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16 Easy Cinco de Mayo Recipes

April 30, 2021 By Patrick 2 Comments

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Wednesday is Cinco de Mayo!!   This list is for all of you who want to celebrate but feel like you’ve been cooking non-stop for the past year 🙂

There are 16 easy recipes here that you can make with minimal effort and still get a massive reward.  Sound good?

And many of these recipes are group-friendly, so if you’re starting to gather with friends and family more often then go for one of the dips if you want to make their day.  Or some homemade Salsa.  Or Tinga.  Or….

Click the name of the recipe and it will take you to a page on this site where you can print out the step-by-step instructions. 

16 Cinco de Mayo Recipes

ROASTED TOMATO AND TOMATILLO SALSA

Even if you’re just having chips and salsa for Cinco de Mayo you’re still required to make your own salsa 🙂  Please give this one a go if you still haven’t tried it!  When you combine tomatoes and tomatillos in the same salsa you get something completely unique.

This is a delicious Salsa to add to your repertoire! It uses both tomatoes and tomatillos to create a completely unique flavor. Yum!! mexicanplease.com

 

EASY MEXICAN BEAN SOUP

This is my go-to recipe for Mexican Bean Soup.  It’s made with simple, healthy ingredients, and when served next to some crispy, cheesy tortillas it can be a real treat.  I typically use black beans, but this recipe will work equally well with Pintos or Peruanos. 
 
This is a trusty Mexican Bean Soup recipe that you can use with any type of bean -- but please try to make it with some stock that you trust as it makes a huge difference! I used homemade vegetable stock but chicken stock is an equally good choice. mexicanplease.com
 

CHIPOTLE CHEESE BEAN DIP

Ahh bean dip, the great peacemaker!  This is a cheesy, chipotle-infused concoction that shines most when you plop it in the center of the table and let your peeps have at it.   I’m a big fan of Mexican oregano in this bean dip, but you’ll still get a good result if you don’t have any on hand.

Serve up this Chipotle and Cheese Bean Dip straight from the oven and you'll make some friends for life! Don't forget to add some salsa or roasted tomatoes, it makes a huge difference. So good! mexicanplease.com

 

EASY TACO SALAD (GROUND BEEF)

This Taco Salad is a new favorite for me lately.  Feel free to get creative with the fixings, but the Avocado Dressing is non-negotiable!  It’s a creamy, delicious green sauce and it brings everything together in this crowd-friendly meal. 
 
This Taco Salad is my favorite meal over the past month -- super flexible and it has loads of flavor! The avocado dressing is the key so don't skip that part! mexicanplease.com
 

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Making a homemade batch of corn tortillas is a great way to get family and friends helping out in the kitchen.  Pick up a bag of Masa Harina and you’re halfway there — and don’t forget that you can always use a skillet or casserole dish to flatten the tortillas — no tortilla press needed!

14 corn tortillas after cooking on comal

 

Spicy Chicken Tinga

Adding some tomatillos to the sauce is the key to an authentic, lip-smacking Tinga!  This is a great recipe to have in your arsenal as you’ll get tons of mileage from it and you can use it in so many different ways.  See Tinga Tostadas and Tinga Enchiladas for examples. 

Adding shredded chicken to the Tinga sauce

 

AVOCADO SALSA VERDE

This is another kitchen staple for me and it will give you loads of options.  All you’re doing here is blending an avocado with some authentic Salsa Verde, but the result is something otherworldly.  Super easy to make too.  You can plop it down next to a bag of chips, but I like using it to make some killer burritos.

Leftover tinga? Make Tingadillas! Cheesy Chicken Tinga Quesadillas with Green Sauce | mexicanplease.com

 

Tacos de Alambre

This is a great one-pan meal that you can put in the center of the table and let your fam have at it.  I used boneless short ribs for this batch but skirt steak is an equally good choice. 

Topping with Queso Fresco, tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice

 

SPICY QUESO DIP

Who doesn’t love Queso Dip?!  Flavor your Queso with a tomato-chipotle mixture and life is solved.   Plop it on any table and it will instantly draw a crowd, so consider yourself warned!

