Healthy Mexican Side Dish Recipes

Find healthy, delicious Mexican side dish recipes including Mexican beans, rice and vegetables. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Chilaquiles Casserole

Rating: Unrated
55
Our version of this enchilada-style chilaquiles casserole is packed with nutritious beans and vegetables. Canned prepared enchilada sauce has great flavor and keeps the prep time quick. It can vary in heat level so find one that suits your taste. If you want to eliminate the heat altogether, try a green enchilada sauce (which is often milder than red) or substitute two 8-ounce cans of plain tomato sauce.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Taco Bowls

Rating: Unrated
2
In this homemade taco bowl recipe, we show you how to make a taco bowl with a corn tortilla using the underside of a muffin tin as a mold and then baking it to create cute little taco serving bowls.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mini Chile Relleno Casseroles

Rating: Unrated
5
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chipotle-Cheddar Broiled Avocado Halves

Rating: Unrated
4
In this avocado side-dish recipe, zesty avocado halves are topped with melted Cheddar cheese and broiled until golden brown. You can serve these healthy avocado halves as a side dish with grilled chicken or steak.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Orange & Avocado Salad

Rating: Unrated
5
This colorful salad would be a welcome addition to a Mexican-inspired meal.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Quinoa Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Rating: Unrated
1
Protein-rich quinoa makes a satisfying layer in this easy Mexican casserole recipe. If you want to make this dish vegetarian, beans are a nice swap for the chicken. Serve with a green salad tossed with an oregano vinaigrette.
By Breana Killeen

Nina's Mexican Rice

Rating: Unrated
6
The key to nutty and flavorful Mexican rice is cooking the rice first in oil until it is nicely golden.
By Bruce Aidells

8-Layer Taco Salad

Rating: Unrated
3
This gorgeous and colorful 8-layer taco salad recipe is made healthier by using ground turkey in place of beef, adding Greek yogurt and bumping up the amount of vegetables. Serve this salad in a clear glass bowl and you'll have an eye-catching party-worthy dinner or potluck side in just 30 minutes.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mexican Coleslaw

Rating: Unrated
8
Enjoy this crunchy, refreshing alternative to mayonnaise-based coleslaw on a taco or on the side.
By Stacy Fraser

Slow-Cooker Quinoa-Summer Squash Casserole

Rating: Unrated
3
As this layered slow-cooker squash casserole recipe cooks, the liquid from the tangy tomatillo salsa and summer squash is absorbed by the quinoa, adding tons of flavor to the final dish.
By Carolyn Malcoun

EatingWell Crispy Taco Shells

Rating: Unrated
2
Surprisingly easy and far better-tasting than store-bought taco shells.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Poblano Chiles with Onion Rajas

Rating: Unrated
1
This chunky Mexican side dish recipe for rajas, which literally means “strips” in Spanish, is a perfect side to grilled steak or chicken. It's also fantastic as a taco topper or stirred into scrambled eggs.
By Roberto Santibañez

Inspiration and Ideas

Mexican Black Beans (Frijoles Negros con Hoja de Aguacate)

Mexican Black Beans (Frijoles Negros con Hoja de Aguacate)

Rating: Unrated
2
This authentic Mexican black bean recipe uses avocado leaves to add a flavor reminiscent of anise. If you don't have a Latin market in your area you'll likely have to go online, though it's worth it. But even if you leave them out, you'll still have an awesome pot of healthy black beans.
Mexican Potato Omelet

Mexican Potato Omelet

Rating: Unrated
2
Whip up this simple, tasty omelet on those nights when it seems the refrigerator is bare. Frozen hash browns are perfect for such occasions--just look for a brand with little or no fat. And while the cheese adds some fat, it also provides almost a third of your daily calcium needs.
Beans & Rice

Beans & Rice

Rating: Unrated
1
Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole

Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole

Rating: Unrated
8
Easy Fiesta Beans

Easy Fiesta Beans

Rating: Unrated
2
Chile-Cheese Brunch Casserole

Chile-Cheese Brunch Casserole

Rating: Unrated
1

Spinach Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

Rating: Unrated
2

This healthy spinach salad recipe uses one avocado two ways: half goes into a healthy creamy ranch dressing and the other half of the avocado gets chopped to top the spinach salad.

