On the Border

Ingredients you don’t find in other popular tortilla soups are likely the reason this has been my most requested menu item to hack from the Mexican cuisine chain. And I’m thrilled to have finally cracked it since this is now the go-to tortilla soup recipe at my house.

You’ll notice some standout ingredients, including zucchini, fresh corn kernels, diced Roma tomato, rice, and a garnish of Monterey Jack cheese and avocado, but the ingredient that brings this soup together is the generous portion of perfectly seasoned chicken tinga. The shredded chicken tenderizes nicely in the soup, and all the elements that make it such a delicious tinga add great flavor and color to the pot.

I spent the first day creating the best chicken tinga recipe I could for my copycat version of On the Border's Chicken Tortilla Soup. I started with uncooked white and dark chicken fillets, but soon found that a supermarket rotisserie chicken worked even better and saved oodles of time. After removing the skin and bones, I used two forks to shred the chicken, and was happy to have exactly four cups of chicken. I made a tinga sauce with chipotle, tomato, onion, garlic, and spices and mixed it with the shredded chicken; then, I constructed the rest of the soup around the tinga.

When your soup is done, you’ll have enough for ten bowls, each garnished with Jack cheese, tortilla strips or chips, cilantro, and a fresh wedge of avocado. And just so you know, the tasty chicken tinga recipe here also makes an excellent filling for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

Find more of your favorite On the Border copycat recipes here.

Of the four enchiladas served at this popular national Mexican chain, the cheese enchilada and chicken tinga enchilada stand out. They are filled with good stuff, and the sauces on top make them special. The cheese enchilada is doused with slow-cooked chili con carne sauce, while the tender chicken tinga enchilada is topped with a flavorful sour cream sauce and Jack cheese. And because I couldn’t decide which enchilada was better, I hacked them both.

For my On the Border Cheese Enchiladas copycat recipe, I’ll show you how to make a perfect con carne sauce and how to stuff the enchiladas with a blend of perfectly melted cheese. For my On the Border Chicken Tinga Enchiladas hack, I’ll show you how to make moist and flavorful chicken tinga with a grocery store rotisserie chicken and how to copy the great sour cream sauce with just four ingredients.

Using either of these secret recipes, you’ll make ten enchiladas in one 9x13 baking pan, so there should be enough to go around. The hardest step is deciding which to make: chicken or cheese? These enchiladas go great together on one plate and complement each other nicely, so I say, make ‘em both!

Find more of your favorite On the Border copycat recipes here.

One of the top choices for your salad at this popular Mexican chain is this delicious, slightly spicy chipotle-flavored dressing. A clone for this one is made easily by combining several ingredients in a small pan over medium heat and simmering for 5 minutes. The final step involves creating an emulsion to thicken the dressing and to keep the oil from separating. I suggest measuring the oil into a spouted measuring cup. This will make it easy to drizzle the oil in a thin stream into the dressing while you are rapidly whipping the mixture with a wire whisk. If you break a sweat, you’re doing it right.

You may notice that there is no jalapeño mentioned in my On The Border Smoked Jalapeño Vinaigrette copycat recipe below. Chipotle is a smoke dried jalapeño. We'll use ground chipotle chili found near the spices in your market.

You might also like my copycat recipes for On The Border guacamole and Mexican mojito. 

Source: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3 by Todd Wilbur.

Menu Description: "Made fresh to order, with ripe avocados and choice of tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, red onions and fresh lime juice. Enough to share."

This 160-unit casual Mexican chain makes a nice table side guacamole that you can easily duplicate for your amigos. This is the basic formula, but you can freely adjust it to suit the tastes of your crew. It's also easy to double it (or more) for a bigger fiesta, if that's the plan. My On The Border Guacamole Live! copycat recipe is much better when slightly chilled. So, put the avocados into the fridge for an hour or two before you open them up.

Wash it all down with this copycat for On the Border's Mexican Mojito.

Source: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3 by Todd Wilbur.

You don't need rum to make a great mojito—just check out this variation on one of the most popular cocktails of the new millennium. Where white rum is usually found in this drink, America's largest casual Mexican food chain mixes in silver tequila and Cointreau orange liqueur. Add to that a little sweet-and-sour mix and a squirt of agave syrup and you have a tasty mash-up of margarita and mojito. Agave syrup is used as a sugar substitute, and it can be found in many markets now, or in specialty and health food stores. The same brand of agave syrup On the Border uses in this drink (Wholesome) can be found at Whole Foods.

Source: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3 by Todd Wilbur.