It’s Mexican FIESTA TIME!!!! We never need an excuse for Mexican food, so gather your amigos and get ready for a feast with this EASY Mexican menu!
Mexican Food Fiesta!
If you really twisted my arm and forced me to choose, I’d say Mexican is my favourite food……… along with Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Southern, Italian and Middle Eastern food. 😂😂😂
This feast you see is in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo which is on Saturday, 5 May 2018. It marks the anniversary of Mexico defeating the French invasion in 1862, but ironically, is more widely celebrated in the States than in Mexico.
Albeit for some, it seems like an excuse for eating tacos and drinking margaritas!!!
So I present to you a simply fabulous Mexican Fiesta menu plan, jam packed with my favourite Mexican food. A base taco menu plus plenty of options to switch out and add ons. Bring it on!
A big Mexican Fiesta that’s easy to make at home
Pork Carnitas (pictured in Fiesta) – that elusive combination of golden crispy meets juicy in shredded pork. The best of the best of Mexican food, 5 minutes prep, freezer friendly — every taco lover’s dream come true!
Carnitas not your taco filling of choice? Not to worry – any of the following make just as brilliant alternatives!
More Taco Fillings
Unforgettable Guac (doubles as dip and dolloping in tacos)- The secret to a great guacamole is starting with a paste made with onion, coriander/cilantro, jalapeño or serrano chilli, and salt. And if you find this guac recipe on my Instagram feed, you’ll also see plenty of messages validating the claims of authenticity! This is the real deal. No one can ever put their finger on why it tastes so good, they just know it’s better. 🙂
Simple Pickled Red Cabbage (from my Fish Tacos recipe) – such a great side for a taco spread! It adds a burst of freshness in or on the side of the taco, not to mention how much I love the vibrant colour. 🙂 This one’s a real quick pickled cabbage I use in Fish Tacos – just scale it up (use the slider).
Also pictured in the Mexican Fiesta Spread:
Charred warm corn and flour tortillas, grilled corn sprinkled with chipotle powder (contemplated doing this Mexican Grilled Corn or Mexican Corn Salad but thought simpler was better, already enough flavours going on), homemade tortilla chips (just deep fry corn tortillas), quick Restaurant Style Salsa (doubles as dip and sauce for tacos), sour cream, a dish of chopped white onions (not as sharp as brown onion, very commonly used in tacos in Mexico), coriander/cilantro and lime wedges.
Want to go even bigger for your fiesta food spread? Here are extra hit dishes to add to your menu for a truly decadent Mexicano banquet!
More Fiesta Dishes!
Other optional extras: Pico de Gallo, Refried Beans (I dress up canned, it’s in this recipe here), bowls of shredded cheese, Mexican hot sauces, sliced jalapeño.
Oh, also included in the Fiesta photo – fake shots of tequila (water…. too early for real tequila!!) and light beer I use solely for photos (having purchased a carton for a gathering thinking surely there would be some sensible people will drink it. How wrong I was.)
What I should have included in the photos – margaritas!
More Fiesta Drinks
And something sweet to finish – I suggest Churros, which I know isn’t strictly Mexican (it’s actually Spanish) albeit very popular in the touristy areas of Mexico. 🙂 20 minutes to make (you will be amazed!) and great for making ahead!
I know you’re probably sick of seeing this photo, but because it took the better part of a day to cook, style and clean up after a single photo, let me get more mileage out of it – so here it is one last time! – Nagi xx
PS I know this Mexican Fiesta isn’t a recipe but I consolidated it all into one handy little printable recipe for you. 🙂
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Mexican Fiesta Menu
Ingredients
Mexican Fiesta menu plan (as pictured in post):
- Pork Carnitas
- Restaurant style salsa (doubles as taco sauce + dip)
- Authentic Guacamole
- Pickled red cabbage (Note 1)
- Warmed tortillas
- Homemade tortilla chips (see below)
- Grilled corn (See below)
- Sour Cream
- Chopped white onions (Note 2)
- Coriander/cilantro leaves (whole or chopped)
- Lime wedges
Other Protein options:
Other Side options:
- Pico de Gallo
- Queso Dip (stays silky when cool!)
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Avocado Corn Salad
- Mexican Grilled Corn with Chipotle Adobo Sauce
- Pig Out Salsa (Chorizo and Corn)
- Mexican Red Rice
- Refried Beans (Note 3)
- Shredded Cheeses
- Avocado Slices (instead of guac)
- Hot Sauces
- Sliced Jalapeno
To Finish:
- Churros (quick, and great for make ahead)
Instructions
- Choose one or two proteins, then sides of choice. See linked recipes for directions (except tortilla chips and grilled corn, see below).
