What We Cook: Pick a Mexican-American Dish for Tonight

Most of these dishes are the same few parts

Tortilla, filling, sauce, cheese and heat make up most of what sits on a Mexican-American menu. A taco, a burrito, an enchilada and a plate of fajitas differ mainly in how those five parts are arranged. Once you can see that, a long menu becomes a handful of combinations.

We write this guide for readers who are deciding rather than browsing, whether they are ordering for three on a weeknight or cooking for one. The helper answers the question first, and the rest of the page shows the reasoning behind it.

Most of a Mexican-American menu is the same few parts, put together differently, so once you can see how a dish is built you can choose it with confidence.

Thornton's Ferry Table

Answer six questions about tonight

Each answer adds points to some dishes, and the dish with the most points is your pick. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere.

Question 1 of 6

Are you eating out or cooking at home?

Eating out Cooking at home

The set side by side, and what the pictures show

Two beef tacos with onion and cilantro, lime wedges and salsa on a wooden table — A taco is the simplest place to see the parts: a small tortilla, one filling and a salsa.

A large pan of saffron rice with seafood, red peppers and herbs — This is a Spanish paella, not one of the ten Mexican-American dishes on this page. The two cuisines are easy to mix up in a search, so the difference is worth knowing.

Three pages that answer the question after this one

If the dish is new to you

The Beginners page names one first dish, the order to learn the rest and the points where a first attempt tends to go wrong.

If you want each part by name

The Ingredients page explains the items a recipe names, from dried chiles and queso styles to corn and flour tortillas, and what to use when one is missing.

If you are buying for dinner at home

The Shopping List page groups what a Mexican-American dinner needs by stage, from the pantry to the things added to finish, with a line on why each item is there.

Turning the pick into dinner, one step at a time

Once the helper has named a dish, work down this table in order. The first two rows are about choosing; the last three are about cooking and keeping the food safe.

From the pick to a plate you can trust
Step	What you do	What you should see afterwards
Confirm the pick	Read the dish and the runner-up, then check the five parts against the menu or the shopping list.	Every part is named, so you know what you are ordering or buying.
Set the heat	Ask for the salsa or chile on the side, or at home add chile in small amounts and taste between additions.	A plate that suits everyone at the table, with the heat in your hands.
Cook the filling through	Ground beef and pork should reach 160°F inside, and poultry, including ground chicken and turkey, 165°F, according to the CDC.	A filling that has reached its target, not one that only looks done.
Refrigerate takeout	Put takeout and leftovers in the refrigerator within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the food sat above 90°F, such as in a warm car, according to the CDC.	Food in a refrigerator kept at 40°F or below, not on the counter.
Reheat leftovers	Heat leftovers and casseroles until they reach 165°F, according to the CDC.	A dish hot all the way through, not only at the edges.

Watch a chicken taco come together

This video is made by another channel. It shows a chef cooking crispy chicken tacos step by step, so you can see the order of the work before you cook a taco at home.