How to Celebrate Cinco De Mayo With These Delicious Recipes For Your Family

Cinco de Mayo is the perfect time to celebrate Mexican culture and try some delicious new foods with your kids. Many of us have had Mexican food, but during Cinco de Mayo you can experiment with new recipes and get your whole family involved in this fun Mexican holiday!

Still, you might not know which traditional foods to try on Cinco De Mayo. With so many choices, it can be hard to pick the right dishes. Luckily, I have some recipes and cooking tips that will help you with your fiesta! I’m sharing five of my favorite Cinco De Mayo recipes here. These recipes are simple but delicious and great for families.

What is Cinco De Mayo?

Before we dive into these recipes, let’s talk about Cinco de Mayo. Many people don’t know what this holiday is or what its significance is. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5th. This holiday commemorates a famous Mexican battle that began Mexico’s road toward independence and self-governance. Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not an independence day for Mexico. It is widely celebrated and seen as an important cultural event!

Best Recipes For Families to Try on Cinco De Mayo:

1. Chicken Quesadillas

To start off your Cinco de Mayo celebration, I recommend trying this simple chicken quesadilla recipe. Quesadillas are a basic Mexican dish, but kids love them and you can add plenty of ingredients and seasoning to spice up this traditional food.

Ingredients:

- 1 pack of flour tortillas

- Your family's favorite cheese

- 1 pound of boneless chicken

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- 1 green pepper

- 1 red pepper

- 1 onion

- ½ tablespoon of paprika

- ½ tablespoon chili powder

- ½ tablespoon cumin

- Salt and pepper

Instructions For Recipe:

Step 1: Get your boneless chicken out and start cutting it up. If you want to make this easier for yourself, buy shredded chicken.

Step 2: Cook your chicken in the oven or on the stovestop in a pan, whatever method is most convenient for you. Then start cutting up your vegetables. I recommend using red and green pepper with some onions, but you can add other vegetables your family likes.

Step 3: When the chicken is cooked, put it in a saucepan with the cut-up veggies. Put the olive oil and your other seasoning in. If you want to make this more simple, buy a packet of fajita seasoning.

Step 4: Once your mixture is cooked get out your tortillas and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the chicken and veggies mix in the tortillas and sprinkle cheese on top, then fold the tortillas. After this pop the quesadillas in the oven for 7-10 minutes.

2. Dessert Nachos

Nachos and cheese are another great recipes for Cinco de Mayo, but if your family has a sweet tooth, I highly recommend trying dessert nachos instead. This sweet dish is sure to be a hit with your kids!

Ingredients:

- Strawberries

- 1 to 2 bananas

- Chocolate sauce

- Caramel Sauce

- Vanilla ice cream

- Whipped cream

- Cinnamon sugar chips

Instructions For Recipe:

Step 1: Put your cinnamon chips on a plate, then get your ingredients out.

Step 2: Cut up your bananas and strawberries then put them on the chips.

Step 3: Add the chocolate and caramel sauce and top the chips off with the ice cream.

Step 4: You can add some extra sauce on top if you want and the whipped cream. Then everyone can dig into this dessert!

3. Frozen Virgin Margaritas

It wouldn’t be a Cinco de Mayo celebration without margaritas! The first Cinco de Mayo celebrations did not include these frozen drinks, but over the years margaritas have become a big part of this holiday. I’ve included a virgin margaritas recipe below. This way your kids can have their very own tasty frozen drink!

Ingredients:

- Frozen limeade

- Ice

- Limes

- Lemon Juice

- Orange Juice

- Salt

- Sparkling water

- Simple sugar syrup

Instructions For Recipe:

Step 1: Get your frozen limeade and add it to your blender. Put in the juice of six limes and 2 lemons. Make sure you take out the seeds. Then add in your sugar syrup and orange juice.

Step 2: Mix the ingredients, then add the ice. Make sure there is enough to make your drink frozen. You’ll need about 3 to 4 cups of ice.

Step 3: Blend then serve the drink. You can add salt to the rim of the glass, but this is optional. Sometimes I also add a bit of sparkling water to each glass to make the drink a little more bubbly!

4. Taco Bar

There’s nothing better than a taco bar for a big party. Not only will you save money, but this can be a super convenient way to feed family and friends during Cinco de Mayo. Plus, everyone can pick and choose their own ingredients and make tacos that suit their tastes!

Ingredients:

- Tortillas and taco shells

- Ground beef

- Chopped lettuce

- Diced tomatoes

- Onion

- Avocados

- Sour cream

- Salsa

- Shredded cheese

- Black beans

- Corn

- Other toppings your family likes

Instructions For Recipe:

Step 1: This is one of the most simple recipes you can use for a party. Start by browning your ground beef. Add taco seasoning to the meat, which can be bought at your supermarket.

Step 2: Once the beef is cooked, put it in a bowl and get out the other toppings. Chop any vegetables and heat them up in a pan if you want. Then individually plate each ingredient.

Step 3: Put out the tortillas and taco shells and let your family and friends make their own tacos.

5. Mexican Street Corn

This final Cinco de Mayo recipe is a fun twist on a food that everyone loves. Corn on the cob is great for any kind of gathering and celebration. It’s easy to put corn on a grill and add some butter and salt, but if you want to prepare corn for Cinco de Mayo try out this delicious alternative. Also known as elote, Mexican street corn has tons of flavor and spice!

Ingredients:

- Corn on the cob

- Sour cream

- Mayonnaise

- Garlic powder and paprika

- Salt and pepper

- Cilantro

- Lime juice

- Your favorite cheese

Instructions For Recipe:

Step 1: Prepare your corn for the grill. Wash it off and take off the green husk.

Step 2: Preheat your grill and start to cook the corn. Make sure not to burn it.

Step 3: Start making the corn sauce. In a bowl combine all your ingredients. This includes mayo, lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and sour cream. Mix the sauce well then let it sit.

Step 4: When the corn is grilled, get a brush and evenly spread it over the corn. Then you can put your cheese over the sauce. This is a street food so make sure to make it fresh so it can be enjoyed by your whole family!

Final Thoughts on Cinco De Mayo Recipes For Families

There are tons of amazing recipes you can try with your family on Cinco de Mayo! I introduced some of my favorite Mexican foods throughout this post to make your family's celebration simple and fun.

With my cooking tips and instructions, you should be able to whip up a feast fast. Don’t be afraid to try out other recipes and dishes for Cinco de Mayo. This is a time to explore and learn more about Mexican culture!