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Every year, around late April, early May, I start getting the same questions about what to make for Cinco de Mayo, and for a long time, I was asking those questions myself. I used to just grab store-bought guac and chips and hope for the best. But this year, I’ve actually built out a real list of recipes to make for Cinco de Mayo.

My Fav Cinco de Mayo Recipes

This collection of Cinco de Mayo recipes is all the ones I actually use when I want something easy and worth making, whether it’s a small weeknight dinner or a bigger spread. There are dips and salsas, guacamole, corn salsa, and cottage cheese queso, plus cinco de mayo appetizers like taco cups, bell pepper nachos, avocado fries, and sheet pan nachos.

There are also fresh salads, including a Mexican chopped salad, taco salad, shrimp avocado salad, and taco pasta salad. For mains, there are taco and fajita recipes with ground beef, fish, and Cinco de Mayo recipes with chicken, like sheet pan chicken fajitas. And for bowls, there are chicken, shrimp, beef, and vegetarian burrito bowl options. I hope this helps you figure out what to make.

Dips & Salsa for Cinco de Mayo

Appetizer Ideas

Fresh Cinco de Mayo Salad Recipes

Taco & Fajita Recipes

The Best Bowls to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Tips for Making Food on Cinco de Mayo

1. Adjust recipes for how many are being served. Scale ingredients accordingly, considering how large your guest list is.
2. Embrace fresh ingredients. Cinco de Mayo recipes often feature fresh, vibrant ingredients like avocados, tomatoes, cilantro, and limes. Go for ripe, high-quality produce to enhance your dishes.
3. Include make-ahead dishes. To ease the workload on the day of the celebration, incorporate some make-ahead dishes like refried beans, taco meat, and salsas into your menu.
4. Explore authentic flavors. Experiment with traditional Mexican spices and seasonings like cumin, chili powder, paprika, and oregano to add depth of flavor to your recipes.
5. Fresh garnish is everything. Chopped cilantro, sliced jalapenos, or lime zest add visual appeal to your dishes and a pop of zesty flavor.

How To Keep Food Warm

• Oven: As long as you’re not cooking anything in the oven, you can set it to 200°F and store dishes in there to keep them warm.
• Aluminum Foil: If your oven is not free, you can simply use aluminum foil, which has reflective properties that protects the food from light and oxygen. The foil reflects the thermal energy back to the food which maintains the moisture, flavor and texture.
• Crock Pots and Instant Pots: Think of recipes that can be made in your crock pot or instant pot that will keep warm during the party. You can even use them to keep foods warm even if you don’t cook in them.
• Insulated coolers: You can use a cooler to keep food hot as well as cold. The insulation technology that keeps out the heat to maintain cold foods also works to trap heat in and keep food hot for hours at a time. You can even line the cooler with aluminum foil for even better results.

How To Store Leftovers

• Cool it down. Make sure to cool any hot recipes to room temperature before storing.
• Label everything with the name and date. Keep track of all your leftovers so you know how long you have to enjoy them or toss them if needed.
• Use plastic containers or freezer bags. Keep your food fresh by storing food in airtight containers.
• Save or trash? If you have any perishable items (like meat or dairy), make sure to store them in the fridge. If they have sat out longer than 4 hours, it’s probably best to throw it out.

FAQs

For more similar roundup of recipes, be sure to check out:

• Best Chicken Recipes
• Summer Grilling Recipes
• Delicious Non-Boring Salads
• Must-Try Strawberry Recipes
• Recipes with Ground Beef
• Avocado Recipes