Latin American Recipes & Food Ideas

“Are you making breakfast nachos?” my husband asked as he wandered into the kitchen and saw me throwing tortilla chips and salsa into a skillet. He wasn’t too far off the money: Chilaquiles is a Mexican breakfast dish traditionally made by pan-frying strips of stale corn tortillas and then simmering them in salsa. Variations can be as fancy or as basic as the cook desires.

Often, when I lived in Mexico, I’d have a pot of leftover beans in the fridge and few ideas on what to do with it. (Refry them? Done that, too many times.) When friends came over spur-of-the-moment one afternoon, I decided to make a warm bean dip with whatever I had in the pantry. It came together quickly and tasted like I spent more time on it than I actually did.

In Mexico, tamales of pork and chicken are most traditional, but vegetarian tamales made of beans, cheese with rajas (or chile strips), and mushrooms are becoming more popular. A couple things to consider when making vegetarian tamales: Lard is traditional when making the masa for tamales, but you can substitute vegetable shortening. I like to use the chicken cooking liquid from the chicken tamales to flavor this mole, but you can substitute vegetable stock instead.

Take a vacation south of the border on your lunch break when you pack yourself this chopped jicama and shrimp salad. It is a feast for the eyes, with a rainbow of cheery colors and textures. I’ve always had a thing for composed salads, where the ingredients are artfully laid out on top of the salad greens and then drizzled with dressing before serving — no tossing.

Confession: I am not one of those people who is obsessed with Chipotle. I sort of missed that moment when everyone learned the glories of a burrito bowl, but with the fast-casual chain scheduled for a four-hour nationwide shutdown today, I thought it might be time to catch up. My fiancé, on the other hand, is quite different. He’s sung Chipotle’s praises countless times, and with that, the wonders of the chain’s simple and citrusy rice.

A lot of taco salads I see in restaurants just seem to be glorified burrito bowls — heavy on starches and shy on vegetables. How about a taco salad that really celebrates an assortment of raw, crunchy vegetables? Let’s make a no-lettuce taco salad instead. The most important thing in a chopped salad is a good variety of flavors and textures so it doesn’t get boring or mushy.

Chicken soup is one of my favorite things to make in the slow cooker. As long as you use dark meat, the chicken never overcooks during the long cooking time, and making a big batch means that you can have it for dinner and stock the freezer at the same time. This Tex-Mex version has fire-roasted tomatoes, carrots, and black beans in a lightly spiced broth, and hits all the notes when you need a bright-yet-warming meal.

Meatball sandwiches are one of those hearty meals that I don’t mind eating as a filling lunch or for dinner — whenever the craving hits for some comfort food. Marinara sauce and mozzarella are a classic combination, but with the help of some enchilada sauce and Monterey Jack cheese, these meatballs can go in a spicy Mexican direction instead.

I always try to have a bag of baby spinach in the fridge at all times. It’s versatile enough to throw into soups, sauté into a side dish, or toss in a morning smoothie since it’s so mild in flavor. My latest use for spinach? Stuffed into quesadillas, adding a much-needed dose of green vegetables to a normally cheese- and meat-heavy dish.

Chicken’s versatility has earned it a place on the table at least once a week. And while a golden roast chicken will always be a classic favorite, and chicken breast maintain their claim to ease, heartier cuts like chicken thighs and blank-canvas options like ground chicken allow us to do even more with the bird. Doing more now includes making these hearty chicken empanadas.

When I’m looking for a lighter meal at a taqueria, I usually order a tostada. It’s really just an open-faced crispy taco, which means you can really load up on the fresh toppings since you’re not trying to cram all the filling into a folded shell. When I make these at home for a quick weeknight dinner, I like sautéed shrimp and a creamy avocado spread on my tostadas!

I don’t know about you, but for me the question “What’s for dinner?” is a daily tussle between good intentions and lack of time; between a desire to eat wholesome foods, and the temptation of take-out. I crave vegetables, but need easy ways to eat more of them. Enter my latest strategy for eating better without spending too much time in the kitchen: Flip the bowl!