- Main Taco Filling Selection: The most convenient big batch protein is Pork Carnitas because it freezes great and only requires a quick pan fry to freshen up, and stays good for several hours (tips are in Carnitas recipe notes). The Shredded Chicken and Beef are almost as good (pork is slightly juicier) and stored similarly. The next simplest is Fish Tacos because it's very quick to cook, then just put them in a serving dish and break into chunks with fork. If you want to use one of the chicken recipes to make ahead, use boneless thigh fillets, cook, then keep whole, cover and cool, reserve every drop of leached juice. Before serving, chop/slice, cover and microwave reheat.
- Taco Fixings: I like to have at least one fresh thing to stuff in tacos (pickled cabbage is my choice in this Fiesta), + a sauce (the Restaurant Style Salsa,) + avocado in some form (guac or slices or in Pico de Gallo) + coriander/cilantro. Chopped white onion is very common in Mexico, and Tex Mex fans such as myself will almost always have sour cream and shredded cheese too!
- Other Sides: Tortillas + things to stuff in tortillas usually makes for a satisfying meal in itself, but to round things out I usually provide a salad or vegetables of some form. Plain grilled corn is very on theme!
Directions (for items listed above without recipe link):
- Homemade Tortillas Chips: Chop corn tortillas to desired shape, fry in oil until crisp and light golden. Transfer for paper towel, sprinkle with salt while hot.
- Grilled Corn: Grill corn on BBQ over high heat until nicely charred. Brush with melted salted butter and sprinkle with chipotle powder (or chilli or cayenne, to taste)
Recipe Notes:
LIFE OF DOZER
Before:
And 2 minutes later: Dozer did “something”, was limping heavily and in visible distress, but even worse was the grinding, cracking and popping noise.
With the help of kind strangers, he was carried to the car and I dashed to the vet to learn he had ruptured his ACL*. I’m told it was a ticking time bomb – he’s had knee problems for a while now.
He’s unable to bear any weight on his rear leg though thankfully he’s not in pain. He’s going in for surgery as soon as I return from the States (I shortened the trip especially) and it’s going to be a long road to recovery.
Discomfort aside, the worst part is that he’s confined to a small space for the 6 weeks or so – at least. It’s going to be such torture for this beach loving boy affectionately called “psycho” by fellow dog owners for the ridiculous high energy he has!
Be prepared for some sad photos in the coming months. 😩 But also hopefully some hilarious ones as I get creative to keep his spirits up!!!❤️
* The ACL is the anterior cruciate ligament which holds the knee together so basically his knee joint is sliding all over the place so he can’t put any pressure on it. Once the ACL is snapped, it won’t heal without surgery.
CindyH says
Oh, Dozer, sweet Dozer! I know he will be fine in time. In fact, there’s a good chance you will hurt more than he does through all this. ;-D His active lifestyle and swimming to date will surely aid in his speedy recovery. If you have canine warm water therapy/hydrotherapy available in your area, I highly recommend it!
We decided to go out for Cinco de Mayo so I didn’t use these recipes (yet). However, I made your honey garlic salmon tonight. It’s usually one recipe or another of yours at our house at least a couple days a week! Thank you!
Nagi says
I get so teary thinking about his operation! I think he’s going to have his entire leg shaved and a big nasty scar on his leg 😩 I made the mistake of googling about SCL surgery and looking at images!
Jenn says
OMG Nagi, poor poor Dozer. Makes it worse cause he can’t tell mamma where it hurts or when…happy thoughts of a quick recovery coming your way Dozer! I couldn’t imagine my little boy going through this, but Dozer has a great mamma to take care of him!
Nagi says
I know! That’s the most frustrating part, he just stands there whimpering and looking at me sadly 🙁 It took me a while to figure out how bad it was!
Ada says
I just saw your latest blog post and discovered I had missed the one where you first told of Dozer’s injury. Poor baby! and poor “Momma”! It’s so hard to see our sweeties hurting. You are certainly *not* a crazy dog lady! I know you’ll keep us posted on his progress. Enjoy your trip to the states.
Nagi says
Ha! I’m a crazy dog lady – and totally fine with that! 😂
Maureen Kubala says
I am so sorry to have missed your original post about Dozer. I was feeling under the weather so I haven’t been checking my e-mails for a few days. Our first golden (we are on our fifth) had two ACL surgeries. Keeping her quiet was a challenge both times since she loved to play, as does Dozer. Glad to say she recovered fully from both with a lot of spoiling from me and my husband. I will be praying for you and your precious guy. Best of luck. Before you know it he’ll be back to his old self! By the way, I love your recipes and look forward to reading them all. Thanks.
