Cinco de Mayo Recipes

All you need for a great party

Here are our recommendations for our favorite Mexican dishes to prepare when you get together with family and friends on Cinco de Mayo. You are gonna eat really well. Provecho!

A little background on Cinco de Mayo

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday to celebrate the Battle of Puebla where the Mexican army defeated the French army in the city of Puebla on May 5, 1862, during the second French intervention in Mexico. It was a war that France eventually won. Surprisingly, Cinco de Mayo isn’t a huge party day to drink tequila and Corona like it is in the U.S. and it isn’t Mexico’s Independence Day as many think.

On the other hand in the U.S., Cinco de Mayo is big party day to drink tequila and celebrate all things Mexican and we are all for celebrating Mexican food. This year, Cinco de Mayo falls on a Saturday which means there is time to fire up the grill and have a cookout.

Dips, Chips & Salsas

• Classic Guacamole Learn how to make guacamole in a molcajete, the mortar, and pestle made from volcanic stone that is used for grinding ingredients.
• Pico de Gallo The classic Mexican table salsa prepared with tomatoes, onion, serrano chile, cilantro, and lime juice.
• Spicy Avocado Dip Easy five-minute spicy dip great served with corn chips, on crackers, toast or a topping for nachos. Habanero hot sauce adds the spicy kick.
• Queso con Carne Texas queso dip from Mary The Cake Chica – Velveeta cheese with chorizo, onion, tomato, cilantro and jalapeño peppers.
• Strawberry Chipotle Cream Cheese Dip Everybody loves cream cheese dip. This one has the added kick of chipotle peppers in adobo added to the sweetness of strawberry jam. Ready in under 5 minutes.
• Homemade Tortilla Chips Try making your own tortilla chips! It’s not as hard as you may think and the effort is worth it. They are called totopos in Spanish and are best for preparing chilaquiles or nachos and also to dip in guacamole, queso con carne, a great salsa or use in any dish that calls for chips.
• Restaurant Salsa Authentic Mexican restaurant salsa prepared with fresh plum tomatoes, white onion, cilantro and serrano peppers. A great salsa for dipping.
• Fresh Tomatillo Salsa Verde An uncooked salsa for those of you who like it hot.
• Esquites – Mexican Street Corn White corn personalized with lime juice, mayonnaise, grated cheese, chili powder, butter, and hot sauce.

On the Grill

• Carne Asada with a Garlic Lime Marinade Grilled steak, arrachera, or skirt, which has been marinated with lime and garlic and then quickly cooked over high heat served with a stack of hot tortillas and a bold salsa.
• Picaña de Res a las Brasas Salt encrusted sirloin cap roast grilled directly on hot coals. Sometimes the simplest dish is the best. If you love carne asada, you’ll love this dish too.
• Grilled Tomato Salsa The rich smokey flavor is the perfect accompaniment for carne asada or grilled quesadillas or even just chips.
• Grilled Quesadillas Melty, cheesy and smokey. Make any time you are grilling. Serve as an accompaniment to carne asada.

Tacos

• Ribeye Tacos with Habanero Salsa Ribeye tacos paired with a fruity, spicy red onion habanero salsa served with warm fresh corn tortillas. This is the salsa if you like your tacos hot.
• Garlic Shrimp Tacos Buttery, garlicky shrimp served on a bed of tangy vinegar slaw topped with a sharp arból chile salsa with a touch of Mexican oregano.
• Asadero Cheese Tacos with Salsa Verde Easy to prepare taco filling made with chunks of asadero cheese softened in a spicy roasted green tomato salsa served on warm corn tortillas.
• Shredded Beef Tacos Taquería style on corn tortillas garnished with finely chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice and salsa verde or your favorite homemade salsa.
• Arrachera (Skirt Steak Tacos) In Northern Mexico, beef is king and one of the most popular cuts is arrachera. It’s a beefy tasting cut best cooked quickly over high heat.
• Fish Tacos Pan-fried fish tacos with pico de gallo salsa. They are similar to Baja style fish tacos except the fish is lightly floured and pan fried instead of battered and deep fried and the taste of the fish is more delicate.

Cold Drinks / Aguas Frescas

• Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Iced Tea) Super refreshing iced tea made from dried hibiscus.
• Tamarind Water A delicious, tart, sour and sweet agua fresca rich in vitamins and minerals served throughout Mexico.
• Guava Water An agua fresca prepared with fresh guava.
• Watermelon Water Fresh sweet watermelon pineapple blended with water and a touch of sugar.
• Pineapple Water Ripe pineapple blended with water and a touch of sugar.

Good for a Crowd

• Mexican Lasagna Layered casserole with corn tortillas, ground beef, green chiles, beans, salsa, and cheese.
• Pinto Bean Salad Pinto beans, corn, onion, and avocado.
• Flan Cake A twist on traditional flan.

More Mexican Recipe Roundups

• Salsa Verde Dishes