Tex Mex food is taking on the world by storm! If you’re interested in whipping up delicious dishes from this cuisine, then the sauces and condiments used are two of the crucial elements. That’s where Tex Mex paste comes along, flavoring our lives, one tablespoon at a time. It is a rich condiment making Tex Mex meals all the more delectable!
- Bad news: You can’t purchase Hello Fresh Tex Mex paste separately.
- Good news. You can use Tex Mex paste substitutes or make your own fresh Tex Mex paste!
Read on to learn all about the wonders of Tex Mex paste!
What’s Tex Mex Paste?
Let’s first answer the question: What is Tex Mex in the first place? (*)
The excellent cuisine combines the best of both worlds: Texan and Mexican cuisine!
One of the unique characteristics of Tex Mex cuisines is how recipes use yellow cheese. You don’t use yellow cheese in Mexican dishes but other fresher ingredients like chile peppers, cacao, oregano, cilantro, epazote, and even sliced jalapeños! (*)
It consists of a combination between tomato puree and various spices and sauces. When mixed together, the paste offers flavor unique to Tex Mex recipes.
You probably heard of Tex Mex paste from Hello Fresh, whether you purchased a package from them or found it in advertisements. That’s because it’s the company responsible for introducing Tex Mex paste!
Hello Fresh Tex Mex paste comes with the meal kit delivery service. You can find it in many different favorite Tex Mex dishes, including Tex Mex ground beef, beef tamales filling, chicken skillet, beef barbacoa, and many more!
Here is the nutritional information of Hello Fresh Tex Mex Paste per serving:
- Calories: 50kcal
- Carbohydrate: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated fat: 4g
- Dietary fiber: 1g
- Sodium: 1,590mg
- Cholesterol: 0mg
As you can see, it is high in fat and sodium for a small serving. It would be best to use the seasoning in moderation to watch your health. Alternatively, you can create homemade version of it to know what’s in your condiment.
As for the taste, we can describe it as sweet and savory, with some smokiness and spice to it!
What Do You Use Tex Mex Paste for?
You can use it and other common Tex Mex seasonings in a variety of Tex Mex or Mexican dishes, like: (*)
- Tex Mex Chili Pasta
- Pork and Poblano Enchiladas
- Black Bean Chili
- Black Bean Soup
- Beef barbacoa
- Chicken and Steak Fajitas
- Tacos
- Rice Bowls
- Any recipe including meats and veggies!
A few tablespoons of the paste will go a long way for your recipes! This condiment has even made its way to international markets because of its awesome flavor profile suitable for many dishes.
Where to Buy
You cannot purchase Tex Mex paste separately from Hello Fresh. You can buy it by availing a Hello Fresh recipe including the paste or adding it as an extra after purchasing other Hello Fresh packages.
While other companies sell Tex Mex paste, they don’t refer to their products as Tex Mex paste. The pastes will come with their own names but still offer that similar flavor profile Hello Fresh Tex Mex paste provides.
Check out these brands offering similar Tex Mex seasonings or pastes:
- Siren Spice Tex Mex Seasoning
- Goya Sofrito Tomato Cooking Base
The common Tex Mex seasonings include ground cumin, paprika, ground coriander, dried oregano powder, garlic powder, and salt. These sauces and spices are part of many pastes and seasonings, or you can use them separately.
However, you can also try using a substitution. We have tackled this topic in a previous article here!
To give you a breakdown, these are what you can use as a Tex Mex substitute:
- Achiote Paste
- Adobo Sauce
- Chipotle Sauce
- Sriracha Sauce
Homemade Tex Mex Paste
Unfortunately, you can’t purchase Hello Fresh Tex Mex paste on its own. You need to buy it with a meal kit.
There’s a solution if you don’t want to purchase a whole package just for the Tex Mex paste! You can create your own paste to match the Tex Mex flavor profile.
Of course, Hello Fresh doesn’t share their secret recipe for their Tex Mex paste. But we found a recipe closest to it!
Follow this recipe to get the most authentic flavor.
Dry Ingredients:
- Three teaspoons of chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
- Six teaspoons of cocoa powder
- Four teaspoons of salt
- Four teaspoons of sugar
Wet Ingredients:
- 4 1/2 teaspoons of garlic chili paste
- 4 1/2 teaspoons of rice vinegar
- Three pureed white onions
- Four ounces of Chipotle chilis (purchase dehydrated ones or do it yourself)
- Five teaspoons of tomato paste
- 1 1/2 bulb of homemade roasted garlic
- 21 ounces of roasted tomatoes
Directions:
- Cut off the garlic bulb ends, then sprinkle olive oil over the garlic. Wrap it in tin foil, baking for 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees F.
- Cover your dried chilis in water in a small pot, bringing it to a simmer. Let the chilis simmer until soft, taking around 15-20 minutes.
- Slice your onion and place it in the blender or food processor. Add the softened chilis (after draining) and roasted tomatoes. Blend until you have a smooth mixture.
- Place the puree in the pot, adding all the ingredients. Bring this to a boil, stirring the mixture for 15-18 minutes. By this time, it’s very fragrant.
- Switch off the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Congratulations, you now have your own paste!
It’s up to you how you’ll store it. We recommend placing it in an airtight container and putting it in the fridge.
If you don’t plan on using all the paste anytime soon, you can pour it into an icecube tray, making easy portions. One cube yields about two tablespoons. After the paste freezes, place all the frozen cubes in a freezer bag to use later on.
If you are pressed for time and can’t follow this recipe, you can create a simple paste by mixing BBQ sauce and taco seasoning, using an appropriate ratio.
What’s great about our homemade Tex Mex paste recipe is that it contains less fat compared to the one from Hello Fresh! Here is the nutritional information per serving:
- Calories: 54kcal
- Carbohydrate: 10.8g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Fat: 0.8g
- Saturated fat: 0.2g
- Dietary fiber: 1.5g
- Sodium: 622mg
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Total sugars: 3.7g
Granted, Tex Mex paste isn’t the healthiest and is still filled with sugar and carbs, but it has much less sodium and fat. As always, use it appropriately and avoid going overboard.
Wrapping It Up
While we can’t purchase Tex Mex paste from Hello Fresh individually, there are ways to “cheat” the system! From using a flavorful substitute or following a recipe, you can satisfy your cravings soon.
We hope you learned a lot about Tex Mex paste from our ultimate guide!
We create more guides on famous food ingredients and beverages here at Nomspedia, so do check them out.