Nagi says
Oh dear Maureen, I’m sorry to hear that. Are you feeling better now?? Thank you for sharing that you had a similar experience. TWO ACK surgeries 🙁 The vet tells me there is a very good chance he will need his other leg done down the track. It’s so sad!
Maureen says
Poor baby and poor you. Charlie went under the knife on Friday and is wearing a cone for 10 days. We sure do get attached to our babies.
Now I want Mexican food. 🙂
Nagi says
Oh nooooooo!!! Charleeeee……. Is he ok??
Maureen says
yes, he’s fine. He’s not very pretty 🙂 He’s fuzzy with lots of bare patches. Half his nose has been shaved. The back of his head looks like he’s been hit with a shovel because there’s no hair.
Cone came off yesterday so he’s happy.
Kelly says
Poor Dozer. I just had surgery for a ruptured ACL myself. It is a long road to full recovery. I know a few people whose dogs have had it too, there are lots of things you can do to keep them entertained. Check out Canine enrichment on Facebook.
Nagi says
Thank you so much for the tip Kelly! I’m sorry you had to go through that yourself – did you come out the other side ok??
Julie says
Nagi! We made the carnitas, the guac, the Mexican red rice and the pickled cabbage. Family declared it was one of the best meals we have ever made! Thank you for the inspiration and excellent instructions.
We hope Dozer is on the mend!
Nagi says
OOOH! I love hearing that – and wow what a feast! Thanks for the lovely message re: Dozer, he will be just fine. He’s a tougher cookie than I give him credit for! N xx
Coral says
Dear Nagi, so sorry to hear of Dozer’s injury and impending surgery but with your love and the vet’s skilfullness and the
good wishes from everyone, he will be back to normal in no time. xxx
Nagi says
Thank you Coral! He will be just fine, just a bit frustrating for him! 🙂 N xx
Jean says
Hello Nagi,
Please give Dozer a big hug and kind words of sympathy from Brian and myself. I know exactly what he is and will be going through as our corgi/chihuahua/fox terrier cross dog (corgi size but well packed) went through this twice, the first time just on Christmas and we had to wait until the vets opened up after Christmas for his operation. Recuperation in the kennel was hard and second time round was worse as he knew what he had to go through. Unfortunately for us our house is on a full sized basement and so Brian had to carry him down 18 steps to toilet him and then back up the steps as his kennel was on the landing just out from the back door. While he was confined to just kennel we would sit out on the landing whenever we could. Gradually he was allowed to start walking. For me it was relatively easy as we live on a short no exit road with a little hill to climb and so I was able to measure out his distances to walk by the number of length of the road we did. He set the pace and then there were some days he didn’t want to walk far and so we would head straight back to the house. I even made him a little plastic raincover to go over his removable coat for when it was wet or cold. I was lucky Buffy was a small but really energetic dog and Dozer is oh so much larger.
All the best wishes to you both for the next period of time.
Hugs and kisses to Dozer,
Jean B (NZ)
Nagi says
Ohhhh BUFFY! Thank you so much for sharing your experience, it really helps give me insight for what it will be like. Poor Buffy, going through it twice! But he is lucky to have such loving owners. Please give him a big hug from me! N xx
Cathy says
So sorry to hear about Dozer. I check almost daily to see what he’s up to.
Any chance of fitting him with a canine cart while he recuperates, so he can get around without putting weight on his leg? One of my dogs used one and it was even kitted out with mountain bike wheels so she could go to the park.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery, puppy!
Nagi says
Oh Cathy, seriously, that thought came to mind and I wondered whether that was too Crazy Dog Lady!!!! It would have to be a BIG one though, like one of those trolley’s revivalists use to move big items of furniture, ba ha ha!! N xx
Cathy says
Yep, they’re big! Kind of like having a baby grand piano trundling around the house.
As info, Peanut was about 24″ at the withers and 70 lbs.- not exactly the “delicate flower” her name implies! We lived in an apartment at the time and navigating halls, getting on and off the elevator etc. was pretty easy.
Nagi says
BA HA HA!!!! I literally sniggered out loud in the airport waiting area when I read this!!!!
