Tex-Mex Cuisine – Glossary of Dishes from the Oldest Regional Cuisine in the Country
This is a glossary of terms and definitions for Tex-Mex cuisine dishes. Most of these dishes can be found in Texas Mexican restaurants and from Texas cooks. Others are fairly recent additions to this style of food, hailing from other parts of the country and the world.
fajitas– The word literally means “little belts”. It’s actually grilled skirt steak, but over the years the Tex-Mex version has been known as any type of meat that’s grilled and served on tortillas, with toppings like onion, guacamole , sour cream, cheese and other seasonings. .
nachos– Nachos are corn tortilla chips topped with cheese and jalapeño slices, which are then grilled until the cheese is melted. Sour cream, guacamole, and other ingredients are sometimes added.
hotdogs– Basically these are nachos with refried beans sprinkled on top of the tortilla chips before anything else is added on top. This Tex-Mex dish has its roots in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas.
tacos- In Mexican cuisine, these are just a filling wrapped in a tortilla. Tacos generally come in two styles in Tex-Mex cuisine. One is the U-shaped fried corn tortillas, where they are filled with meat, cheese and vegetables. The other is just flour tortillas filled with ingredients similar to hard tacos.
quesadillas– These are flour tortillas that are folded over cheese and other fillings, then lightly grilled or fried until the cheese is melted.
burritos– Often categorized as a Tex-Mex dish, burritos have long been popular in Arizona and California. and no burritos were found in Texas until recently. Burritos are made by wrapping a large flour tortilla around a filling.
toasts– Meaning “toasted” in English, this Tex-mex dish consists of whole-grain corn tortillas, fried and topped with taco-like toppings.
boats– True Mexican chalupas are made by pressing tortilla dough into long boats before cooking. Tex-Mex chalupas (interchangeable with tostadas) are usually made by frying a corn tortilla flat, then deep-frying it like a taco. It is usually topped with meatless ingredients like beans, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Tamales– Mexican tamales are made with masa or tortilla dough, while the Tex-Mex version can be made Mexican-style or Southern-style, where a cornmeal paste or porridge is used. It is then covered with a filling, rolled in corn husks or banana leaves, and steamed.
Chilaquiles– Chilaquiles are pieces of tortilla cooked in a sauce, usually with meat and cheese. They are similar to migas (below).
enchiladas Tortilla enchiladas are corn tortillas that are softened in hot oil and then dipped in a chile sauce. Enchiladas were originally served without filling and topped with some queso blanco (white cheese). Tex-Mex enchiladas are typically rolled with a meat or cheese filling, or both, and then covered with more sauce and cheese.
stacked enchiladas – Common in El Paso and West Texas kitchens, these are cold tortillas served like a stack of pancakes, with cheese and onion between the tortillas, then topped with more sauce and cheese.
chubby– These are made with tortilla dough (masa), which is beaten into a circle and dropped into hot oil, where it swells. It is then opened into a pocket, where fillings of beans, shredded meats or cheese are placed.
enchuritos– The name of this modern invention of Tex-Mex cuisine suggests a half burrito and half enchilada dish, but it’s usually a burrito topped with enchilada sauce and cheese.
Refried beans– They are cooked beans mashed in hot oil. They are the most common of all Tex-Mex prepared foods. The bean used is almost always pinto, but refried black beans are starting to appear on many menus.
crumbs– In Tex-Mex cuisine, migas are a popular breakfast dish, usually made with scrambled eggs and crushed corn tortilla chips. Other ingredients that are often added are onions, cheese, and serrano chiles.
chimichangas– The name means whatchamacallits. Chimichangas are similar to a fried burrito. The first chimichanga is rumored to have arisen when someone accidentally dropped a burrito in a deep fryer.
wrapped– They are tortillas wrapped around a filling and then fried or cooked in a sauce.
snack– Throughout Mexico and much of Texas, botanas means appetizers. A snack plate is a sampler plate. But in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas (the southernmost part of Texas), a snack platter is a large plate of nachos and tostadas, topped with guacamole and fajita meat. Served with tortillas and salsa on the side.
Hot sauce– In Tex-Mex cuisine, this is a sauce made from finely chopped tomatoes, onions and hot peppers. This Is What It Looks Like Served In French Fry Bowls At Tex-Mex Restaurants. You can also pour as much of this as you like into any of the above dishes.
There are certainly many more Tex-Mex cuisine dishes out there, and similar versions of these keep popping up all the time. But what is known is that Tex-Mex is a unique regional cuisine unto itself, and Tex-Mex cuisine is here to stay and grow in popularity for many years to come.