Tacos, fajitas, enchiladas and chipotle-accented entrees are among the most popular dishes at Mexican restaurants. Mexican food lovers will be happy to learn how easy it is to prepare those foods in the comfort of their own cocinas, or kitchens.

Mexican cuisine features many pork, fish and beef dishes — but if you’re partial to chicken, you’ll find plenty of ways to serve it with Mexican flair. Authentic Mexican-style chicken entrees and side dishes include a variety of traditional chile peppers, sauces and cheeses in their recipes.

Once you get to know the various types of chile peppers, you’ll be an expert on one of the main ingredients in Mexican dishes. More than 60 varieties of chiles are available, and their heat ranges from very mild to fiery hot. Here’s a guide to the most commonly used chile peppers:

• Poblanos are used in chiles rellenos, or cheese-stuffed peppers. Poblanos resemble bell peppers in size but are tapered at one end. They can be mild or very hot, and are available fresh or canned.
• Anchos are dried, dark-red poblanos. They’re mild and can be used in many sauces.
• Serranos are very hot and are popular in guacamole and salsa. They’re available fresh or canned.
• Jalapeños are the most well known of Mexican chiles. They’re fairly hot.
• Chipotles are made from dried, smoked jalapenos. They’re available dried or canned in adobo — a rich, dark sauce.
• Habañeros are the hottest chiles in the world — use these bright-orange peppers sparingly!

TIP: Be sure to wear rubber gloves when working with chile peppers so that you don’t get the heat from the seeds on your skin or in your eyes. Slit chile peppers lengthwise; rinse them under running water, removing and discarding the stem, membranes and seeds. Then chop or slice. Afterward, wash your hands and utensils thoroughly in hot, soapy water.

The right sauce adds pizzazz to any cuisine, and Mexican cooking includes dozens of them. Three of the most popular are mole, salsa verde and red sauce.

• Mole is a dark sauce made from chiles, nuts, spices, fruits, vegetables, chocolate and seasonings. It’s a complicated sauce that takes time to prepare, but is the perfect complement to chicken dishes for special occasions and holidays in Mexico.
• Tangy salsa verde, or green sauce, is made from tomatillos (a fruit that resembles a green cherry tomato), garlic, onion and lime. It’s perfect as a dip for tortilla chips or for drizzling over your chicken dishes.
• Red sauce, such as the sauce used on enchiladas, is made from chili powder, flour, cocoa powder, garlic salt, oregano, water and tomato sauce.

Authentic Mexican dishes that call for melted cheese rely on white cheeses such as Monterey Jack or queso fresco — not yellow cheeses like Cheddar.

There are many ways to serve Mexican-style chicken to your family:

• Create a simple salad of grilled chicken, chile peppers and guacamole
• Shred chicken for fajitas, enchiladas, burritos or quesadillas
• Substitute chicken for the traditional meat in chimichangas (deep-fried burritos)

Now you can feel confident you’ve learned the keys to creating great restaurant-style Mexican dishes that family and friends will love.