All Healthy Mexican Side Dish Recipes

Blistered Peppers with Lime

Eating shishito or Padrón peppers can be a bit of a gamble. Most of them are quite mild, but every once in a while--BAM!--you get a hot one. If you're not up for that game, you can just go for all baby bells in this healthy side dish recipe. Find shishitos, Padróns and baby bells at large supermarkets, specialty stores and farmers' markets.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Squash with Garlic, Lime & Chile

Cumin, garlic, lime and a jalapeño pepper spice up this roasted butternut squash recipe. If you like the consistent look of squash rounds, look for a long-necked butternut or use just the necks from a couple, reserving the bulbous bottoms for another use, such as for healthy muffins or soup.
By Molly Stevens

Sweet Corn Salad

Freshly harvested corn, charred green chiles and roasted tomatoes make this corn salad recipe a must-make for any summer potluck. Serve with grilled steak or chicken, as a taco topping or with tortilla chips as a dip.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mexican Grilled Corn

Rating: Unrated
1
Street vendors across Mexico sell this style of roasted or grilled corn--topped with mayonnaise, chili powder and Cotija cheese. You can serve the unadorned corn on a platter with small bowls of the sauce, cheese and lime on the side so everyone can make their own.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Easy Black Beans

Rating: Unrated
2
These easy black beans are the perfect accompaniment to any Mexican fiesta.
By Stacy Fraser

Chile-Roasted Broccoli

This quick broccoli side dish recipe gets heat from your choice of pepper. If you prefer things on the mild side, use a mini red bell pepper instead of the chile pepper. Serve alongside roasted chicken or salmon or toss with pearled barley for a healthy grain salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Jicama-Apple Slaw

Rating: Unrated
3
Crunchy jicama and apple plus oranges and avocado combine in this crisp and refreshing dairy-free slaw.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Elvia's Mexican Pickled Vegetables

Rating: Unrated
1
These spicy pickled vegetables are like a Mexican version of Italian giardiniera and are delicious with tacos and as a condiment for any sandwich or burger. The recipe makes a large batch but it keeps well in the refrigerator. Packed into glass jars, it makes a nice gift.
By Bruce Aidells

Salsa Baked Potatoes

Salsa, cheese and reduced-fat sour cream make a perfect topping for baked potatoes.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Quick & Spicy Refried Beans

Rating: Unrated
1
Refried beans are great to have on hand. Spread them on a tortilla, add cheese and you've got a quesadilla. Top whole-grain toast with refrieds and a little salsa and you've got a great savory breakfast. This easy version has all the great flavor of traditional refried beans without the added fat.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Corn & Scallion Griddlecakes

Rating: Unrated
1
For savory breakfast lovers, these griddlecakes fit the bill. Serve them alongside jalapeño chicken sausages.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Jicama-Apple Slaw

Rating: Unrated
1
Grated jicama, carrots and Granny Smith apples tossed with a tangy cider vinaigrette is a tasty side dish for summer barbecues. Make it a meal: Serve alongside Sweet-&-Sour Chicken Drumsticks.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Jicama Slaw

Rating: Unrated
1
Crunchy jícama and carrots combine with a zesty dressing for a terrific summer side dish. It can be made ahead--perfect for summer potlucks.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Pear & Arugula Salad with Pomegranate-Chipotle Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
1
Here we serve roasted pears with arugula and mixed greens and an agave-sweetened pomegranate dressing. The chipotle in the dressing gives a hint of smokiness and just a touch of heat that is wonderful with sweet pear. Apples may be used in place of the pears. Adapted from Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-Famous Spa (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008) by Deborah Szekely and Deborah M. Schneider with Chef Jesús González, Chef of La Cocina Que Canta.
By Jesús González

Flour Tortillas

To reduce the fat in these tortillas, we added a little flour to canola oil and froze the mixture so it would act like shortening.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chile-Spiced Roasted Potatoes

These potatoes get a touch of heat when they're roasted in hot chile oil.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Easy Roasted Corn Salsa

Serve this salsa as a dip for chips or as a relish to accompany grilled pork tenderloin or chicken.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Quesadillas

Rating: Unrated
1
Quesadillas are a terrific quick snack to feed the family. They're also great served alongside chili or southwestern stews.
By Andrew Silva

Chipotle Cheddar Chard

Rating: Unrated
3
The bright assorted colors of rainbow chard are especially lovely in this spicy, cheesy dish. Make a double batch and enjoy it as a quesadilla filling, as we did often in the Test Kitchen for lunch.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cranberry Mole

Making mole (a traditional Mexican sauce) doesn't have to be an all-day process--and eating it doesn't have to be a dietary nightmare, especially if you use sweet cranberries for flavor, cut down on the oil and reduce the huge quantity of nuts and seeds often used. This recipe makes more than you may need for Thanksgiving dinner, but the leftovers are delicious on Southwestern-style turkey sandwiches or quesadillas.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chile, Potato & Cheese Omelet

Rating: Unrated
5
Serve topped with salsa. Accompany with warmed flour tortillas and a grated carrot salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Corn, Black Bean & Mango Salad

Rating: Unrated
10
This simple, fresh-tasting salad adds delicious variety to grilled foods, such as salmon, halibut, chicken or pork. Browning the corn in a skillet gives it a nutty, caramelized flavor that contrasts with the sweetness of the mango.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Spiced Pinto Beans

Rating: Unrated
3
Any leftover beans would work in this quick side dish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Tex-Mex Baked Potatoes

Leftover black bean dip and your favorite salsa top these baked potatoes for a delicious Mexican-infused side dish. Try them alongside grilled flank steak.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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