30 Cinco de Mayo Recipes
Plan the perfect Cinco de Mayo menu with this collection of more than 30 festive recipes, from appetizers, to tacos, and of course, margaritas!
Your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Starts Here! Over 30 delicious recipes – tacos, enchiladas, desserts & more that are easy & perfect for your celebration.
What Does Cinco de Mayo Celebrate?
Cinco de Mayo means the 5th of May, and it commemorates Mexico’s victory over French forces in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is not the same as Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16th each year.
Interestingly, Cinco de Mayo is much more popular in the United States than in Mexico, thanks to a big push from beverage companies in the 80’s. Over the years it has evolved into an occasion to enjoy good food and drinks and celebrate Mexican culture.
And now you know the quick version of the history of Cinco de Mayo!
Our BEST Cinco de Mayo Recipes
This big list of recipes will give you so many options to choose from!
Use the table of contents below to navigate to recipe categories, then click on the name of each individual recipe to open the directions in a new browser window.
Margaritas y Más
Classic cocktails and unique drinks to enjoy for the occasion!
Pineapple Margaritas — A tropical twist on the classic margarita! Smooth and sweet!
Mexican Candy Margarita — This authentic Mexican margarita is a fiesta of flavors combining sweet and sour to make a delicious cocktail!
Sparkling Pink Paloma — The classic tequila cocktail gets a little bit of bubbly action!
Frozen Blackberry Margarita — The ripe blackberries and smooth tequila combine to make a delicious margarita in this cocktail.
“Thanksgiving” Margarita — This smooth, sweet, and spicy margarita is so delicious and comforting to enjoy any time of year.
Blood Orange Margarita — This vibrant orange cocktail tastes just as good as it looks!
Skinny Margarita — If you’re looking to cut some calories this Cinco De Mayo, you can’t go wrong with my skinny margarita!
Cinco de Mayo Party Appetizers
Get the party started with these sharable dishes!
Cowboy Caviar – a classic Texas potluck recipe and it’s easy to see why! This zesty mix of black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocados, and lime juice is fresh, flavorful, and can be tossed together in minutes!
7-Layer Taco Dip Cups – An individual size portion of the classic taco dip appetizer. No mess and no worrying about double-dipping! Think of them like mini taco salads!
Keto Jalapeño Poppers — A low carb version of the restaurant favorite appetizer, featuring spicy jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheese.
Guacamole, Salsa, & Dips
Pair those tortilla chips with a variety of fresh salsas and fun dips!
Pineapple Watermelon & Mango Salsa — Sweet and spicy salsa made with tropical fruit. Tastes great with tortilla chips or as a fresh topping for fish tacos.
Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Dip – This keto-friendly appetizer recipe has all the delicious flavors of chicken enchiladas mixed up in one delicious dip.
Tacos, Tacos Tacos!
What would Cinco de Mayo be without tacos?!
Taco Charcuterie Board – The perfect way to serve tacos to a crowd, with this build your own taco board! We centered this dish around seasoned ground beef, and filled up the rest of the board with salsa, pico de gallo, cheese, veggies, and taco shells.
Pork Mole Tacos – Topped with pickled onions and radishes, these tacos are a delightful combination of savory, sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors!
Steak Fajita Tacos – These tacos are so delicious and a great combination with the Mexican street corn salsa. This is one of the first recipes I ever published on my blog so the photos are not my best, but the tacos are incredible!
Tex-Mex Main Courses
Try these authentic Mexican recipes and Tex-Mex favorites for dinner on Cinco de Mayo!
Jalapeño Popper Chicken — This cheesy dish is low carb and keto-friendly! Or you can serve over rice for a hearty meal! Juicy chicken breasts are coated in cheese and diced chili peppers. Flavor packed!
“Lazy Enchiladas” — Red enchiladas, but made with frozen taquitos to save time! All you do is coat the taquitos with enchilada sauce, shredded cheese, and bake until melty. A family favorite!
Tex-Mex Enchiladas — The ultimate comfort food! Ground beef enchiladas in a classic red sauce.
Crispy Chicken Flautas — Tender chicken, wrapped in a tortilla and fried til crispy. Perfect for dipping or serving over rice for a full meal!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos – Crispy on the outside and full of flavor on the inside, these chicken bacon ranch taquitos are one of my favorite Mexican recipes!
Mexican Pizza – Get your favorite taco bell pizza from home with my Mexican pizza recipe!
Carne Guisada Beef Stew – This hearty Mexican beef stew is a classic comforting dish that is perfect for a chilly May day. My husband’s family recipe!
Keto Nachos – You only need ten minutes to put together these tasty keto-friendly nachos.
BBQ Pork Taquitos – These delicious taquitos get an interesting texas twist in my bbq pork taquito recipe.
Easy Mexican Rice – This authentic Spanish rice is perfect for any Mexican side dish. The recipe has been in my husband’s family for years!
Enchilada Pasta – A new twist on the classic dish! Cheesy enchiladas, with pasta instead of tortillas!
Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce – Skip the canned stuff and make your own homemade enchilada sauce in 10 minutes with this easy recipe!
Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup – This flavorful soup will taste like it’s spent all day simmering on the stove…only you will know the secret!
Cinco de Mayo Desserts
Wrap up the festivities with a little something sweet!
Sopapilla Cheesecake – Creamy cheesecake sandwiched by crescent dough and baked until crispy on top. Then it’s coated with cinnamon sugar and honey, just like the classic Mexican food dessert.
Key Lime Pie Sheet Cake — All the flavors of the classic pie, in cake form! Topped with a graham cracker crumble.
Key Lime Poke Cake — Pudding is injected into the cake to make it extra moist and flavorful!
Cactus Pretzel Rods – These cute cactus pretzel rods are an adorable way to celebrate Cinco De Mayo!
Keto Churros — A guilt free version of the cinnamon sugar treat!
What are your favorite Cinco de Mayo recipes? I’d love to hear your go-to ideas in the comments!
You might also like:
- Ultimate Guide to Holiday Shopping at Walmart for 2024 - November 23, 2024
- 20 Slow Cooker Recipes You Haven’t Tried - November 14, 2024
- Family-Friendly Christmas Movie Streaming Guide - November 12, 2024