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Whether you’re throwing a big fiesta or just celebrating with your family, this collection has all the Cinco de Mayo Recipes you’ll need! From entrees and appetizers to desserts and drinks, we have you covered!
For more collections: Mexican Sides, Mexican Desserts, Mexican Soups, Mexican Beef Recipes, Mexican Appetizers
A Day to Celebrate!
Cinco de Mayo (The Fifth of May) is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862. It’s also known as Battle of Puebla Day.
While it’s somewhat of a minor holiday in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo has become a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage in the United States, especially in areas with large Mexican-American populations.
Growing up in Arizona, and having a Mexican mother myself, we’ve ALWAYS made a big deal of Cinco de Mayo and celebrate every year with lots of amazing homemade Mexican food. I’ve compiled this list of all our favorite Cinco de Mayo recipes, including entrees, sides, appetizers, drinks, and desserts!
Cinco de Mayo Party Tips
Like any dinner party, you’ll want to plan your menu beforehand.
- Decide which dishes you want to make fresh and which dishes can be made ahead of time. (See the individual recipes for more storage and reheating information.)
- Mix in traditional favorites with a couple new dishes. Be sure to try out the new dishes beforehand to work out any recipe kinks.
- Use dishes with different flavors and textures.
- Be mindful that while some people love spicy hot Mexican food, others prefer a more mild dish. I suggest labeling which dishes are spicy and which ones are more mild. A great way around this is to prepare more mild dishes, but have hot sauce set out for those who want to give their plates a bit more kick
Typically, for a meal with guests we like to have the following:
- APPETIZERS – 1-2 (Salsas + Dips can be made ahead of time.)
- SIDES – 1 (Rice is a great one that can be made ahead and kept WARM in the slow cooker or chafing dish)
- MAIN DISHES – 1-2 (That can be made ahead of time). Anything Fried is usually made right before serving.
- DESSERTS – 1 (Usually made ahead of time and extended with ice cream) 😉
- DRINKS – 1-2 (Including water). It’s nice to have a flavored beverage (or two!), but make sure you have either plain or flavored water as well.
FAVORITE Cinco de Mayo DECORATIONS
When I think of Mexican decorations, I think of bold, bright, contrasting colors. I always use red, green, and white (yes, some yellows, reds, pinks, blues and more!) since those are the colors of the Mexican flag, from there choose 3 more colors that can be repeated throughout the decor.
- Paper Picado Banners strung from above and around tables.
- Large Tissue Paper Flowers are beautiful and easy to make. Children especially enjoy helping make these.
- Sombreros are fun to have both for decor and for picture opportunities.
- Piñata, In my opinion, is a must for any Mexican party. Fill with candies or small toys.
- Salsa cans are great for holding decor, flowers and succulents
- Candles – You can usually find these for cheap at the dollar store and they go great with the decor.
So much decor can be found online and on Amazon, so be sure to check those out and then store for future uses. 😉
Best Cinco de Mayo Recipes
These are some of our go-to Mexican recipes that we think are the BEST! A lot of these classic dishes are perfect for big gatherings (like Cinco de Mayo parties).
We’ve included are favorite appetizers, sides, and entrees! And typically, we like to pick one or two from each section to create our menu.
Appetizers:
67 Salsa Recipe
68 Salsa Verde Recipe
69 Black Bean Corn Salsa
70 How to Make Guacamole
71 7 Layer Bean Dip Recipe
72 Tortilla Chip Recipe
Sides:
73 Canned Refried Beans
74 Spanish Rice Recipe
75 Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe
76 Flour Tortilla Recipe
77 Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipeMain Dishes:
78 Chicken Tacos Recipe
79 Carne Asada Recipe
80 Chicken Enchilada Recipe
81 Cheese Enchilada
82 Chicken Flautas Recipe
83 Baked Chicken Chimichanga Recipe
Easy Cinco de Mayo Recipes
Even though we’ve shared our go-to’s for Cinco de Mayo, we wanted to make sure you had the complete list of simple recipes to make for your celebration.
From appetizers to sides to main dishes, we’ve got you covered. And best part is all of these recipes are easy with quick preparation, or few ingredients. What’s not to love about simple, yummy recipes?!
Appetizers:
84 Quesadilla Recipe
85 Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
86 Loaded Nachos Recipe
87 Queso Blanco Recipe
88 Crock Pot Bean Dip Recipe
89 Bean Dip Recipe
90 Chili’s Salsa Recipe
91 Mango Salsa Recipe
Sides & salads:
92 Esquites
93 Mexican Street Corn Recipe
94 Mexican Cornbread Recipe
95 Sopa de Fideo Recipe
96 Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe97 Taco Soup Recipe
98 Chicken Taco Salad Recipe
99 Taco Pasta Salad Recipe
100 Southwest Caprese Salad Recipe
101 Southwest Salad Recipe
Main Dishes:
102 Tostadas Recipe
103 Sweet Pork Barbacoa Recipe
104 Carnitas Recipe
105 Mexican Chicken
106 Salsa Chicken Recipe
107 Green Chili Chicken Recipe
108 Green Chile Burritos Recipe
109 Green Chili Smothered Burritos Recipe
110 Burrito Recipe
111 Flautas
112 Pork Tacos Recipe
113 Ground Beef Tacos Recipe
114 Taco Casserole Recipe
115 Beef Enchiladas
116 Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe117 Creamy Chicken Enchilada Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe118 Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe
119 Mexican Lasagna Recipe
Cinco de Mayo Dessert Recipes
There are so many traditional Mexican desserts you can make to accompany your Cinco de Mayo meal besides the classic cinnamon churro.
All of them are pretty simple to make and will pair perfectly with whatever entree you decide to serve!
120 Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
121 Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe
122 Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe
123 Mexican Fried Ice Cream Recipe
124 Arroz con Leche Recipe
125 Sopapilla Recipe
126 Tres Leches Cake
127 Churro Recipe
128 How to Make Flan Recipe
129 Churro Cheesecake Bars
Cinco de Mayo Drink Recipes
The most well known Mexican style drink is probably Horchata, but we also love Mexican hot chocolate (you can turn it into a cold drink by preparing it like our Frozen Hot Chocolate). You can also serve juices or smoothies with refreshing fruit flavors like mango, peach, or strawberry.
130 Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipe
131 Horchata Recipe
Recipe Video
132 Peach Mango Smoothie Recipe
We hope these Mexican recipes help you in creating the perfect Cinco de Mayo menu!
Oh my goodness!!! So much good food – and the presentation is wonderful. I am planning a Cinco de Mayo party for my family. I will definitely use your recipes. Especially the salsa and enchilada recipe. By the way – I love all of your ideas – food, family, and life. You are so refreshing and positive. Thank you for being a light in a sometimes dark world! Debbie
Thank you so much for all of these kind words! That means so much! Glad you can use the ideas/recipes for your party!!
Love these recipes!
This post is full of delicious recipes! My favorite is the salsa. It’s the easiest recipe ever.
Thank you! Yes, that salsa is so quick and easy. I love when recipes are fast to make and delicious!
These look amazing and so delicious! My family and I are going to love these recipes! Can’t wait!
Thank you!! I hope you enjoy them!
These are all so fun! And look so tasty. We love to celebrate cinco de mayo, so we will definitely use some of these!
Same! Cinco de Mayo is so fun to celebrate… especially because there is such great food to enjoy! 🙂