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Irresistible Cinco de Mayo Recipes for the Ultimate Taco Night

Irresistible Cinco de Mayo Recipes for the Ultimate Taco Night

Get ready for the ultimate in taco nights! Here in the U.S. we are breaking out all of the Cinco de Mayo food we can get our hands on and putting on a fiesta to remember! We’ve gathered our favorite tex-mex recipes below. So whether you just need taco party ideas or you want the best Mexican menu out there, here’s a list we think you’ll love.

A spread of easy Mexican dishes, including tacos and enchiladas, ready for a party.

1. Taco Crescent Ring

This Taco Crescent Ring recipe is a crowd-pleaser that combines the bold flavors of seasoned taco beef with buttery, flaky crescent rolls. Not much measuring here: Some ground beef, as much cheese as your diet will allow, and two cans of crescent roll dough. Bake and take!

A golden-brown taco crescent roll ring filled with seasoned beef and melted cheese.

2. Cheesy Chicken Taco Spaghetti

Let’s start this Cinco celebration with an easy, cheesy option that takes a classic weeknight dinner and transforms it with even more flavor. If you have pantry staples like pasta, shredded cheese and a pack of taco seasoning, you’re set.

A creamy, cheesy chicken taco spaghetti casserole garnished with fresh cilantro and served in a baking dish.

3. Ground Beef Enchiladas

If I’ve made these once, I’ve made them a dozen times—they’re that good. With all the Mexican fiesta party food out there, we are pretty happy with this easy classic! We prefer to use flour tortillas as a personal preference, but you can use corn tortillas in this recipe too. 

A pan of cheesy beef enchiladas topped with homemade enchilada sauce and garnished with fresh cilantro, ready to serve.

4. Mexican Tortilla Casserole

One of my easy Mexican dishes, you can pick up the ingredients as prepackaged as you need or make everything from scratch: This casserole is made of flour tortillas, seasoned ground beef, rice, corn, and LOTS of shredded cheese, then baked and sliced up and served like a layer cake.

A delicious layered Mexican tortilla casserole topped with melted cheese and garnished with fresh cilantro, ready to serve.

5. Taco Pizza

This from-scratch taco pizza with ground beef is the ultimate Cinco De Mayo food—loaded with homemade taco flavors, cheese, and a crispy crust. A great addition to your next fiesta, or of course the grandaddy of taco nights: Cinco de Mayo!

A freshly baked taco pizza topped with ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream on a golden homemade crust.

6. Beef Taco Salad

A great recipe for beginners, because you really just measure the ingredients with your heart! Comes with lots of serving ideas and storage tips, too.

A vibrant beef taco salad with seasoned ground beef, crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, shredded cheese, and creamy dressing served in a bowl.

7. Taco Soup

I’ve learned that you don’t have to add chili powder to get tex-mex flavor. If you are as hands-off from spicy foods as Renee’ is, you can leave out chili powder and add smoked paprika and cumin instead. This taco soup is completely customizable to taste and whatever pantry staples you have on hand.

A hearty and flavorful bowl of homemade taco soup with ground beef, beans, and fresh toppings, perfect for a quick dinner.

8. Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad

Maybe a little unconventional as far as Cinco de Mayo dinner ideas go, but quinoa makes a delicious cold salad as it does a hot side dish. Add a bit of spicy flair, and it’s a great recipe to make for the whole crowd.

A vibrant and flavorful Tex-Mex quinoa salad with a mix of fresh vegetables and spices, perfect as a warm or cold side dish.

9. Taco Cups

We had so much fun making these! Of course taco cups make a great party platter appetizer, but are you looking for one of the best Cinco de Mayo recipes (easy)? Try this one. You just need a muffin pan and street taco-sized flour tortillas to make the cups. We walk you through all the steps for making and filling these yummy tex-mex finger foods!

Mini taco cups filled with seasoned ground beef, cheese, and toppings, offering a delicious and creative spin on traditional tacos. Perfect for parties and family dinners.

10. Taco Casserole

Pull this favorite out of your hat of Mexican potluck ideas that everyone will love! Easy to layer into a 9×13 foil pan so you don’t even have to remember to get your casserole dish from the host later.

A hearty taco casserole with seasoned ground beef, melted cheese, and classic taco flavors, offering a quick and easy dinner option for busy families.

11. Crack Chicken

This Crack Chicken recipe is an internet darling, and with good reason! Maybe not what you’ll find at every Cinco celebration, so it will disappear fast. This slow-cooker recipe can be served as a sandwich, dipping for chips and crackers, or even top baked potatoes. It is made with shredded chicken, crispy bacon, ranch seasoning, and melted gooey cheese.

A creamy, cheesy crack chicken recipe topped with fresh herbs and melted cheese in a serving dish.

12. Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

Packed with tender shredded chicken, creamy cheese, and a kick of hot sauce, these easy quesadillas are a flavor doorbuster. Make them mini-sized for an unforgettable Cinco de Mayo party platter.

Golden, crispy buffalo chicken quesadillas filled with melted cheese and spicy buffalo sauce, cut into triangles and served with ranch.

The bottom line

Whether you are looking for deliciously cheesy beef enchiladas smothered in homemade enchilada sauce or a taco casserole perfect for leftovers, we have your Cinco de Mayo recipes covered!