Kick up your fiesta with a dozen quick and easy Cinco de Mayo recipes for tacos, taquitos, guacamole, churros and more crowd-friendly favorites. And don’t forget to drink your cocktails and eat them too with refreshing margarita and sangria popsicle recipes!
Mexican-Inspired Recipes
Get ready to elevate your Cinco de Mayo fiesta to new heights with these irresistible recipes! Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or just looking for some delicious inspiration, our roundup of Mexican-inspired recipes has something for everyone. From mouthwatering tacos to refreshing cocktails, we’ve gathered the perfect dishes to help you throw the ultimate fiesta.
Baked Chicken and Cheese Taquitos: There’s nothing I love more on hectic weeknights than a store-bought shortcut recipe, and this one turns a trusty rotisserie chicken into easy, cheesy taquitos! This recipe can be made in an OVEN or an AIR FRYER to yield the crispiest-ever taquitos perfect for dunking in guac, salsa or sour cream.
Baked Southwestern Egg Roll: When it comes to dipping, consider these Southwestern egg rolls to be tacos, sans the mess. So guacamole and salsa are welcome accompaniments, but I wouldn’t judge you if, you know, some queso turned that dip duo into a tasty trifecta.
Easy Taco Salad Cups: I’ve opted for ground beef with taco seasoning, cheese, and a dollop of guac and salsa, but you could fill up these handheld snacks with any taco fillings, including carnitas, carne asada or ground turkey.
Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas: I’m all about reinventing store-bought rotisserie chicken, especially when it stars in Homemade Enchiladas! Using a shortcut for the chicken means you’ll have a few extra minutes to whip up a DIY enchilada sauce, which takes this comforting favorite to a whole new level.
Instant Pot Carnitas: Tender shredded pork slow-cooked at high pressure in a bath of lime juice and spices. With a cook time of just 90 minutes, you’ll barely have time to whip up guac and margaritas before the insane aroma of carnitas fills your kitchen.
Elote Corn Salad: It can be made with fresh or frozen corn, and aside from the star ingredient, really only requires a few additional items. It’s tangy, smoky, creamy and perfect for serving as a side salad or a taco/chicken/steak topping.
30-Minute Homemade Flour Tortillas: Turn four simple ingredients (flour, water, oil and salt) into the ultimate homemade tortillas. Once you try a flour tortilla hot from the pan, you’ll never go back to the store-bought ones again!
Easy Homemade Corn Tortillas: This super simple recipe requires only two ingredients.
30-Minute Mexican Rice: It’s fluffy, savory, and the perfect side dish for tacos, burrito bowls and all your favorite Mexican recipes.
Salsa Verde Enchiladas: These easy green chicken enchiladas are packed with tender shredded chicken, smothered in roasted tomatillo salsa verde and topped with melty cheese.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas: Chicken, peppers and onions tossed in a DIY taco seasoning. Best of all, the chicken-pepper-onion mixture can be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge for make-ahead gloriousness.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos: Tender pulled pork that’s piled high in corn tortillas and topped off with pickled onions and crumbled Cotija cheese.
The Best Pineapple Salsa: It’s sweet. It’s tangy. It’s refreshing. Many pineapple salsa recipes call for roasted peppers, dry seasonings or heavy dressings. You won’t find any of those here!
Loaded Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos): Nachos + tater tots = Totchos! I’ve opted for seasoned ground beef, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, black beans and fresh veggies. The result is the ultimate snack or party appetizer for any size crowd.
Guacamole Deviled Eggs: This recipe combines two classic appetizers into one cool, creamy, make-ahead snack! Garnish the eggs with Cotija cheese crumbles and a sprinkle of taco seasoning for the ultimate spring snack.
Sheet Pan Nachos: What’s not to love about a food that’s completely customizable and totally foolproof?
Healthy Taco Zucchini Boats: Load ’em up with all of your fave taco fillings for the ultimate family-friendly dinner.
Cheesy Taco Pizza: Pizza dough topped with refried beans, ground chicken (or beef!), cheese and all your favorite taco toppings. It’s the best of both worlds!
Rotisserie Chicken Taco Dip: Unlike a vertically-stacked traditional layered taco dip, my taco dip is wide and round, which means every dip yields a chip fully loaded with alllll of the chicken taco dip components.
Cheesy Roasted Garlic Corn on the Cob: Each kernel is slathered with garlic butter then rolled in grated Parmesan cheese and topped off with a sprinkle of chili powder.
Chipotle Chili con Carne: It’s a satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs type of chili. Less beans, more beef and a bit of bacon to top it all off.
Stuffed Jalapeno Popper Chicken: It’s the perfect blend of sautéed jalapeños, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic and bacon stuffed inside juicy chicken breasts.
Slow Cooker Queso Dip: It’s thick, cheesy and perfect for dipping and dunking or spooning atop a platter of chips for the ultimate nachos.
Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers: These cheesy jalapeño poppers are filled with a cream cheese and bacon mixture, topped with Panko breadcrumbs and air-fried to golden brown perfection. Best of all, they cook up in just 8 minutes!
Arroz con Pollo: This One-Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice is loaded with peas, carrots, plenty of spices, and green olives. It’s the ultimate one-pot meal!
Cheesy Taco Pasta: What do you get when you combine creamy macaroni and cheese with tacos? The ultimate mashup of two comfort food favorites.
Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce: These churros beg to be dipped and dunked, so I’ve included a quick-fix recipe for warm chocolate dipping sauce. They’d also be delicious dunked into butterscotch sauce.
Strawberry Cheesecake Chimichangas: Because the only thing better than a slice of strawberry cheesecake is strawberry cheesecake tucked inside a buttery, fried tortilla that’s given the churro treatment in cinnamon-sugar.
Mexican Wedding Cookies: While crumbly in texture, the taste couldn’t be more buttery or nutty. Because the ingredient lineup is so simple, the flavor of the pecans (and a hint of vanilla) really shines through.
Easy Churro Bites: All you need is six simple ingredients for these hot, crispy, fried nuggets of delicious dough rolled in cinnamon and sugar.
Skinny Margarita Popsicles: Four ingredients separate you from these boozy popsicles that are a touch sweet, a touch sour and a whole lot-o-refreshing.
Strawberry Margarita Popsicles: While the whole goal here is to drink your cocktail and eat it, too, you can absolutely go the mocktail route with this recipe!
Peach Sangria Popsicles: I’ve skipped the added sugar altogether in this popsicle recipe and instead relied on a splash of peach juice and the natural sweetness of the fruit itself to balance out the dryness of the white wine.
Blackberry Mojito Popsicles: Made with just five simple ingredients, this boozesicle recipe is more of a template that allows you to sub in whatever fruit suits your fancy (strawberries, raspberries, peaches, etc.).
The Best Frozen Sangria: Grab your wine (or Champagne!) and frozen fruit of choice then get blending for the ultimate frosty cocktail.
Orange and Mango Margarita Three Ways: The only thing better than one margarita recipe? Three margarita recipes! Welcome to your one-stop shop for a refreshingly perfect Orange and Mango Margarita, with tips and tricks for how to turn this ultimate fruit duo into a cocktail or a mocktail.
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Love your recipes, keep up the great work/
Thanks so much, Gilbert!
your food looks wonderful
Thanks so much, Barbara!
This really helped me with my cinco de mayo projecct
Woohoo! Enjoy, Blake!
Mexican food is the best. I love celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Although we pretty much do every week of the year.