chili powder Archives - Cooking Classy with a sprinkle of fancy Wed, 06 Aug 2025 04:40:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 44235149 Pork Carnitas {Instant Pot or Slow Cooker} https://www.cookingclassy.com/pork-carnitas/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/pork-carnitas/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2025 21:07:36 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=7539 Easy pork Carnitas tacos made simple! Pork shoulder is slow simmered in a crockpot or pressured cooked in an instant pot until perfectly tender, then it's shredded and broiled to flavorful, crispy perfection!

These are easily just as good as what you'd find in any Mexican restaurant but you get to enjoy them at a fraction of the price in the comfort of your own home.

Pork carnitas shown in tortillas as tacos.

What are Carnitas Anyway?

If you haven't had Carnitas you are probably trying to figure out exactly what "Carnitas" means. It's a spanish word meaning "little meats."  It's a Mexican dish and generally it's made by braising or roasting pork then shredding it and simmering in lard or vegetable oil until crispy.

But here we switch that up and use the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours or use a pressure cooker and cook for 1 hour. And the pork carnitas are broiled it instead of sautéing it in oil to get that same crispy effect. Broiling it takes less time, creates less mess, and requires less oil.

And I go for semi-crispy. I like the ends of the meat to be nice and crispy but I recommend that you don't overdue it. You don't want to dry the meat.

With this simple recipe you end with tempting, crispy little pieces of pork that you won't be able to stop "taste testing."

Throw the finished carnitas into warmed corn or flour tortillas, add some cilantro and diced onion and voila. Such a simple, satisfying dinner that everyone will love!

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup https://www.cookingclassy.com/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup-2/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup-2/#comments Sat, 12 Apr 2025 11:00:46 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=16038 Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is made with tender chicken thighs, bright tomatoes and green chilies, a well spiced broth, plus corn and black beans to keep it hearty and filling. And the best part is how quick it is to prepare!

Green bowl filled with crockpot chicken tortilla soup, tortilla chips, sour cream and cilantro garnishes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

This healthy crockpot chicken tortilla soup is a perfectly hearty, feel good soup. After a tiring, busy day it's just what you'll look forward to coming home to!

The recipe has been revisited and improved recently for increased flavor. I also personally prefer it with chicken thighs now for the better texture (and also more flavor).

The prep for this crockpot soup couldn't be easier, you simply layer and pour everything into a slow cooker without pre-cooking required. No chopping or searing meat first, or sautéing vegetables beforehand. It's one of those lazy, throw it together and turn on the power dinner meals.

I love to load it up with toppings but even without them you'd still have a completely satisfying soup. Tasty toppings additions include all those classics - tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, avocado or guacamole, cilantro, and some hot sauce if you want it spicy.

It's also a highly adaptable soup. For recipe variations you can trade out vegetables for others, increase spices, try other chilies, and even use other types of protein (such as cooked ground beef or seared pieces of stew meat).

Start with this base recipe the first time around then after that change it up to your hearts content or using up what you have on hand.

Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup.

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Taco Pasta https://www.cookingclassy.com/taco-pasta/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/taco-pasta/#comments Sat, 26 Oct 2024 03:45:09 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=73672 Taco Pasta - Comforting, cozy, creamy, cheesy, Tex-Mex spiced pasta abundantly dotted with tomatoes, chilies and tender bits of beef. It's the ultimate weeknight family dinner!

Love these types of easy dinners? Also try my one pan Ground Beef Stroganoff and American style Goulash.

Serving of taco pasta in a pasta bowl with a fork.

This hearty, cheesy taco pasta is two homestyle dishes combined into one and people of all ages love it! It's a simple one pan dinner that you can have ready in just over 30 minutes.

If you aren't familiar with this dish it may sound strange but trust me it's actually such a super satisfying, completely enjoyable dinner. It's like those pasta dishes from the 90's that maybe started with a box, but this is 100 times better!

It's a very adaptable recipe too. You can add different mix-ins to use up ingredients you may already have, or try swapping out the protein or pasta. Just stick with the base and seasonings used, and always add cheese because it's truly a main highlight of the dish.

Watch the Video!

[wprm-recipe-video]

Taco pasta shown close from overhead in a large skillet.

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Huevos Rancheros https://www.cookingclassy.com/huevos-rancheros/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/huevos-rancheros/#respond Wed, 18 Sep 2024 04:44:41 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=73374 Flavorful and hearty Huevos Rancheros - A deliciously scrumptious Mexican breakfast made with fresh ingredients, served warm and cozy, and sure to satisfy those bright spicy cravings. You'll have these devoured in minutes!

