Mexican Recipe: Delicious Beef Tacos

Tacos can be found all over the world, though of course they originated down south in Mexico. They first made their appearance in the 19th century around the silver mines. So what makes the taco so special? Well much like a sandwich, tacos are incredibly customizable. Every last detail of a taco is up to the eater from the shell, to the protein, to the garnishes. Everyone has their own way of building their taco.

This recipe is for what is probably the most common form of taco we know: the beef taco. No, we aren't just dropping a packet of pre-seasoned mix into a pan, we're using fresh spices to really make this dish pop! Keep reading below for the recipe...

Beef Tacos

(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons corn oil
• 1 small onion, chopped small
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1lb ground beef (at least 90%lean)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (NOT pasta sauce)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Directions

1. Heat oil in the skilled over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened.
2. Add garlic, spices, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir, cooking until fragrant (about 1 minutes).
3. Add ground beef, and brown. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching.
4. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce the heat to medium low to keep simmering, stirring occasionally. Make sure to break the meat up so there are no big chunks.
6. Once the liquid has reduced and thickened (about 10 minutes), taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve in taco shells or tortillas, top as desired. 
8. Enjoy!

Mexican Recipe: Chicken Fajitas

When looking for an easy-to-make and easy-to-serve recipe, look no further than mouthwatering chicken fajitas. This combination marinated chicken, peppers, and onions is always a great dish to serve because it allows your family and guests to assemble their own meal to their own liking, and everyone walks away happy.

For the perfect chicken marinade, we wanted something classic. It should be acidic, a little spicy, and of course carry a powerful flavor. We also wanted to make sure the marinade flavor was there throughout the entire chicken, so we cut the chicken into strips before marinating it, which also decreased the cooking time on the stove. The marinade itself was a combination of lime juice, garlic, chili powder, and a few other choice ingredients that blended together to finish off this perfect dish. Keep reading below for our favorite chicken fajita recipe...

Chicken Fajitas

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 1/2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 medium green pepper, julienned
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 6 flour tortillas

Directions

1. In a large, resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons oil, the lime juice, and the seasonings until evenly distributed. Add the chicken. Seal, then turn to coat. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
2. In a large skillet, saute the peppers and onions in remaining oil until just starting to turn tender. Remove and keep warm.
3. discard the marinade. In the same skillet, cook the chicken over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, or until no longer pink. return the peppers and onions to the pan and heat through.
4. Serve the filling on tortillas. Garnish with sour cream, salsa, cheese, guacamole, or whatever you love on your fajitas!
5. Enjoy!

Tangy Tacos: Fish with Mango Salsa

Fresh fish and fresh produce are the perfect ingredients for a fresh twist on tacos. Whether you want to sauté them, grill them, or bake them, fish tacos are going to be a hit at the dinner table.

We’ve included some tips on cooking the fish in three different ways, all of which are sure to yield delicious results. You could also add other traditional taco toppings to the mix – like diced tomatoes (or pico de gallo), sliced avocado (or guacamole), or shredded lettuce or cabbage.

There are tons of ways to make this recipe your own, so give it a try!

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

(makes 8 tacos)

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 pound tilapia fillets or mahi mahi
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 2/3 cup finely chopped peeled ripe mango (ripe mangos are slightly soft when you squeeze them)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco

Directions: 

1. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, paprika, and black pepper with a fork so they are well mixed. Then add the garlic and rub the mixture over the fish.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the fish to the pan. Cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until done (it should start to easily flake). You could also grill the fish for 3 minutes on each side on medium-high heat, or bake the fish for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Remove from heat once cooked, but keep warm.
3. Combine the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, mango, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice to make the mango salsa.
4. Heat the tortillas (in the microwave or briefly in the oven) and flake the fish with a fork into smaller pieces. Make your fish tacos by putting the fish into the tortilla and topping it with mango salsa and a sprinkle of the crumbled queso fresco.
5. Enjoy!

Maine-Inspired Lobster Quesadilla with Pico de Gallo

This mouthwatering meal is a collision of flavors from Mexico and Maine-- an unlikely combination that will win over everyone at the dinner table. An ordinary cheese or chicken quesadilla is always delicious, but adding in lobster takes this dish to the next level. If you're a veggie lover, try throwing in some bell peppers together with the lobster filling. 

