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Mexican-Inspired Appetizers for Your Next Get-Together
Flavorful Southwest recipes from Pati Jinich’s cookbook ‘Foods of La Frontera’
These crowd-pleasing appetizers from Pati Jinich’s "Foods of La Frontera" bring the vibrant flavors of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands to your next gathering.
Victor Protasio/ Bagwell+Protasio
Chips, salsa, nachos, guac — when you’re entertaining and passing out bites, foods with Mexican flavor (sabor) always please your party guests. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked TV chef Pati Jinich for her take on seven winning appetizers, including a crunchy-sweet popcorn treat.
For Jinich, a New York Times best-selling author and star of the long-running PBS daytime show Pati’s Mexican Table, traveling to the borderlands spanning Mexico and America began as a curiosity that turned into a PBS prime-time docuseries, La Frontera, and now a cookbook, Foods of La Frontera: Recipes and New Taste Frontiers from Both Sides of the Border, which showcases untold stories and 100-plus recipes from the U.S.-Mexico border. Jinich’s recipes celebrate the traditions, rich cultures and distinctive flavors of the area where the U.S. and Mexico meet.
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Over 10 seasons, Jinich discovered that those vibrant borderline communities had developed their own unique flavors, tastes and recipes that were neither Mexican nor American but a blend of both.
“The food from the borderlands is misunderstood,” she says. “It’s not really Mexican or American, but it’s unpretentiously delicious, food that everybody wants to take a bite of. So I thought, Let’s learn how to make these foods, and let’s get to know the people and the stories behind them.”
Tepary Bean Hummus With Chile Verde
The Tepary Bean Hummus combines nutty tepary beans and roasted green chiles for a flavorful starter that’s perfect with fresh vegetables.
Victor Protasio/ Bagwell+Protasio
Hardy tepary beans, traditionally grown in the Sonoran Desert heat, have intense flavor and are nutrient-rich. Find them at select markets or online. (Navy beans are a good substitute.)
Makes about 3½ cups
Total time: 3 hours (plus soaking beans, 30 minutes to overnight)
Ingredients
½ pound (1 cup) dried white tepary beans, rinsed
10 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ white onion, quartered
1 garlic head, broken or cut into 2 clusters of cloves (skin left on)
½ pound fresh chiles verdes, such as Anaheim, New Mexico or chilaca, roasted, sweated, peeled, seeded and diced
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 dried chiltepín or piquín chiles, or 1 to 2 lightly toasted chiles de árbol
Crudités or other dippers for serving
Directions
To reduce cooking time, soak the beans for at least 30 minutes or overnight; drain.
Transfer the beans to a large pot, cover with the water and bring to a boil. Skim any foam from the surface, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
Remove the lid, add 1½ teaspoons of the salt, stir and continue cooking, covered, until the beans are soft but not breaking apart, adding more hot water if they threaten to become dry, 2 to 3 hours (the total cooking time will be 3 to 4 hours, depending on how long you soaked the beans and their age). Set aside, covered, to cool.
Place oven rack in uppermost position, about 3 inches from heat, and preheat the broiler.
Put the onion and garlic cloves on a small baking sheet lined with foil. Place under the broiler for 10 to 12 minutes, removing the baking sheet occasionally to flip the onion and garlic cloves with a spatula, until charred and softened; you may have to remove the garlic cloves before the onion.
Remove baking sheet from the broiler and set aside.
Drain the cooled beans, reserving ¾ cup of the cooking broth. Transfer the beans and ¾ cup liquid to a food processor. (If using canned navy beans, drain the beans and add ¾ cup water when adding to the food processor.)
Add the onion, garlic, chiles verdes, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, the white pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and dried chiles to taste.
Process until smooth, and serve with cut raw vegetables or the dipper of your choice.
Note: You can order tepary beans online from Ramona Farms, in Arizona, or substitute navy beans; the latter will cook much faster, just a little more than an hour.
Chile de Árbol Guacamole
Chile de Árbol Guacamole with Baked Corn Tortilla Chips gets a smoky kick from toasted chile de árbol and a burst of freshness from diced tomato added just before serving.
