10 Easy Cinco de Mayo Recipes
I don’t know about you, but I don’t need an excuse to eat Mexican food! However, in honor of Cinco de Mayo I thought I would share my list of 10 Easy Cinco de Mayo Recipes to help make this May 5th one of the tastiest days of the year!
Living the majority of my life in San Diego and having been to Mexico several times, I have eaten a lot of good Mexican food!
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind living in a little bungalow on a Mexican beach while sipping margaritas and eating tacos for a couple years…but I digress.
Whether you’re cooking a feast for Cinco de Mayo or just want to make a delicious Mexican dinner at home, I have assembled 10 Easy Cinco de Mayo Recipes that cover an entire menu, including appetizers, sides, entrees, and of course, a cocktail!
I didn’t include very many appetizers in this list because I already have a list of the 5 Best Party Foods for Cinco de Mayo that includes red salsa, green salsa, and other craveable dips.
#1 Pickled Mexican Hot Carrots
First up, Pickled Mexican Hot Carrots! If you’ve been to a Mexican restaurant that serves pickled carrots, lucky you!
Since I moved away from San Diego, they are extremely hard to find, so I started making my own (and the best I’ve ever had).
This spicy trio of carrots, jalapenos, and onions is the perfect addition to your spread!
#2 Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce
Want to spice things up? Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce is a super flavorful condiment that really packs a punch!
This easy-to-make, homemade hot sauce is made with habanero peppers, onion, garlic, tomato, and some basic pantry staples.
It’s great on eggs, tacos, and all your other favorite Mexican foods!
#3 Easy Slow Cooker Chile Colorado
Easy Slow Cooker Chile Colorado makes the best burritos! Tender, juicy, fall-apart beef that has braised in a red chile sauce for hours is the way to my heart.
Add it to a warm flour tortilla with rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, and salsa and thank me later.
#4 Slow Cooker Refried Pinto Beans
Slow Cooker Refried Pinto Beans. Once you see how easy (and inexpensive) it is to make your own refried beans in a slow cooker, you won’t bother buying cans of them anymore!
With a bag of dried pinto beans being about the same price as a can of refried beans, you can see how much cheaper it is to make a batch!
Whether you serve them as a side dish with Mexican rice, or make bean & cheese burritos, this recipe feeds a crowd!
#5 The Best Mexican Rice
The Best Mexican Rice is one thing a Cinco de Mayo menu must have!
I learned this recipe from a Mexican co-worker years and years ago and have been making it ever since.
It’s WAY better than boxed Mexican rice and super easy to make too! We love it with spoonfuls of salsa on top, and I always put it in my Chile Colorado burritos (shown above).
#6 Smoky Slow Cooker Mexican Black Beans
One of the fan favorites on this blog are my Smoky Slow Cooker Mexican Black Beans. They’re spicy, smoky, and so flavorful, not to mention healthy!
This vegan recipe works great in Chipotle-style burrito bowls with rice, salsa, avocado or guacamole, and grilled fajita veggies, or you can add your favorite protein with some cheese and sour cream. So good!
There’s a reason why #TacoTuesday is a thing. Everyone loves tacos! Crunchy tacos, soft tacos, corn tortillas or flour tortillas, filled with beef, chicken, shrimp, tofu, and anything else you can think of.
With myriad salsas and toppings to adorn your taco, your options are limitless! Here are some of my favorites!
#7 Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Barbacoa
Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Barbacoa is tender, juicy, shredded meat cooked in a slow cooker with lime juice, garlic, onion, chipotles in adobo, and other delicious Mexican flavors.
It’s a perfect filling for tacos, burritos, and more! The second photo is a burrito bowl made with Mexican rice, this barbacoa, shredded cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and pickled jalapenos. Yum!
#8 Achiote Chicken Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Achiote Chicken Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce are my favorite chicken tacos! The achiote marinade is everything!
After marinating and grilling the chicken, slice it and add it to a warm tortilla, then top it with Creamy Chipotle Sauce and my Avocado Pico de Gallo. Healthy, easy, and so full of flavor!
#9 The Best Carne Asada
What Mexican fiesta is complete without some carne asada? The Best Carne Asada is made with either flank or skirt steak that gets marinated in garlic, lime juice, spices, and herbs, then grilled to perfection!
Go taco shop style and top your tacos with guacamole, diced onion, and cilantro, or add some salsa, cilantro, and cojita cheese like I did here. Enjoy!
#10 Jalapeno Paloma Cocktail
To round out my list, you know I had to have a cocktail! And a Jalapeno Paloma Cocktail is the perfect one for this occasion!
Mine are made with fresh lime juice and fresh grapefruit juice, no store-bought juice here!
The muddled jalapeno perfectly complements the fresh citrus in this not-too-sweet tart & tangy drink! Cheers!
Thank you for reading 10 Easy Cinco de Mayo Recipes!
For salsas and other dips, make sure you check out 5 Best Party Foods for Cinco de Mayo!
Did you make any of these recipes? Let me know in the comments below! ♥
I have a fun Facebook group for us foodies to share recipes and talk about food. I’d love to have you! Request to join HERE. Cheers!