Let’s talk about the fajita effect. It’s the restaurant moment when a server swaggers by with a sizzling platter of fajitas and all heads turn to the sound and aroma of seasoned meat, peppers, and onions parading past the table. If you were smart enough to order that platter, you gloat as you pile warm tortillas with all the toppings and meat fresh from the skillet.

The key to making a salad that you really want to eat is building it from ingredients and toppings you’d happily eat anyways. This spicy carnitas number tells that tale five times over with a bold and crisp base and toppings ranging from slow-cooker carnitas to pickled avocado. And the best part? You can prep and pack every single thing in this salad on a Sunday and then eat it during the week to come. This is the salad you put together when you’re meal prepping for the week.

What’s for dinner tonight? Let’s ask the freezer. Here’s a little gift you can prep for yourself to have an almost effortless dinner ready to go at any time: frozen foil-packet meal kits. Unlike more traditional frozen dinner kits, which are intended to feed four or more, packets are single-serve and can feed just one person at a time. Frozen foil packets are also wonderful for teens who might need to feed themselves, as they are mostly hands-off and only require an oven.

A few weeks ago, I needed to make a hearty meal for a six hungry folks in less than 45 minutes. When I opened the refrigerator, I saw a bunch of odds and ends of other meals and a few leftovers from other dishes. I didn’t have enough leftovers of anything to reheat and eat or serve, so I need to put things together to create something new.

Whether you also know these little powdered sugar-dusted cookies as Russian tea cakes or Italian wedding cookies, these buttery, nutty cookies are a welcome addition to any cookie plate — especially since they can be made ahead and frozen. You can use almost any nut that you’d like, and this version adds cocoa powder and cayenne pepper for a taste that’s reminiscent of a mug of spicy hot chocolate.

Taco pie is simple — the spiced ground beef filling we all know and love on top of something starchy, baked up with a thick layer of cheese — but what if you replaced the starch with something a little lighter? What if we packed more vegetables into this Tex-Mex treat?

There are many reasons to seek out the tacos at Tacos Oscar, a roving taqueria run by Oscar Michel and Jake Weiss. Any great taco begins with the tortillas, and here they are handmade and pressed to order. The two former line cooks from Oakland’s Boot & Shoe Service also excel at fillings, which run the gamut from more traditional options like carnitas to less conventional combinations like Peruvian bean, nopal salad, roasted tomato salsa, cotija, and queso fresco.

I used to use quesadillas as a vessel for leftover chicken — usually the leftover bits of a whole roasted bird from earlier in the week. This recipe, though, was the impetus for cooking chicken for the sole purpose of making quesadillas, and now I’m dedicated to the concept. The cilantro-lime chicken thighs are excellent in their own right, but they’re even better teamed up with buttery, flaky tortillas and melty Monterey Jack cheese.

In this wholesome take on a Tex-Mex taco salad, shredded kale is tossed with hearty black beans and crisp veggies, and softened by a creamy yogurt and cilantro dressing. And of course, no taco salad would be complete without crunchy tortillas and plenty of shredded cheddar. So if you’re looking for a more exciting way to get your fill of kale, this is it! Kale doesn’t really have time for tepid dressings and hesitant handling.

We all know that mugs of velvety hot chocolate are an essential for any snow day. From now on, though, it’s time to treat yourself to the Mexican-spiced upgrade. With just enough warm spices to make your taste buds tingle, this rich drink comes off tasting even more intensely chocolatey and luxurious. Best of all, it’s made in a big batch, so it’s perfect for sipping all day long with your snow-day partners in crime.

For a fast way to way mix up your weeknight chicken routine, look no further than this boldly seasoned dish. Thanks to a quick honey-chipotle marinade, meaty chicken thighs and chunks of sweet potatoes pick up spicy, smoky flavor with a bit of sweetness. And since we’re making this on a sheet pan, your whole dinner is ready at once — easy prep and easy cleanup!

Fine by us!

