Homemade Sonoran-Mexican Taco Seasoning Recipe

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.

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.

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.

Three Sisters Power Bowl

Let the power of these three sisters fuel your day! Corn, zucchini and tepary bean breakfast bowl with quinoa, corn, avocado, spicy green salsa and eggs.

Campfire Grilled Trout: Whole Fish Over an Open Fire

How to grill freshly caught trout or other whole freshwater fish over an open campfire using a camp stove and foil. This recipe is an excerpt from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

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.

Western-style Campfire Coffee Made with Eggshells

How to brew a pot of coffee over a campfire with a special ingredient… eggshells! From the Arizona-Mexico borderlands cookbook author Jackie Alpers.

SouthWestern-style Cast Iron Roasted Mushrooms

Recipe for oven roasted mushrooms cooked in a cast iron skillet from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

Deli Counter Tacos with Scallion-Ranch Cream Cheese

Lunchbox recipe for street tacos made with deli counter turkey and provolone cheese rolled in tortillas and topped with lettuce, tomato, olives and pepperoncini. Includes recipe for Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread.

Masa Versus Cornmeal: What’s the Difference?

What’s the difference between cornmeal and masa harina? How is masa used to make corn tortillas? Can cornmeal be used in tortillas? Get the answers and recipe for Sonoran corn tortillas from Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers.

Southwestern-Style Chipotle Deviled Eggs With Caviar

These spicy, chipotle deviled eggs topped with caviar and capers are fancy yet simple. The perfect party food or indulgent yet healthy snack.

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.

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.

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.)

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 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.

Sonoran-Style Flat Enchiladas (Enchiladas Sonorenses)

Recipe for Sonoran-style flat enchiladas unique to the Tucson/Sonora, Mexico borderlands. Fat corn masa pancakes are smothered in enchilada sauce, shredded cheese, green olives and scallions. Serve them topped with my Chile Colorado and/or an egg-over-easy for breakfast anytime.

Grilled Octopus Recipe Inspired by Yellowstone

Recipe for Mediterranean diet grilled octopus served with scallions, romaine and fresh tomatoes in a light citrus vinaigrette from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

Sonoran Creamy Corn Chowder with Popped Amaranth

Recipe for a rich and creamy, Sonoran-style charred corn chowder made with ingredients local to the Arizona-Mexico borderlands and topped with popped Amaranth a gluten-free, ancient grain native to the Western and Southwestern United States that can be popped like popcorn which adds a nice crunch.

Sheet Pan Garlic-Butter Green Beans

After a hard day’s work at the 6666 Ranch in Texas, Jimmy devoured a plate of Country Fried Steak smothered with gravy and a side of green beans. I’m sharing my recipe for Sheet Pan Roasted Green Beans to whet your appetite… you’ll have to wait for The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook for the main course.

Montana Whiskey Mule Cocktail Recipe

The Montana Whiskey Mule cocktail is made with whisky and sarsaparilla and served in a copper mug.

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.

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.

Roasted Whole Baby Cauliflower with Herbs & Parmesan

I’m fascinated by the idea of roasting an entire head of cauliflower, so when I came across these adorable baby cauliflower at the market the wheels started turning. They make a visually stunning side dish, perfect on cold winter nights. You can substitute one large cauliflower if you can’t find the little ones.

BLT Lettuce Wraps | The Perfect Summer Meal

Tomatoes are at their best, and something about the heat and humidity of the Arizona monsoon season makes me almost totally inert and immobile. This is about all I can muster dinner-wise, so I’m lucky that it’s fairly healthy… It turns out that mayo and bacon are better for us than expected, and my versions is also low-carb.

Parmesan and Pepperoni Crustless Pizza

If you bake a layer of Parmesan cheese in the oven it will crackle and pop after a while, turning into a crispy, cheese cracker that’s much tastier than any pizza crust I’ve encountered. I topped this baked cheese crisp with pizza spices and toppings before sliding it into the oven. The results: crustless pizza!

Pepperoni Parmesan Pizza Crisps

Bake a little sunshine into your life with these bright and happy two-ingredient pizza flavored cheese crisps.

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.

Parmesan Crisps with Caviar and Crème Fraîche

Festive enough for New Year’s Eve, this pretty appetizer only takes about 5 minutes to make. Bacon infused caviar adds a unique smokiness that will intrigue your guests and is fairly inexpensive, but any decent quality caviar will do. The one-ingredient parmesan crisps are a savory, no-carb alternative to blini.

Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe: Nachos Supreme Style

Roasted bell peppers stuffed with creamy nacho cheese, avocado, pickled jalapeños, black beans and crunchy tortilla chips.

Beef Patty Tacos Recipe

Teresa Matias told me that to help satisfy her children’s cries for burgers when buns weren’t handy, she would fold a hamburger patty into a tortilla and fry it. Topped with cheese, lettuce, and tomato, it later became a regular menu item at her restaurant, Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe. Apparently, a lot of moms had the same experience, because the beef patty taco has been standard restaurant fare around southern Arizona since at least the mid-1970s.

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.

How to Grill The Perfect Cowboy Steak

Making authentic cowboy steaks is really easy. When I asked Bryan Keith, the Grill Master from Pinnacle Peak Steak House if he had any additional tips he said, “Put some love in it!”

Tuna Noodle Casserole: A Flavor-Packed Healthy Recipe

A modern, flavor-packed, one-pot tuna noodle casserole recipe made with healthy ingredients.

Buffalo Chicken Rumaki Bites

This modern Buffalo-style chicken rumaki recipe updates the Polynesian appetizer served at tiki parties in the 70s.

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.

Gluten Free