Mexican - Tag - vo.rs

Tacos al Pastor with Pineapple and Achiote

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Real tacos al pastor are built around a spit you don’t have at home, so this version recreates the magic in a hot pan instead. A homemade marinade of guajillo chilli and earthy achiote stains the pork a deep red and lends its signature savoury warmth, while chunks of pineapple, caramelised until golden, bring the essential sweet-and-smoky counterpoint. Pile it into warm corn tortillas with onion, coriander and a squeeze of lime.

Smoky Chipotle Chicken Fajitas with Charred Lime

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Fajitas live or die on the char, so this version chases it twice over. The chicken sits in a smoky chipotle marinade before hitting a screaming-hot pan, while halved limes are seared cut-side down until caramelised, then squeezed over the lot. The result is sizzling, deeply savoury and lifted by a sweet, smoky burst of citrus, ready to pile into warm tortillas with all the trimmings.

1 Ingredients

Serves 4.

600g chicken thigh fillets, sliced into strips
2 tbsp chipotle paste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice of 1 lime, plus 2 limes halved for charring
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
8 small flour tortillas, to serve
Soured cream, sliced avocado and coriander, to serve

2 Method

In a bowl, mix the chipotle paste, 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic, the juice of 1 lime and a good pinch of salt.
Add the chicken strips and turn to coat. Leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes, or up to a few hours in the fridge.
Heat a large frying pan or griddle until very hot. Add the remaining oil and cook the peppers and onion for 5-6 minutes until charred but still with some bite. Set aside.
Add the marinated chicken to the same hot pan in a single layer and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning, until charred at the edges and cooked through.
Return the peppers and onion to the pan and toss together for 1 minute to combine.
Meanwhile, place the halved limes cut-side down in a separate dry hot pan for 2-3 minutes until charred and caramelised.
Warm the tortillas in a dry pan or microwave.
Squeeze the charred limes over the sizzling chicken and vegetables.
Serve everything in the pan with the tortillas, soured cream, avocado and coriander, letting everyone build their own.

3 The Story

The word fajita comes from the Spanish faja, meaning a strip or belt, a nod to the cut of beef the dish was originally built on. It traces back to the ranch culture of South and West Texas, where Mexican cowhands working the cattle drives were often paid partly in less prized cuts, including the skirt steak. Grilled over an open fire and rolled into a tortilla, that humble strip of beef became the original fajita.

Chilli con Carne with Dark Chocolate and Coffee

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000

A bowl of chilli should taste of long, patient cooking even when you haven’t the time, and two pantry tricks bend it that way. A square of dark chocolate and a shot of brewed coffee melt into the sauce near the end, deepening the meat and rounding the spice without ever announcing themselves. The result is smoky, faintly bitter and full-bodied, the kind of chilli that tastes even better warmed through on the second day.

Three-Cheese Quesadilla with Caramelised Onion

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 09:00:00 +0000

A quesadilla lives or dies on its cheese, so this one leans into three: sharp Cheddar for backbone, mozzarella for stretch, and mild Monterey Jack to bind it all into a molten centre. The twist is a tangle of slow-caramelised onion folded through, lending a deep, sweet note that plays beautifully against the salty cheese. Crisp without, gloriously gooey within, it comes together in under half an hour.

1 Ingredients

Serves 2.

Chicken Enchiladas in Red Chilli Sauce

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Enchiladas are pure comfort: tortillas wrapped around tender chicken, blanketed in sauce and cheese, then baked until bubbling. The twist is the sauce. Rather than reaching for a jar, this one starts with whole dried chillies, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant and then blended into a deep, smoky, brick-red sauce. It takes minutes of extra effort and transforms the dish entirely, giving a warmth and complexity that no shortcut can match.

Charred Guacamole with Pomegranate

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Guacamole is simple by nature, so the smallest tweaks make the biggest difference. Here the aromatics are charred first in a dry pan until blackened and sweet, lending the whole bowl a gentle smokiness that plain guacamole never has. Then comes the flourish: a generous scatter of ruby pomegranate seeds, which burst with sharp, sweet juice and bring a jewel-bright crunch against the creamy avocado. It is the same comforting dip, dressed up just enough to feel special.