35 Easy Recipes To Eat Your Way Through Cinco De Mayo
Smoky Chipotle And Chiles de Árbol Shrimp. (Recipes by: Diala Canelo; produced by: Chantal Braganza and Sun Ngo; Photography by Carmen Cheung; food styling by Sage Dakota; prop styling by Christine Hanlon; hair and makeup by Wendy Rorong; clothing courtesy of horsesatelier.com)
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home this year with a dinner fiesta. There's a lot to choose from here—including a super-easy pico de gallo salsa to juicy pork carnitas plus plenty of margaritas to sip on (including a mocktail version).
Smoky Chipotle And Chiles de Árbol Shrimp
This deliciously smoky shrimp recipe has only a handful of ingredients. Get this smoky chipotle and chiles de árbol shrimp recipe.
Cucumber-Jalapeño Margarita Mocktail
An easy drink with a little spicy kick to serve up to anyone looking for a fresh and enjoyable non-alcholic beverage. Get this cucumber jalapeno margarita mocktail recipe.
Shrimp Aguachile with Cucumber-Watermelon Salad
"Aguachile couldn’t be a more straightforward name for this coastal Mexican dish: it translates to “chili water” and is a spicier cousin of citrus ceviche. This version isn’t strictly traditional—aguachile is usually served in a nearly raw, less-cured state—but it’s a great option if you don’t have access to ultra-high-quality freshly caught shrimp." Get Chantal Braganza's shrimp aguachile with cucumber-watermelon salad recipe.
Elote Chowder
"Years of living in Mexico City left me with a profound appreciation for elotes and esquites—street corn and a corn-based dish with kernels and melted cheese. This chowder is inspired by those flavours. It’s perfect for dinner and a great way to use up the bounty of corn season." Get Diala Canelo's elote chowder recipe.
Grilled Steak Tacos
We like these tacos with red cabbage slaw, pico de gallo salsa, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Get this grilled steak taco recipe.
Classic Guacamole
Guacamole, first developed by the Aztecs, is an incredibly versatile and endlessly customizable food. Four ingredients and five minutes is all you need to put together this classic guacamole recipe for topping and dipping.
Avocado And Mango Salad
"This salad pairs two of my favourite fruits for a healthy and incredibly delicious dish that you can serve as a side, to accompany a taco feast, or even to top tacos themselves." Get Diala Canelo's avocado and mango salad recipe.
Mexican Street Corn Salsa
Fresh tomatoes, zesty lime, sweet corn and so much more. Get our Mexican street corn salsa recipe.
Chicken Enchiladas
These filled corn tortillas are topped with zesty Monterey Jack cheese and a fiery sauce—and come together in less than an hour. Get our chicken enchiladas recipe.
Grilled Eggplant Tacos
For a vegetarian take, we love our grilled eggplant tacos topped with guacamole, red cabbage slaw and hot sauce. Get the grilled eggplant tacos recipe.
Spicy Pineapple Margarita
This delicious cocktail is the perfect accompaniment to a summer taco feast—our editors made it at our editor-in-chief's house and everyone *loved* it. Get our spicy pineapple margarita recipe.
Strawberry Margarita
A cool and fruity drink that will never go out of style. Make it with fresh in-season strawberries for premium-quality results. Get this frozen strawberry margarita recipe.
Roasted Eggplant With Za’atar And Sumac
Eggplant on tacos? You bet! Crispy and spiced with za’atar, this is a topping both vegetarians and meat lovers alike will adore. Get this roasted eggplant with za'atar and sumac recipe.
Mojito Fish Tacos
Topped with minty ‘slaw, fresh lime and a dash of hot sauce, these are the fish tacos you’ll be making all summer long. (We just can’t get enough.) Get this mojito fish taco recipe.
Paloma
It’s time for the simple, ultra-easy-to-make tequila-grapefruit drink the paloma to finally step out from the long shadow of the margarita and take its rightful place as one of the all-time best tequila cocktails. Get our paloma recipe.
Slow Cooker Juicy Pork Carnitas
This slow-cooked dish is flavourful and simple, delicious when served with rice and a Mexican crema. Get this pork carnitas recipe.
