Planning your next Cinco de Mayo celebration? After you’ve got your decorations, the music set, and your invitations out – all that’s left is planning a Mexican menu with some great food. From cocktails to desserts, here are some of our favorite Mexican recipes and dishes that will make your Cinco de Mayo a tasty success.
20 Easy Cinco De Mayo Recipes
1. Baja Style Fish Tacos
Crispy white fish is fried in light beer batter (with Mexican beer of course) and wrapped in warm corn tortillas. Serve them garnished with shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, and a creamy chipotle sauce. A squeeze of fresh lime makes it fish taco perfection.
2. Artichoke And Chorizo Mexican Street Tacos
Artichoke fans will love this twist on traditional chorizo Mexican street tacos. They still have the delicious Mexican chorizo with diced onion and fresh cilantro. But these are kicked up a notch with crispy bits of artichokes. Yum and yum.
3. Mini Green Chicken & Poblano Enchilada Taco Boats
These Mini Green Chicken and Poblano Enchilada Taco Boats are super easy to whip up and make great appetizers for your Cinco de Mayo party. Its enchiladas turned into finger food. Try to eat just one.
4. Spicy Jalapeno Margarita
If you’re having a party, you absolutely need a great cocktail. And for Cinco de Mayo, a margarita is kind of mandatory. Keep things spicy with this recipe for a Jalapeno Margarita made with a jalapeno simple syrup that allows you to control the heat.
5. Tacos de Asada (Steak Tacos)
This steak tacos recipe won’t get any more authentic. You’d actually have to board a plane and go to Mexico. Wrap them up in warm tortillas and serve alongside a salsa and guacamole bar.
6. Chorizo Stuffed Baked Jalapeños
These little baked jalapenos are so so tasty and bake up in less than 20 minutes. They’re the perfect appetizer to serve with our jalapeno margarita.
7. Quick Mexican Style Tuna Tostadas
For an appetizer or finger food on the lighter side, try these Tuna Tostadas made with avocado, black beans, diced tomato, cilantro, and lots of fresh lime juice.
8. Our Favorite Red Sangria
To keep the fiesta going, be sure to serve up this sangria. Perfect for large crowds, this recipe is a great way to use an inexpensive red wine. Add some brandy, tripe-sec, and fresh juices of lime and orange, and then garnish with fresh fruits like apples, grapes, and strawberries.
9. Mexican Style Street Vendor Corn (Elote)
A snack usually sold along street sides and at markets in Mexico, elote is grilled corn on the cob, spread with butter or mayonnaise and generously covered with crumbly cheese, chile powder, and lime juice. Fire up the grill, or roast your corn in the oven, and then set up a fixings bar to let your guests dress up their corn the way they like best.
10. Best Ever 7 Layer Burritos
Who doesn’t love a burrito? These burritos make prep easy by using the meat from a rotisserie chicken that is seasoned with Mexican spices and then wrapped in a warm tortilla with Mexican cheeses, black beans, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, and rice. Wrap some extras up and freeze for a quick mid-week lunch or dinner.
11. Ham And Egg Chilaquiles
Start your Cinco de Mayo morning off right with this delicious recipe for chilaquiles. Like eating nachos for breakfast, chilaquiles start with tortilla chips smothered in salsa verde, cheese, and ham and topped with eggs over easy for a satisfying meal you’ll want again and again.
12. Authentic Tacos de Carnitas (Crispy Pork Tacos)
A delicious way to eat pork, these Tacos de Carnitas are easy to prepare and will dissappear quickly. Just make sure there’s plenty of fresh lime and hot sauce to go around.
13. Spicy Tortilla Soup with Shredded Chicken and Black Beans
There’s nothing more satisfying than a spicy tortilla soup and this one would make a great beginning to your Mexican feast. This one’s spicy with lots of fresh flavors that will have your guests asking for more.
14. BBQ Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Cream
Shrimp tacos are always a crowd favorite, and you’ll wow your guests with this recipe. These tacos are a little sweet from the seasoned BBQ sauce and a little spicy from the chipotle cream. A nice cold Mexican beer is the only thing that will make these any better.
15 . Perfect Creamy Caramel Flan
After eating all that spicy Mexican food, you’re definitely going to need something sweet. This super cool and creamy flan with a light caramel sauce is the perfect way to end the day’s celebration. For individual servings with a beautiful presentation, divide into ramekins, or simply bake in a baking dish and cut into squares for a no-hassle dessert.
16. 20 Minute Green Chile Chicken Tacos (Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker)
We can all get behind a one-pot recipe. And this one is also really versatile. Tangy with a little heat, use this delicious Slow Cooker Green Chili Chicken to make tacos, burritos, and bowls, top nachos, or serve with eggs for breakfast! Try this no-fuss recipe once for your Cinco de Mayo celebration and it will be a regular in your dinner rotation.
17. Three Cheese Sausage Stuffed Jalapeños
Made with only a few ingredients, these stuffed jalapenos make a great appetizer for your Cinco de Mayo celebration. This recipe calls for the jalapeños to be baked in the oven, but try grilling instead to add a smokey flavor profile. This recipe calls for pork sausage, but you can also use chorizo, Mexican seasoned ground beef, or steak or substitute your favorite plant-based option.
18. Easy Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa
This salsa isn’t traditional by any means. But Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) happens in spring when strawberries are in season. And if you love strawberries as much as we do, you’ll fall in love. It’s great with tortilla chips and guacamole but also spooned into tacos or over-grilled pork, chicken, or fish.
19. Easy Sizzling Shrimp Fajitas
A crowd favorite, fajitas are not only super easy to throw together and packed with flavor, but the presentation is off the charts when served up table-side sizzling in a skillet. For a full-on feast, don’t forget to offer warm tortillas, black beans, rice, salsa, and guacamole on the side for your guests.
20. Dark Chocolate Chili Mug Cakes
Eating something spicy always calls for something a little (or a lot) sweet afterward. But if you also like your dessert to combine sweetness with a dash of heat, these Dark Chocolate Chili Mug Cakes will give you the best of both worlds. Cayenne powder will give these a touch of heat, but try using a pinch of ground ancho or guajillo chili powder instead for true Mexican flavor.
