This homemade Sonoran-Style Mexican taco seasoning uses ground dried chiles and Mexican oregano for a deeper flavor than store-bought packets or standard recipes. Ready in 5 minutes.
Chile Pepper Recipes
Recipes for cooking with chile peppers. Hot and spicy and mild chile peppers in recipes for Sonoran style Mexican inspired salsas and sauces, desserts, soups and chili that include how to make your own chile powder for spice blends from Sonoran cookbook author Jackie Alpers. Cooking with chiltepin, Hatch, ancho, serrano, jalapenos and other chile peppers native to the Southwest.
Michelada vs. Chelada: What’s the Difference?
Michelada vs. Chelada: What’s the Difference? Includes recipes for a michelada cocktail made with Ray Ray’s Sonoran Spirit and a spicy tomato mixer.
Strawberry-Habanero Prickly Pear Margarita
How to make a spicy Sonoran-style prickly pear margarita cocktail on the rocks with strawberry and habanero infused tequila and a black salt rim using a Strawberry and Habanero Infused Tequila Recipe.
Spicy Deviled Egg Potato Salad with Chipotle and Capers
This spicy deviled egg potato salad gets a Southwestern twist with chipotle peppers, capers, and a creamy mustard-mayo dressing. Ready in 35 minutes — perfect for BBQs and potlucks.
Coffee Braised Chicken Thighs with Coconut Milk, Yams and Chile
Coffee braised chicken thighs with coconut milk, yams, and chile, finished with Greek yogurt. A Sonoran-inspired braise ready in under an hour.
Albondigas Matzo Ball Soup (Vegetarian Recipe)
Albondigas soup made with matzo balls. Two popular soups together as one – a Jewish-deli Sonoran-Mexican combination.
Caldo de Queso Recipe: Sonoran Cheese and Potato Soup
Caldo de Queso is a Sonoran cheese and chunky potato soup with green chiles, onions, and tomatoes in a light broth. Recipe by Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers.
Sonoran Mexican Chocolate Popcorn Treats
Sonoran-style no-bake Mexican chocolate popcorn treats made with pretzels, cashews, Sriracha sesame seeds, cinnamon and red chile spiced chocolate marshmallow cream Chile powder and cinnamon add some kick to these sweet and spicy no-bake Mexican chocolate popcorn and pretzel treats. Recipe developed for The Silicone Kitchen.
Mushroom White Pizza with Lion’s Mane, Ricotta, and a Crispy Tortilla Crust
Recipe for a tortilla crust mushroom pizza. This thin-and-crispy pizza is topped with lemon infused ricotta, garlic & parmesan, lion’s mane and blue oyster mushrooms. White Sonoran Wheat helps give large Sonoran-style flour tortillas their elasticity which makes a perfect pizza crust.
Sonoran Peking Goose Tacos Recipe
Recipe for Sonoran-style goose tacos inspired by Peking Duck. These goose tacos are served on flour tortillas with hoisin sauce, salsa macha, cabbage, carrots and scallions. Food photography for this recipe is shortlisted for the 2025 World Food Photography Awards in the Food Influencer category.
Sonoran Cowboy (Charro) Caviar
Super-lucky flavorful Sonoran Charro Caviar made with black-eyed peas, bell peppers, serrano chiles, and onions, served on tortilla chips.
Sonoran Green Chile Tamale Pie with Molé Cómodo
Sonoran-style vegetarian tamale pie recipe made with a creamy green chile and masa base and a rich, quick molé made with peanut butter, tahini, and cocoa.
Homemade Chile Powder from Fresh Chiles Recipe
How to dehydrate and grind chile peppers, with recipes for chili powder and custom spice blends using fresh homegrown and/or exotic store bought chiles. Preserve expensive and/or hard to find chiles.
Arizona Cheese Crisp with Roasted Hatch Green Chiles and Ranch Drizzle
Tucson’s Sonoran-style Mexican Arizona cheese crisp made with flour tortillas, roasted Hatch green chile strips and a creamy green chile Ranch salsa. Thank you Fry’s Foods for sponsoring this recipe.
Jackie’s Famous Chunky Gazpacho Recipe
Cold gazpacho recipe with chunky fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions and peppers. The colors in the photo are a bit of an homage to Pedro Almodovar’s wonderful film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), which was the inspiration for me making gazpacho for the very first time, years ago. (Minus the pills and drama.)
