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36 Tasty Tex-Mex Recipes To Bring the Fiesta To Your Family

36 Tasty Tex-Mex Recipes To Bring the Fiesta To Your Family

By Kaitlyn Yarborough

May 27, 2020

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Amongst all the popular Southern casseroles out there—the beloved squash casserole, the dependable green bean casserole, the hearty ground beef casserole—nothing stands out in flavor and flair as much as a creamy, cheesy Tex-Mex casserole. Texans have mastered their own cuisine of Mexican-inspired dishes that make the whole family happy on any night of the week. We’re talking to-die-for brisket tacos, tamale pie, chili cheese enchiladas, cowboy beans, pulled pork nachos, and (of course) corn chip pie.

If your mouth isn’t watering yet, just wait until you scroll through all of these sauce-laden, cheese-topped, melty Tex-Mex dishes that are guaranteed to make dinnertime anything but boring. Texans are Southerners, after all—so you’ll find your share of casserole bakes, slow-cooker standouts, party dips, and easy cast-iron skillet suppers to make life easy and to feed a crowd.

Here are 33 super tasty Tex-Mex recipes to make every meal at home feel like a fiesta.

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Beef Tamale Pie

Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Beef Tamale Pie

We can't decide which part we love the most: the bubbly, super flavorful beef filling or the toasty cornbread topping (made with store-bought corn muffin mix!) dotted with jalapeños.

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Chili Cheese Enchiladas

Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Chili Cheese Enchiladas

Instead of using a canned enchilada sauce, this recipe makes a Texas-inspired chili gravy that is insanely delicious. You can use ground beef, leftover chicken, or even a rotisserie chicken to add extra protein.

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Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos

Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos

This convenient shortcut for crowd-pleasing carnitas tacos will totally transform Tex-Mex Tuesday. Broiling the meat on a sheet pan to brown and crisp the entire batch at once makes all the difference.

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Slow-Cooker Cowboy Beans

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cowboy Beans

Throw pinto beans, bacon, bacon drippings (oh yeah), garlic, onion, chipotle, and other ingredients to a slow cooker and then forget about it. The result? The best Tex-Mex side dish ever.

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Austin Diner-Style Queso

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Austin Diner-Style Queso

Every meal should start with a batch or two of this creamy cheese dip, but especially when there are little ones or extra company present. Add canned green chiles or jalapeños for extra heat if desired.

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Pulled Pork Nachos

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Pulled Pork Nachos

You'll love this easy-to-assemble recipe for a fun snack, quick-fix dinner, or party appetizer. To make it easy, grab some shredded smoked pork from your favorite BBQ joint.

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Cheesy Taco Casserole

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero

Recipe: Cheesy Taco Casserole

Turn tacos into a quick and easy beef casserole supper complete with toppings everyone can pick and choose.

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Queso-Filled Mini Peppers

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Queso-Filled Mini Peppers

Have you ever seen something cuter than these super cheesy mini peppers? They'll disappear before your eyes.

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Frito Pie

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Frito Pie

Say hello to Texas' version of a walking taco filled with beefy goodness, like chili, crunchy corn chips, shredded cheese, and diced white onion. It starts with traditional West Texas Chili and ends with a happy belly.

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Creamy Tex-Mex Cornbread Bake

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Creamy Tex-Mex Cornbread Bake

Cornbread? With Tex-Mex? Sounds about right with this Southern crowd. This skillet bake is surprisingly healthy yet hearty with ground turkey.

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Texas-Style Enchilada Casserole

Credit: Photo William Dickey / Styling Katherine Eckert / Food Styling Alyssa Porubcan

Recipe: Texas-Style Enchilada Casserole

Like a cross between a traditional enchilada and an easy casserole, this beefy supper recipe is bound to hit the table again and again.

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Sheet Pan Fajitas

Credit: Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin

Recipe: Sheet Pan Fajitas

Don't sweat over the stovetop for this 20-minute recipe that calls for simply combining basic ingredients like chicken breasts, onion, bell peppers, and spices (cumin, chili powder, and paprika) onto a sheet pan.

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Huevos Rancheros Bake

Credit: Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Huevos Rancheros Bake

Because brunch deserves a Tex-Mex twist, too. The egg-topped skillet is a cheesy, layered dream.