Barbara von Normann says
Oh Nagi,
My heart just sank when I read about Dozer’s injury, the needed surgery, and long recovery time! I am just so, so sorry! My spouse and I have simply fallen in love with your handsome boy! I feel that I am his mother, as I’ve become so attached to him. 🙂
Just know that we are sending you and Dozer our thoughts and prayers from our home in Estonia (which is actually just a speck on the map next to Finland)
Eha says
Tere! Tere! Ega Teie ainuke eestlane siin pole 🙂 ! Olen siinsetele Eesti üle juba aastakümneid õpetanud ja elan vaid 100km eemal sellest toredast kutsikast! Nojah, Nagi’st ka !!!
Nagi – have not gone ‘nuts’ -0 I happen to be Estonian-born also, born in Tallinn! You see how we manage to get absolutely everywhere in the world 🙂 ! Hmm: sort’of ‘Scandinavian’ yes, ‘exotic’, heavens above, no !!!!
Nagi says
LOVE that!!
Nagi says
You made me all weepy with this lovely message! PS ESTONIA!! So exotic!! N xx
Sharon Green says
Oh Dozer!
Nagi, I’m a vet nurse, and can tell you confining him, doing his passive range of motion and rehab therapy are so essential for a good recovery. It’s going to be hard on both of you.
Looks like you are already off to a great start with his pen.
I look forward to hearing how he progresses. Best wishes to both of you.
xoxo
Nagi says
I’m so happy to hear from an expert! Thank you so much for that advice Sharon. I think I’ll be reaching out for lots of tips over the next few months. I know nothing about dog rehab! N xx
Eha says
Peeking in from a busy blogbreak: Both you and Dozer are in for a bloody hard time: very, very sorry! Poor darling – I wish I could come and babysit and keep him busy’ whilst you work. What is it with Aussie footballers and him . . . . the anterior cruciate is a horrid ligament to snap . . . oh Nagi . . . .
Nagi says
It always makes me laugh when I read that ACL is so common with footballers… I mean, Dozer is about as far as one can be from a pro athlete!!! Thank you for the best wishes Eha! N xx
Mary says
Good luck with your trip. Don’t worry too much about Dozer as I am sure you have left him in the best care. So sorry to hear that he has injured himself just enjoying life. He will soon be back to his old self. He is such a lovely boy.
Your Mexican Feast looks wonderful!!
Nagi says
Thank you for the positive words Mary! Needed it – been pretty upset about this. Such an ordeal for such a BIG DOG!!!
Kelly says
Hi Nagi
So sorry bro read about Dozer 🙁
What dessert would you suggest to go with the Cinquo de Mayo Fiesta???
Nagi says
HI Kelly! CANNOT BELIEVE I SKIPPED DESSERT!! 🙈 My suggestion is Churros – yes it involves deep frying but they are so quick to make and can be made ahead. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can even just dollop little balls of dough in the oil and bake small round doughnut shaped churros! N x PS added this to the list with link to the recipe.
Nycolle says
Nagi, you may be pleased to know I stared at your fiesta spread pic for some time even before the re-post at the end of your spiel! LOL. It’s a stunning photo and was taking in where you put everything – you have a very clever and creative eye. And the food looks delicious!
And so sorry to hear about Dozer. Poor boy. That must has been distressing for you too, no doubt. All the best for his recovery.
Thanks Nagi 🙂
Nagi says
Hearing that makes all the effort for that single photo TOTALLY WORTH IT! 😂 Thanks Nycolle – and for the lovely message for Dozer! N xx
Meghan Grace says
Oh no! Poor Dozer boy. Please give him love and hugs from me. Prayers for quick healing coming his way!
Nagi says
Thanks Meghan! And big hugs passed on – I’ve been smothering him a ridiculous amount these past few days!! N xx
Diane says
So sorry to hear about Dozer, but you will take good care of him I am certain…will read Life of Dozer for the next few weeks before your recipes, Nagi, but Dozer warms my heart! Hugs and kisses to you both…all will be well soon and Dozer and you will be back on the beach!
Nagi says
Thank you Diane! Hugs and kisses passed on and gratefully received, he is being very smoochy lately!! N xx
Colleen Hess says
Oh no! Dozer, don’t be scared. Love you. Tell mom to get back sooner.
Nagi says
OMG I can’t shorten my trip anymore it will KILL ME!! 🙂 PS He’s a totally wuss when it comes to the vet. Such a girl! 😂
Susa says
Poor Dozer hope it won’t take long to heal 🐶🏴
Nagi says
ME TOO!!!!! I’m told it will be 4 – 6 months before he’s back to normal 😩