Such an easy Queso recipe! Tons of flavor from the smoky, fiery chipotles but you can always dial back on them for a milder version. mexicanplease.com

 

CALABACITAS

Hello delicious zucchini dish!  This is a remarkably easy and satisfying option if you’re looking for a vegetarian filling for your tacos, burritos, or tostadas — I will sometimes even just stick it on a plate and go to town!

This vegetarian Calabacitas recipe is perfect for any stubborn carnivores out there! Loads of flavor made with healthy, fresh ingredients -- yum!! mexicanplease.com

 

CHICKEN FLAUTAS

A few simple tricks will ensure you end up with a crispy batch of Chicken Flautas.  The most important is to make sure the tortillas are pliable before rolling them up.  And keep in mind that you can get creative with the filling so feel free to use what you have available. 

A few simple tricks will ensure you end up with a crispy batch of Chicken Flautas. We're serving them with a fiery Avocado Salsa Verde. So good! mexicanplease.com

 

PICKLED JALAPENOS

It’s true, if you want to take full advantage of these Pickled Jalapenos on Cinco de Mayo then you’ll need to make them a day early as they prefer to pickle overnight.  But they are super easy and if you make ’em once you’ll be sold for life!

Sometimes the zip from a pickled jalapeno will create the perfectly balanced taco bite. Making a batch of these Taqueria Style Pickled Jalapeno and Carrots is super easy and lets you control how much spice you want in your life. Buen Provecho. mexicanplease.com

 

Beef Birria — Birria de Res

Yes, this one takes a little planning, but the slow cooker will do most of the work if you let it!  Once you’ve got a big batch of Birria on your hands then you’ve got access to all sorts of quick, satisfying meals.  Yum 🙂

Beef Birria tacos

 

MASA HARINA CORNBREAD

I’ve found that freshly baked cornbread can rescue anyone from a gloomy day in just a few bites.  Traditional versions use cornmeal as the base, but using Masa Harina will give you a bump in flavor and make it more “corny”.   If you serve it up next to Easy Mexican Bean Soup or Pinto Bean Soup then you’ll have some happy campers on hand. 

I used Masa Harina instead of cornmeal in this batch of cornbread and it was delicious! I also used chipotles in adobo for some kick 🙂 mexicanplease.com

 

BAJA FISH TACOS

It’s true, this is probably the most involved recipe on the list, but there are lots of shortcuts you can take to speed it up (don’t pickle the cabbage).  It’s one of the most popular recipes on the site, so keep it in mind if time is not of the essence.

It's tough to beat fried fish drenched in a chipotle crema sauce. These Baja Fish Tacos are also served up with a batch of pickled cabbage -- too good! mexicanplease.com

 

BLACK BEAN NACHOS

And what Cinco de Mayo list would be complete without some gringo nachos?!!  These Black Bean Nachos are the most popular appetizer on the site and for good reason — the black bean puree is EPIC and it gives the Nachos incredible flavor đꙂ

It's tough to beat the combo of warm tortilla chips, melted cheese, and spicy black beans. In other words, NACHOS!! These beans have some kick built into them from chipotles in adobo and they are beyond delicious. mexicanplease.com

 
Okay I hope you’ve got some new ideas for Cinco de Mayo!  Let me know if you have questions about any of these recipes as they are the real deal and they want to be in your kitchen 🙂
 
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Filed Under: Appetizers/Sides, Main Dish

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carol

    May 4, 2021 at 1:37 am

    It ALL looks so good and is notable because of your descriptions of each. Love just reading about each one, haven’t made up my mind yet for Cinco but will today. Thank you soo much.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      May 7, 2021 at 3:21 pm

      Thanks much Carol, I hope you found a keeper on this list. Cheers.

      Reply

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Hey, I'm Patrick! I spent 2 years living in Cozumel and got obsessed with Mexican food. I built this site to share all the recipes and techniques I've learned along the way. Read More…

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