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Creamy Grits Mexi-Casserole

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Creamy Grits Mexi-Casserole

This slow-cooker casserole is a hit from morning to dinnertime. Using tortilla soup broth gives it so much extra Tex-Mex flavor.

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Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken

This is the most versatile weeknight recipe to have on hand. Use it as a taco filler, put it over rice with toppings, or spoon over chips to make sheet-pan nachos.

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Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Credit: Courtesy Oxmoor House

Recipe: Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

After tasting this super flavorful Tex-Mex soup, you'll know why it is one of Martina McBride's most popular recipes from her cookbook.

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San Antonio Beef Puffy Tacos

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: San Antonio Beef Puffy Tacos

This puffy tacos are as fun as they are tasty. Filled with superbly seasoned beef and all the toppings, they're an easy favorite.

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McGuire’s Margarita

Credit: Stephen Karlisch

Recipe: McGuire’s Margarita

Say hello to every Tex-Mex taco's best friend. This simple recipe for a classic margarita on the rocks features the perfect ratio of sweet, salty, and boozy.

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Texas Caviar Rice and Beans

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Texas Caviar Rice and Beans

A beloved Lone Star dip recipe gets transformed into a satisfying main dish, adding rice, cheese, and all the toppings—we recommend a hearty dollop of guacamole!

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Easy Steak Fajitas

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Easy Steak Fajitas

This dependable recipe is ready after using only a handful of ingredients that work hard so you don't have to. Perfect fajitas coming right up.

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Breakfast Enchiladas

Credit: Hector M Sanchez

Recipe: Breakfast Enchiladas

This is the ultimate brunch recipe for when you're feeding a crowd or simply want plenty of leftovers.

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Sheet Pan Nachos

Credit: Greg DuPree

Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos

Take this genius sheet-pan version of nachos straight from the oven to your table—and watch everyone go wild, family-style.

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Brisket Tacos with Summer Salsa

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Brisket Tacos with Summer Salsa

Slow-cooker beef brisket and crunchy fruit salsa might be the most delicious duo you'll meet all year. These are company-worthy tacos.

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Smothered Enchiladas

Recipe: Smothered Enchiladas

Southerners like anything when it's smothered, especially when smothered with cheesy, creamy, spiced Tex-Mex flavor. This simple recipe is all you need.

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Smoked Chicken Tortilla Soup

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Smoked Chicken Tortilla Soup

Word on the street is that this soup is irresistible, made with tender chicken, black beans, corn, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, and chiles.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

It's hard to beat shredded chicken tacos, and now you can turn them out without any huff or fuss using your trusty slow cooker.

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Taco-Tot Casserole

Credit: Photo: Gina DeSimone; Food Styling: Blakeslee Giles; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Taco-Tot Casserole

The things we'll do with a bag of frozen tater tots...including this casserole bake filled with cheese, ground beef, corn, black beans, and green chiles.

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Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This casserole calls for layering corn tortillas as opposed to rolling each individual enchilada before baking, which is about to make your life a whole bunch easier.

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Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole

Like regular guacamole—but make it extra Southern. We don't think any Texans would be against the addition of bacon and pimientos.

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Spicy Watermelon Refresher

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Spicy Watermelon Refresher

Tequila, fresh watermelon, and serrano peppers make the most fun trio you've ever met. This spritz is perfect for any cookout.

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36 Tasty Tex-Mex Recipes To Bring the Fiesta To Your Family

1 of 33

Beef Tamale Pie

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Chili Cheese Enchiladas

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Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos

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Slow-Cooker Cowboy Beans

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Austin Diner-Style Queso

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Pulled Pork Nachos

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Cheesy Taco Casserole

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Queso-Filled Mini Peppers

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Frito Pie

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Creamy Tex-Mex Cornbread Bake

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Texas-Style Enchilada Casserole

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Sheet Pan Fajitas

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Huevos Rancheros Bake

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Creamy Grits Mexi-Casserole

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Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken

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Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

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San Antonio Beef Puffy Tacos

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McGuire’s Margarita

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Texas Caviar Rice and Beans

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Easy Steak Fajitas

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Breakfast Enchiladas

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Sheet Pan Nachos

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Brisket Tacos with Summer Salsa

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Smothered Enchiladas

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Smoked Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos