Cinco de Mayo Recipes: 12 Delicious Dishes For Your Fiesta!

Now that we’re clear on what Cinco de Mayo means for Mexico and what it commemorates, we can move on to the better part of the celebration: the food. Sharing traditional food and drink with friends and family is also a part of this holiday, which is, somewhat ironically, much more celebrated in the US than in Mexico. But that’s ok, because we don’t need an excuse to eat amazing Mexican food, but why not take advantage of the festive holiday and go for it.

This compilation of recipes to throw the best fiesta, involves a lot of guacamole, salsa, corn and lime. Another good part about these treats is that you can make them bite size or main dish size, depending on the type of party you’re having. Remember, no hard shell tacos, lots of Tequila, and try your best to use fresh ingredients and 100% corn tortillas. Enjoy!

Pati’s Mexican Table ‘Chicken Flautas’: These are not only crispy on the outside and delicious on the inside; they can become the perfect finger food or remain as a delicious main dish. Check them out!

Chipotle’s Guacamole Recipe: Yes, we know guac is extra at Chipotle, but it’s worth every penny! The famous food chain makes a mean guacamole with very few ingredients. They even skip the tomatoes. Amazing!

Mexico In My Table’s ‘Tacos de Bistek’: Few things are better than a real Mexican taco. Soft corn tortilla, meat of choice, veggies and fresh salsa. These are the perfect idea for a small gathering where you can present the ingredients separately and everyone can build their own. Check them out!

How Sweet It Is’ ‘Grilled Corn with Bacon Butter and Cotija Cheese’: There are so many ways to prepare grilled sweet (or white) corn and very few ways to go wrong, but this is an amazingly flavorful idea. Don’t skimp on the cotija and get the recipe here.

Foodie Crush’s ‘Cheesey Chorizo Caramelized Onion Dip Recipe’: This recipe doesn’t only sound delicious but it is perfect for a party (or game-watching reunion) appetizer. There’s no doubt cheese and chorizo are a couple made in heaven and you can spread this on toast or tortilla chips for more authenticity. Check it out!

‘Pati’s Mexican Table’ Corn Guacamole: What could be a better addition than corn to your guacamole? Add another layer of texture with some corn kernels to wow your guests! Try it here.

Chef Rick Bayless’ ‘Queso Fundido Al Tequila’: Two of our favorite products in one; tequila and queso! Mexican-food passionate, Bayless mixes cheese with cilantro, tomato, jalapeño, onion and tequila to make an exquisite dip to enjoy with a little more tequila on the side (optional). Try it out!

Sassy Radish’s ‘Cheese Quesadillas with Guacamole’: The simpler this recipe is made, the more homemade it tastes. It’s great because it requires very few ingredients and packs a lot of delicious flavors. Whip this up in 10 minutes!

Serious Eats ‘Potato-Chorizo Sopes With Avocado Crema’: Sopes are the ultimate finger food, but like many other Mexican dishes, they can become main dishes if you increase their size. This variation will be just perfect to pass around at your party. Recipe here.

Chow’s Micheladas: There are numerous variations of this beer tail, and the easiest is really just salt on the rim, lots of lime juice and a beer, but this is a more elaborate version which involves lots of sauces and spices. This is sometimes called ‘chelada’ or ‘michelada cubana.’ Bottoms up!

Chef Rick Bayless’s Sweet Corn Tamales: These are a great addition to the feast and they are easier to make, simply because you don’t need to cook a filling for them as the sweet corn, poblanos and cheese are incorporated in the dough. Try them out!

For a healthier option, try Chef Ingrid Hoffman's Tropical Quinoa & Smithfield Spiral Sliced Ham Stuffed Peppers:

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 sweet mini-peppers, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 serrano chili pepper, seeded and minced (wear gloves to prevent irritation)
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 2 cups Smithfield Spiral Sliced Ham, finely chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
• 4 colorful bell peppers
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400º F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Bring the broth and quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until the liquid is evaporated and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, sweet peppers, garlic, serrano pepper, oregano, salt and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ham and pineapple; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the quinoa, tossing until well mixed.
• Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each pepper half to prevent them from rolling. Place the peppers in the baking dish. Fill each half evenly with the filling; sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with the fresh cilantro and serve immediately.