Latin American

This recipe makes just enough salsa verde to coat one bag of chips, but it's so tasty and versatile that we always make a double batch. If you can, choose a heftier chip that will hold up when stirred into the sauce.

Pão de queijo, which means “cheese bread” in Portuguese, is a delightful snack from Brazil made with tapioca flour (meaning it's gluten-free) and cheese.

Aguachile, literally meaning chile water, is traditionally made with chiles, cilantro, onion, lime, and, yeah, water.

Three words: bacon-fat tortillas.

You can use whatever semifirm white fish you like. Not a fan of snapper? Try sea bass or striped bass.

Senior editor Rick Martinez looooves tacos al pastor, but on his last trip to Mexico City, he opted for fish tacos al pastor at Contramar. He did not think he could possibly like a fish taco more than a pork one until that moment, hence the origin story of this recipe.

A drive through Baja is filled with tacos, hotels, and views more beautiful than you could imagine

The chicken bouillon, though optional, adds a hint of umami and a richness that you won’t get otherwise.

Oaxaca, Mexico is one of the most colorful (and delicious) places on the planet.

Since finding fresh masa in the U.S. is hit or miss, we call for fresh corn tortillas, which technically makes this a tostada.

If you’ve never made posole, this is a good starter recipe.

Seek out a tortilleria if possible; it makes a difference.

For a salsa that won’t send smoke shooting from your ears, be thorough about removing the seeds from the chiles, and even scraping out the ribs, the hottest part.

Oaxaca is known for its moles, and there are countless types. This recipe features dried red chiles and is often served with poultry.

The shrimp is even better when it’s grilled.

We like toasting the canned hominy to concentrate and develop its flavor, but if that’s one step too many, it will still be awesome!

This recipe was developed in honor of BA contributor Gaby Melian’s mother, who told her that if you left out the green pepper, it wasn’t an empanada.

The nostalgic ground meat filling has obvious upgrades; the charred tomato salsa should be in heavy rotation.

This hot-sweet-smoky salsa transforms quick-seared short ribs into a dinner with complexity.

Feel free to sub store-bought tortilla chips for the tostadas.

We tested this tamales recipe with both instant and fresh masa. Fresh masa yielded the best corn flavor and best texture, but we’ve included instructions for using instant since the flour is easier to find. You can find fresh masa and dried corn husks at tortilla stores/factories, in the international section at larger grocery stores, or online. Whichever masa you choose, be sure to save some of the tomatillo purée from the chicken filling.

The lime juice and oil will keep the avocado from turning brown, but it’s a good idea to make this pico de gallo recipe right before you serve it.

It’s Tostada Night! Just hearing those words makes us hungry. With a sheet-pan salsa and quick-cooking tostadas, this recipe will be ready before you know it.

The tri-tip is a tender, triangular cut of beef tucked near the sirloin. There are only two per steer, so if your butcher is out, go with sirloin.