9 Easy Cinco De Mayo Recipe

Salsa Fresca

Mexican food is known for its strong, tasty flavors, and it’s not a fiesta without some great-tasting salsa! Here’s one of our favorite salsa recipe:

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup finely chopped red
• 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (add more if you want to!)
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 1/2 cups plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix red onions, jalapeno pepper, and lime juice. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, cilantro, and salt and allow it to stand for another 15 minutes for all the flavors to blend. Serve cold.

Chicken Fajita

Melts

Fajitas are a staple in every Mexican table, and you can use any kind of meat for the dish. In our favorite Fajita recipe, slices of French bread are used instead of tortillas for a unique twist. Here’s how to make a mean Chicken Fajita Melts:

What You’ll Need:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced onions
• 1/2 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup tomato juice
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 cup salsa
• 8 slices French bread
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the chicken in vegetable oil, and stir until lightly browned.
2. Put in the sliced onions and red peppers and cook until both are tender.
3. Add the tomato juice and taco seasoning and mix well. Once the juice has thickened, and the chicken is well-coated with sauce, turn off the heat.
4. Preheat the oven’s broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
5. Spread 2 tablespoons of salsa over each slice of bread, and spoon some chicken mixture on top. 6. Sprinkle the sandwiches with 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese. Cook the sandwiches in the oven until the cheese has melted.

Shrimp Ceviche

Are you craving some seafood? Here’s a great Mexican dish to share with the whole family. You can serve the Shrimp Ceviche as a dip with tortilla chips or as a topping on a tostada spread with mayo. Tease your fearless palate with hot sauce and enjoy it spicy!

What You’ll Need:

• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1 cup lime juice
• 10 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 avocados, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Marinate the shrimp with lime juice for about 10 minutes until the shrimps turn pink and opaque. 2. While you’re waiting for the shrimps to marinate, place tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, avocados, and celery in a large, non-reactive bowl.
2. Remove the shrimps from the lime juice and dice it. Add the diced shrimps into the bowl of vegetables and pour in the remaining lime juice marinade.
3. Add the cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. 5. Toss to mix and serve cold.

Green Chili

Chicken Burger

Try this Southwestern-infused Mexican favorite– these slightly spicy Green Chili Chicken burgers are a hit with both adults and older kids, and would be a perfect pair for some grilled meat and cold, refreshing drinks!

What You’ll Need:

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 can chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ground pepper to taste
• 4 slices cheddar cheese
• 4 hamburger buns
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1/3 cup salsa

Directions:

1. Mix the ground chicken, canned chiles, jalapeno pepper, green onions, oregano, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a bowl.
2. Form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Grill the patties on a lightly-oiled pre-heated outdoor grill for 5 minutes on each side. Top each patty with a slice of cheddar cheese, and grill the buns while waiting for the cheese to melt.
3. Spread some guacamole on each bottom bun and top with shredded lettuce and chicken burger, plus a spoonful of salsa. Serve warm with some salad on the side.

Crispy Chicken Taquitos

with Avocado Crema

Chicken taquitos are the ultimate finger food choice for a party, no matter how big or intimate– and the good news is, they’re so easy to make! Whip up this rolled tortilla goodness and make a great portable bite for those times when your favorite tune comes on, and you can’t help but bust a move!

What You’ll Need:

For the taquitos:

• 1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts washed and dried
• 1/2 white onion peeled and quartered
• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano optional
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup beer a light lager works best
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 8 Mi Rancho corn or flour tortillas warmed (they’re more pliable to roll when they’re warm)
• Sunflower oil or Vegetable oil