Have you ever been subjected to “filler fruit” in a fruit salad? This wasn’t even a term I was aware of until a friend who served a truly gorgeous fruit salad at a brunch a while ago used the term to note the absence of melon and banana. Now, I know some people like these fruits in their salad, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, for the most part, that bananas and cantaloupe are the least desirable additions to the whole of it.

You can’t talk about breakfast in Cuba without talking about coffee, a truth that still holds strong when you talk about breakfast in Miami. Be it cafecito or café con leche or any of the coffee drinks that fall in between, coffee is an important part of the morning meal, with café con leche, a drink of sweetened espresso and lots of steamed milk, being the most popular choice as the first drink of the day.

Want to cook more fish? If you’re not sure yet, baked tilapia is all the convincing you need. This white fish is rubbed with an aromatic mixture of both lime zest and juice, ground cumin, and olive oil before it’s quickly baked. It seems simple at first, but then healthy spoonfuls of a cilantro- and garlic-packed salsa verde, which is assembled in the food processor or blender while the fish cooks, turn it into an dinner that’s packed with both color and flavor.

Popular throughout Latin America, tres leches is a buttery cake baked and then soaked in a combination of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk, hence the “three milks” name. While milk-soaked cake might sound soggy, this cake is the perfect summertime cake, thanks to its cool serving temperature. The cake acts as a sponge for the milk mixture and takes on a rich pudding-like texture after the milks are added.

When grilled with an herby, garlicky chimichurri sauce that doubles as both the marinade and a dipping sauce, these shrimp skewers only take five measly minutes on the grill.

Add a spoonful of smoky, roasted tomatillo sauce to your plate and dinner instantly becomes a lot more exciting. Blended together with tangy tomatillos, poblano pepper, and a pop of garlic, this everyday sauce hits your tongue with punchy flavor that’s just the right balance of sweet and smoky, with a hint of heat. One of the first things that seems to come to mind when we think about tomatillo sauce is tacos. It’s an obvious pairing, and one that I cannot recommend enough.

Huevos rancheros has been one of my favorite egg dishes since I first tasted it in Mexico, nearly 20 years ago. It’s a hearty, satisfying breakfast, which means it can also hold its own for dinner. In this version, huevos rancheros go the way of the casserole with a double layer of corn tortillas, a generous helping of beans and cheese, and the signature spicy-sweet tomato-chile sauce.

What would some of our favorite comfort food classics looks like if we asked a nutritionist to give them a makeover? In this series of recipes, you see how smart choices around vegetables, meats, and cheese make for a lighter, more nutritious take on everything from mac and cheese to meatloaf without ever compromising the flavor. Enchiladas are a go-to weeknight meal for me because they’re easy to assemble and have a short bake time.

This is how you do shrimp tacos in salad form. All the very best elements — juicy, spice-dusted shrimp, crisp cabbage slaw, tangy crema, and creamy avocado — come together in one big bowl to form a seriously feel-good dinner salad that’s crisp, spicy, and fresh all at once. This is the sort of meal that will add brightness to your day, even if the weather is gloomy and gray, as it instantly transports you to that SoCal sunshine.

Carnitas of any kind (including peach!) is one of my very favorite dishes to make, with its tender juicy meat and browned edges. I always thought those who didn’t eat pork were missing out — until now. It turns out that chicken carnitas is a beautiful, delicious thing.

Everyone loves brisket, a Texas staple. Texans — Tejanos — are especially obsessed. My beer-braised brisket is fork-tender, perfect for a crowd, and requires no babysitting. Place it in the slow cooker and go about your day. Your family will love it, and football fans will adore it! Using beer as the braising liquid immediately adds flavor to the meat — meaning you can get away with fewer ingredients total.

Migas are a breakfast favorite in every corner of Texas. I’ve taken the classic skillet migas and transformed them into a low-and-slow, cheesy migas casserole. Put on a pot of coffee, invite a few friends over, and enjoy this migas casserole for brunch. Most breakfast recipes that call for tortilla chips (huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, breakfast nachos, etc.) require poaching or frying eggs, too. Not so with migas casserole.

These might be the fastest tacos we've ever made.

