1Mexican Rice
PHOTO: KATE JORDAN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Frequently served with refried beans at Tex-Mex restaurants, Mexican rice can often be pushed to the side (literally). Here at Delish, we think that’s criminal—when made right, Mexican rice can be a flavor-packed side that upgrades everything it’s added to, from burrito bowls to taco dinners and everything in between.
Get the Mexican Rice recipe.
2Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Elote is an unbelievably popular antojito (little craving) that you can find sold on the street in Mexico. It’s often served on a stick, though you could skip the skewer and make it the same way you’d boil or oven bake regular corn on the cob.
Get the Elote: Mexican Street Corn recipe.
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3Fiesta Corn Salad
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING BARRETT WASHBURNE
When corn is in season, it’s a crime to not eat as much of it as possible. It’s divine slathered with butter and salt, but if the goal is to eat your weight in corn all summer, you’ll need more recipes for inspiration. This summer salad hits all the right notes.
Get the Fiesta Corn Salad recipe.
4Refried Pinto Beans
LUCY SCHAEFFER
Mastering this classic Mexican staple takes a little bit of time, a lot of pork fat, and a few helpful hints (like how to speed up soaking your homemade beans!). Trust us, the effort is worth it for the best refried beans you’ll ever have.
Get the Refried Pinto Beans recipe.
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5Corn Tortillas
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI ; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Fresh tortillas are softer and more flavorful than what you’ll find packaged at the store. They would take any taco Tuesday night to another level; after all, if you’ve put in the work to make great tacos al pastor, you need great corn tortillas to go with it.
Get the Corn Tortillas recipe.
6Instant Pot Street Corn Queso
Park Feierbach
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7Beef Empanadas
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER
This filling is loosely based on a very traditional Mexican (top-secret!) recipe. It’s delicious as is, but if you want to give it even more pizzaz, feel free. Once you’ve got the pastry down, you can pretty much stuff them with anything!
Get the Cheesy Beef Empanadas recipe.
8Homemade Salsa 
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Salsa has been around for a very very long time—the origins date back to the Incas and Aztecs. To make ours the most flavorful ever, we use both cherry tomatoes and fresh off-the-vine tomatoes. We also roast some of the ingredients to intensify their flavors and make this salsa POP!
Get the Homemade Salsa recipe.
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9Black Bean & Corn Salad
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
This easy salad comes together quickly and works as a side dish, a great topping for tacos, or as an appetizer with tortilla chips. Think of this as a medley of the most exciting parts of a vegetarian burrito bowl, unadulterated by rice, and hyped up by a little honey-lime action.
Get the Black Bean & Corn Salad recipe.
10Best-Ever Guacamole
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: FRANCESCA ZANI
Whether you serve it as a simple dip, load it on top of your tacos, or smear it on a bun as a burger topping, we can all agree—it’s not a party without Mexico’s most famous dip. Keep it simple, like we did, or go wild with your mix-ins—just be sure to make extra, this’ll go fast.
Get the Best-Ever Guacamole recipe.
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11Pickled Red Onions
Park Feierbach
Pickled red onions are one of our favorite condiments here at Delish, so we felt compelled to share this super-simple, super-delicious treat with everyone. It’s perfect for tacos, nachos, salads… pretty much anything you can think of! Besides being incredibly crunchy, their beautiful pink color also adds a visual pop to any dish they grace.
Get the Pickled Red Onions recipe.
12Esquites Fritters
ERIK BERNSTEIN
We’re happy to report that esquites, the irresistible and less-messy version of everyone’s favorite cotija-coated snack, elote, were the perfect inspiration for these bite-sized fritters. Paired with a lime- and garlic-spiked sour cream sauce, these crisp patties are guaranteed to disappear in a crowd in minutes.
Get the Esquites Fritters recipe.
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13Homemade Flour Tortillas
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER
Fair warning—once you’ve made homemade flour tortillas, you can never go back to store-bought. This recipe aces perfectly fluffy tortillas that are made to be filled with all your favorite fillings (quesadillas, tacos, burritos…here you come).
Get the Homemade Flour Tortillas recipe.
14Pico De Gallo
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Bright and acidic with a kick of heat, this just might be the easiest side to prepare (and devour). All it takes to make is chopping your ingredients and tossing them together—that’s it!
Get the Pico De Gallo recipe.
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15Copycat Chipotle Corn Salsa
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE16Chicken Tortilla Soup
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Chicken tortilla soup isn’t a plain chicken soup—chili powder, fire-roasted tomatoes, and jalapeño all pack heaps of flavor and depth into this classic comfort food. Ready in just 30 minutes, this is one of our favorite low-effort meals that delivers on big flavor.
Get the Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe.
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17Baked Yuca Fries
PHOTO: JOEL GOLDBERG; FOOD STYLING: HADLEY SUI
Are you a sweet potato fry fan? You’re going to LOVE these. These sweet and nutty cassava fries admittedly do take a bit of preparation, but once you’ve peeled, chopped, and boiled them, you can turn them into extremely crispy fries that’ll rival any French fry.
Get the Baked Yuca Fries recipe.
18Sikil P’ak (Pumpkin Seed Salsa)
Andrew bui
If salsa verde and hummus had a child, it would be this dip. Our version of Sikil p’ak, is inspired by the Yucatecan version that uses ground unhulled pumpkin seeds and red tomatoes. Our riff uses hulled pepitas and charred tomatillos, and its subtle smokiness keeps us coming back for more.
Get the Sikil P’ak (Pumpkin Seed Salsa) recipe.
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19Best Queso Dip
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Want to get the party started? Put out a pot of queso. Studded with tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro, this warm and creamy cheesy dip is a classic party food for a reason—we’ve yet to meet anyone who can resist loading up a chip (or two).
Get the Best Queso Dip recipe.
20Ceviche
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
While it may seem fancy, ceviche is actually a fairly simple dish at its core. All it involves is tossing raw seafood in lime juice, then letting the acid in the citrus “cook” the fish. Our simple recipe takes inspiration from Mexican-style shrimp ceviche, and is the perfect jumping-off point to discover what makes your perfect ceviche.
Get the Ceviche recipe.
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