What really makes this lobster quesadilla recipe such a standout is the quesadilla sauce and pico de gallo that accompanies it. The first has a nice kick to it, a delicious blend of chipotle and jalapeño. The pico de gallo is also a little saucy with some more jalapeño as well as Roma tomatoes and cilantro. Spread on top of the quesadillas, it gives this dish that little extra something. 

Lobster Quesadillas 
with Chipotle-Jalapeño Sauce and Pico de Gallo

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

Quesadilla:

• 1 (10-inch or 12-inch) flour tortilla
• 2/3 cup grated cheese blend 
• 2 1/2 oz. fresh lobster meat

Chipotle-Jalapeño Sauce:

• 22 oz. jar of mayonnaise
• 1 lb. sour cream
• 10 oz. plain yogurt
• 2 oz. lime juice
• 1 1/2 oz. chipotle
• 1/6 of a bunch of cilantro
• 1/6 of a jalapeño, seeded and deveined 
• 1 oz. lime juice

Pico de Gallo:

• 10-12 Roma tomatoes, seeded and liquid removed
• 1 white onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2-3 jalapeños, finely diced 
• 1/2 of a bunch of cilantro 
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste) 

Directions:

1. Warm tortilla on the grill. Place grated cheese on 1/2 of tortilla, then place the fresh lobster meat on top of it. 

2. Fold the tortilla in half and let it grill about 3 minutes, turning it over now and then to cook both sides well. 

3. To make chipotle-jalapeño sauce: blend ingredients together in a food processor. 

4. For the pico de gallo, simply combine all ingredients in a bowl. 

5. To serve: slice tortilla into 4 portions and top with sauce and pico de gallo. Enjoy! 

Tasty Grill Recipe: Chicken Tacos

Tacos are perhaps one of the best meals out there for satisfying anyone. They're easily customizable and can be made in any number of ways with any number of flavors. We were in the mood recently for a good chicken taco, and we wanted to make it completely avoiding any pre-made taco spices or sauces. 

Naturally for this chicken we turned to the grill. Grilling imparts such a distinctive flavor that is nearly impossible to replace, and it works so well with tacos. For our meat, we chose skinless, boneless thighs. The fattier cut of chicken definitely meant a more tender, juicier chicken. A little lime kept the chicken tasting light. For spices, we used a combination of salt, pepper, cumin, and a few surprise ingredients like brown sugar and cinnamon that really elevated the tacos to being something special. Keep reading below for this fantastic recipe...

Chicken Tacos from the Grill

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges, keeping the root intact
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 8 corn tortillas, warmed, for serving
• Fixings as desired
• Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Warm the grill to medium-high heat. Toss together all the ingredients up to and including the lime juice in a bowl. Grill the onion and chicken until cooked through and lightly charred (about 4 minutes per side). 
2. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the fixings and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
3. Enjoy!

Breakfast Recipe: Tacos with Diced Avocado

It doesn’t matter what time it is – morning, noon, or night, tacos always sound like a good choice. Wake up and start the day with these sensational breakfast tacos, and you’ll be filled with fuel – and maybe still thinking about this tasty meal -- for the rest of the day.

Use this as a solid base recipe, and feel free to add other ingredients that you like – bacon, chorizo, black beans, potatoes, and whatever else sounds good in the morning (or maybe whatever leftovers are in the fridge).

This recipe closely follows the migas tacos flavor profile – a Tex-Mex spin on breakfast tacos that usually calls for tortilla chips to give the taco its crunch. We’ve skipped the tortilla chips, but some of these ingredients are very common in the migas tacos recipes.

Breakfast Tacos with Diced Avocado

(makes about 4 tacos)

Ingredients:

• 4 flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1/4 cup diced red pepper
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, plus extra for topping
• Cilantro for garnish
• Salt
• Pepper
• Juice from freshly squeezed lime
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions: 

1. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper and cook until the onion is tender and translucent. Then, add the garlic, red pepper, and jalapeño and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, until these veggies also get tender.
2. Add the tomatoes and another pinch of salt, letting the tomatoes cook down a bit for 2 to 3 minutes. Then squeeze a lime over the entire mixture to add some juice and stir the mixture around, making sure to scrape anything sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the eggs and stir them as they start to set, and then add the cheese and continue to stir them around like scrambled eggs.
4. Once the eggs are fully cooked – not yet brown but fluffy and not runny  -- remove them from the heat. Fill the tortillas with the egg mixture, and garnish with diced avocado, a sprinkle of cheese, and cilantro (if desired).
5. Serve with salsa, beans, or simply as is.
6. Enjoy!

