Texas, “The Lone Star State” is the second biggest state in the USA. Texas is also famous for its wide variety of Texan food and tex-mex cuisine. From barbecue and tacos to drinks and pies, you will find every food in Texas to be top-notch. Along with that, some vegetarian options are also available. Once you unveil the whole range of Texas State Food, you can hardly fall for any other state’s cuisine!
Table of Contents
Non-vegetarian Meals of Texas
1. Chili Con Carne – Texas State Dish
Let’s start with the State Dish of Texas. Chili is one of the main ingredients of Texas, so the authentic dish, Chili con carne has received a lot of importance in Texas. The dish contains fried dry chilies, added with beef chunks. Also, some local Texas’ herbs are also used as finishing touch to the dish which enhances the taste of the dish.
The bowl of curry has the perfect blend of spices and bursts with flavor. It is generally served as a side dish with some home-made tortillas or any rice dish.
2. Fajitas
Fajitas, though not a complete Texas dish, has reamed a lot from Texas’ food type. It is called as a Tex-Mex dish for the mixed blend of both Texas and Mexican authentic cuisine to it. It is an authentic regional cuisine of Texas, presented as grilled meat or steak dish, which is served as tacos, wrapped in a tortilla.
3. Brisket
Texas is the house for the best briskets in the world. Brisket is a beef stock which is kept marinated after boiling, with chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dry yellow mustard, bay leaf, sugar, and black pepper.
All these ingredients infuse a strong blend of flavors to the meat when spread and roasted in a greased pan. It is considered as a barbeque style dish and is a popular dinner menu topper as well.
4. Cheese Enchiladas
Here comes another top-notch authentic dish of Tex-Mex Cuisine where the fat wheat tortillas are prepared with a chili sauce and wrapped in half with a filling of meat and lots and lots of cheese.
The tortillas are then baked which makes the cheese melt within it which makes it most of the favorites’. The dish also has a spicy hint to it and is treated as a staple Texas food dish.
5. Breakfast Tacos
This is a go-to breakfast option for the people of Texas. It is a great filling breakfast option with a wrapped tortilla bread. Filled with veggies, edges and meat chops, the wrap is not only a tasty but also a healthy breakfast option when you are heading to work, in the morning.
6. Quick Tacos al Pastor
It is a Texas Food dish made for the authentic pork lovers of Texas. The marinated pork is prepared in the usual manner and then chopped along with some fresh pineapple and spicy chipotle. All the chops are then mixed and put into a corn flour made tortilla bread. This also makes it a great gluten-free option which is another reason for its popularity.
7. Texas Style BarbecueÂ
“Barbecue is the first thing that comes up in mind when one thinks of texas food”.Â
Barbecue is not a new fuss at all but the barbecued chicken in Texas style is something absolutely different and can make you fall in love with the whole of Texas’ cuisine. The whole chicken is washed, boiled and marinated with several herbs, chicken stock, and spices, and is then put to oven grill.
The process of grilling brings a depth of flavors through all the spices and herbs added to it. Often, it is also grilled in the traditional method, that is, on medium heat and over the coals.
8. Texas-Style Lasagna
Taking care of the recent health issues currently faced by the American people, Texas has brought an absolutely healthy preparation of Lasagna.
Layered with tomato sauce, taco seasonings, tomatoes, meat sauce, and chilies, and spread on corn tortillas, this Texas-style Lasagna is something out of the world.
9. Baked Chicken Chalupas
Again, a popular non-vegetarian Texas dish with a Mexican blend to it. The chicken used here is shredded, along with the thick cream of chicken soup, and two types of cheese. Olives and green chilies are also used along with onions and paprika to bring a great flavor to the dish. It is more like the Cheese Enchiladas and is baked with tortillas.
10. Texas Taco Dip Platter
It is a dish made with a combination of seven ingredients. The main ingredient of this dish is beef which is cooked in a Dutch oven. The dish is often accompanied by corn chips, and rice mixture with lettuce leaves and the olives. The appetizer is topped with cheese.
11. Tex-Mex Chicken with Black Beans & Rice
It is made in the slow-cooker with black beans and rice which is boiled with some special herbs. However, the chicken prepared with it has a Mexican blend to it too. This particular meal is very healthy and very nutritious to health and serves as a great weekly dinner option.
12. Burrito Lasagna
The burrito lasagna is made with wheat flour where around two pounds of beef is used which is marinated with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. The lasagna is huge in size and can be divided among 12 people easily, with some Spanish rice to accompany it.
13. Chipotle Carne Guisada
Stewed beef is used to make this particular dish. It is served along with a sauce which is made using, tomato sauce, peppers, and some dry chilies.
Though the dish has a Mexican blend to it too, the flavorful preparation of Texas’ people cannot be overlooked. It is often as a main dish, all by itself, too.