For the Avocado Crema:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 3 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream
• Juice from 2 limes
• 1/2 jalapeño minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In the jar of a blender, add the white onion, ancho chile powder, tomato paste, salt, Mexican oregano, dried thyme, dried marjoram, juice from 1 lemon, beer, and chicken stock; pulse until smooth.
2. Place the chicken in an 8×8-inch casserole dish. Pour the tomato mixture atop the chicken. Transfer to the oven to bake for 1 1/2 hours, until just cooked and chicken is tender.
3. Allow the chicken to cool on the counter until they’re cool enough to handle. Using a fork, shred the chicken. Toss the chicken with a few tablespoons of the tomato mixture from the casserole dish.
4. To warm up the tortillas, turn the oven to 200 degrees F and stack the tortillas on a baking sheet. Cover them with a damp paper towel and transfer them to the oven to warm for 10 minutes.
5. In a medium skillet, pour in enough oil until it reaches about 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan. 6. To assemble the taquitos, spoon a few tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of each tortilla. Tightly roll up each taquito and transfer to the hot oil, seam-side down.
6. Pan-fry the taquitos for 2 to 3 minutes, turning them every so often until they’re golden brown and crispy. Drain the taquitos on a bed of paper towels and transfer them to a baking sheet in a warm oven (200 degrees F).
7. To make the avocado crema, add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Serve the taquitos with a dollop of avocado crema.

Churros With Chocolate and Espresso Sauce

What better way to end your Mexican spread than with some fried dough and rich, warm chocolate? Munch on these churros and treat yourself to crispy pastry coated in cinnamon sugar and paired with velvety chocolate an

d espresso dipping sauce you won’t be able to get enough of!

What You’ll Need:

For the churros:

• 250ml water
• 100g butter
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 125g bread flour
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup castor sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• oil for frying

For the chocolate espresso sauce:

• 150g good quality dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids
• 125ml cream
• 60ml (1/4 cup) milk
• 60ml espresso

Directions:

1. Bring the water, butter, salt, and two tablespoons of sugar to a boil in a medium pot. Once boiling, add the flour and mix vigorously to make a roux. Set aside and allow to cool.
2. Beat 3 eggs and then add this to the roux and continue to beat. Use an electric mixer for this. You will now have a nice thick paste.
3. Heat the oil in a medium pot to 190C. You can drop a little batter in to test if it’s ready.
4. Fill a piping bag fitted with a big nozzle and carefully pipe long strips of batter directly into the oil, cutting off the ends with a knife when long enough. It will immediately start bubbling. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, and fry a maximum of 3 at a time.
   5.Turn the churros over when they are brown on one side and continue to cook the other side until golden. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on kitchen paper.
5. Mix the cinnamon and castor sugar and toss the churros in while warm. Use tongs if necessary.
6. To make the sauce, put all the ingredients except the espresso in a double boiler and melt them together. Once it is a nice glossy consistency, add the freshly made espresso, stir and serve.

Flan Mexicano

Not a fan of chocolate? Complete your scrumptious Cinco de Mayo meal with this tangy custard flan and have the whole fam wanting more!

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange rind
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Carefully pour the syrup into a flan mold and let it cool down.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. While waiting for the oven to heat up, pour whole milk, condensed milk, eggs, egg yolks, orange juice, orange rind, vanilla extract, and cornstarch into a blender. Blend the mixture for about a minute, or until smooth. Pour in the cream and pulse several times to incorporate it. Lastly, pour the mixture over the cooled syrup in the flan mold.
3. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the flan on the towel inside the roasting pan and place the pan on the oven rack.
4. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake it for 45 minutes to an hour. The flan should be slightly jiggly when moved.

Frozen Strawberry Margarita

Mom and dad, you deserve some iced-cold alcoholic drink on Cinco De Mayo– even during mid-week! Here’s a classic Frozen Strawberry Margarita to quench your thirst!

What You’ll Need:

• 6 fluid ounces tequila
• 2 fluid ounces triple sec
• 8 ounces frozen sliced strawberries in syrup
• 4 fluid ounces frozen limeade concentrate

Directions:

1. Fill up your blender with ice and crush it. Pour in the tequila and triple sec. Add the strawberries and limeade. Blend for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Serve in margarita glasses with the rims dipped in sugar. Yum!