A FOOD TRADITION
Tex-Mex cuisine
Tex-Mex cuisine developed along the Texas-Mexico border and in Texas communities through interaction between Mexican, Tejano, Indigenous, and Anglo-American foodways. It commonly combines maize, flour tortillas, beans, beef, cheese, chiles, tomatoes, and cumin, using techniques such as griddling, frying, braising, stewing, and slow cooking. Well-known examples include chili con carne, fajitas, and cheese enchiladas with rice and beans. Tex-Mex is neither a synonym for Mexican cuisine nor limited to restaurant-style dishes; it represents a historically rooted borderland tradition that has spread widely while retaining especially strong ties to Texas and northern Mexican culinary exchange.
Dishes linked to this cuisine
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chili
Explore the dish and its connections.
Tex-Mex chili con queso
A warm Tex-Mex cheese and chile dip commonly served with tortilla chips and salsa.
Tex-Mex crispy tacos
Crisp folded tortillas filled in the Tex-Mex style with seasoned meat, cheese and accompaniments.
Tex-Mex nachos
Crisp tortilla chips layered with meat, melted cheese and refried beans.
Texas beef fajitas
Sizzling grilled strips of marinated steak folded into hot tortillas with onions, peppers and optional Tex-Mex accompaniments.
Texas chili con carne
Texas's official state dish: ground beef simmered with tomato, garlic and a warm blend of chile spices.
Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.