14. Zesty Steak Chili
Beef is the main ingredient of the dish and is cooked with tomato sauce with some canola oil, onions, and garlic. Also, the dry chili used in it is another important ingredient. The dish is kept stewy with a thick gravy and tastes heavenly. It is considered to be one of the staple non-vegetarian gravies of Texas which are said to taste even better, on the next day, when ate stale.
15. Boiled Crawfish
A popular seafood dish of Texas, which is boiled and added with some boiled corn and several boiled veggies. The dish is then seasoned with local Texas seasonings and served as a non-vegetarian tasty salad. The dish is both healthy as well as tasty.
16. King Ranch Casserole
This is a vegan dish which is layered with lots of vegetables, cheese, and fat wheat tortillas. It is prepared in a baked method which makes the cheese burst out. It can be seasoned with several seasonings as you wish to or can even skip the step. The vegetarian casserole is big enough to fill up your appetite during lunch or dinner.
Veg Meals of Texas
17. Homemade Tortillas
Tortillas may not be a new name to you but the homemade ones are really special. The fat tortillas made at home with wheat flour, are soft and chewy. As it is a staple food of Texas, it can be accompanied with any kind of gravy, or stews, or as rolls too.
18. Chile con Queso
This is a popular cheese appetizer of Texas which is served as a dip or as a side dish with the tortillas. It is basically a thick sauce which tastes great when seasoned with chilies and peppers.
19. Texas Caviar
Texas Caviar is a vegetarian salad which is prepared with black-eyed peas and vinegar and added with pickles. It is often served as an item to be wrapped with the tortilla bread. This tortilla wrap is a healthy meal when you are in a hurry.
20. Texas-Style Spanish Rice
As the name says, the rice is cooked in a Spanish style, with tomatoes, onion and green pepper. The preparation process of the rice is slow and cooked in simmer heat till all the starch water is absorbed. Often, some local herbs and seasonings are also added to it, for flavors.
21. Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole
This casserole prepared with summer squash with a blend of cheese and chilies. The jalapenos added to this dish brings flavors to it. However, you can also add some sour cream and mayonnaise if you want to have it like a thick gravy.
22. Tangy Texas Salsa
Prepared like a salad, this dish is prepared with fresh vegetables, mixed with spices and herbs. Though this dish has no fancy to it, it is a really healthy and filling lunch or dinner option.
Non-veg Stews of Texas
23. Texas Stew
This is a basic and staple stew of Texas which is made with a combination of beef, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, and cumin seeds. Picante sauce is used to bring some concentration to the dish and sometimes, corn can also be added to the stew according to your personal likings.
24. Dried Chilli and Beef Stew
This stew is prepared like an authentic soup with some beef chunks and dried chili is also used to bring flavor to the stew along with cilantro, chile peppers, and cheese as seasonings. This is a very popular stew, especially as a dinner food item.
25. Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
This is the basic method to prepare stew with similar ingredients like beef or chicken. The difference in preparation is that it is cooked slowly with some additional local herbs, for about three to four long hours. This is done to ensure that the flavors from each and every ingredient, get infused in the stew.
26. One-Pot Chicken Stew
The best part about this particular stew is that it cooks itself. All you need to do is, throw all the veggies and the big chicken chunks to the pot along with the ingredients and brimfull of water. Wait for an hour approximately, and you have very tasty soup!
Veg Soups of Texas
27. Tortilla Soup
A popular vegetarian soup of Texas which has a spicy blend to it and tastes amazing with some tortilla strips spread over it. As the soup is laden with tortilla strips, it is quite filling to the appetite too.
28. Texas Black Bean Soup
This is an authentic Texas soup which is not only tasty but healthy soup too. Prepared with black beans and tomatoes mixed with spices and herbs, this soup is very tasty.
29. Native pecan – Texas State Health Nut
These cherry nuts from the orchard of Texas, are high in protein and vitamins. Also, as these nuts have high calories, they are a great source of energy. These nuts are often blended with some herbs to serve as a spread on tortillas and bread, especially for breakfast.
29.1 Pecan PralinesÂ
The yummiest of all nuts that you will ever find in Texas. The way it is prepared and consumed by the state people of Texas makes it even more amazing. The nuts are brought to a creamier consistency and mixed with brown sugar and white sugar.
Breads In Texas
30. Pan de Campo – Texas State Bread Â
It is a staple bread of Texas which is also popularly known as the “camp bread” or the “cowboy bread”. There is no fancy on this Spanish bread and it is directly put over the campfire in the iron pots, or in Dutch ovens too.
31. Pecan Raisin Bread
This is one of the tastiest authentic bread of Texas and is prepared with cinnamon and whole raisins. The taste is slightly sweet and is packed with a lot of pecans. It is generally served with cheese and fruits.
