Authentic Mexican Recipes

Traditional Mexican Recipes

Easy Mexican Recipes

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat, and then fry the tortillas on 5 seconds per side until they are pliable. Do them individually and add more oil as required. Drain the tortillas on paper towels and keep them warm.

Divide the chicken, onion (not green onion) and 10 oz of the cheese between the tortillas. Roll them up and place in a greased baking pan, seam side down. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until it begins to boil. Add the broth, stirring continuously.

Add the chilies and sour cream. Stir occasionally and do not let the mixture boil. Pour this mixture over the enchiladas when hot and thick. Bake the Mexican chicken enchiladas for 20 minutes then top with the rest of the cheese and bake for a further 5 minutes. Use the green onions and cilantro to garnish them.

Serves 6

An Introduction to Mexican Food

Mexican Food and Health

Do not be put off by what you might think of as calorie-laden Mexican food because, in truth, very few traditional Mexican recipes are high in fat or calories. Some people think that all Chinese food is high in fat and sugar but traditional Chinese food is made primarily with meat, poultry, vegetables, and the high fat versions are meals that have been adapted for westernized tastes. This is exactly the case with a lot of Mexican foods.

Traditional Mexican recipes were made with whatever was available and the Mayans and Aztecs used ingredients such as vanilla, chocolate, chili peppers, avocado, fish, beans, peanuts, tomato, and turkey. The conquistadors introduced new foods such as beef, pork, garlic, onions, chicken, wine, and many Mexican dishes today feature these ingredients. Corn and rice are also popular in authentic Mexican recipes.

A lot of Mexican recipes from the Vera Cruz and Yucatan regions have a Caribbean influence. There are also a lot of seafood recipes originating from Vera Cruz because of its geography. Other Mexican regions have French or Spanish inspired recipes because of the settlers. Meat dishes are plentiful in the north of Mexico. Vegetables and chicken are more popular in the south.

The Best Loved Mexican Foods

Salsas are sauces, which are made with raw ingredients and can be chopped, chunky, or smooth in consistency. Big, juicy red tomatoes, chipotle, tomatillo, and avocado are popular salsa ingredients and have been used for many centuries. Salsas, chutneys, and relishes can brighten up any dish and they are easy to make yourself.

When making Mexican foods, you should use fresh ingredients for the best flavor and use toppings to complement the recipe rather than overwhelm it. With experience, you can become good at finding just the right combination of herbs, spices, nuts, and chili to make your Mexican recipes light and aromatic.

Traditional Mexican food is flavorful and comforting and there are literally hundreds of different Mexican foods to make at home if you want to experience the flavor of Mexico for yourself.

People who like Mexican food and Mexican food recipes are often interested in the origins of this delicious fare, with its variety and intensity of flavors. Authentic Mexican food is thought to have been derived from Mayan Indians, who were hunters and gatherers. A common dish was corn tortillas with bean paste. Tropical fruits, wild game, and fish were also enjoyed in the early days of Mexican culinary history. In the mid 1300s, honey, salt, chocolate, and chili peppers were introduced to Mexican food.

When Spain invaded Mexico in the sixteenth century, new livestock such as cows, sheep, and pigs were introduced, as were garlic, various herbs and spices, wheat and dairy products. Other influences also played a part on the development of traditional Mexican food, including South American, West African, French, Portuguese, and Caribbean cuisines. A lot of traditional Mexican food includes beans and rice as ingredients.

Why is Mexican food so popular all over the world? Perhaps it is the way in which meat; vegetables and spices are so cleverly combined to result in delicious yet healthy meals. Alternatively, maybe it is because Mexican food is so inimitable and no other cuisine quite compares.

Many people find that heavy Mexican foods such as tacos and burritos come to mind first and these are traditional recipes from Northern Mexico. However, Mexican food recipes vary throughout Mexico and include Mayan, Aztec, Spanish, Caribbean and French influences. The way Mexican food originates in one area is a reflection of the cultural, religious, and historical orientation, as well as the natural resources. Authentic Mexican recipes are very different to the inferior, high fat Tex Mex offerings found in fast food chains.