Lettuce Wraps: Asian Chicken with a Twist

Skip the bread, buns, tortillas, and pitas – and say hello to lettuce instead. For this flavor-packed recipe, we’re using lettuce to make nice little pockets for chicken with an Asian flair.

What’s one of the best things about this dish? You won’t leave the dinner table feeling carbo-stuffed. Not into chicken? Beef, pork, and even veggie crumbles (faux meat) all work as great substitutes depending on what you’ve got in the fridge. You can even top the wraps with water chestnuts or crushed peanuts if you like!

We’ll warn you, though – serve these to guests, and they’ll be asking for the recipe.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

(makes about 4 servings) 

Ingredients:

• 16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 teaspoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon Asian chile pepper sauce/paste (optional, if you want some spice)

Directions:

1. Rinse the whole lettuce leaves and pat them dry, being careful not to tear them. Set them aside.
2. In a large, nonstick skillet greased with cooking spray, cook the chicken in the cooking oil for about 3 minutes. Drain the grease and then add the onion and ginger, cooking for 3-4 minutes. Then, stir in the hoisin sauce, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and chile pepper and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Finally, add the green onions, sesame oil, and carrots and let everything cook for about a minute. Make sure the chicken is no longer pink at this point (if it is, keeping cooking everything until it's done).
4. Spoon the mixture into the center of the lettuce leaves.
5. Enjoy!

Breakfast Recipe: Huevos Rancheros

Nothing says hearty quite like eggs, and huevos rancheros steps things up a notch. Spanish for "rancher's eggs," huevos rancheros, is a Mexican-style breakfast (or brunch!) dish that grew from rural farmers and ranchers. It has a great heat to it, and can be made a variety of ways ("Huevos divorciados," for example, is the rancheros served with two eggs, but each egg has a different sauce).

Today's recipe is a simple huevos rancheros with homemade salsa. To save time, feel free to use jarred and skip to step 9. To really spread that Mexican flavor around, we cooked the eggs in the salsa and topped it all with some red onions and cilantro. Frying the tortillas before assembling the ingredients on top of them also helped add some good texture variety to what would otherwise be a very soft dish. Keep reading below to see how we assembled our own huevos rancheros...

Huevos Rancheros

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 3 medium jalapeno peppers, halved, seeded, and the ribs removed
• 1 1/2lbs plum tomatoes cored and halved
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
• black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
• 4 corn tortillas
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup refried beans with green chilies (optional)
• 1 red onion, diced for garnish

 Directions

1. To assemble the salsa, preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Mince one jalapeno and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, remaining jalapenos, onion, garlic, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, and cayenne. Toss to mix thoroughly.
4. Place vegetables cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the tomatoes are tender and the skins begin to shrivel and brown (about 30 to 45 minutes).
5. Let vegetables cool for about 10 minutes.
6. Transfer onions, garlic, and jalapenos to a food processor or blender and process until broken down (about 10 seconds), pausing halfway through to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula.
7. Add tomatoes and process until the salsa is slightly chunky (about 10 more seconds).
8. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro, reserved jalapeno, salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste.
9. To assemble the huevos rancheros, bring salsa to a gentle simmer 
10. Remove from the heat, and make four shallow wells in the salsa with the back of a large spoon.
11. Break one egg into a cup, then gently pour the egg into a well in the salsa. repeat with remaining eggs.
12. Season each egg  with salt and pepper to taste, then cover the skillet and place over medium-low heat.
13. Cook until you've reached the desired consistency. 4 to 5 minutes will give you runny yolks, and 6 to 7 minutes will give you set yolks.
14. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat.
15. Fry tortillas one at a time until firm, but not crisp.
16. Remove to paper towels and pat down.
17. Place tortillas on serving plates, and divide refried beans between them if using.
18. Gently scoop and place one egg onto each tortilla, then spoon the salsa around each egg, covering tortillas.
19. Sprinkle with cheese and red onion, then add cilantro for garnish.
20. Enjoy!