45 Delicious Cinco de Mayo Recipes

It’s that time of the year again – the time when it’s 100% acceptable to eat guacamole all day long and have a margarita with lunch! Cinco de Mayo is in a few short days and I’ve rounded up the most epic collection of Cinco De Mayo Recipes ever!

Cinco de Mayo, which literally means the Fifth of May in Spanish, is a holiday originating in Puebla, Mexico, to commemorate when the Mexican army defeated the much larger and better-equipped French army in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. While more widely celebrated in the US than in Mexico, the date has become associated with the celebration of Mexican culture. These celebrations originally started right here in my home of California and have been observed annually since 1863. If you’ve ever been in Los Angeles for cinco de Mayo, you know it’s celebrated all over the county! So if you’re planning on cooking a feast to celebrate later this week, here are my fav recipes inspired by Mexico! 

From drinks to snacks to the main course, there’s a little something for everyone in this Cinco de Mayo recipes round-up!!

CINCO DE MAYO DRINKS:

Skinny Margarita – The perfect Skinny Margarita – trust me, you’ll never need another recipe ever again.

Blackberry Margaritas – Muddled blackberries give this that extra punch of flavor and a lot of color! Add to that some Cointreau to smooth it out with the tequila and you’re in business.

Pineapple Margarita – Made with a combo of pineapple juice, orange juice and lime juice plus a splash of tequila and some sparkling water, it’s the perfect refreshing cocktail.

Strawberry Jalapeño Margaritas – These are sweet from the strawberries, a little spicy from the jalapeño and the perfect refreshing cocktail.

Watermelon Tequila Punch – The most summer-y batch cocktail with plenty of lime and mint to make it extra refreshing!

Sparkling Citrus Pineapple Sangria – This batch cocktail is loaded with all the flavor from lemons, lime, oranges, pineapple, basil AND mint. It’s the perfect drink to make ahead and let sit for the day while you serve yourself and your friends/family.

Ranch Water – A super easy Texan spin on a skinny margarita! 

Strawberry Basil Lemonade – A refreshing blend of homemade lemonade that gets fresh strawberries and basil pureed into the mixture and a splash of sparkling water. Add a bit of vodka or just leave it non-alcoholic and enjoy over ice.

APPETIZERS & SNACKS:

Best Guacamole EVER – My all time FAVORITE guacamole EVER, pinkie promise you’ll be obsessed.

Queso Fundido – Loaded with poblano peppers and a handful of different cheeses, this queso makes for the most epic appetizer or topping for a plate of nachos. 

Fiesta Fries – I mean, who doesn’t love a french fry?!

Beef Queso Dip – This isn’t just any queso. It’s a mixture of cheeses, tons of savory salsa and the most epic seasoned ground beef known to man. When you combine all of that together and serve it with tortilla chips, there’s really nothing quite like it. I PINKIE PROMISE that you’ll be just as obsessed.

Cumin and Charred Corn Guacamole – What my dreams are made of. 

Tomatillo Salsa – You’ll need this on a weekly basis from here on out! 

Homemade Chipotle Salsa – This salsa packs a punch. Fire roasted tomatoes… yes! Cilantro… a must. Garlic and onions, obviously! And chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. It’s the icing on the cake.

Traditional Arbol Chile Salsa – If you’ve never had a Traditional Arbol Chile Salsa before, prepare yourselves. You might never make any other way, ever again!

Roasted Chili Pepper Guacamole – This is exactly how I want to snack…. just noshing on some creamy avocados mixed with spicy roasted chili pepper.

NACHOS:

Fully Loaded Black Beans Nachos – These Fully Loaded Black Beans Nachos are a vegetarian’s dream. It’s all about these homemade re-fried black beans that get tossed with some chips and doused with cheese and salsa plus a few other odds and ends.

Nacho Bar – The most epic nacho spread. This is one of my favorite Cinco de Mayo recipes because it would be great as an appetizer or the main event.

Carne Asada Nacho Fries – Imagine giant wedge potato fries topped with perfectly marinated and grilled carne asada, guacamole, pico de gallo, crema, and all the cheese.

Chrissy’s Chicken Nachos with Avocado Salsa – I mean, it’s BBQ Chicken, tortilla chips, avocado salsa and an obscene amount of cheese. What’s not to love? It’s served on a sheet tray, no serving dishes are needed. It will rock your world!

Sweet Potato Nachos – These nachos combine the best of both worlds – you’re getting all the nutrients packed into sweet potatoes and then a little decadence from the cheese, guacamole, corn + pico! What’s not to love!!

Carnitas Skillet Nachos – These mini skillets are composed of layers of freshly fried flour tortillas, a dose of homemade carnitas, some shredded cheese, a bit of queso for good measure, and salsa.

Carne Asada Skillet Nachos – Skillet Nachos are my spirit animal! They make everything better and it’s an art form to craft the perfect nacho platter. It’s equal parts freshly fried chips, plenty of queso, some melted cheese to boot and tons of toppings like carne asada, guacamole. pico and more!

SALADS + BOWLS:

Chicken Fajita Cobb – Imagine your fav chicken fajitas from your local Mexican restaurant but served over a bed of greens with one of the famous WGC dressings! You’ll love it. 

Mexican Corn and Quinoa Salad – If you’ve ever had Esquites or Elote and you’re a fan… imagine it with quinoa and then prepare to make this your new fav salad. 

