Best Mexican Grilling Recipes

By Carl Hanson
Updated October 19, 2020

Grill lovers, meet a dozen essential BBQ recipes for your summer grilling rotation. These Mexican-inspired recipes get their smoky, char-flavored kicks from the flames. Featuring grilled steak, chicken, fish, and pork, they're some of our very favorite Mexican food recipes. We love them for family dinners and weekend parties -- and our Cinco de Mayo celebrations always need that grilled Paloma!

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Grilled Mexican Steak

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"This is a great way to serve skirt or flank steak," says TA9I. "The two day marinade is worth the wait."

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Mexican Grilled Corn

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"I consider this to be the greatest corn-on-the-cob recipe of all time," says Chef John. "The way the mild, subtly salted cheese works with an ancho-lime mayonnaise, along with that buttery, smoky corn, is a magnificent combination of flavors. Perfecto!" For more, check out our Best Mexican Sides for Your Summer Cookout.

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Easy Chicken Fajita Marinade

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"This is a simple fajita marinade that has been bounced around in my family for at least 15 years," says jmcdaneld. "It's simple, tasty, easily altered for a twist on the taste, and can be easily prepared in under 15 minutes. Serve with other fajita elements and enjoy! Some ideas: sauteed green bell pepper with white or yellow onions, jalapeno slaw, homemade salsa (tomato or mango), etc."

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Margarita Grilled Shrimp

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"The shrimp can be marinated up to 3 hours before grilling," says Jenny Thompson. "The amount of red pepper used can be adjusted according to how hot you like it. The marinade is also great on chicken."

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Chef John's Yucatan-Style Grilled Pork

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A 3-citrus marinade gets kicked up with minced garlic, annatto, brown chipotle, cumin, cayenne, oregano, black pepper and salt. "It has vibrant citrus and chile flavors and a beautiful orange hue from ground annatto," says Chef John. See how it's done:

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Fish Tacos Ultimo

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With chipotle peppers and plenty of cilantro, the spicy yogurt sauce makes this fish taco the ultimate. "These are great!" raves FOOFUS. "I made these as a lunch special for Cinco de Mayo at the restaurant where I work and everybody loved them! Only changes I made, I used lettuce instead of cabbage and pineapple salsa instead of plain salsa."

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Grilled Pork Tacos al Pastor

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"Al Pastor is a really popular way to prepare pork, famous in San Francisco's Mission District," says Chef John. "It's a pineapple juice and pepper marinated roast pork. They make the most incredible tacos and burritos. This is inspired by those flavors." Serve with lightly-fried tortillas topped with melted Jack cheese, shredded cabbage, and a little salsa. For more of Chef John's favorite Mexican recipes, check out Chef John's Best Cinco de Mayo Recipes.

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Lisa's Favorite Carne Asada Marinade

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"I've tried many marinade recipes for carne asada, and this is our family favorite!" says Lisa Arlotti.

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Mexican Steak Torta

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A Mexican sandwich filled with char-grilled steak, beans, avocado, lettuce and tomato and served up on a warm toasted roll. "These turned out great!" raves me1. "I used torta bread from Costco. I also added pico de gallo. Delicious and came close to the amazing tortas in Mexico."

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Grilled Grapefruit Paloma Cocktail

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"Here's a fired up twist on a traditional Mexican cocktail," says foodelicious. "You'll grill the grapefruit and lime to caramelize the fruit and give the juice a subtle smoky edge. Stir it up with tequila or mescal and top with club soda for a refreshing drink that's perfect all summer long."

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Arrachera (Mexican Skirt Steak for Tacos)

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Skirt steak tacos, or arrachera, are a Mexican specialty made of thinly sliced beef marinated with sazon and adobo seasoning, lime juice, and beer. "This is a recipe for traditional arrachera," says melodie. "The longer it marinates, the more robust the flavor will be. Heat tortillas on the grill or in the microwave. Serve the arrachera with warmed tortillas and all your favorite taco toppings."

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Baja Grilled Chicken Tacos

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Fill warm tortillas with marinated, grilled chicken and serve with your choice of garnishes and black bean and corn salad," says hynesey. "Thighs are a good substitute for chicken breasts here, especially with marinating and grilling. They do not dry out as quickly and are very forgiving."

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Chicken Fajita Skewers

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Fajita kabobs! "Here's a great way to combine a Mexican food favorite with the grill outside," says Sydnee Davis. "I served these chicken fajita skewers for Cinco de Mayo this year, and they were a hit. Serve with homemade pinto beans and authentic Mexican rice."

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More Mexican Recipes and Inspiration

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By Carl Hanson