15 Easy Cinco de Mayo Recipes for a Homemade Fiesta

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Thanks to the magic of your slow cooker, you can turn a few everyday ingredients and a boneless pork shoulder into a fragrant pot of fork-tender meat to stuff into soft tacos. Just load up the cooker in the morning and it's ready to party by the end of the day.

• Find more slow cooker Mexican recipes (under 300 calories!)

Quick and Easy Refried Beans

It takes a mere 20 minutes to transform ordinary canned pinto beans into a flavorful side dish. You can spice it up or calm it down to suit your taste.

• Find more recipes for Mexican bean side dishes.

Ex-Girlfriend's Mom's Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo)

Only five ingredients go into this super-fresh salsa, but you'll love how it picks up all the rest of the dishes on your menu and makes them dance. It needs to stand for 20 minutes to let the flavors blossom, so make this one before you tackle the guacamole.

• Shhh! Here are 7 top secrets for sensational homemade salsa.

Traditional Mexican Guacamole

Freshly made guacamole beats store-bought every time, and with a simple 10-minute prep, you'll have a bowl of guac everyone will rave about.

• Check out this guide to making the best guacamole ever.

Arroz Rojo (Mexican Red Rice)

This popular recipe takes only 15 minutes to prep and 25 minutes to simmer. You can make beans, guacamole, and salsa while the rice is cooking.

• See our entire collection of top-rated Mexican and Spanish rice recipes.

Beer Margaritas

A big pitcher of margaritas is a whole lot easier to serve to a crowd. You can line up a bar-load of glasses ahead of time and rim the edges with salt, then let everyone help themselves.

• Get recipes for 16 Mexican-inspired cocktails.

Tres Leches Pina Colada Cake

Make this moist and tasty cake the night before and let it chill until you're ready to serve it up come party time.

Chicken Fajita Melts

A tray of these fajita-inspired melts won't last long at a party. The dish takes 35 minutes from prep to finish, including the five minutes it takes for the cheese to melt and brown in the broiler.

Elotes (Mexican Corn in a Cup)

You just need 15 minutes and five ingredients to prep this party-perfect dish. Top each cup with mayonnaise, Parmesan, chile-lime seasoning, and lime juice.

• Find our entire collection of corn salad recipes here.

Lime and Tequila Infused Strawberries

These boozy strawberries average five-star reviews and take just 15 minutes to prep. So, waiting an hour for the berries to absorb the lime juice and tequila is worth it. Just don't sneak too many of 'em while you're waiting.

White Cheese Dip

If you're a fan of queso blanco dips at Mexican restaurants, you'll want to add this six-ingredient, 25-minute recipe to your Cinco de Mayo lineup.

Ridiculously Easy Queso Fresco "Dip"

"It's so ridiculously easy and looks much more refined than classic chile con queso," recipe creator Jillian Eileen says. "Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy."

Apple Enchilada Dessert

"I have used this recipe several times and love how quick and easy it is. I can put them in the oven just before we start eating dinner, and dessert is ready when we are," home cook Nikki says.

Sheet Pan Nachos

Cook ground beef in a skillet before piling it onto tortilla chips alongside cheese, olives, and jalapeños. Bake it for 20 minutes, and bam. You've found your new go-to appetizer.

• Spread a little Tex-Mex magic with top-rated nacho recipes.

Micheladas with Tajin

Have five minutes? Spice up dark beer with ingredients like chile-lime seasoning, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire, and tomato juice to create your own micheladas.

• See our entire collection of Cinco de Mayo recipes.