Spicy Food Hacks: Mexican Restaurants in Carrollton, TX

Enter in an and you will be met with the flavorful aroma of enticing spicy food.  Part of the reason why people love Mexican food is the delicious flavor that comes from the different types of chili that are used in authentic Mexican dishes.  

Spices can turn a simple and ordinary dish made with plant-based ingredients and meat into course-worthy dishes.  How do Mexicans do it?  Let’s discover the spicy food hacks of Mexican restaurants in Carrollton:

1.  Use Real Spices

Mexican food is prepared with traditional spices prepared from fresh herbs.  If you want real flavor, don’t buy processed spices in the supermarket.  Choose these 10 Mexican spices that make Mexican dishes so much more appealing:

• Cumin
• Garlic powder
• Cinnamon
• Mexican oregano
• Onion powder
• Coriander or Cilantro
• Chili Powder
• Paprika
• Black pepper
• Cloves
• Allspice

Spices add to the flavor and health benefits of Mexican food.  They are excellent sources of antioxidants because they contain high levels of phenolic compounds.  They go beyond just being seasoning food because they are medicinal in nature.  

So the next time you are having second thoughts about eating Mexican food because you want to avoid the spice, think again.  You could get more benefits for yourself than your other food options. 

2. Grab Some Mexican Chile Peppers

Did you know that there are 60 types of chiles produced in Mexico?  That is how fundamental this ingredient is in Mexican cuisine.  The wide array of chiles available adds deep flavor, complexity, and heat to many authentic Mexican dishes.  

Each type of chili is assigned to a certain type of recipe. Mexican chiles are used depending on what the recipe asks for and how it blends with other ingredients of the dish.

Here are 12 of the most-used chiles in traditional Mexican cooking:

• Chiles de Árbol:  also known as bird’s beak chile or rat’s tail chile, has a heat index of 15,000-30,000 Scoville units, used in powdered form to make sauces, also added to soups and stews and used to decorate wreaths
• Jalapeño:  the most popular chile in Mexico with a heat index of 2,500-10,000 Scoville units, commonly used while still green, one of the best sources of vitamin C.
• Cascabels:  plump, round, smooth, and small chile also known as the rattle chili, has a heat index of 1,000-3,000 Scoville units, can ripen from green to red, and then darken to a deep reddish-brown.
• Habanero:  the hottest commonly used chile with a heat index of 100,000-350,000 Scoville units.  They are available in at least 18 varieties.  The most popular ones are:

• Red Habanero
• Orange Habanero
• Caribbean Red
• Habanero Condor’s Beak
• Hot Paper Lantern
• Red Savina
• Datil Peppers
• Peach Habanero

• Poblano:  a mild chili pepper also called chile ancho with a heat index of 1,000-2,000 Scoville units, commonly used in mole sauces.
• Pasilla:  known as “little raisin” because of its dark, wrinkled skin, mild to hot, and rich-flavored with a heat index of 250-4,000 Scoville units, used to flavor fruits, ducks, seafood, lamb, mushrooms, garlic, fennel, honey, or oregano.
• Anaheim: the mildest variety, also called Californian chili, has a heat index of 500-2,500 Scoville units, used to add heat in salsas, delicious when roasted and as a stuffing for Rellenos.
• Morita: a smoke-dried jalapeno with a rich and soft slightly fruity flavor and a heat index of 2,500-8,000 Scoville units.
• Guajillo: has a mild green tea flavor with a heat index of 2,55-5,000 Scoville units, commonly used in traditional mole sauces.
• Ancho: also used in mole sauces along with Pasilla and Guajillo, has a heat index of 1,000-2,000 Scoville units, with moderate heat and a mild paprika flavor.
• Puya: has a distinct fruity flavor, used in sauces when it is pureed, mashed, or diced, commonly used to prepare chili dips, and seasoning soups and stews. Has a heat index of 5,000-8,000 Scoville units.
• Serrano: smaller than a jalapeno, has very meaty flex, can be eaten raw but are best eaten roasted, popularly used in making pico de gallo, with a heat index of 5,000-25,000 Scoville units. 

3. Prepare Them According to the Recipe

To get the best flavors out of the popular Mexican chiles used in authentic Mexican dishes, you can eat and use them any way you like depending on the recipe.  They can be roasted directly over a flame or you can simply chop them and add them to your favorite dish.

Dried chiles bring out the best flavors to a Mexican dish but they have to be soaked for 30 minutes before cooking.

Discover how the different chiles used in Mexican cooking bring the best flavors when you order food at an authentic Mexican restaurant in Carrollton, TX.