Serrano
5 recipes found

Grilled Shrimp Ceviche With Corn and Coconut
Though technically not a ceviche, as the shrimp are grilled first, this dish is deeply inspired by the ceviche variations that span across Latin America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific Islands. Marinated in rich limey coconut milk, this lively, refreshing dish feels quintessentially summery — perfect for outdoor dining — while grilled corn and shrimp add depth and a subtle smokiness. Serve as a salad or with tortillas, plantain chips or saltines. It’s best to not overcook the shrimp on the grill and let it continue to “cook” in the marinade.

Sweet and Spicy Melon Salad
This salad is all about contrast: sweet, juicy melon (honeydew or anything similar), a sharp lime dressing with garlic and shallots, and a good hit of spice from serrano and red pepper. It’s finished with roasted peanuts for crunch and lots of fresh basil to keep it bright and herbaceous. The flavors are bold, tangy and just spicy enough to keep you coming back for another bite. It’s great as a side, but also can be lunch and pairs well with a hot day, crispy tofu, noodles and pork, grilled meats or any light sandwich or lettuce wrap.

Coconut-Cilantro Chicken and Rice
The hero of chicken and rice is usually chicken — but in this recipe, it’s the rice. This creamy, almost risotto-like rice cooks in a bright, herby spinach and coconut broth, forming a vibrant bed for the warmly spiced chicken. As the chicken roasts, the rendered fat releases into the rice, adding rich flavor. The frozen peas are added at the very end to preserve their color and add a bit of freshness to balance the flavors. Feel free to adjust the amount of lime juice you stir in at the end, and garnish with as much sliced chile and torn cilantro as you like.

Shrimp Aguachile
Aguachile, the bright and punchy seafood dish from coastal Sinaloa, Mexico, gets its name (which translates to “chile water”) from the vibrant blend of chiles, lime juice and salt that transform the sweet flesh of raw shrimp into tender, tart flavor bombs. Unlike ceviche, where seafood marinates in citrus until it's fully “cooked,” aguachile hits the table soon after the shrimp meets the zesty chile water. While the aguachile is on your plate, the lime juice continues its work on the sweet, delicate shrimp, so each bite offers a slightly different texture without ever turning rubbery. Use as many serranos as your heart desires and your palate can handle.

Enchiladas Suizas (Creamy Chicken Enchiladas)
Enchiladas Suizas are sort of a lie. They are neither chile-laden nor from Switzerland. The name likely comes from using an abundance of cream and cheese in the recipe, which Mexicans associate with the alpine country due to its famous dairy production. These enchiladas, a combination of lightly fried corn tortillas filled with tender shredded chicken, bathed in velvety salsa verde and blanketed with melted cheese, were invented in the early 20th century at the famed Sanborns de los Azulejos, a Mexican café chain that turned the dish into a cultural icon throughout Mexico. That salsa verde? It is swirled into cream with a simple roux to keep the thickened salsa from separating and to tame any heat that you might expect from serrano chiles. For a weeknight-friendly version, shredded rotisserie chicken can save you some time.