Mexican staple ingredients include meat such as chicken or beef, fish and seafood, vegetables such as onions, garlic, tomatoes and beans and spices like cayenne pepper, chili pepper and many more. Corn, sour cream, and cheese are also widely used in traditional Mexican food. Mexican desserts are also very special and there are hundreds of types of cakes, puddings, and cookies to choose from. If you have not tasted real Mexican food, you are in for a treat when you try out some Mexican recipes!

Cooking Tips for Perfect Mexican Recipes

They do say that practice makes perfect and this is also the case when you are making Mexican recipes. A basic knowledge of cooking does help and here are some handy tips to ensure your Mexican recipes come out great time after time. Find More Mexican Cooking Tips for Perfect Mexican Recipes on our Mexican Cooking Tips page. In addition, you can find other helpful info in the article section on ways to simplify your Mexican food making experience.

Cinco de Mayo Celebrations

Popular dishes served at a Cinco de Mayo celebration might include tortilla soup, green chili beef stew, guacamole, black bean salsa, fish tacos with a Baja sauce, chicken or beef fajitas and enchiladas.

Well Loved Mexican Holiday Recipes

There is a massive variety of food available in Mexico and each region has its own dishes. Mexico does not have its own real official dish. One food, which is common throughout Mexico, is the corn tortilla. Corn is still a staple in Mexico, even as flour becomes more popular and corn is grown there too. Corn tortillas are baked fresh every day in Mexican stores and food stands.

Traditional Cinco de Mayo Food

There are said to be more than sixty types of chili pepper including the very hot habanero, which is common in the south. Not all Mexican recipes are spicy, contrary to popular belief. Some are very hot, some are mildly spicy, and others are aromatic without being hot at all. Salsas are very popular too and complement many different Mexican recipes.

Drink is also a big part of the festivities and tequila can be drunk alone as a shot or used to make a deliciously refreshing pitcher of margarita. Kahlua, which is a Mexican coffee-based liqueur is also very flavorsome and can be drunk with ice, cola or cream. If you fancy something more simple, you can try a Mexican beer such as Corona or Sol.

Cinco de Mayo is all about celebrating in general rather than being limited to any particular traditional Cinco de Mayo food, so each Mexican household will prepare their favorite Mexican foods to make one big, colorful Mexican feast for the whole family to enjoy.

Eating, drinking, dancing and partying is what Cinco de Mayo is all about in modern Mexico and it is a time to enjoy life and celebrate with the tastiest traditional Mexican recipes and remember what the holiday is commemorating.

Mexican food and Mexican recipes change by geographic region, it all depends on each region's physical landscape and climate, along with its cultural differences. What food is well-liked in the south of Mexico comprise abundance of chicken, vegetables and fruit while in the north of Mexico food features a lot of animal protein. In the Mexican state of Vera Cruz, many of the authentic and traditional Mexican recipes include seafood.

Vera Cruz, is a tropical region that spans a long narrow strip of lowlands and runs up along the Gulf of Mexico, which translates into a lot of fish and shellfish such as grouper, red snapper, mojarra and snook are commonly, on hand plus others like shrimp and other crustaceans. In this region, Mojarra is especially prized. Other seafood like crab, oysters, and lobsters are plentiful too.

In addition to the marine area, Vera Cruz also has over forty rivers and streams that run through it. Vera Cruz has a never-ending quantity of freshwater fish and shellfish. Food is made in a manor that reproduces exceptional meals that are completely unique to the state and nowhere else. The influence of the sea produces and ads to the taste of regular classic Mexican food and Mexican recipes like no other area.

You can find out a lot of history and details regarding Mexican food by discovering the diverse differences in the many Mexican states. Trying new recipes will give you a taste as to why they vary. With Mexican culture rich in history, it is always nice to learn about how the foods came about and how they are in our time. Once you are informed about the dishes, it makes it even more pleasurable when cooking and eating them in your own home.