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- Chicken fried steak. Many Texans would agree that you have not lived until you have tried a Texan chicken fried steak. The thought of it alone screams Texan diner or truck stop, known for their hearty portions and rib-sticking dishes.
- Texas funeral cake. Though it's a subject many are understandably reluctant to talk about, there are many traditions around what is served and eaten during funerals.
- Frozen margaritas. Almost nothing is better than a cold margarita on a hot day or accompanying a delicious Mexican meal. While the popular drink made from tequila, lime juice, and Triple Sec or Cointreau originated in Mexico, it was in Dallas, Texas, where Mariano Martinez, owner of Mariano's Hacienda, changed the way margaritas were consumed.
- Queso. Queso, a beloved dish of Texas, would not be possible were it not for milk-producing livestock like cows and goats, brought by the Spanish conquistadors who made their way up and into El Paso through Mexico.
- Overview
- Chicken Fried Steak
- Pecan Pie
- Brisket
- Chili
- Chile con Queso
- Kolaches
- Tex-Mex
- Migas
- Margaritas
Texas is a big state, and its unique cuisine reflects the wide range of ethnic and cultural groups that call Texas home. It's no secret that much of this cultural influence comes from Mexico, but Texan cuisine is also a blend of Southern, African American, Native American, and European influence. Here we'll take a trip through the Lone Star State w...
This iconic Texas dish was actually adapted from wiener schnitzel by German and Austrian immigrants. Tenderized cube steak is dredged in flour and deep fried until crisp and golden brown. It's often served with a creamy gravy. The dish is so Texan that in 2011 the Texas legislature declared October 26 "Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day."
Pecan pie is popular in just about every Southern state, but Texas is the only one that claims it as its official state dessert. In fact, the first known pecan pie recipe was submitted to a St. Louis cookbook in 1898 by a Texas woman.
Brisket arrived in Texas by way of German and Czech immigrants, many of whom were Jewish and brought with them the traditional cooking methods for Passover brisket. Texas cattle ranchers and immigrants soon began exchanging cooking methods, and eventually Texas smoked brisket was born.
Smoking keeps the meat from drying out and also imparts a lot of flavor with less seasoning. Today, brisket is synonymous with Texas and you'll be hard pressed to find a barbecue joint without it on the menu.
Texans have feelings about chili. Having been raised by one by myself, I've grown up hearing the state mantra: Texas chili doesn't have beans. Turns out, Mom was right.
— yes, it's a thing — maintains that Texas chili (also called traditional red or chili con carne) is any combination of meats, red chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients, but
Also known as just queso, this combination of melted cheese and chili peppers is a Tex-Mex creation dating back to the early 20th century. It is believed to have originated in one of the earliest known Tex-Mex restaurants: The Original Mexican Restaurant in San Antonio.
You know Tex-Mex, but are you familiar with Tex-Czech? In the late 19th century, Czech immigrants brought kolaches — a traditional pastry consisting of fruit preserves nestled in a puffy dough — with them to the small, rural communities of Central Texas. Eventually, it evolved into somewhat of a hybrid using local ingredients such as prickly pears.
Today you can find them in many bakeries and doughnut shops in the Lone Star State, just be sure not to get them confused with klobasniky, a savory pastry stuffed with sausage that was developed by Czech settlers in Texas.
While "Tex-Mex" does not refer to a single dish, we wanted to include the broader cuisine on our list because it encompasses such a large swath of food, including chile con queso, nachos, tacos al carbon, enchiladas, and fajitas to name just a few.
Tex-Mex is one of America's oldest regional cuisines, adapted from the home cooking of Tejanos, or people of Mexican descent living in Texas. It gained widespread popularity thanks to a group of women known as the Chili Queens of San Antonio who served food in the city's plazas. Not long after in the early 20th century, the nation's first Tex-Mex restaurants opened in San Antonio (although the term "Tex-Mex" wasn't used to describe this hybrid cuisine until the mid 20th century).
This Tex-Mex egg scramble is an adaptation of Spanish migas that features scrambled eggs with crushed tortilla chips and salsa.
There are countless origin stories of this legendary cocktail: The Texas one goes that the head bartender at the Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas created the drink for singer Peggy Margaret Lee in 1946 and named it after the Spanish version of her name. Though it's unlikely that this is the true origin story, there's no mistaking that the combination of tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice has become the state's signature drink.
The invention of the frozen margarita machine, on the other hand, can be attributed to a Texan. When the bartender at his Dallas restaurant couldn't keep up with the demand for frozen margaritas in 1971, Mariano Martinez tinkered with a used soft serve machine until it produced big batches of his signature frozen margaritas. And considering how hot it gets in Texas, this invention was a real game-changer.
Austin Margarita (aka Mexican Martini)
Plus, explore our entire collection of
Mar 25, 2024 · Worcestershire sauce, known for its rich umami flavor, presents a unique profile of nutrients that can contribute to a person's dietary requirements in small amounts, despite not being a significant source of nutrition.
Jun 8, 2024 · Get a taste of The Lone Star State with these classic Texas foods. Many come right from the recipe boxes of Texan home cooks!
- Caroline Stanko
- Pecan Pie. Is there any reason not to start this list with dessert? If you were to say to me “staple Texas food”, the first thing that would run through my mind is the warm, comforting taste of a freshly baked pecan pie.
- Gulf Oysters. Besides their buttery, creamy flavor and burly size, gulf oysters are a source of regional pride for Texas. Not only can Texans get fresh, fat, raw oysters from their honorary backyard, the Gulf of Mexico, typically at an affordable price, but they are spoiled for choice with a bounty of restaurants serving some of the best East Coast bivalves out there.
- Real Texas Chili (NO BEANS!) A true family favorite, chili has very modest beginnings. Some say it originates from Mexico and southern Texas. In 1529, Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan friar, described stews seasoned with chili pepper eaten in the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, in his written work.
- Bluebell Ice cream. If you haven’t grown up making sundaes from scoops of BlueBell ice cream, are you even from Texas? Blue Bell is a local classic—creamy, delicious, and the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Jun 13, 2023 · Texan cuisine is a captivating fusion of European and Mexican flavors, forming a culinary tapestry that represents the true essence of Texas food. Mexican restaurants have become a defining feature of Texan dining, offering a tantalizing array of dishes such as enchiladas, tacos, and fajitas.
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Feb 4, 2023 · Welcome to the delicious world of Texas state food! From its famous BBQs to its mouth-watering Tex-Mex cuisine, Texas is a culinary haven for foodies. The Texas State Food has a diverse culture and history reflected in its unique blend of flavors, making it a true treat for the taste buds.
