Enchiladas, Fajitas & More Mexican Mains

Center a meal around some of our favorite Mexican main course classics.

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Photo By: Tara Donne

Photo By: Barry Russell ©Barry Russell

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

Tyler uses rotisserie chicken for his speedier enchiladas, which are green instead of the traditional red thanks to a roasted tomatillo-jalapeno salsa. Pair them with spicy black beans and yellow rice for a complete meal.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

By finishing the cooked chipotle-marinated chicken in a broth along with the onions, peppers and garlic, you'll ensure that your fajita chicken is super moist and infused with the flavors of the other ingredients.

Get the Recipe: Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

Chocolate Chicken Mole

Ingrid makes cooking Mexican mole sauce easy, blending together chipotle peppers, raisins, tomatoes, peanut butter, chili powder, cinnamon and, of course, unsweetened chocolate.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chicken Mole

Citrus-Marinated Beef Fajitas

Marinating inexpensive skirt steak in citrus helps break down the proteins for a super-tender fajita base. Whip up Tiffani Thiessen's tropical salsa and guacamole to serve on top of sauteed mushrooms, peppers and onions.

Get the Recipe: Citrus-Marinated Beef Fajitas

Easy Chicken Burritos with Mojo

For a lighter (yet equally delicious) burrito, replace beef with shredded chicken. Topped with spicy, citrusy Mojo Sauce, this meal is a So-Cal twist on classic Mexican fare.

Get the Recipe: Easy Chicken Burritos with Mojo

Pork Chimichanga

Though it is debated, this deep-fried burrito is believed to originate from Tucson, Arizona, influenced by neighboring across-the-border Mexican state, Sonora. Cut through the cruncy outer layer to expose the cheesy, meaty goodness, and serve it with salsa and guacamole in the middle.

Get the Recipe: Pork Chimichanga

'Easiest Ever' Chicken Mole Enchiladas

Take your enchiladas to the next level by smothering them in a simple-to-make version of Mexico's traditional mole sauce.

Get the Recipe: 'Easiest Ever' Chicken Mole Enchiladas

Tyler’s Ultimate Fajitas

For this fresh version of a Mexican restaurant favorite, flank steak is marinated in a mixture of citrus and spice, then grilled along with peppers and onions. Serve with warm tortillas and Tyler’s homemade guacamole.

Get the Recipe: Fajitas

Mexican Chorizo and Turkey Chili">

Mexican Chorizo and Turkey Chili

This chili has some kick, thanks to spicy chorizo and pureed chipotles in adobo, but it's the indulgent corn or tortilla chip topping and accompanying lime wedge that makes this chili a standout, Mexican-inspired meal.

Get the Recipe: Mexican Chorizo and Turkey Chili

Fastest-Ever Enchiladas

Start with shredded rotisserie chicken to make these shortcut enchiladas. Stuff them with a simple-to-make salsa, plus sour cream, cheddar cheese, onions and, of course, extra cheese.

Get the Recipe: Fastest-Ever Enchiladas

Green Chili Sloppy Joses with Refried Bean Dip and Chips

Sloppy joses — the Mexican spin on the messiest of American comfort foods — are given their green name from tomatillos, poblano chiles and dill pickles.

Get the Recipe: Green Chili Sloppy Joses with Refried Bean Dip and Chips

Roast Chicken Enchilada Suizas Stacked Casserole

Suizas, meaning Swiss, refers to the Swiss immigrants that introduced a creamy sauce to Mexican enchiladas. Rachael uses Mexican crema to create the sauce, and stacks her enchiladas (rather than rolling them) for easy serving.

Get the Recipe: Roast Chicken Enchilada Suizas Stacked Casserole

Latin Burgers with Caramelized Onion and Jalapeno Relish and Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Liven up your burgers by mixing in Mexican flavors like chorizo and adobo seasoning, and then top with jalapenos and spice-balancing cheese.

Get the Recipe: Latin Burgers with Caramelized Onion and Jalapeno Relish and Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Beef and Black Bean Chili with Toasted Cumin Crema and Avocado Relish

Tex-Mex is all about a good bowl of chili, and no one does Tex-Mex like Bobby Flay. Instead of using ground meat, he dices beef into bite-sized cubes, giving the chili an extra chunky texture.

Get the Recipe: Beef and Black Bean Chili with Toasted Cumin Crema and Avocado Relish

Mole Rojo

Peanuts are the secret ingredient to the rich and warm flavors of this traditional Mexican sauce. Spoon over enchiladas, tamales or even your eggs at brunch.

Get the Recipe: Mole Rojo

Enchiladas Colorado

Kelsey incorporates dried New Mexican chiles into her Colorado sauce to infuse enchiladas with the sweet heat that cannot be gained from fresh chiles or chile powder alone. Dip homemade tortillas into the deep, rich red sauce, then roll them up with shredded chicken thighs for a thoroughly satisfying, spicy main dish.

Get the Recipe: Enchiladas Colorado

Pork and Poblano Soup

Roast deep-green poblano chiles (of Puebla, Mexico origin) to bring out their unique fruity flavor. Combined with salsa verde, chunks of pork loin, cumin and coriander, the peppers form a savory soup that begs an avocado or lime wedge garnish.