Huevos rancheros served tortillas, salsa ranchero, fried eggs, avocado, and cotija.

What are Huevos Rancheros?

Huevos Rancheros is a traditional Mexican dish made up of warmed corn tortillas, a cooked salsa (red tomato salsa or green tomatillo salsa), and fried eggs. It is pronounced way-vows-rhan-che-rohs and translates meaning rancher's eggs.

They are frequently served with refried beans or black beans on top or as a side, and you can garnish them with various toppings.

This version is easy to prepare and is fairly quick compared to other versions. That is thanks to a food processor, because we skip the option of roasting the tomatoes and veggies for speed (though there's no lack in fresh flavor), and here  the recipe calls for ground chili powder rather than managing the steps of whole dried peppers.

This Huevos Rancheros is practically perfect and such a welcome comforting way to start the day. You may even likely find you are craving it for not only breakfast but lunch or dinner too!

Make it a complete meal served with chorizo or sausage, and don't forget that side of beans.

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Chicken Fajitas https://www.cookingclassy.com/chicken-fajitas/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/chicken-fajitas/#comments Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:26:45 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=51875 Chicken Fajitas - This easy, restaurant quality recipe is made with deliciously seasoned chicken, a trio of fresh bell peppers and tender crisp onions all served atop warmed tortillas. It's a family favorite recipe we've used countless times over!

Want to make the best fajitas ever? Then be sure to serve with my homemade flour tortillas if time allows (prep while the chicken marinates). Easily worth the extra bit of effort!

Three chicken fajitas in flour tortillas shown with various toppings.

Easy Homemade Chicken Fajitas

Chicken fajitas are most commonly made with chicken breasts but chicken thighs are the best, and this is my tested and perfected recipe I'm so happy to share with you!

Chicken is soaked in a seasoned, lime and oil based marinade then pan seared in a hot cast iron skillet to achieve a flavorful charred exterior with crisped edges, and juicy, tender interior.

After which fresh multi-color bell peppers, and boldly flavored onions and garlic are sautéed to a perfect tender crisp texture in the same piping hot skillet.

Then to assemble fajitas chicken is sliced, and mounded over flour tortillas along with those flavorful veggies.

It's a restaurant favorite, classic Tex-Mex recipe you'll never want to lose!

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Sloppy Joes https://www.cookingclassy.com/sloppy-joes/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/sloppy-joes/#comments Sat, 13 Jul 2024 18:46:00 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/08/sloppy-joes/ Homemade Sloppy Joes! Brimming with hearty browned beef, lots of veggies and a rich, lightly sweet, lightly smokey tomato based sauce. This recipe is fast, flavorful and sure to satisfy those old time cravings!

Want to make them next level delicious? Serve them on homemade hamburger buns, you can even butter and toast them!

Sloppy Joes on a homemade hamburger bun. Served with potato chips, pickles and coleslaw to the side.

Easy Sloppy Joes with the Best Sloppy Joes Sauce!

Who doesn't love a classic sloppy joe sandwich? So many of us grew up eating these in the 90's, made with that canned sauce of course that isn't anything near as good as this homemade version.

This easy sloppy joes sauce from scratch don't take much more effort than a store-bought Manwhich sauce and it's easily worth the few extra steps! Made from scratch is always better.

These beefy sandwiches are saucy, messy, and just so simply satisfying. You'll always find them piled high and spilling over because it's impossible for any bun to fully retain all that tasty goodness.

They definitely may not be the fanciest most appealing dish, but they are just good for the soul comfort food.

And I think it's fitting to say these are always one of the highlights of summer. Bakery fresh (or homemade) burger buns sandwiching a rich, meaty, tomato-y filling, with a nice balance sweet and smoky and a welcomed background flavor of seasoning throughout them.

Pair them with all your favorite summer sides, and an ice cold drink of course to polish it off. This is how you do real people food.

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Tofu Tacos https://www.cookingclassy.com/tofu-tacos/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/tofu-tacos/#comments Fri, 10 May 2024 15:07:56 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=71477 Fast, easy and flavorful Tofu Tacos! Made with inexpensive, protein rich, well seasoned tofu, corn tortillas and plenty of fresh toppings. You'll likely be surprised to find your whole family loving these!