Victor Protasio/ Bagwell+Protasio
Adding tomato to guacamole too early can make the dip runny. My secret is to add it at the end, which gives the dip a beautiful, bright spark.
Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 dried chile de árbol, stemmed, seeds left in
1 ounce (1 slice) white onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chile, finely chopped (with or without seeds)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender upper stems
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
3 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, flesh scooped out and diced
1 ripe tomato, cored, seeded and diced
Directions
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Toast the chile de árbol until it darkens slightly and becomes fragrant, a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and finely chop.
Combine the chile de árbol, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a mortar and mash it with the pestle, or use a bowl and a fork, until the mixture is juicy and pasty.
Stir in the avocado and mash to the desired texture.
Scatter the tomato on top and leave it there as a garnish or mix it in with the guacamole, then taste for salt and add more if needed.
Pico de Gallo With Manzano
Bright tomatoes, lime and fiery manzano chile give this Pico de Gallo With Manzano a citrusy punch.
Victor Protasio/ Bagwell+Protasio
The manzano chile, which looks like a tiny canary-yellow apple, has an incredibly feisty, citrusy flavor, and it’s a great way to add color.
Makes about 3 cups
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender upper stems
½ cup chopped white onion
Grated zest and juice of ½ lime, or more to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
1 manzano chile, seeded and chopped, or more to taste
Directions
Combine the tomatoes, cilantro, onion, lime zest and juice, and salt in a medium bowl.
Add as much chile as you like and mix well. The salsa will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but bring to room temperature before serving.
Cook’s note: You can use a jalapeño or serrano chile instead of the manzano, but manzanos are a lot spicier, so you may need more of the other chiles; begin with one chile and adjust as necessary. Seed the tomatoes if you want the pico to be less juicy. If the pico will sit for more than an hour, hold off on adding the lime juice until the last minute.
Piloncillo-Caramel Pecan Popcorn
Piloncillo-Caramel Pecan Popcorn is sweet, crunchy and impossible to stop snacking on.
Victor Protasio/ Bagwell+Protasio
Piloncillo, the least processed form of cane sugar, is found all over the countryside in Mexico (and in many U.S. grocery stores). It lends the popcorn a caramel-molasses flavor.
Makes about 8 cups of popcorn
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
⅔ cup whole pecans
½ cup popcorn kernels
1 (8-ounce) cone piloncillo or 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup maple syrup
Grated zest of ½ orange
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
Directions
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the pecans and toast for about 3 minutes, tossing and flipping them occasionally. Scrape on to a cutting board and let cool; set the saucepan aside. Coarsely chop the pecans and pour into a large heatproof bowl.
Heat a heavy Dutch oven or pot over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the popcorn and stir as the kernels begin to brown. When they smell toasty and begin to dance around, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover.
Shake the Dutch oven frequently as the corn pops and continue heating until the popping sound practically stops, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, uncover (watch out for steam) and scrape into the bowl with the pecans; pick out any unpopped kernels.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the piloncillo or brown sugar, water, maple syrup and orange zest in the same saucepan you used to toast the pecans.
Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the piloncillo melts, stirring occasionally and breaking it up with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes, or 3 to 4 minutes for the brown sugar; the sugar doesn’t have to dissolve completely at this point.
Stir in the butter and continue cooking, uncovered, until the mixture bubbles and reaches 240°F to 245°F on a candy thermometer.
Add the salt and baking soda; the mixture will foam. Stir, then quickly pour the caramel over the popcorn, tossing with a spatula to coat it as best you can.
Immediately spread the caramel popcorn out on the baking sheet. Cool completely before serving.
Skirt Steak Nachos
Skirt Steak Nachos is loaded with refried beans, melted cheese, and pickled jalapeños.
Victor Protasio/ Bagwell+Protasio
Everything gets layered so each chip carries its fair share of beans, cheese and jalapeño. The steak, seared quickly, goes on last so it lands on the baked nachos juicy and warm.