Jackie Kashian’s Paprika Marinated Chicken Recipe
Recipe for Paprika Marinated Chicken. Comedian Jackie Kashian is funny on stage but her chicken recipe is no joke.
Chipotle Lime Grilled Corn Recipe
Recipe for a lighter version chipotle lime grilled corn on the cob from the Sonoran Arizona-Mexico borderlands cookbook author Jackie Alpers
Lentil Charro Caviar
Sonoran Lentil Cowboy Caviar made with is made with lentils, chile peppers and red onion in a spicy citrus vinaigrette. It’s similar to Texas Caviar made with black eyed peas and the lentils do resemble fish eggs.
Arroz Verde: Sonoran-Style Spicy Mexican Green Rice
Spicy, Sonoran-style Mexican green rice (arroz verde) recipe made with tomatillo salsa verde, peas and cilantro from the Taste of Tucson cookbook.
Spicy Sonoran Coleslaw Recipe
This crunchy, salty, and spicy no-mayo Thai/Mexican coleslaw is an excellent companion to Sonoran style dishes. It’s inspired by Som Tum (green papaya salad).
Salsa Chicken Lettuce Taco Wraps
Chicken slow-simmered in salsa, then shredded for serving in as a filling for tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, and is keto when served in lettuce cups.
Salsa Verde Recipe: Spicy Sonoran Tomatillo Salsa from Penca
Recipe for Sonoran Style hot green tomatillo salsa developed by Patricia Schwabe for her restaurant Penca. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Spicy Bourbon Whiskey Cocktail Recipe from Yellowstone
Bring the heat to your usual bourbon neat with a dramatic, hot and spicy whiskey cowboy cocktail inspired by Yellowstone and served in the same glassware used in the Dutton family home. Get the recipe for this spicy bourbon whisky cocktail infused with lime and chiles served over ice.
Spicy Chicken Salad Lettuce Tacos
Mexican chicken salad tacos recipe served in lettuce wraps made with rotisserie chicken. Featured in the Glamour.com article, A Week of Delicious Chicken Recipes.
Topopo Salad Recipe: Tucson’s Famous Volcano Salad
The Topopo salad is Tucson, Arizona’s most unique regional salad. It’s is a visually stunning volcano of chopped lettuce and mixed vegetables piled high on a bean tostada. This monumental salad was first inspired by a volcano in Sonora, Mexico.
Sonoran-Style Red Pozole
This Sonoran-style red pozole recipe is a “low-and-slow” braised pork and hominy stew/soup topped with lots of fresh vegetables and citrus from the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Bison Nachos
Bison are a seminal component of Western American history. The massive bison hunts of the 19th century resulted in their near extinction. With conservation efforts in place, the Yellowstone bison are considered the last truly wild herd of American plains bison in existence. Regenerative bison farms have reintroduced this healthy beef alternative into American food systems.
Chile Colorado Recipe: Easy Sonoran Style Beef in Red Chile Sauce
Cubed beef simmered in red chile sauce for enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, salads or burritos. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Extra Spicy BBQ Wings Inspired by Yellowstone
Extra spicy BBQ hot chicken wings recipe either grilled or made in the airfryer. Choose your own eating adventure with spice levels varying from hot to dangerously-hot.
Texas-Style Chili con Carne (Without Beans)
Chile Colorado con Carne recipe from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook. In the season 4 finale of Yellowstone, the bunkhouse gets into a heated debate over whether or not chili has beans. The Unofficial Yellowstone cookbook shares a recipe for both chili with and without beans because Texas where the character “Jimmy” had recently visited, is famous for their Chile Colorado which is made without beans – it’s mainly beef and red chiles, and it is fabulous. Get the chili with beans recipe… and more in The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook.
Tate’s Rattlesnake Sausage Chowder
This spicy rattlesnake sausage chowder has a bite, but at least it won’t take a bite out of you. Inspired by Tate Dutton’s brave move in a key episode of Yellowstone. This recipe is reprinted from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by the Dutton Family Ranch, by Jackie Alpers.
Authentic Sonoran Hot Dog Recipe from El Guero Canelo
Authentic Sonoran Hot Dogs recipe from El Guero Canelo Restaurant, winner of the James Beard American Classic award. This recipe was featured in Taste of Tucson: Sonoran-Style recipes inspired by the rich culture of Southern Arizona.
