Tex-Mex night gets easier when the table has mains, sides, dips, and build-your-own options. These 21 recipes cover enchiladas, ground beef, grilled chicken, fish tacos, Frito pie, chicken tinga, rice, casseroles, salsa, street corn, empanadas, stuffed tomatoes, pork chile verde, and beans. Some are fast skillet meals, while others use the oven, grill, slow cooker, Instant Pot, or air fryer. Use this list when dinner needs enough variety to make takeout feel unnecessary.
Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Ready in 40 minutes and serving six, Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas bring a baked pan of chicken, sauce, and cheese to the table. Green chili salsa chicken, green enchilada sauce, sour cream, Colby Jack cheese, and flour tortillas make the dish. The tortillas are filled, rolled, covered with sauce, and baked until the cheese melts. Serve with Mexican rice, refried beans, avocado, cilantro, or lime.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Carne Molida: Mexican Ground Beef
Ready in 30 minutes and serving six, Carne Molida: Mexican Ground Beef turns one pound of ground beef into a flexible Tex-Mex filling. Potato, onion, green bell pepper, garlic, cumin, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper cook with the beef in one skillet. The diced potato helps stretch the mixture without relying on a seasoning packet. Serve it in tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, rice bowls, or lettuce cups.
Get the Recipe: Carne Molida: Mexican Ground Beef
Grilled Lime-Garlic Chicken Breasts
With a 1-hour 25-minute total time and four servings, Grilled Lime-Garlic Chicken Breasts bring citrus and garlic to the grill. Boneless chicken breasts are marinated with cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, jalapeño, salt, and pepper before cooking. The chicken grills for 5 to 6 minutes per side after marinating. Serve sliced in tacos, bowls, salads, burritos, or beside rice and beans.
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Baja Fish Tacos
Ready in 20 minutes and serving four, Baja Fish Tacos bring cod, tortillas, slaw, and crema into an easy taco dinner. Cod strips are tossed with taco seasoning, baked until flaky, then tucked into corn or flour tortillas. Coleslaw mix, chipotle crema, lime wedges, and cilantro finish each taco. Serve with Mexican rice, salsa, street corn salad, black beans, or sliced avocado.
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Frito Pie
With a 32-minute total time and six servings, Frito Pie gives Tex-Mex night a crunchy bowl-style dinner. Lean ground beef cooks with onion, taco seasoning, pinto beans, and red enchilada sauce before going over Fritos. Shredded cheddar goes on top while the chips stay crisp underneath. Serve with sour cream, scallions, jalapeños, extra onion, lettuce, salsa, or diced tomatoes.
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Chicken Tinga
With 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, Chicken Tinga gives shredded chicken a saucy Instant Pot method. Boneless chicken breast cooks with onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, chipotle powder, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. The chicken is cooked on the trivet, shredded, then mixed back into the reduced sauce. Serve in tacos, tostadas, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, or rice bowls.
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Baked Spanish Rice
With a 45-minute total time and six servings, Baked Spanish Rice gives the table a cheesy baked side. Rice, canned tomatoes, onion, bacon, garlic, green bell pepper, salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese bake together after starting on the stovetop. The rice mixture goes into the oven covered, then gets finished uncovered with cheese. Serve with tacos, enchiladas, grilled chicken, chile verde, or beans.
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Texas Corn Succotash
Ready in 25 minutes and serving eight, Texas Corn Succotash works as a Tex-Mex side with corn, bacon, jalapeño, and bell pepper. The bacon cooks first, then the onion, garlic, butter, corn, red bell pepper, salt, and pepper go into the pan. Fresh or frozen corn both work for the dish. Serve with grilled chicken, enchiladas, burgers, fish tacos, carne molida, or rice bowls.
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Cheesy Mexican Chicken Casserole
With a 55-minute total time and eight servings, Cheesy Mexican Chicken Casserole brings chicken, beans, corn, chips, and cheese into one baked dish. Cooked chicken, red onion, jalapeño, garlic, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chili powder, cumin, tortilla chips, cheddar, and Monterey Jack build the layers. Serve with salsa, avocado, lettuce, rice, or lime wedges.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Mexican Chicken Casserole
Food Processor Salsa
Ready in 5 minutes and serving eight, Food Processor Salsa gives Tex-Mex night a fast dip or topping. Canned diced tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, sweet onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, salt, and pepper go into the food processor. A few pulses keep the texture chunky instead of smooth. Serve with tortilla chips, tacos, enchiladas, bowls, empanadas, quesadillas, or stuffed tomatoes.
