices will also help temper the heat.
There are various theories about the origins of chili con carne, although the most popular is that it was introduced to the US by 'chili queens' who sold it in San Antonio, Texas in the early 19th century. Whatever the truth, it's an incredibly versatile dish and the perfect match for many things from rice and quinoa to jacket potatoes and tortilla chips. We suggest cooking a big batch and storing it in the freezer so you have speedy meals on standby for the rest of the month.
Quesadillas are originally from central and northern Mexico and they couldn't be simpler to make. They consist of two tortillas filled with veggies and/or meat and melted cheese. This recipe features smoky, cooked butter beans and meaty mushrooms, plus mozzarella and Cheddar.
Who doesn’t love crunchy nachos topped with melted cheese, jalapeños and guacamole? Shredded steak takes them to a whole new level. Inspired by the Mexican dish carne asada, here silverside beef is marinated in paprika, cumin and chili before being slow-cooked in ale for four to five hours to make it beautifully tender. The basic recipe is also a great way to use up leftover roast beef or steak.
There's no end to the combination of fillings that you can stuff in a soft tortilla but tacos al pastor – tacos filled with marinated and grilled pork – are famously good and a specialty in Mexico City. In this recipe the aromatic and punchy meat is served with chopped pineapple and a jalapeño, garlic, avocado and onion salsa.
Loved for its smokiness and thick texture, this Mexican-inspired black bean soup recipe gets its distinct flavor from chipotle paste so don't swap this ingredient out. Before you purée the ingredients, reserve half to mash with a fork so that it maintains a chunky texture. A bowl of this wonderfully smoky and subtly spicy soup makes a wonderful midweek supper, and you can freeze some for future meals too.
A simpler take on the classic Mexican breakfast, where fried eggs are usually served on corn tortillas and drowned in a chili-laced red sauce. Our recipe uses cooked tomatoes and refried beans for a breakfast dish that's hearty enough to eat for supper. Crumbled feta, sliced avocado and hot sauce bring a wonderful balance of flavors and textures to the plate, so don't leave them out.
These satisfyingly sticky and tender pork ribs are inspired by cochinita pibil, marinated, slow-roasted pork from Mexico’s Yucatán region. The recipe involves a number of processes and requires a bit of time and patience, but the result is beautiful and perfect for a special occasion. Dish this up straight from the oven or cook on the barbecue, ensuring the meat is fully cooked through before serving.
For times when either a beer or a bloody mary just won’t cut it, there’s the michelada: kind of a cross between the two (though usually without any spirits added). The Mexican cocktail adds salt, pepper, chili spice and a zing of lime to light beer, and our recipe adds tomato juice too. It’s surprisingly refreshing and great as a brunch cocktail.
This vegan twist on fish tacos uses oyster mushrooms, whose meaty texture works especially well with the crisp batter. Our recipe uses beer for a light texture and brings Cajun-style spices to the mix, for a marriage of Mexican and Louisiana cuisines.
This wonderful (and wonderfully simple) treat of a recipe brings together two Mexican favorites: fajitas and margaritas. You don’t actually have to make a cocktail (though that would make a lovely accompaniment). Instead, the chicken is infused with the flavors of a classic margarita thanks to tequila, triple sec and lime, bringing a real freshness to the dish.
How do you make a margarita even more delicious? Throw in some fruit and, in this case, a little extra spice too. The mango brings a real sweetness to the otherwise tangy, salty cocktail, which some people might prefer if they usually find margaritas a little too tart. The chili brings a real punch too.
Nachos were invented in 1940s Mexico by restaurateur Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Anaya, who served crisp tortilla chips with cheese and jalapeños to a group of US women whose soldier husbands were stationed nearby. They’re now the ultimate snack and this recipe – with smoked tofu, Cajun spices, guacamole and, of course, cheese – takes them to new levels.
Take roast chicken to dizzy new heights of deliciousness with this recipe, inspired by those sold at market stalls in Mexico City. It’s actually pretty easy to make with less than 30 minutes of preparation time. You make the ancho rub from scratch, using dried chilies and spices including cinnamon and fennel seeds, and make it into a paste to massage into the chicken as a marinade. Make extra spice mix – it’s equally wonderful with fish or roasted vegetables, or even sprinkled on fruit or popcorn.
Although better known as a Peruvian dish and with some debate over whether it actually originated in Ecuador, ceviche is popular throughout the coastal regions of Mexico. The acid in lemon or lime juice is used to 'cook' the fish. This recipe features delicate sea bass, avocado, crunchy radish, lemon juice and olive oil – you can eat it as it is or pile it onto a tostada (toasted tortilla).