Charred BBQ Cauliflower
This sweet and tangy topping is also perfect for salads or grain bowls. Get this charred BBQ cauliflower recipe.
Green Cilantro Sauce With Tahini
Once you make this creamy, versatile sauce, you’ll always keep a jar in the fridge to drizzle over tacos, salads and grilled fish. Get this green cilantro sauce with tahini recipe.
Lageritas And Saucy Beef Tacos
Beer gets a makeover! We’ve combined two favourites (a refreshing lager and a citrusy margarita) into an amazing cocktail you’ll be craving all summer long. Get this lageritas recipe. Serve it with our saucy beef tacos recipe.
Cauliflower Tacos
Spiced, roasted cauliflower florets and creamy avocado slices make these vegetarian tacos a delight (even for the carnivores at the table). Get this cauliflower tacos recipe.
Homemade Pico De Gallo
No Cinco de Mayo meal is complete without heaping bowls of homemade pico de gallo and guacamole to dip your tortilla chips in. Get the pico de gallo recipe.
Margarita Ice Pops
If your guests hit the spicy food a little too hard, these margarita pops are the perfect antidote. (Tip: Make extras—they’re ridiculously good.) Get this margarita ice pop recipe.
Chicken Enchiladas
Stuffed with cheese, chicken and vegetables, these baked enchiladas are a simple all-in-one meal everyone will enjoy. Get this chicken enchilada recipe.
Tequila And Lime Cola
Dazzle guests with this silver tequila and lime-laced cola. Get this tequila and lime cola recipe.
Serrano Chili Ceviche
Zesty and a little bit spicy—this dish is mixed with some truly delicious flavours (from fresh fish to creamy avocado and ripe tomato.) Get this serrano chili ceviche recipe.
Chicken Tacos
Tacos are great for easy entertaining; just mix and match with your favourite toppings and dig in. Get this chicken taco recipe.
Drowned Eggs (Huevos Ahogados)
You can cut down on the cook time by dropping the eggs in whole, but there’s something special about scrambling them first. They puff up, soufflé-style, while steaming in the sauce. Get Chantal Braganza's drowned eggs (huevos ahogados) recipe.
Shrimp Tacos
Not in the mood for chicken? Try these tacos with guacamole, pineapple-watermelon salsa and a squeeze of lime. Get this shrimp taco recipe.
Paletas
Cool things down after dinner with Latin American ice pops. To make: mix fresh, juicy fruit with punchy flavours like lime and ginger, and freeze. Get these paleta recipes.
Tangerine Margarita
And if a classic margarita leaves you uninspired, why not try this lime-tangerine version?
Margarita Puddings
Any good fiesta needs an eye-catching dessert—our margarita puddings are a perfect fit for a Mexican-themed party. Get this margarita pudding recipe.
Tres Leches Coconut Cake
We gave this Latin American cake, traditionally made with three types of milk, a delicious twist by swapping evaporated milk with coconut milk for a rich, nutty flavour. It’s the perfect dessert for hot summer evenings. Get this tres leches coconut cake recipe.
Raspberry-Margarita Sorbet
Dessert gets a zesty twist with a sweet-tart margarita sorbet. Get thisraspberry-margarita sorbet recipe.
Tacofino’s Chocolate Diablo Cookies
The tickle of Mexican cayenne makes these delectable cookies from Tofino, B.C,'s iconic taco chain, Tacofino, especially addictive. Get Tacofino's chocolate diablo cookies recipe.
Coconut Flan
When cookbook author Diala Canelo was growing up in Santo Domingo, every celebration, birthday and Sunday lunch would end with a delicious flan. This one is made with coconut milk, which creates a velvety- smooth custard and adds a rich tropical flavour. Get her coconut flan recipe.
Gelatina Mosaico
On childhood trips to visit family in Mexico, I looked forward to running to the nearest corner store and digging into a cup of cold gelatina. Also known as gelatina mosaico (stained glass jelly) in Mexico and Brazil, this no-bake dessert is made from sweetened condensed and evaporated milks, and chopped Jell-O. You can set it in eight to 10 cups for a quick dessert fix, or in a Bundt pan for an easy summer stunner, as we've done here." Get Chantal Braganza's gelatina mosaico recipe.
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