Latin American

This easy guacamole recipe is best made in a Mexican mortar and pestle called a molcajete, but a bowl and a fork works fine. Just don’t rush to get it on the table. It takes a while for the avocado to absorb all the flavors you add to it. 

Bryant Terry’s luscious jackfruit tamales are not only a fascinating look at the crossover between Mexican and African American foodways, but proof that truly great tamales don’t require meat.

Dried chiles add tons of complex flavor to this saucy, shreddable chicken with little extra work—our kind of cooking.

These bright and succulent grilled chicken breasts are perfect for wrapping in warm tortillas with spoonfuls of fresh salsa verde. 

Naranja agria (sour orange) gives this Nicaraguan grilled chicken its signature tang, but you can fake it using an orange and lime juice combo.

Fried eggs, pico de gallo, melty cheese, and refried beans, all piled atop crusty bread.

The best part of this Passover-friendly flourless chocolate cake from Masa Madre bakery in Chicago might be the Mexico-inspired café de olla ganache that gets poured over top.

A tamal filled with carrots, habaneros, and garlic is chef Maricela Vega’s celebration of how the harvest from summer and fall floats into wintertime.

Crisp tostadas topped with cheesy sautéed poblanos and mushrooms, charred cherry tomato and serrano salsa, and fried eggs.

Pretend you’re on the coast—and not your house in the dead of winter—with this bright and spicy aguachile.

Rick Martinez’s take on the popular Mexican pig-shaped cookie goes all out with a ginger-spiced dough and tons of sprinkles.

The holiday cocktail that takes you straight to the beach (and isn’t that where you want to be anyway?).

In this Venezuelan holiday dish, masa is filled with a shredded chicken and beef stew, then wrapped in fragrant banana leaves and steamed—like a tiny present.

Crunchy chicharrones are ideal for soaking up bright tomatillo salsa, taking on an ultimate crispy-gone-soggy chewy texture. 

Short ribs aren’t just for braising. Make sure to grill them to medium doneness, just long enough to render fat and tenderize, without letting them overcook or toughen.

This picadillo is inspired by a version found in San Luis Potosí in central Mexico with potatoes and poblanos.

Top these creamy, beany enfrijoladas with a fried egg, chorizo or roasted vegetables, and queso fresco!

This standby salsa recipe using either tomatillos or tomatoes for the base lasts five days in the fridge or up to a month if you freeze it.

Forget soaking your beans! Make like Rick Martinez and use this smart-cooking method instead. 

White conchas may look plain, but with a boost of high-quality vanilla, they’re unexpectedly flavorful.