Sonoran Carne Asada Quesadillas
Sonoran carne asada, scallions, cheese and crunchy tortilla chips stuffed in quesadillas and re-grilled for more crunch. Many years ago, Ben Galaz owner of BK Tacos taught me how to make Sonoran carne and cebollas asada.
Spicy, Smoky Mashed Potatoes & Sausage Gravy
Spicy Sonoran mashed potatoes recipe made with a chile broth technique that flavors the potatoes and gravy. Butter-rich. Featured on Eat This Not That.
Mexican Street Corn Cups (Elote en Vaso)
Recipe for Elote en Vaso, Mexican street corn in cups. Pan fried corn kernels tossed in a creamy sauce seasoned with chile and lime. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Old West Style Vegan Chili Recipe
Old West style spicy vegan chili recipe made with plant-based meat, black beans and mushrooms. Served with vegan shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.
One Pot Arroz Con Pollo: Sonoran Style
Arroz con pollo is one of the recipes most requested by locals from my Taste of Tucson cookbook and I’ve always found chicken and rice to be a comforting combo. This is a great make ahead recipe for workday lunches. At first glance El Pato salsa de chile fresco may look like pureed tomato sauce, but it’s got a medium spicy kick of heat that will convince you otherwise.
Sonoran-Style Mexican Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas
Sonoran-style Mexican shrimp ceviche tostadas with avocado and hot sauce on crunchy baked tostada shells.
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe: Sonoran Style
Flavorful Sonoran-style tortilla soup with rotisserie chicken, diced tomatoes, green chiles, crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado and crumbled Mexican cheese in a clear broth.
Vegan Tostadas with Crispy Tofu in Chile Colorado Sauce
Crispy tofu adds just the right amount of heft and bite to Chile Colorado served on crunchy baked tostada shells.
Sonoran Ingredients and Shopping Guide
Sonoran cooking resource and shopping guide for the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers, with lists of ingredients, pantry staples and photography equipment recommendations.
Molletes Recipe: Open Faced Mexican Breakfast Sandwiches
Molletes are open-faced breakfast sandwiches made by slathering refried beans onto toasted bolillo rolls and then heaping avocado slices, a fried egg, hot sauce, and lots of cheese on top.
Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe: Nachos Supreme Style
Roasted bell peppers stuffed with creamy nacho cheese, avocado, pickled jalapeños, black beans and crunchy tortilla chips.
Strawberry Habanero Infused Tequila
This infused Strawberry-Habanero tequila makes a mean margarita or straight-up sipper.
Chiltepin Hot Salsa Recipe
Chiltepin salsa is an all-purpose salsa that can be used for dipping, for seasoning, and as a taco sauce. A little goes a long way, so if you prefer a milder salsa, cut the amount of chiles down by a half or a third. This recipe is from the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Chicken Molé Amarillo
Nuttier and less sweet than its chocolate based cousin, this version of Molé Amarillo is the personal creation of Chef Suzana Davila of Tucson’s Cafe Poca Cosa. She specializes in these complex sauces, and her recipes are longtime local favorites which is one reason why I wanted to feature the recipe in my upcoming cookbook Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona. Serve this dish with tortillas and a pretty, salad, as Suzana would.
Chelada Recipe and How It Differs from a Michelada
This super-refreshing citrus beer cocktail is served in a chile and salt rimmed glass over ice. It’s kinda like a beer margarita. I love it because it’s a big drink that lasts a long time and it has considerably less sugar and calories than a margarita.
Sonoran Street Corn Hot Dogs (Elote Hot Dogs)
I’m pretty sure I invented the Elote Dog when I first developed this recipe for The Food Network in 2018. Since then Elote Hot Dogs, inspired by Sonoran-Mexican Street Corn have become a sensation with hot dog enthusiasts all over the word coming up with their own version. Here’s my recipe for hot dogs topped with elote, mayo, lime and spices and served in a bolillo roll.
Spicy French Onion Ranch Dip
Spicy Ranch French Onion Dip. Two Dips That Live As One, Together At Last!
Arizona Cheese Crisp: No Tortilla Recipe
Keto recipe for Arizona cheese crisp that’s the perfect comfort food. A cross between a Mexican pizza an an open-faced quesadilla, Southern Arizona restaurants started selling the dish more than 50 years ago and it’s become a staple of our local Sonoran style cuisine.
