Quick and Easy Tex Mex Recipes

By Linda Larsen

Tex Mex Chicken Pasta Salad

Linda Larsen

What is Tex Mex cuisine? In my book Everything Tex Mex, I write that Tex-Mex cuisine is made up of 'recipes and foods native to Mexico updated with the foods and customs of the state of Texas...' In the 20th century, as the culture grew, elements from France, Spain, and the rest of America were incorporated.

The food is all delicious, simply prepared, and takes advantage of native foodstuffs and commonly found ingredients. It is the oldest regional cuisine in America.

Most people think 'hot and spicy' when they think of Tex Mex food. That's not true! Many of the foods do use chiles and spices, but once you learn about all of the seasonings typically used in the cuisine, you will be able to adjust the heat and spice level to your own tastes. Omit chiles and chili powder, cayenne pepper and chile paste, or reduce their amounts. Most recipes are balanced, with sweet, savory, and sour flavors offsetting the sharp bite of hot peppers.

Enjoy these quick and easy recipes and add a little spice to your kitchen!

Tex Mex Recipes

• Tex Mex Skillet Casserole
  This simple one dish meal contains all the flavors of Mexico, including green chilies, garlic, chili powder, and Mexican cheese blend.
• Tex Mex Chicken Pasta Salad
  This delicious salad combines pasta with a spicy creamy sauce, edamame, and Pepper Jack cheese. And chicken!
• Tex Mex Meatloaf
  I love refried beans; the texture and flavor are so comforting. They're delicious on their own, but fabulous when added to this easy meatloaf recipe.
• Skillet Tex Mex Lasagna
  This quick and easy lasagna is made entirely in a skillet on the top of your stove. You can also make it in an electric skillet if your kitchen is out of order. Yum.
• Chicken Tostadas
  This unauthentic but undeniably delicious recipe uses faux chicken nuggets (really, they're great!) on top of a refried-bean coated crisp fried tortilla. This is one of my all-time favorite Tex Mex recipes.
• Tex Mex Chicken Fettuccine
  A five ingredient recipe! The combination of cool and buttery avocado with hot pasta, tender chicken, and a spicy sauce is sublime.
• Toasted Corn Bread Salad
  Cubes of corn bread, toasted in the oven, are tossed with beans, vegetables, cheese, and a chili-ranch sauce that's spicy and suave.
• Tex Mex Black Bean Wraps
  These delicious vegetarian sandwiches are perfect for a light lunch. Black beans are mashed with salsa to form a spread for flour tortillas, then rolled with lots of veggies and avocado sauce.
• Tex Mex Couscous Salad
  This is what fusion cooking is all about; taking the best of different ethnic cuisines and combining them into a new recipe. As always, you can make this dish as spicy or mild as you like, depending on the ingredients you choose.
• Crockpot Tex Mex Turkey Loaf
  The spiciness of this simple three ingredient recipe depends on the spiciness of the salsa you choose to use. You could add some shredded Cojack cheese to the mixture if you'd like.
• Tex Mex Bubble Pizza
  This delicious casserole surrounds corn biscuit dough with a spicy and rich sauce, topped with taco fixings. It's yummy.
• Tex Mex Shrimp Tart
  This simple quiche is spiced up with serrano chiles and chile powder in a special recipe perfect for company.
• Tex Mex Chicken Pasta
  This super easy and quick recipe, which uses ziti, cilantro, and pesto, is packed full of wonderful flavors of the Southwest.
• Tex Mex Turkey Salad
  Peach preserves, cumin, mango, and cubed cooked turkey combine in a very delicious and unusual main dish salad recipe that requires no cooking at all.
• Tex Mex Pork Salad
  Pork is such a popular meat in Tex Mex cooking. This delicious hot salad is perfect for entertaining. The color, flavor, and freshness of the recipe just can't be beat.
• Tex Mex Rice & Beans
  Chicken, onion, and tomatoes are added to a rice and bean mix in this super simple main dish recipe.
• Pressure Cooker Tex Mex Brisket
  The flavors of the southwest infuse a tender and juicy beef brisket recipe that cooks in your pressure cooker. The beef does need to marinate before cooking, so plan ahead and start this the day before you want to serve it.
• Tex Mex Impossible Pie
  This is a fabulous and simple vegetarian entree pie. You could add 1/2 lb. cooked, crumbled ground beef to this recipe to make it perfect for non-vegetarians.
• Tex Mex Grilled Chicken
  Chicken breasts coated in spices are grilled until tender, then served with salsa. Serve with warmed tortillas, rice, and refried beans.
• Crockpot Tex Mex Pork Stew
  The cornmeal acts as a thickener in this rich and savory stew. You can add chili powder or red pepper if you like a very spicy dish.
• Stuffed Tex Mex Burgers
  A well seasoned beef mixture is formed around Pepper Jack cheese for a spicy kick. Wrap warmed flour tortillas, along with guacamole, around these burgers.
• Santa Fe Chicken
  I love this recipe; it is one of the easiest in my collection, and so delicious. And it takes about five minutes to put together! It's perfect for dinner when you're just too exhausted to cook.
• Mexican Pizza
  This recipe was the very first Tex Mex recipe I created. It's a staple in my family now; my husband requests it at least once a week in the fall and winter months.
• Creamy Mexican Crockpot Chicken
  This recipe is a variation on King Ranch Casserole, a classic Tex Mex chicken dish. It's true comfort food.