Traditional & Festive Cinco de Mayo Food Ideas

Cinco de Mayo, or the “Fifth of May” in Spanish, is a celebration of the victory of the Mexican army over the French Empire in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Marked as a day for festivities and food, this traditional Mexican holiday is celebrated both in Mexico and the U.S., commemorating Mexican resilience and their culture.

Cinco de Mayo celebrations typically include music, dance, parades, and plenty of traditional and not-so-traditional Mexican food.

What kind of food do you eat on Cinco de Mayo?

Cinco de Mayo festivities are all about Mexican food, especially traditional food from Puebla, which is considered the gastronomic hub of Mexico.

Here is a list of 20 Cinco de Mayo foods, featuring some traditional Puebla dishes, authentic Cinco de Mayo recipes, and other Mexican-inspired foods.

1. Mole poblano

Mole poblano is a thick and savory chili and chocolate sauce made from over 20 ingredients that are roasted and ground for a depth of flavor. Serve this sauce with chicken, turkey, or pork.

2. Chalupas

Chalupas are traditionally Puebla cuisine like tostadas. Tortillas are fried and topped with red or green salsa, shredded chicken or pork, onions, chipotle pepper, and sometimes fresh cheese known as queso fresco.

3. Chiles en nogada

One of the iconic dishes of Mexico, chile en nogada is a colorful dish of green, red, and white. Poblano peppers are stuffed with pork-based picadillo and fried in an egg batter. These are then topped with a walnut-based nogada sauce, pomegranate seeds, and parsley.

4. Tamale

Tamales are usually eaten on holidays and are perfect for Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Corn-based dough is stuffed with meats like chicken and pork or beans and cheese. Tamales are then wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaves and steamed. Serve with pico de gallo, guacamole, and rice.

5. Grilled Nopales Huaraches

If you want to go for something different, try this authentic Mexican recipe, which features cactus paddles, grilled to perfection and topped with beans, tomatillo mixture, onions, and cheese.

6. Elote

For easy Cinco de Mayo appetizers, try Mexican street corn. Full of flavor, these are quick and easy to make. Grilled corn is brushed with a spicy sour cream, mayo, and cheese dressing. Sprinkle on cotija cheese, lime juice, and cilantro.

7. Beef empanadas

Fill flaky homemade dough with a traditional filling of beef, tomatoes, jalapeno, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and bake. Serve with salsa, pico de gallo, or guacamole.

8. Sopes de carne deshebrada

Also known as “Mexican sopes with brisket,” sopes are pan-fried dough made from masa harina. They resemble open-faced tacos, only they are thicker. Add beef brisket, refried beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and queso fresco on top of the sopes. You can try other fillings too.

9. Churros with chocolate and espresso sauce

An all-time favorite dessert, churros are a popular Cinco de Mayo dessert. Long strips of batter are fried and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and served with a chocolate espresso sauce.

10. Roasted vegetable Mexican torta

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a traditional Mexican sandwich made from a roll or a bun and stuffed with roasted veggies, cheese, refried beans, and avocado. You can also try other fillings like a variety of meats and cheeses, avocado, peppers, or crispy chicken.

11. Sopapillas

This is a fun dessert to add to the Cinco de Mayo festivities. Sopapillas are pillow-shaped dough fried until puffy with a hollow center. After frying, they are dusted with sugar and drizzled with honey. You can also make sopapillas with sweet or savory stuffing.

12. Red beef pozole

Pozole is a flavorsome Mexican soup. Make this recipe with beef, hominy (dried maize), spices, and a chili-based red sauce. Once done, serve with a garnish of shredded cabbage, diced onions, sliced radishes, cilantro, lime juice, and some red sauce.

13. Blackened fish tacos

Oven bake fish filets sprinkled with cajun spices, which will blacken the fish. Serve fish in soft corn tacos with some slaw, avocado sauce, cilantro, and lime juice.

14. Beef barbacoa

Barbacoa is a Mexican staple, made from slow-cooked beef, chipotle peppers, onions, apple cider vinegar, garlic, spices, bay leaf, lime juice, and stock. Once tender and flavorsome, the meat is shredded and served with Mexican rice and beans.

15. Shrimp enchiladas

A variation of the classic chicken or beef enchilada, shrimp enchiladas are tortillas rolled around a filling made from shrimp, red bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeno, and topped with sour cream and a green chili sauce.

16. Mexican flan

A classic Mexican dessert, this vanilla bean flan is light and creamy, and easy to make. It’s made from cream cheese, sweet, condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla bean.

17. Tres leches cake

This classic cake gets its name because it is made from 3 types of milk—evaporated, condensed, and cream. This light and airy cake is topped with whipping cream and dulce de leche or caramelized milk.

18. Pork chili verde

Make this slow-cooked pork stew with the flavors of jalapenos, onions, green enchilada sauce, and various spices. Serve with rice or with tortillas.

19. Nachos supreme

A big hearty serving size plate of these nachos is enough to get your Cinco de Mayo party started. Top tortilla chips with a beef-bean mixture, cheese, black beans, and pickled jalapenos, and then bake it. Serve with a topping of tomato, avocado, green onions, cilantro, sour cream, and hot sauce.

20. Taco stuffed zucchini

A definite crowd-pleaser, these Mexican-inspired snacks are quite easy to make. Fill zucchini boats with a ground beef mixture and bake. Served topped with sour cream, avocado slices, green onions, and cilantro.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Indulge in the delicious food of the Cinco de Mayo festivities and create these recipes for your family and friends. A good place to start is with Instacart, where you can buy all the ingredients you need.

Grab it now on Instacart:

Tortillas ()

Poblano Pepper (1 ct)

Guacamole ()

Bob's Red Mill Corn Flour, Golden, Masa Harina (24 oz)

Goya White Hominy (15 oz)

Raw Shrimp ()

Heavy Whipping Cream ()

Jalapeno Pepper (1 each)

Zucchini Squash (1 each)

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