Cheap Mexican Recipes

Featured Recipes

Mini Chile Relleno Casseroles

Everyone gets an individual portion with this vegetarian, Tex-Mex mini casserole. A normal-size casserole like this would take close to an hour to bake—these are ready in half the time. Heatproof ramekins are a cook's best friend—we use them all the time to hold ingredients while cooking. You can buy them at most grocery stores.

» Mini Chile Relleno Casseroles

Beef & Bean Chile Verde

Chile Verde, usually a slow-cooked stew of pork, jalapeños and tomatillos, becomes an easy weeknight meal with quick-cooking ground beef and store-bought green salsa. Make it a Meal: Serve with fresh cilantro, red onion and Monterey Jack. Add your favorite hot sauce.

» Beef & Bean Chile Verde

Tijuana Torta

A Mexican-style torta is just like a burrito, except the “wrapper” is a hollowed-out roll instead of a tortilla. Here it's filled with mashed spiced black beans and a quick guacamole. Take this vegetarian version to another level (and add calcium) by melting Monterey Jack cheese onto the bean side of the sandwich. Serve with: Grilled corn on the cob or Spanish rice.

» Tijuana Torta

Crispy Turkey Tostadas

Shredded leftover turkey tops homemade tostadas in this Tex-Mex favorite. Making your own tostada shells from fresh corn tortillas is easier than you might think—crisp them up in the oven while you prepare the toppings. Choose either regular petite diced tomatoes or those with added jalapeños, depending on your inclination for spicy food. Serve with black beans, rice and extra salsa or hot sauce on the side.

» Crispy Turkey Tostadas

Chorizo Migas

Migas, scrambled eggs with strips of tortillas, is a tasty breakfast or quick dinner. Poblano peppers, onion and salsa on top ensure you get some veggies in your eggs.

» Chorizo Migas

Black Bean & Chipotle Tostadas with Crème Fraîche

If you love breakfast burritos or huevos rancheros, you’ll love this tostada with seasoned black beans on crispy tortillas with scrambled eggs on top. Pass salsa or hot sauce to go with it.

» Black Bean & Chipotle Tostadas with Crème Fraîche

Butternut Squash & Tomato Posole

Posole is a traditional Mexican stew most often made with pork and hominy (dried corn kernels that have been treated to soften the hull) cooked in a fragrant chile-based sauce. In this quick vegetarian recipe, we rely on the meatiness of pinto beans and butternut squash combined with hand-crushed whole tomatoes to make a satisfying stew.

» Butternut Squash & Tomato Posole

Try one of these 19 cheap Mexican recipes for $3 or less per serving.

Mexican food is one of our favorite ethnic cuisines, but hitting the local burrito shop too often can take a toll on your budget. Stay in and create your own fiesta with EatingWell’s healthy, budget Mexican recipes. You could eat more healthfully, too, since many Mexican restaurants take a heavy hand with salt and fat—hardly good for our health—and hardly necessary, especially when so many ingredients key to Mexican food are inherently healthy (and inexpensive), such as corn, tomatoes, beans and rice. Making these healthy, delicious and cheap Mexican recipes on a budget at home will give you more control over what you put in your mouth—and what you take out of your wallet.