With a smart grocery list in hand, you can make easy enchiladas with just five ingredients and no tortilla rolling required. Tender slices of sweet potato are layered with black beans, spinach, cheese, and enchilada sauce, resulting in a gooey, bubbling vegetarian casserole. Sprinkle the top with chopped cilantro and diced avocado and serve with warm corn tortillas. Enchilada sauce is what makes this five-ingredient casserole possible.

It's everything you love about a cheesy beef taco, made even better with tater tots.

It's a classic for a reason.

Honestly, is there a better salad than taco salad? Crisp romaine gets punched up with cilantro and onions, then tossed with crunchy tortilla strips, spicy ground beef, shredded cheese, and lots of fresh veggies like corn and tomatoes. It’s the perfect combination of flavors and textures.

Here’s exactly what should be on the roster for your next Taco Tuesday: smoky, savory tacos that just so happen to be meatless. You won’t miss the chicken or steak one bit because the thick slices of portobello mushrooms and poblano peppers are nearly as meaty and equally as satisfying. The healthy sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese on each taco definitely doesn’t hurt either. These tacos are guaranteed to please vegetarians and carnivores alike.

As an ardent pie crust lover, it’s only natural that I adore empanadas, the sweet or savory stuffed pastries from Latin America or Spain. They’re usually served at parties or even as a meal, and one of my favorite fillings is chicken with olives. This quick weeknight version reimagines the handheld pastry as a skillet pie, with a bubbling layer of juicy ground chicken cooked with bell peppers, onions, and olives in a savory spiced sauce, all topped with a flaky pie crust.

It’s a very particular kind of morning we’re talking about when we say this is the Cuban sandwich you want for breakfast — specifically the kind that starts closer to noon than it does to nine, and one where the night before might’ve included lots of dancing. That, or those mornings when you wake up ravenous and ready for something truly hearty to eat. The Cuban medianoche is a close sibling to the more famous cubano.

Whether you’re putting the finishing touches on the ultimate taco salad, or just trying to pretend your leafy green salad is a plate of tacos, these crispy, flavor-packed croutons will help get you there. Any type of bread will work to make these seasoned croutons a reality.

Enchiladas make a wonderful and unique breakfast dish. A true crowd-pleaser, they can easily be scaled up or down, depending on the number of mouths you are feeding. Enchiladas are also super versatile; if you don’t have chorizo on hand, some leftover roast chicken works too. If you don’t eat meat, mushrooms or beans make for a satisfying filling. And while the dish itself is best eaten as soon as it is ready, the individual components can always be made ahead of time.

Chicken tamales drenched in mole are a staple of the Christmas season. They are a little time-consuming (but not hard), and best when made with friends and family. In fact, the making of the tamales is almost as important as the eating of the tamales. Gathering together to create this beloved food has become one of my favorite traditions of the holiday season. I like to break the process up over a couple of days.

Since discovering how easy it is to cook amazing flank steak at home, I have become rather obsessed with fajitas. As in, we’ve had them for dinner at least once a week for the past several weeks — sometimes just the two of us, sometimes with friends. They’re just so easy and easily adaptable! Roast some peppers and onions under the broiler, then cook the steak. Pile everything on a platter with a stack of warm tortillas nearby, and dig in.

Whether they come from your grocery store, your garden, or your neighbor’s garden (if you’re lucky!), you will soon be overrun with zucchini. This time of year, zucchini are plentiful and that’s probably an understatement. These easy grilled zucchini boats stuffed with ground beef, cheddar cheese, and salsa are one of my favorite ways to burn through a big pile of summer zucchini.

I have two goals on hot summer days: stay hydrated and eat as much fruit as I can. Agua frescas are the perfect solution to both goals. Lately I’ve been whipping up these fruit juice blends every week, and so far, this vanilla nectarine version has to be my favorite. It’s the drink-child of fresh peach ice cream and takes about two minutes to make.

I sometimes look askance at people who complain about the glut of beautiful end-of-summer produce and fruit — what on earth to do with it? My immediate reaction is to just eat it. Eat it all. Enjoy it because we can’t in January or February or March. But in all honesty, at times I’m one of those people, too. It can be difficult in August to use up all your vegetables and ripening fruit before they go bad.

