Tex-Mex Mission

My wife DaLynn and I moved from Austin, Texas to Sand Springs, Oklahoma in November of 2019. DaLynn was born in Oklahoma. She spent her childhood there, and moved to Texas while in high-school. So, she has lots of family still in the area. Two of my sisters live in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area too.

We both lived in the Austin, Texas area for much of our adulthood. We really loved the great Tex-Mex food, and laid-back Austin lifestyle. Unfortunately, as Austin grew up into a large city, that all started to change. The laid-back way of life gave way to angry, aggressive freeway drivers, expensive big-box retailers, national restaurant franchises, and high property taxes. Austin lost its charm!

It wasn’t a difficult decision to move to Oklahoma. We pay less in taxes, the freeways aren’t congested, and we are surrounded by friends and family. It’s amazing that I feel more connected living in rural Oklahoma than I did living in bustling central Texas!

We do miss the spice of Texas. That is a fact. As much as we love our new life in Oklahoma, Oklahomans have a different experience with Mexican food. I can’t believe they call queso cheese dip! Aside from the same old national restaurant chains, it’s really hard to find good quality Tex-Mex. So, I’ve made it a mission to share my authentic Tex-Mex recipes with as many good folks around here as possible. Maybe I will spark a culinary revolution. I certainly hope so!

Check out my ever-growing collection of Tex-Mex recipes. If you are visiting my site from somewhere in Oklahoma, please share them with everyone you know! And the next time you go to a Mexican restaurant, when the waitperson asks if you want cheese dip say, “No way, Jose! Please bring me some chips and queso!”.

Here are a few Tex-Mex recipes to get you started.

Pico de Gallo

A popular uncooked Mexican salsa, also known as "Salsa Cruda", or "Salsa Fresca".

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Totopos Caseros

Homemade seasoned corn tortilla chips

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Salsa de Tomate Asado

Roasted tomato salsa with garlic, onion, cilantro and lime.

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Perfect Guacamole

Tex-Mex avocado-based chip dip

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Queso Poblano

Creamy, spicy, melted white queso topped with strips of roasted Poblano peppers.

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Mexican Rice

Traditional tomato-based Mexican rice

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Green Chile Rice

Long grain white rice, hatch green chiles, vegetables and spices.

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Frijoles Charros

Mexican pinto bean soup with traditional Tex-Mex flavors.

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Frijoles Refritos

Fried and mashed spicy pinto beans

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Fajita Marinade

Authentic marinade for fajitas.

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Fajitas Arracheras

Marinated and grilled beef skirt steak

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Cheese and Onion Enchiladas

Mexican Restaurant style enchiladas

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Enchiladas Verdes

Chicken Enchiladas made with marinaded, pan-seared chicken breast and tomatillo salsa.

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Tostadas Compuestas

Crispy fried corn tortillas topped with Tex-Mex enchilada sauce, refried black beans, carne molida, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream.

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Nachos Compuestos

Fully loaded nachos, piled high with taco meat, cheese, chiles, tomatoes avocado, cilantro, sour cream and salsa.

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Huevos Rancheros

Fried eggs served on lightly fried corn tortilla strips covered with cooked tomato salsa.

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Ranchero Sauce

A flavorful tomato based sauce typically served with eggs.

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Tex-Mex Spice Blend

A super-simple go-to spice blend to enhance the flavors of anything Tex-Mex.

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Texas Enchilada Sauce

Classic Texas enchilada flavor

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Carne Molida Sazonada

Seasoned ground beef taco meat

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Quesadilla-style Breakfast Tacos

Quesadilla-style tacos with smoked sausage, breakfast potatoes, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese.

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Migas

Tex-Mex egg scramble

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Tacos de Carnitas

Tacos made from crispy pulled pork

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Ranch Hand Special

Mexican Pinto Beans and Cornbread

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