Mexican food in America often differs from authentic Mexican cuisine. Mexican restaurants in the U.S. tend to serve Americanized versions of Mexican dishes that have been adapted to suit American tastes. This style of Mexican-inspired food is sometimes referred to as Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, or New Mex cuisine.
What is Tex-Mex?
Tex-Mex refers to a fusion of Mexican and Texan cuisines. It originated in Texas in the late 1800s and early 1900s as Anglo-Texan cowboys and Tejanos (Texans of Mexican descent) began mixing traditional Northern Mexican foods like burritos and tacos with Texan tastes and ingredients like cheddar cheese, beef, and wheat tortillas.
Some quintessential Tex-Mex dishes include:
- Cheese enchiladas – Corn tortillas rolled around cheese and chile sauce
- Beef tacos – Soft or fried taco shells filled with ground beef, lettuce, cheese
- Chili con carne – Beef chili made with chiles and spices
- Fajitas – Grilled and sliced skirt steak or chicken, served with flour tortillas
- Queso dip – Smooth, creamy cheese dip made with Velveeta, Ro-Tel tomatoes, and chiles
- Breakfast tacos – Eggs, potatoes, bacon, etc. wrapped in a tortilla
Tex-Mex cuisine became popular across the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s thanks to the expansion of Tex-Mex restaurant chains like Taco Bell. It remains one of the most popular forms of Mexican food in America today.
What is Cal-Mex?
Cal-Mex refers to Mexican food from California. It was influenced by Mexican immigrants who moved to California in large numbers during the early 1900s. Like Tex-Mex cuisine, Cal-Mex adapts traditional Mexican dishes to suit American tastes.
Some examples of Cal-Mex dishes include:
- Fish tacos – A taco filled with grilled or fried fish, cabbage, pico de gallo, crema
- California burritos – Large burritos stuffed with rice, french fries, guacamole, carne asada or other meats
- Carne asada fries – French fries topped with grilled carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo
- Machaca – Mexican dried beef prepared with eggs, onions, jalapeños
Cal-Mex cooking was influenced by California’s proximity to Mexico and large Hispanic population. It often uses fresh, local ingredients like avocados, seafood, citrus fruits, and seasonal produce.
What is New Mex?
New Mexican cuisine comes from the state of New Mexico. It developed from a fusion of Pueblo Native American food with Mexican and Spanish colonial cooking influences. New Mexican food differs from Tex-Mex and Cal-Mex in its use of chile peppers native to New Mexico, including green Hatch chiles and dried red chiles.
Some traditional New Mex dishes include:
- Carne adovada – Pork slow-cooked in a chile sauce
- Breakfast burritos – Burritos filled with scrambled eggs, potatoes, chile sauce
- Posole – Hominy and pork stew, often contains chiles
- Sopaipillas – Fried quick breads served with honey
- Green chile stew – Pork or chicken stewed with Hatch green chile, potatoes, spices
New Mexican cuisine had an influence on the development of Southwestern cuisine and uses more traditional preparation techniques compared to Tex-Mex and Cal-Mex.
What is Southwest cuisine?
Southwest cuisine encompasses the regional culinary styles found in states like Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada and Southern California. It combines Indigenous, Mexican, Spanish, and Western influences into its own distinctive regional fare.
Common themes in Southwestern food include:
- Use of chiles – Both fresh and dried red and green chile peppers
- Corn and flour tortillas
- Refried beans or whole pinto beans
- Meats like beef, chicken, and pork
- Cheese – Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Cotija
- Onions, tomatoes, avocado
Popular Southwestern dishes include chili, tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, tamales, and chimichangas. Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex and New Mexican cuisines are all regional subsets of Southwestern food.
How does Americanized Mexican food differ from authentic Mexican food?
There are some key differences between the Mexican food found in Mexico versus Americanized Mexican cuisine:
| Authentic Mexican | Americanized Mexican |
|---|---|
| Uses fresh ingredients like ripe tomatoes, avocados, lime, corn | Substitutes canned or jarred ingredients more often |
| Balances complex flavors like sour, spicy, sweet, savory | Simplifies flavor profiles to suit American tastes |
| Emphasizes corn tortillas | Uses flour tortillas more often |
| Features a variety of salsas | Typically red tomato salsa and sometimes green tomatillo salsa |
| Uses Mexican-grown chiles like ancho, chipotle, jalapeño, serrano | Mainly jalapeños or generic chili powder |
| Utilizes lard for frying | Uses vegetable oil instead |
Of course there is overlap, and Mexican restaurants in the U.S. can be very authentic. But in general, Americanized Mexican food caters to American tastes for foods that are familiar, mildly spicy, and high in fat, salt and calories.
What are some other common Americanized Mexican dishes?
Beyond the regional cuisines discussed, there are other popular Mexican-inspired dishes found at restaurants nationwide:
- Nachos – Tortilla chips topped with melted cheese, meat, beans, salsa, etc.
- Burrito bowls – Burrito fillings served in a bowl without the tortilla
- Quesadillas – Grilled tortillas with melted cheese and fillings
- Mexican pizza – Pizza topped with beans, salsa, cheese, meat
- Mexican lasagna – Lasagna made with tortillas, enchilada sauce, cheese
- Taco salad – Taco ingredients like lettuce, cheese, beans, meat served over crushed tortilla chips
- Chimichangas – Fried burritos filled with meat, cheese, beans
- Taco dip – Creamy bean dip topped with cheese, tomatoes, olives, onions, jalapeños
These share the common themes of Tex-Mex and Americanized Mexican food, like the prominence of beef, cheese, beans, tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole. They tend to be heavier and higher-calorie than more traditional Mexican fare.
What are some modern twists on Americanized Mexican food?
While remaining faithful to the flavors and ingredients of classic Tex-Mex and Mexican-American cooking, some modern chefs are putting new spins on old standards:
- Gourmet tacos – Braised meat or citrus-marinated fish tacos on handmade tortillas
- Upscale fajitas – Grilled steak, chicken or shrimp fajitas with farmer’s market produce
- Nachos with unconventional toppings – Nachos made with kale, brussels sprouts, plant-based meats
- Mexican street corn off the cobb – Grilled corn kernels in sauce and served in cups, bowls or tacos
- Baja bowls – Rice, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, cabbage, grated cheese
- Mexican-inspired salads with crispy tortillas
- Churro ice cream sandwiches
- Mexican hot chocolate with spicy peppers and exotic spices
These updated takes on Mexican-American cuisine retain the familiar, craveable flavors while lightening them up and using more ethnic ingredients. The classics aren’t going anywhere, but a new wave of innovation is ensuring this cuisine continues to evolve.
Conclusion
Mexican food has been adapted to American tastes since the late 19th century, resulting in regional styles like Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, New Mex, and a broader Southwestern cuisine. While authentic Mexican food is fresh, complex, and corn-based, Americanized Mexican tends to be heavier and uses more beef, flour tortillas, cheese, canned ingredients, and vegetable oil. Modern chefs are putting new twists on old standards to satisfy America’s ongoing love affair with Mexican flavors.