Where there’s brunch, there are Bloody Marys. So at today’s Cinco de Mayo brunch celebration, it just makes sense that we’ll be happily sipping Mary’s Mexican cousin: the Bloody Maria. The Bloody Maria is the same as a Bloody Mary, but tequila takes the place of vodka, giving this brunch favorite a simple and delicious makeover.

Every Halloween I like to cook something warm and pumpkin-y for dinner. This year I’ll pair my favorite pumpkin tortilla soup with enchiladas de pipián rojo, a smoky, nutty, spiced (but not too spicy) sauce made with pumpkin seeds, chile peppers, and roasted vegetables. In Mexico, pipián is a type of mole or sauce served with meat or over enchiladas. Made with ground seeds or nuts, it may be green (verde) or red (rojo).

My friend Aura is a very good cook. She lives in Florida with her husband, Leo, and two adorable (I do not use that word glibly) children. When I think of Aura’s cooking, I think of fruit salads, smoothies, and the freshest dishes from her native Guatemala — light, healthy, and driven by Florida’s tropical fruits and vegetables. So I was surprised, one winter evening a few years ago, to sit down at her table and find a big, bubbling casserole of chicken wrapped in bacon.

There are very few foods that feed a large crowd with little effort. Tacos may be the simplest option for feeding a lot of people, and today we are bringing you one of our favorite taco stuffings: barbacoa beef, tender and full of rich, complex flavors. Yes, did you know you can make that tasty stuff you buy at Chipotle in your own kitchen — and in your slow cooker, no less? I have a serious thing for barbacoa.

Asparagus and cherries is not a pairing you normally hear of, let alone see in taco form, but when we tasted this combination during our recent trip to Washington state, we felt like we’d been let in on a marvelous secret.When roasted or grilled, the two ingredients turn sweet, succulent, and rich with complex, seasonal flavor. In a taco garnished with zesty asparagus salsa and fresh Mexican cheese, the combination is completely enticing.

This shredded braised beef in a rich sauce with a spicy kick tastes better than you can imagine. Really, it’s that good. And cooking it in a slow cooker means you can have it ready and waiting when you come home from work! Want more smart tutorials for getting things done around the home? See more How To posts We’re looking for great examples of your own household intelligence too! Submit your own tutorials or ideas here!

This week we’ve talked about making tortillas (withwithoutinstant corn flour Want more smart tutorials for getting things done around the home? See more How To posts We’re looking for great examples of your own household intelligence too! Submit your own tutorials or ideas here!

This dessert is dedicated to those of you who have seen triple digits on the thermometer this week and cannot imagine firing up the oven under any circumstances. Here, slices of melon provide a cool, silky texture while the syrup punches up the sweet and adds an exciting bit of heat. The lime balances the flavors and refreshes the palate. But best of all, this dessert is quick and simple and leaves the oven resolutely turned off.

Sweet corn is the perfect thing to eat right now – seasonal, fresh and perfect with almost nothing added to it. But just in case you’re ready for something new, let’s load it up with lots of rich and delicious toppings. What do you say? You may be familiar with elote, a Mexican sweet corn treat.

Tortilla soup is something we enjoy any timeOne might not expect a meatless tortilla soup to be very hearty, yet this is actually quite satisfying without animal, or even soy, protein. Pumpkin puree (made from scratch or canned) and cubes of avocado add creamy richness and balance the soup’s tomatoes and spice. Tortillas appear not only as crispy garnish but they are also cooked into the soup, infusing it with texture and flavor.

With the weather turning warmer, we find ourselves turning to lighter meals and nibbles. Healthy dips and spreads such as muhammara are finding their way onto our plates more often in recent weeks.Another benefit of dips and spreads is they can be used as a substitute for less-healthy toppings such as butter, cream, hollandaise sauces, and other high-fat sauces and accompaniments. Try using hummus in place of mayonnaise in a sandwich, or experiment with covering a grilled steak with guacamole.