24 Tasty Tex-Mex and Southwest Recipes (2024)

It's not exactly easy to distinguish between traditional Mexican fare and the Mexican-inspired dishes conceived in the southwestern United States. When the term Tex-Mex started getting tossed around, it often referred to a cheapened, watered-down interpretation of Mexican staples that relied on convenience foods smothered in processed cheese. Today, Southwestern food has evolved into its own subset of Mexican cuisine — chef Rick Bayless has even identified the Southwest U.S. as a culinary region of Mexico, and rightfully so, given the area's large Mexican-American population and proximity to northern Mexico.

In a general sense, Tex-Mex cuisine tends to include more beef, cheese, and cumin than what you'll find in Mexico. This roundup definitely features recipes with those ingredients, like Beef and Cheese Red Chile Enchiladas. We also have dishes with uniquely American ingredients such as Hatch chiles (don't miss our Hatch Chiles Rellenos). Taste your way through the Southwest with these recipes for short rib chili, charred cauliflower tacos, three-cheese nachos, and more.