Close up photo of tofu tacos.Healthy Tofu Tacos

For a long time tofu has had have a bad name. Not many people seem to care for it, and I used to be one of them. But I'm telling you if you season it right it can actually be really delicious and even something you'll want to make again and again!

In these tofu tacos the tofu is abundantly seasoned with a variety of Mexican spices, soy sauce and lime juice which builds up much more depth and a welcome vibrant flavor.

Believe it or not you may find you like them just as much as the classic ground beef tacos! And these are a healthier alternative to rotate with, plus tofu is about half the price of ground beef and ground turkey.

These tacos come together quickly for a simple weeknight meal, they are perfectly filling, and they make a great leftover lunch the next day if you have any left.

If you haven't given tofu a chance yet I'd say this is an excellent place to start. And as always with tacos, just be sure to pile high all those tasty toppings!

Row of ground tofu tacos shown from the side with lime wedges for serving.

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Tofu Scramble https://www.cookingclassy.com/tofu-scramble/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/tofu-scramble/#comments Tue, 07 May 2024 03:23:03 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=70947 Healthy Tofu Scramble - Made with protein rich tofu, tender crisp sautéed bell peppers, and nutritious fresh spinach. It's a tasty alternative to scrambled eggs yet I'd dare say equally as delicious!

Tofu scramble in a white ceramic bowl over a marble surface with a green cloth to the side.

An Easy Tofu Scramble Recipe

I never used to be a fan of tofu but that was likely because it was under-seasoned or just not cooked right. Tofu tastes incredibly plain and mild on it's own as is but when seasoned right and sautéed it can transform into something that's actually super tasty.

Tofu is very absorbent to flavors so it makes it highly adaptable which is great for these "scrambled eggs" using tofu. They're flavorfully seasoned with southwestern spices that soak right in, and it's cooked in a hot skillet until golden brown to take on more flavor. And I think you'll enjoy that the texture is very similar to scrambled eggs.

It's a quick to make vegan breakfast and it pairs beautifully with whole grain toast and sliced avocado. This has been a go-to breakfast for me lately and it actually re-heats really well so I can get a few breakfast meals out of it.

Feel free to add in other vegetables (things like mushrooms, zucchini, or tomatoes) and you could even splurge a little and add some cheese (vegan or regular) at the end.

Tofu scramble shown with serving suggestions of avocado and whole grain toast.

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Chicken Taco Salad https://www.cookingclassy.com/chicken-taco-salad/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/chicken-taco-salad/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2024 14:58:36 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=68314 Loaded Chicken Taco Salad - Made with protein rich chicken and black beans, fresh veggies, tortilla chips, and all the best toppings. It's brimming with goodness and completely delicious!

Chicken taco salad shown with blue and yellow tortilla chips, corn, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, chicken, cilantro, cheese and sour cream.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

In this bountiful salad you find it's rich in Tex-Mex flavor and has so much freshness in every bite. There's a beautiful variety of color, flavor and textures, with each ingredient enhancing the dish.

It's layered with nutritious Romaine lettuce, crispy tortilla chips, a zesty citrus marinated chicken, salsa coated beans and veggies, plus rich cheese, sour cream, and avocado.

The chicken is pan seared then the taco salad filling is cooked in that same pan. And it's convenient that you don't need a grill for this recipe and it can be made any day of year no matter the season.

If you happen to have any leftover filling you can use it in tacos, quesadillas or burritos the following day for lunch. There's just so much to love about this delicious Chicken Taco Salad!

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Vegetarian Chili https://www.cookingclassy.com/vegetable-chili/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/vegetable-chili/#comments Tue, 06 Feb 2024 17:46:30 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=36129 Healthy Vegetarian Chili is jam-packed with fresh nutritious veggies, two types of beans, and it's all simmered in a deeply spiced tomato base. It's a delicious stew-like soup, ideal for those chilly autumn and winter days and it's so tasty served with homemade cornbread.

Vegetarian chili in a large white pot.

Easy Vegetarian Chili

You'll love that this is a vegetable chili you can feel great about eating and feeding the family, and it doesn't taste too much different than a meat-heavy chili thanks to all those flavorful Mexican spices.

It comes together quickly, it's just a bit of chopping and has a fairly short simmer time compared to that of traditional chili. It's hearty and filling thanks to the beans and fiber rich vegetables and it's still a great base for piling on all the best chili toppings.

We love it with avocado, cheese, and sour cream atop but if you if you want to make this a vegan chili then opt for a vegan cheese and sour cream, or just omit them both altogether.

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