Taco Salad – The homemade version of your favorite taco salad! 

Mexican Cobb Salad – Loaded with shredded romaine lettuce, freshly grated cheese, black beans, corn, guacamole, pico and spicy shrimp – it’s one of those complete meal salads that you’ll absolutely adore!

Quinoa Burrito Bowls – Quinoa on the bottom. Black beans on top of that. Every other topping you’d want in a burrito…. meat, cheese, salsa, guacamole… you get the idea. 

Loaded Steak Salad Bowl with Yogurt Green Goddess – TRUE PERFECTION. Crisp romaine, charred corn, creamy avocado, a few cherry tomatoes, and steak that’s grilled to perfection. Then all of that gets topped with a tangy yogurt green goddess dressing.

TACOS:

Smashed Avocado Fish Tacos – These smashed avocado fish tacos with perfectly flaked fish and citrusy avocado are PERFECTION! Quite possibly the easiest fish taco recipe you’ll ever make and one that will be a mega crowd pleaser!

Carnitas Tacos – These melt in your mouth carnitas are to die for. And when you put them in a warmed flour or corn tortilla and top it off with some guacamole and a sprinkle of pickled onions, well, things look just about perfect!

Chicken Tinga Tacos – Shredded chicken cooked in the most crazy delicious spiced sauce on the planet and then stuffed in a taco.

Chipotle Salmon Tacos – These Chipotle Salmon Tacos are slightly smoky and packed with tons of flavor!

Ground Chicken Tacos – The most flavorful ground chicken taco meat that comes together in just 15 minutes.

Steak Tacos with Corn Salsa – These Steak Tacos with Corn Salsa bring me back to my days in Arizona when we’d hop over the border for some incredible street tacos on the weekend.

Mushroom Carnitas Tacos – Imagine your favorite crispy carnitas but made with mushrooms! Vegetarians rejoice – this is bananas good! 

MAIN COURSES:

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas – We’re talking the most perfectly easy Bean and Cheese Enchiladas that are ready in 30 minutes or less. They are cheesy and filled with refried beans, perfectly sauced with enchilada sauce and then topped with ALL THE CHEESE. One of my favorite Cinco de Mayo recipes for a crowd.

Southwestern Lasagna – This Southwestern Lasagna is made up of layers of tortillas, Mexican cheeses, and taco meat.

Chicken Enchiladas Verde – These chicken enchiladas will rock your world.

Carnitas and Guacamole Pizza – Raise your hand if you like carnitas!! Keep it up if you like guacamole! And if you like pizza? Then this Carnitas and Guacamole Pizza is for you.

Chipotle Flank Steak – Get ready for the most incredible spice rub for a flank steak and a very easy corn salsa to boot! 

Skillet Chipotle Enchilada Bake – When you layer together shredded enchilada chicken with ALL THE CHEESE, tortillas, black beans and corn it’s basically a recipe for success. This recipe has been in our family for years and I’m excited to pass it on to you guys!

Cheddar Jalapeno Chicken Burgers with Guac – If you’re thinking of making burgers this juicy chicken burger is the answer. It’s not only stuffed with shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro and jalapeños, but it’s enhanced even more with the addition of guac, sour cream, and some pico.

Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Verde – This Grilled Flank Steak is marinated in a red wine or balsamic vinaigrette and then slapped on the grill. The salsa verde gets whirled up in a food processor and then slathered on top before it’s time to eat.

Cinco de Mayo Recipes: Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

These enchiladas are absolute perfection! You'll be obsessed.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 25 mins

Course Main Course, Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 -6 people

Ingredients

  

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For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ onion quartered
• 1 poblano chile halved
• 2 pounds tomatillos about 20 medium, husks removed, rinsed
• 2 serrano chiles chopped
• 3 garlic cloves smashed
• 1 cup homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Kosher salt

For the enchiladas

• ½ rotisserie chicken skin removed, meat shredded
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 8 6- inch flour tortillas
• 8 ounces shredded monterey jack cheese thinly shredded
• 2 ounces Cotija cheese finely grated for serving
• ½ cup crème fraîche
• 1 tablespoon milk or water
• ½ red onion thinly sliced
• fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Drizzle the olive oil over onion, poblano, and tomatillos on a baking sheet and roast until vegetables are soft and browned, 35–40 minutes. Let cool slightly before peeling the skin off the poblano. Transfer the mixture and any juices to a blender. Add serrano chiles, garlic, chicken stock, cilantro, and lime juice and purée until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, then season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Toss the chicken with the ground coriander, red pepper flakes, and ½ cup green sauce in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper .
• Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Working one at a time, fry tortilla, turning once, until just starting to brown and crisp, about 10 seconds per side. Transfer tortilla to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
• Dip both sides of each tortilla in green sauce just to coat, then transfer to a baking sheet. Spread 1 cup green sauce lengthwise down the center of a 13×9″ baking dish. Working one at a time, spoon ¼ cup of the chicken mixture into the center of tortilla and fold one side over filling, then continue to roll enchilada up like a burrito. Place seam side down in prepared baking dish as you go, fitting them all in. Top with the remaining green sauce and then pile on the cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is beginning to brown, 20–25 minutes.
• While the enchiladas are baking, combine the crème fraîche and milk and season with salt.
• Serve enchiladas topped with cheese, a drizzle of crema, sliced onion and cilantro.