Tex Mex BBQ — robust flavors from the Texas border
Tex-Mex is a cuisine in its own right, with a rich history in Texas and the border region with Mexico. Cumin, chilli and oregano work well in many Tex-Mex-inspired BBQ dishes. Explore how to use these flavours on the grill, with a practical pulled chicken recipe.
What is Tex-Mex BBQ?
Tex-Mex cuisine developed in Texas from influences including Indigenous, Spanish and Mexican Texan food traditions. It is about more than meat, smoke and spicy seasoning: corn, beans, tortillas and vegetables belong too. Nor is Tex-Mex interchangeable with all Mexican cuisines. Here, Tex-Mex BBQ means grilled dishes inspired by that cuisine, rather than one formally defined regional barbecue style. Heat levels vary with the dish and seasoning.
What works with Tex-Mex flavours?
Chicken, pork and beef are useful options, but grilled corn and other vegetables work well too. Fajita-style wraps, seasoned ribs and pulled chicken are ideas for home cooking. The recipe below is our BBQ interpretation, not a claim to a traditional Mexican recipe.
Tex-Mex pulled chicken for 4
Makes 4 generously filled wraps. Preparation: about 15 minutes. Cooking: plan roughly 1.5–2.5 hours around 130°C (266°F); thickness, starting temperature and grill setup can change this substantially. Optional seasoning time is additional. A thermometer and how easily the meat shreds determine doneness, not the clock.
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 25 g Tex-Mex BBQ Rub, or adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil, optional as a thin binder
- 4 large wraps
- Guacamole, sliced red onion and fresh coriander to taste
Method
- Set up the BBQ for indirect heat around 130°C (266°F). Check the temperature at grate level. Keep utensils for raw and cooked chicken separate.
- Pat the thighs dry and distribute the rub evenly. A thin coating of oil is optional. You can cook straight away; if leaving the seasoning to sit, cover and refrigerate the chicken. An hour or overnight is not mandatory.
- Cook indirectly with the lid closed. Check each piece in its thickest part with a meat thermometer. The USDA minimum for poultry is 74°C (165°F, rounded); 75°C (167°F) is a practical target with a small margin.
- For pulled chicken, you can continue cooking: from around 80°C (176°F), test whether the meat separates easily with two forks. Around 85°C (185°F) can be a useful guide, but is neither a safety minimum nor a guarantee of the right texture. Judge the actual result; do not dry out the chicken unnecessarily just to reach exactly 85°C.
- Rest briefly on a clean plate, shred and fill the wraps with guacamole, red onion and coriander. Do not use marinade or utensils that touched raw chicken on the cooked filling.
For a quick dip, mix sour cream with a little Tex-Mex rub and lime juice. Start with a small amount of rub and taste: the quantity depends on how much sour cream you use and your preference. Prepare the dip with clean utensils, separately from raw chicken.
BBQ or oven: what changes?
The same seasoning works in the oven. For this recipe, use conventional oven heat around 130°C (266°F), place the chicken in a suitable dish and check temperature and texture in the same way. Extra smoke flavour on the BBQ is not automatic: it depends on fuel, smoking wood and cooking method. Bark also depends on surface moisture, airflow, temperature and time; a closed lid alone does not guarantee it.
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The Rub Kitchen Tex-Mex rub
Our Tex-Mex BBQ Rub offers a spicy, smoky flavour profile with notes including cumin, chilli, smoked paprika and oregano. These are flavour highlights, not a complete ingredients list. Check the packaging for the full composition. Adjust the quantity to your dish and preferred heat level.
Explore the Tex-Mex BBQ Rub or choose it in the Starter Pack.