These 43 Mexican-Inspired Recipes Will Spice Up Your Chicken Weeknight Dinners

Empanadas come in many different forms with many different fillings. This version is a flavor bomb, with tender chicken thighs, peppers, and olives, bolstered by tomato paste and paprika. Yum!

Get the Chicken Empanadas recipe.

Tostadas might just be the perfect meal—these fried corn tortillas are easy to buy at the supermarket, AND they have all the delicious crunch of a tortilla chip, but can act as a vehicle for whatever toppings you like. Here, that means creamy refried beans and a chile-spiked shredded chicken topping, but feel free to get creative.

Get the Chicken Tostadas recipe.

This torta recipe follows the "torta de milanese" tradition, featuring a breaded chicken cutlet that adds nice crunch to each bite. If you're looking for a torta made with beef, try our carne asada torta instead.

Get the Mexican Fried Chicken Torta recipe.

One of the greatest pleasures of Mexican street food are sopes: round bundles of masa lightly fried and piled with refried beans, shredded chicken, salsa roja or salsa verde, and cotija cheese. These little antojitos, or snacks, can be eaten throughout the day, and make for perfect anytime party apps.

Get the Sopes recipe.

Cheesy, savory enchiladas that have a super-green sauce might sound like a project, but mixing store-bought ingredients with fresh stuff speeds everything up without sacrificing flavor. The major “hack” here is using jarred salsa verde but punching up the flavor (and nutrients!) by adding a whole bunch of cilantro, fresh garlic, and jalapeños. It gives it a made-from-scratch taste but in a fraction of the time.

Get the Salsa Verde Enchiladas recipe.

Craving homemade enchiladas and being in a hurry aren't really compatible since the classic Mexican dish requires many steps and a fair amount of time. Enter: this skillet recipe, a quick take on the dish that comes together quickly and is perfect for a party.

Get the Green Chile Chicken Skillet Enchiladas recipe.

Made with shredded chicken wrapped in flour tortillas and then pan-fried, flautas exist somewhere between taquitos and chimichangas. They come together quickly, making them perfect party appetizers or a great weeknight meal served with Mexican rice and beans.

Get the Chicken Flautas recipe.

There’s your average casserole… and then there’s this cheesy, loaded Mexican chicken casserole. Filled with a creamy sauce, two kinds of cheese, and plenty of chicken, there’s something in this dish for everyone. While this is certainly not an authentic Mexican dish, it combines lots of flavors and ingredients that will remind you of tacos, enchiladas, and your favorite Mexican/Tex-Mex meals.

Get the Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe.

While we’re all about switching things up, when we want a tried-and-true perfect meal, we always go back to Chipotle's chicken burrito bowl. It’s classic, reliable, and, best of all, completely customizable depending on our mood. We’ve included recipes here for all our favorite burrito bowl toppings, but feel free to swap them in and out for yours!

Get the Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl recipe.

You don't really need a recipe to make this insanely popular Mexican dish: simply top a tortilla with cheese (and whatever else you've got), then fold it in half and cook until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melty. If you are looking for some guidance, especially in cooking up some quick and easy chicken to stuff inside, though, this recipe won't let you down.

Get the Chicken Quesadilla recipe.

A taquito is essentially a rolled taco with many of the topping like guacamole and sour cream on the outside. They are traditionally shallow fried to get that beautifully crisp exterior, but our easier version is baked with an option to make them in the air fryer.

Get the Spicy Chicken Taquitos recipe.

These foil packs have a heap of veggies and tender nuggets of boneless skinless chicken thighs, all flavored with delicious fajita spices. Though potatoes aren't traditionally served with fajitas, here they're a welcome addition. Bonus: They soak up all that tasty fajita goodness.

Get the Tex Mex Chicken Fajita Foil Packets recipe.

Chimichangas are essentially fried burritos, which, don't get us wrong, we absolutely LOVE. What we don't always care for is the excess oil or the mess of deep frying. Make your chicken chimichangas in the air fryer instead for an exceptionally crispy burrito!

Get the Air Fryer Chimichanga recipe.

This marinade is the best way to make delicious at-home chicken fajitas. It transforms plain chicken breasts into juicy, flavorful strips that are perfect for folding into flour tortillas, then topping with all your faves!

Get the Chicken Fajita Marinade recipe.

Nothing beats a street taco—super-juicy, tender grilled meat in a quick grab-and-go format, typically made possible by doubling up two smaller corn tortillas. This makes them easier to eat on the side of the street, in the car, anywhere! They're no frills yet tend to be some of the most craveable tacos around.

Get the Grilled Chicken Street Tacos recipe.

What’s better than a tray of cheesy chicken nachos? Four cheese chicken nachos! Don’t worry, though, a couple cans of chopped green chiles cut the richness of all that cheese (not that we’re complaining.) We’ll leave the toppings up to you, but we suggest The Works, aka red onion, radishes, avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, and hot sauce.

Get the Sheet-Pan Green Chile Chicken Nachos recipe.

This recipe is inspired by chicken tinga, a Mexican guisado (or stew) that is tender chicken, shredded and added to a tomato sauce spiked with chiles, onion, garlic and spices. This preparation is a little more weeknight-friendly by relying on the ever versatile and delicious canned chipotle chiles in adobo.

Get the Shredded Chicken Tacos recipe.

While Chipotle has plenty of delicious protein options, when we're creating our burrito bowl masterpieces, we find ourselves going back to their chicken again and again. We found ourselves craving it so often, we knew we had to create a copycat recipe to enjoy homemade burritos and bowls whenever we please.

Get the Copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe.

These enchiladas fall somewhere in between Texan and Mexican; they're definitely Tex-Mex at their core, but we went with corn tortillas in place of traditional flour (you do you, though!) They may not be authentic by, well, anyone's standards, but they are quick, easy, filling, and delicious.

Get the Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas recipe.

There are three main types of pozole: white (blanco), green (verde), and red (rojo)—yep, just like the Mexican flag! Each requires a certain set of ingredients, but hominy and some sort of stewed meat are almost always present. Make no mistake: This slow cooker version isn't wholly authentic, but it's easy, flavorful, and filling.

Get the Slow-Cooker Chicken Pozole recipe.