Get the Recipe: Pork and Poblano Soup

Chicken Enchiladas

These classic chicken enchiladas sing with subtle spice, thanks to a fresh salsa verde made from tomatillos and two kinds of chile.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas

Chipotle Chicken Thighs with Chunky Guacamole

For a Mexican-inspired take on inexpensive chicken thighs, cook the chicken in a smoky chipotle sauce, and then serve with tortillas and guacamole.

Get the Recipe: Chipotle Chicken Thighs with Chunky Guacamole

Pomegranate Glazed Skirt Steak Fajitas

These are no ordinary fajitas. Kelsey rubs skirt steak with a garlic, chile, cumin and sugar mixture, then serves the grilled fare with a homemade pomegranate glaze for a sweet finish.

Get the Recipe: Pomegranate Glazed Skirt Steak Fajitas

Estella's Mole Poblano Chicken

Mole sauce possesses deep, complex flavor from its blended combo of sweet and spicy ingredients like poblano and ancho chile paste, ground nuts, raisins, mashed plantains and both cumin and anise seeds. But its most iconic ingredient is chopped Mexican chocolate, which balances the chiles’ heat and lends dishes the sauce’s dark, red-brown hue.

Get the Recipe: Estella's Mole Poblano Chicken

Chicken Enchiladas

Rachael's red sauce is easy to make with dried pepeprs and canned tomatoes. The dish gets a little bit more Spanish flare from plenty of chopped cilantro and crumbled queso fresco.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas

Mexican Brisket and Biscuits

Rachael braises beef brisket in Mexican beer, tomato puree and a chipotles in adobe spice blend for three hours until it’s fall-apart tender. Serve the meat with buttermilk biscuits and a sweet and crunchy apple-cabbage slaw for a Mexican twist on barbecue.

Get the Recipe: Mexican Brisket and Biscuits

Walter's Cochinita Pibil

Cochinita Pibil is a traditional slow-cooked pork dish from the Yucatan Peninsula that is usually braised in banana leaves. Fill a baguette or tortilla with the meat and finish the sandwich off with a fiery, habanero salsa called xni pec or "dog's nose." (It’s so spicy, yours will likely start running like an ever-sniffling wet-nosed pup.)

Get the Recipe: Walter's Cochinita Pibil

Beef and Pork Tamale Pie

Skip the corn husks and tamale hassle – follow Rachael’s lead and mix all the flavors of tamales together into a crowd-pleasing Mexican twist on shepherd’s pie.

Get the Recipe: Beef and Pork Tamale Pie

Marco's Fish Wrapped in Hoja Santa

Cooks in southern Mexico steam fish wrapped in a fragrant leaf called hoja santa to infuse dishes with the leaf’s pepper, anise-like flavor. Pair the white fish fillets with corn-mushroom dumplings, masa bolitas (dough balls) and plantain salsa to be transported to the heart of Mexico City.

Get the Recipe: Marco's Fish Wrapped in Hoja Santa

Lupita's Tlayudas

A tlayuda is like a Mexican pizza or calzone. In this recipe, a layer of refried beans acts like tomato sauce and the tortilla is topped with sliced avocado and Oaxaca cheese, which is similar to mozzarella. Eat it open-face like a pizza or folded in half like a calzone.

Get the Recipe: Lupita's Tlayudas

Relleno Negro (Black Turkey Stew)

This traditional Yucatan dish made with chicken or turkey is as dark as motor oil, but don't let the color discourage you. Its dense sauce is flavored with chiles, allspice, cloves and cumin seeds, while a log-shaped mixture of ground beef and hard-boiled eggs adds even greater savory depth.

Get the Recipe: Relleno Negro (Black Turkey Stew)

Jaime's Chorizo Enchiladas

The star of these sauce-free enchiladas is the from-scratch chorizo. Serve them with classic accompaniments like pico de gallo and a sprinkle of queso fresco cheese.

Get the Recipe: Jaime's Chorizo Enchiladas

Emiliano's Tuna Machaca

Machaca is usually made with dried spiced beef or pork that is rehydrated to make it tender, but this recipe uses fresh tuna for a twist on the Mexican original. Cook it using a wok and serve with warm tortillas or wrap it up like a burrito.

Get the Recipe: Emiliano's Tuna Machaca

Tequila-Orange BBQ Chicken Burritos with Sharp Cheddar, Baked Beans and Red Cabbage

Rachael's tequila-orange barbecue sauce is straddles the spicy-sweet-tangy spectrum thanks to guajillo chiles, maple syrup and tequila. Make the poached chicken and sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge for quick, weeknight burritos.

Get the Recipe: Tequila-Orange BBQ Chicken Burritos with Sharp Cheddar, Baked Beans and Red Cabbage

Avocado Leaf Crusted Tuna Taquitos

Momocho switches up fish tacos by serving sushi-grade tuna sushi that's been seared in an avocado leaf crust over a bed of braised onions and peppers and topped with a sweet, slightly tart red onion jam.

Get the Recipe: Avocado Leaf Crusted Tuna Taquitos

Arroz Con Pollo

Ingrid's homemade Adobo seasoning mixture adds its characteristic spice to bone-in chicken, white rice, peas, carrots and sliced peppers. Make a large batch of the staple spice and store it in an air-tight container to amp up the flavor in other recipes.

Get the Recipe: Arroz con Pollo

Green Enchiladas with Chicken

This easy dish takes only a little more than 30 minutes to prepare, but you'd never know that from its hefty punches of flavor from jalapenos, cilantro and tomatillos.