What Is Tex-Mex? A Quick Guide

What Is Tex-Mex?

You sit down at your favorite restaurant, and without looking at the menu, you order their nacho appetizer. It’s the best one that they have. The yellow cheese and beef melt in your mouth.

Contrary to popular belief, this tasty dish isn’t Mexican in origin. It’s something entirely different called Tex Mex.

What is Tex Mex? It’s a delicious combination of two cultures. While many people associate it with Mexican food, it can’t be more different.

Tex Mex uses almost none of the same cooking ingredients. Check out this guide to find out more about this popular cooking method and learn about the common things used in all the dishes.

What Is Tex Mex? 

As the name suggests, Tex Mex is a combination of Texas and Mexican cuisine. It came about in the 1580s when the Spanish came to  Texas.

As the two cultures entwined, so did the food. Mexican meals started to become a lot more popular. People began trying to replicate the taste of common Mexican delicacies using Texan ingredients.

No matter how hard they tried, the taste ended up being a little far from the mark. Luckily, Tex Mex is pretty good too.

Common Tex Mex Ingredients 

Most of the differences between Tex Mex and Mexican food are found in the ingredients. Many people associate the spice cumin with Mexican cuisine, but it’s not really used there.

Tex Mex chefs mix various chili peppers into their recipes. When preparing dishes such as tamales and enchiladas, Tex Mex cooks use beef. Chicken, pork, and seafood are much more common in traditional Mexican food.

The best Tex Mex is associated with huge globs of yellow cheese. Cheese isn’t a huge fixture in Mexican cuisine. You’re more likely to see reasonable amounts of white cheese.

If you go to a Tex Mex restaurant and order fajitas, you’ll get a side of flour tortillas. Mexican dishes come with corn tortillas instead.

Tex Mex Recipes 

Now that you know some common ingredients found in Texas cooking, it’s time to talk meal ideas.

The first is the classic nachos. These were actually invented in Mexico. The catch is that they only came about because a bunch of Texan women entered a restaurant after hours and ordered a snack.

Chili con carne uses beef, spices, chili peppers, and beans. It was created by Texan settlers who needed to make a dish out of the few ingredients they had on hand.

Fajitas are an American tradition that’s inspired by common ingredients that we associate with Mexican cooking. It’s prepared with strips of meat and veggies and comes with a side order of flour tortillas.

These recipes are only the beginning. You have tons of tasty food options to choose from.

Enjoying the taste of Tex Mex 

What is Tex Mex? It’s a popular meal option that you can find all over the US. It’s an interesting combination of Texan and Mexican cooking and is commonly associated with yellow cheese, flour tortillas, and beef.

The recipes aren’t too hard to prepare. So, grab your kitchen gear and get to cooking. If you’re looking for more delicious meal ideas, feel free to explore the rest of our blog.