A guaranteed crowd-pleaser, spicy slow-cooked beef chili is a great dish to feed a large family. This recipe requires braising steak, beef stock, kidney beans and smoky chipotle paste. Serve with homemade guacamole, sour cream, tortilla chips and rice.
The meat from confit duck legs just falls apart and makes the perfect taco filling. It sounds fancy (and rather tricky) but you can buy the duck ready-prepared for an easier supper. Use shop-bought tortillas and all you'll have to do is reheat the meat and whip up a quick chili and lime yogurt and sweetcorn salsa to pile on top.
Like ceviche? You'll love aguachile, a Mexican dish of fresh seafood tossed in chili-spiked lime juice and served immediately. We love this zingy and punchy version with scallops, chili, lime, cucumber and tequila.
This is the perfect build-your-own dinner. Burritos originate in northern Mexico and are now ubiquitous across the US and elsewhere. Lay out crisp chicken, homemade salsa, guacamole, black beans, quinoa or rice and salad into bowls and everyone can add as little or as much as they like.
A spicy, bloody mary-inspired tomato sauce works wonderfully with tender, sweet shrimp. Celery root slaw provides much-needed crunch plus lots of acidity thanks to the lime dressing. You might also want to add little mayo or sour cream to each of these, or just lay out a selection of condiments so people can build their own tacos.
Tostadas refer to Latin American and Mexican dishes that have fried or toasted tortillas as their base, and the crispiness works beautifully with sashimi-grade fish for a Japanese twist. This recipe uses soy sauce and orange juice-marinated tuna, avocado, chipotle mayo and a garnish. To make your own (very basic) tostadas, simply cut circles from a tortilla and toast them.
These vegan burritos are made with plantain – large, savory cooking fruits from the same family as bananas. They taste amazing when fried, becoming caramelized and crisp around the edges. For this recipe, perfect for breakfast or a snack, they’re paired with spicy tofu and homemade pico de gallo (a simple tomato, red onion and cilantro salsa).
This vegan take on chili con carne makes clever use of store cupboard staples: black and kidney beans, passata, tomato purée, garlic, jalapeños and chili flakes. Then it only takes 10 minutes to put together. Double up quantities and stash in the freezer: this is a great standby for easy suppers with brown rice, scooped on top of jacket potatoes or dolloped on nachos.
These little tostadas are wonderfully light and perfect for serving at parties or as a starter. Diced avocado, zucchini, lime, chili, basil and maple syrup makes the sweet and fragrant topping. The recipe also shows you how to make a paloma, traditionally made with tequila and grapefruit but here made with gin. You can also skip the spirit for a non-alcoholic version.
Tequila isn't just for cocktails. It works wonderfully as a cooking ingredient, and especially as a marinade for fish as in this recipe. This luxurious sea bass dish, inspired by the classic margarita cocktail, is made with Cointreau (orange liqueur), white or gold tequila and fresh lime.
The combination of chili powder, cumin, garlic salt and olive oil makes these Mexican-inspired potato wedges incredibly moreish. Make a meal of it and serve with a fried egg, avocado, salsa and corn on the cob – perfect for brunch or at any time of day, really. You could also serve with a creamy dip made with sour cream or yogurt, with a little paprika stirred through.
Served as a zingy, summery lunch or as a starter, this fresh and spicy shrimp ceviche looks (and tastes) seriously impressive – but in reality making it couldn’t be easier. Once marinated and cured, combine the shrimp with avocado, red onion and tomato. Serve on top of a tostada with sour cream and crispy pork crackling or even just a little shredded lettuce.
Jackfruit has long been grown and eaten in tropical and subtropical regions, including India, East Africa and parts of the Caribbean, and is becoming increasingly popular elsewhere as a meat substitute. Its meaty texture, similar to pulled pork or tender brisket, works wonderfully in these tacos and you can buy it ready-prepared in a tin. For this recipe, it's shredded and fried with chipotle chili, tomato, onion and spices and served with sweetcorn salsa.
Breakfast tacos have become hugely popular and we reckon it's a great idea. There are so many different flavors and textures in this recipe, with fried potato cubes, chopped vegan sausage, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and avocado. It's served with pickled red onions, which are easy to make and ready by the time you've prepared everything else. Make extra and store, still submerged in vinegar, in an airtight container in the fridge – they add a wonderful zing to so many recipes.
The great thing about quesadillas is you can chop and change the filling depending on what you have to hand. Oh, and they're incredibly quick and easy to throw together. This recipe uses cooked turkey – though leftover roast chicken will also work well – plus guacamole, apple, chopped cherry tomatoes and sweetcorn. The flavor combination works surprisingly well.