Fantastic Cinco De Mayo Recipes You Must Try In 2021

Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican heritage. It commemorates the date of the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It’s also called Battle of Puebla Day. My family is not Mexican, so I don’t know the specifics about the history of this holiday, but we do know the food of this holiday! My brother and sister like a lot of spicy foods, so we like to have a mixture of Mexican foods and other ethnicities, too. Check out these Cinco de Mayo recipes you have to include in your celebration this year!

1. Coconut Lime Cupcakes

Here’s one of the many sweet Cinco de Mayo recipes out there! The coconut in these cupcakes perfectly compliments the tartness of the lime, and the lime icing is so fresh and yummy! Here’s how to make them:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 1/4 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons of coconut extract
• 1 1/4 cups of flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 3/4 cup of shredded coconut

Lime Icing:

• 1/2 cup of softened butter
• 3 1/4 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 tablespoon of milk
• 1/2 tablespoon of fresh lime zest

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until it’s fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Then add the coconut extract and mix well.

2. Add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Add half of the milk and mix well. Add another third of the flour mix, and then the other half of the milk. Add the rest of the flour and mix well, until fully incorporated. Beat in the coconut next.

3. Using a measuring cup, pour batter into a lined or greased cupcake pan. Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden. Set aside to let cool before frosting the cupcakes.

4. Lime icing: Beat the butter and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla, lime juice, and milk, and keep beating. Continue adding powdered sugar until you reach the consistency you want. Beat in lime zest.

5. Decorate the cooled cupcakes with the icing. Put more lime zest over the icing, if you want. You can also decorate with golden sprinkles.

2. Fruit Salsa With Cinnamon Chips

If you have a sweet tooth like me, you can serve this dish as an appetizer, but this could also be included as one of the many Cinco de Mayo recipes for dessert. Either way, this fruit salsa will have your guests coming back for more!

Ingredients:

• 1 pint of strawberries, caps cut off and finely diced
• 2 kiwi, peeled and finely diced
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely diced
• 1 mango, peeled and finely diced
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 lemon

Cinnamon chips:

• 6 flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup of melted butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon

Steps:

1. Place all of the diced fruit into a large bowl and sprinkle the sugar over the fruit. Squeeze the lemon over the fruit. Toss the fruit to make sure it is all coated with sugar and lemon juice. Cover the fruit and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

2. The chips: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the melted butter over the tortilla. Turn them over and butter both sides. Use a pizza cutter to cut the tortillas into chip size pieces.

3. In a bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Place the tortillas in a gallon bag. Add the cinnamon and sugar, seal the bag, and shake until all the chips are covered in the cinnamon sugar. Arrange the tortilla in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

4. Bake for 7 minutes, or until crispy. Let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!

3. Black Beans and Rice

Black beans and rice are a classic and MUST be included on your list of Cinco de Mayo recipes! This works great as a side but could also be altered a little and used as a main dish for my vegetarian/vegan friends out there.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 2 cups of uncooked white rice
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 2 14-ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3-4 tablespoons of lime juice
• 4 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander or parsley

Steps:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and sautee until the onion is see-through. Add the garlic, and sautee for about a minute, add the cumin and rice next. Mix the flavors together, and sautee for another minute.

2. Pour in the broth and beans, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Stir halfway through.

3. Remove from heat and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil (2 teaspoons), lime juice, and cilantro. Season with a little salt and pepper, and enjoy! 

4. Mexican Lasagna

Lasagna is already amazing, but taking it and putting a Mexican spin on it for Cinco de Mayo makes for a unique and yummy dish!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of flour
• 3 tablespoons of chili powder (not cayenne)
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup of tomato paste
• 3 1/2 cups of reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 14.5-ounce can of roasted diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 4-ounce can of chopped green chiles
• 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• A pinch of cinnamon
• 1 15-ounce can of pinto beans
• 1 1/2 cups of frozen sweet corn
• 1 6-ounce can of chopped black olives
• 1/2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

Layers:

• 15 regular lasagna noodles
• 2 cups of freshly grated Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 cups of freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
• Creamy filling:
• 1 cup of sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 8 ounces of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of mild salsa verde
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Steps:

1. Soak noodles: Place lasagna noodles in the bottom of a long baking pan and pour hot water over it, until fully submerged. Let them soak while preparing the rest of the food, at least 30 minutes.

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2. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13×9 inch pan and set it aside. Whisk together the flour and all of the meat-filling seasonings (through the cayenne pepper). Then set it aside.

3. Cook beef: Brown beef and onions in a skillet until almost cooked through. Sprinkle in flour and seasonings mixture, and cook for two minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the tomato paste and garlic, and cook for one more minute.

4. Filling ingredients: Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, green chiles, cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon. Bring the sauce to a simmer and continue to simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. After the sauce has thickened, stir in the beans, corn, olives, and apple cider vinegar. Then remove from heat.

5. Creamy filling: Whisk all of the creamy filling ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set it aside. Combine cheeses in a separate bowl. Set it aside.

6. Assemble: Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan, the layer will be thin. Spread 4 noodles lengthwise and part of a fifth noodle along the top to cover. Spread 3/4 of a cup of the creamy filling over the noodles, followed by a cup of the mixed cheeses. Repeat the process, making 3 complete layers of 2 cups of meat sauce, 4+ noodles, 3/4 of a cup of creamy filling, and a cup of cheese. Pour the rest of the meat sauce over the top with the remaining cheese.

7. Bake: Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake for another 20 minutes. The cheese should be melted and the casserole is heated through. Remove pan and let stand for 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh tomatoes, olives, avocadoes, cilantro, and sour cream. Enjoy!

5. Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

This is one of the Cinco de Mayo recipes that is super hearty and delicious! If you live somewhere where it’s still kind of cold when Cinco de Mayo comes around, a hearty, warm chowder dish could be the recipe for you!

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded, deveined, and minced
• 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth, divided
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 2 14.75-ounce cans of cream-style corn
• 1 15-ounce can of corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 4-ounce can of mild diced green chilies
• 4-ounce cream cheese softened
• 8-ounce Mexican cheese blend
• Hot sauce to taste

Garnish (optional):

• Sour cream
• Cheese
• Cilantro
• Avocadoes
• Tomatoes
• Tortilla chips

Steps:

1. Melt butter in olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add chicken, onions, jalapenos, and all seasonings and saute for 3 minutes. Add bell peppers, garlic, and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes. Turn heat to low and gradually stir in three cups of chicken broth.

2. Whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the remaining one cup of chicken broth, and add to soup. Stir in creamed corn, whole corn, diced tomatoes, and green chilies. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Turn heat to low, and stir in softened cream cheese and Mexican cheese. Continue to stir until completely melted. Garnish individual servings with desired garnish. Enjoy!

These are some of the recipes we’ve tried before for our Cinco de Mayo celebration! Did I miss any? Leave them in the comments down below, and be sure to save and share this article for Cinco de Mayo!

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