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Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl
Ready in 40 minutes and serving four, this Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl builds dinner from rice, grilled chicken, corn salad, and toppings. Chicken breasts marinate with cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, and jalapeño before grilling. The bowl includes rice, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, green onion, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, Cotija, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, and chipotle crema. Serve with chips or salsa.
Get the Recipe: Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl
Air Fryer Beef Empanadas
Ready in 36 minutes and serving eight, Air Fryer Beef Empanadas bring a handheld option to the table. Pie dough is filled with chopped cooked beef, shredded cheese, shredded potatoes, refried beans, onion, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper. The dough is cut into small rounds, filled, sealed, brushed with egg, and cooked in the air fryer. Serve with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, or creamy jalapeño dip.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Beef Empanadas
Mexican Street Corn Soup
Ready in 25 minutes and serving six, Mexican Street Corn Soup turns street corn flavors into a creamy pot. Shallots, garlic, jalapeño, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, chicken broth, corn, milk, heavy cream, red bell pepper, lime juice, salt, and white pepper make the base. Cotija, cilantro, and tortilla chips can finish each bowl. Serve with quesadillas, tacos, or a green salad.
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Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken
With a 4-hour 10-minute total time and six servings, Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken gives the table a shredded chicken option for several meals. Chicken breasts or thighs cook with Hatch chile salsa, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin, and smoked hot paprika or chipotle powder. The chicken shreds into the sauce after cooking. Serve with tortillas, rice, chips, salad greens, burritos, or taco toppings.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Ready in 30 minutes and serving six, Mexican Street Corn Salad brings grilled corn into a chilled side. Corn cobs are grilled, then the kernels are mixed with red bell pepper, green onion, jalapeño, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, cilantro, and Cotija cheese. The salad chills before serving so the ingredients settle together. Serve with grilled chicken, fish tacos, enchiladas, burgers, or rice bowls.
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Chicken Al Pastor Quesadillas
Ready in 7 minutes and serving one, Chicken Al Pastor Quesadillas work when leftover chicken al pastor needs a fast second use. Tortillas, shredded cheddar, diced chicken al pastor, green onion, and cilantro make the filling. The chicken warms first, then the quesadilla cooks until the tortilla browns and the cheese melts. Serve with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, rice, beans, or tortilla chips.
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Guacamole Snack Board
For a Tex-Mex spread with grazing options, this Guacamole Snack Board gives everyone chips, dips, and mix-ins in one place. The board can include guacamole, cold corn dip, salsa, pico de gallo, pineapple salsa, two kinds of chips, shrimp, bacon, Cotija, garlic, jalapeños, bell pepper, and mango. Prep the add-ins ahead, then build the board before serving. Keep extra chips and refills nearby.
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Taco Stuffed Tomatoes
Ready in 30 minutes and serving four, Taco Stuffed Tomatoes swap taco shells for ripe beefsteak tomatoes. Ground beef cooks with onion and taco seasoning before being spooned into tomatoes that are cut into connected wedges. Mexican cheese blend, lettuce, sour cream, jalapeños, and black olives finish each tomato. Serve right away with rice, salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips, or beans.
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Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde
With a 6-hour 15-minute total time and six servings, Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde gives the table a pork main with tomatillo-style flavor. Pork shoulder cooks with chicken broth, cilantro, onion, green chiles, salsa verde, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and a little cinnamon. The pork is shredded and stirred back into the sauce. Serve with rice, tortillas, beans, or radishes.
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Mexican Rice
Ready in 30 minutes and serving six, Mexican Rice gives Tex-Mex plates a simple side. Long-grain rice cooks with Roma tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, optional jalapeño, lime juice, salt, and pepper. The vegetables are pulsed first, then cooked with the rice before simmering until tender. Serve with enchiladas, tacos, carne molida, fish tacos, chile verde, chicken tinga, or rice bowls.
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White Chicken Enchiladas
With a 55-minute total time and six servings, White Chicken Enchiladas bring rotisserie chicken, Monterey Jack, tortillas, and creamy green chile sauce into one baked dish. Butter, flour, chicken broth, sour cream, and diced green chiles make the sauce. The rolled enchiladas bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts. Serve with Mexican rice, refried beans, salsa, guacamole, cilantro, or green onions.
Get the Recipe: White Chicken Enchiladas