Cobblers & Pies in TexasÂ
32. Peach Cobbler – Texas State CobblerÂ
A large amount of fruit or savory filling poured inside a baking tray and then baked inside the oven, to get the sweet, soft and fluffy cake like thing.
33. Blueberry Cobbler
The process of baking remains the same and only the fruits used, is substituted with only blueberries. This brings a slight tangy taste to the cobbler, along with a bit sweet taste to it.
34. Pecan pie – Texas State Pie
Pecan pie is just as similar to the Pecan Cobbler. The only difference is that the pecan pie is much like a cake and has a nice flavor of brown sugar and vanilla extract to it.
35. Frito Pie
This is another kind of a pie which is made with mainly the Fritos. The Fritos are prepared in a mixture which contains several spices, sour cream, rice, and jalapenos. The dish has much in common with the popular Mexican dish, chilaquiles.
36. Green Tomato Lattice Pie
Unlike other pies packed with creams and cheese, this particular pie has lots of nutrition packed in it, as the green tomato chunks. It brings in the perfect crunchiness and tanginess to the pie which makes it more popular.
Famous Texas Alcoholic Drinks
37. Fresh Lime Margaritas
Fresh Lime Margaritas enjoy a great fun presentation at Texas. It is made with fresh thinly sliced limes and some tequila. It is a popular brunch alcoholic drink in Texas.
38. Frozen Margaritas
Though made and prepared like the fresh lime margaritas only, it does not contain the slices of limes. Instead, the frozen margaritas contain lime juice, in a concentrated and thick formula and only tequila from certain brands like Z Tequila, Tequila 512 and Republic Tequila is only used to prepare this.
39. Michelada
Now here comes the star of the show of Texas. It is prepared with beer, like juice and sauces which have a high chili concentration. Unlike other alcoholic drinks of Texas, this has a spicy taste to it.
40. Beers
Beers may be common but not the Texas ones. If you are still on the lookout for the perfectly brewed beer, then here comes the one. From classic to old, each type of beers has its own authenticity in Texas.
41. Titos Texas Sipper
Vodkas are no new but the handmade vodkas of Texas are the hot talk of the town. The authentic vodka is mixed with a fresh grapefruit juice to bring the authentic blend of Texas to it.
42. Ranger Creek Tea Taper
Mixed with fresh pomegranate juice and blended with sweet tea, Texas Bourbon and Ranger Creek, this drink hardly has any pair in the whole state of Texas. Lemons and oranges are also used for garnishing and presenting.
43. Blueberry Pomegranate Pecan Street Mojito
How often do you get to see such a healthy blend to a cocktail? This cocktail is punched with concentrated blueberry and pomegranate syrup and paired with some silver rum and club soda. Some fresh lime and fresh mint leaves are also added I’m for flavors.
44. Paloma
Paloma is the new talk of the town cocktail and the most favorite of all too. It is punched with tequila, mixed with soda, lime juice, and grapefruit juice. Kosher salt and sugar are used on the rim for presentations on the glass rim.
Non-alcoholic Drinks in Texas
45. Dr. Pepper
A popular carbonated soft drink of Texas which is absolutely non-alcoholic and even contains salty peanuts which further enhances its taste.
46. Sweet Tea
Made with sweet sugar syrup, and then perfectly brewed, the Sweet Tea is an authentic creation of Texas. Though there are many teas which might be found similar to it, it still holds its authenticity of being the best brewed Sweet Tea, in Texas.
Famous Texas Desserts
47. Custard Ice-cream
is a frosted ice-cream which is served in a vanilla flavor which has a fresh blend of peppermint to it too.
48. Sopapilla
It is a kind of fried pastry that is found in Texas which is served along with some iced sugar and white sugar to bring the sweet taste to it. Texans love everything fried 🙂
49. Easy Meringue Cake
This cake is served with thick flavored frosting which is served in two and three layers. It is a popular pastry in the state of Texas.
50. Kolaches
Introduced in Central Texas, the Czech Kolaches serve as a very popular snack item, among Texas’ people. These yeast-dough pastries are loaded with fruits and cheese, mixed with poppy seeds, brings a nice sweet and crunchy taste to the dish. Sausage kolaches are also a popular snack item of which includes the same method of preparation and tastes delish.
Here’s all that we got for you! So, now it’s your turn to taste all these above mentioned delish and let us know, whether you liked it or not. Do not forget to comment here and let us know about your views on these Texas food and drinks. Till next time, enjoy a happy appetite!
Seems, you’ve done an excellent job here!
I live in Onalaska, Texas. Your Texas food
choice ps are very good!
I’m so sorry I spelled your name right but spell check fixed it for me!
Seema