Mexican food has long been a favorite of Americans due to its intense flavors and colorful ingredients. Beans, tomatoes, chilies and corn are a staple of easy Mexican food dishes, along with spices that for most, taste uniquely Mexican such as cumin, chile powder, and saffron. Sour cream is often used as a topping to ease the heat of chiles and jalapenos.

Mexican Appetizers

Guacamole is Aztec in origin and made simply by mashing an avocado with a mortar and pestle, then adding tomatoes and salt. Guacamole is savored for its high vitamin and fat content. Guacamole is often used as a dip for crackers, hard breads and chips.

Mexican Pizza does not have a dough base like the pizza the rest of the world is familiar with, instead, tortillas are fried and topped with various ingredients such as meat, cheddar, onions and tomatoes. Topped with sour cream, of course!

Quick Quesadillas involve large flour tortillas, frying them just a little by placing on a griddle over medium heat. Bell peppers, shredded jack cheese, onions, shredded beef or chicken plus the favored Mexican spices cumin and chile powder top it off.

Mexican Entrees

Carne Asada is one of the easy Mexican food dishes involving steak. The meat should be cut into half-inch strips, along with peppers and onions. Continue to cook the meat and peppers and onions until the vegetables are translucent and limp. Place this mixture inside tacos, serve it as a side dish or use it for a quick and easy lunch.

Arroz Con Pollo enlists chicken as a main ingredient in this, another easy Mexican food dishes. Other ingredients include a Spanish onion, olive oil, bell pepper, Spanish rice, chicken broth, peas, pimentos and saffron. It is essential to sauté the chicken first with olive oil and salt and pepper, then add saffron, rice and broth to cook slowly over low heat for 30 minutes or so. Peas and pimentos are added last.

Mexican Sides

Corn Tamales is one of the most easy Mexican food dishes and is perfect for lunch or dinner. To make it the old fashioned way you’ll need actual corn husks, corn flour, shortening, salt, broth and tropical white cheese. String is needed for tying the tamales at the end. The corn husks need to be soaked and then dried. All of the other ingredients are added into a food processor, then scooped onto the tamales and tied with a string. Steam for one hour in a dutch oven, and voila, beautiful and delicious corn tamales.