Serves 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 pounds skirt steak
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
¼ large white onion (if using an outdoor grill)
Vegetable oil for the grill or pan
Fried or baked corn tortilla chips (see recipe)
5 to 6 cups homemade or canned refried beans, warmed
1 pound Chihuahua, asadero or Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 4 cups)
10 to 20 pickled jalapeño chiles, to taste, thinly sliced into rounds
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and diced
Directions
Cut the steak into 4 to 6 pieces.
To make the marinade, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the meat, toss well, and set aside to marinate briefly. (You can marinate the beef for up to 24 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.)
Preheat the oven to 400°F and position racks in the lower and upper third levels.
Preheat a grill, grill pan or large cast-iron skillet over high heat. (If cooking on an outdoor grill, rub the onion with some oil and hold it with tongs to use it to grease the grill. If using a grill pan or cast-iron skillet, lightly oil it.)
Once the grill or pan is hot, add some of the steak pieces; do not crowd. Grill or sear the meat, turning only once, for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place on a platter and cook the rest of the meat.
Cut the meat into bite-size pieces and cover to keep warm.
Arrange the tortilla chips on two large baking sheets.
Spoon the refried beans over the chips, cover with the cheese and top each tortilla chip with 1 or 2 slices of pickled jalapeños.
Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and has browned around the edges.
Remove the pans from the oven, and scatter the steak on top, followed by the diced avocado.
Serve hot, straight from the pans.
Tex-Mex Queso With Chorizo
I used to overlook American cheese, but then I learned in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas how incredibly delicious it can be. This queso dip is made with caramelized onions, roasted poblano chiles, really good Mexican chorizo and cream cheese — all mixed with American cheese.
Serves 6 to 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound Mexican chorizo, casings removed, coarsely chopped
1 cup finely chopped white onion
2 ripe tomatoes, halved, seeded and chopped
4 fresh poblano chiles, roasted, sweated, peeled, seeded and diced
½ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
4 ounces (½ cup) cream cheese
2 pounds yellow American cheese or Velveeta, cut into chunks
Fried or baked corn tortilla chips for serving (see recipe)
Directions
Heat a large Dutch oven or very large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and fry, breaking it up into smaller pieces, until crisp and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a small bowl and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion to the fat remaining in the pan, and cook until it wilts and softens, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and poblanos, stir and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the tomatoes soften.
Pour in the milk and cream and give it all a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it and release the browned bits.
Add the cream cheese and stir until melted and well combined.
Stir in the yellow cheese and continue cooking, stirring until it is completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the queso from the heat and sprinkle the chorizo on top.
Serve immediately with chips.
Fried or Baked Corn Tortilla Chips
Homemade tortilla chips are so fresh, crunchy and easy to make that you will never want to buy store-bought chips again.
Makes 120 tortilla chips
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
30 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying or baking
Kosher salt
Directions
To fry the tortilla chips, line a baking sheet with paper towels. Pile the corn tortillas into 4 or 5 stacks on a cutting board, and cut each stack into 4 even wedges.
Pour about a ½ inch of oil into a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet.
Heat over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until the oil is hot but not smoking (about 350°F). You can test the oil by dipping a tortilla triangle in it using tongs or a slotted spoon: If the oil bubbles happily around the chip, it is ready.
Gently add a batch of tortilla triangles to the oil; do not crowd.
Fry for about 1 minute until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to flip them over and brown the other side.
Transfer them to the baking sheet, and sprinkle immediately with salt to taste, so the salt sticks to the glistening chips. Repeat with the remaining tortilla triangles.
Transfer the chips to a bowl or container.
To bake the tortilla chips, preheat the oven to 375°F, with the racks in the lower and upper thirds. Brush two large baking sheets with oil.
Pour about ½ cup of oil into a small bowl. Brush the tortillas on both sides with oil.
Arrange them in 4 stacks, and cut each stack into 4 even wedges.
Scatter half of the tortilla triangles over each baking sheet, overlapping them as little as possible, and sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Remove from the oven. With a spatula, flip the chips over, separating any that are stuck together.
Bake for another 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Remove from the oven and serve.
Excerpted from Foods of La Frontera: Recipes and New Taste Frontiers From Both Sides of the Border by Pati Jinich. Copyright © 2026 by Mexican Table LLC. Recipe photography © 2026 by Jennifer Chase. From Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.
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