Since Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, I thought I’d give you a bit of a heads up so you can start thinking about what Mexican-inspired dishes you will be preparing on Thursday! We never really need an excuse to have Mexican (or at least Tex-Mex) around here — but if you don’t spice up your life very often with this ethnic food, Cinco de Mayo is the perfect excuse to try something new!

Here are a few of our favorites:

  1. Beef Tacos

  2. Simple, easy to scale, you can change it up however you want with the extra toppings, and the seasoned meat portion of this freezes really well so it makes a quick weeknight dinner. Add your own homemade jalapeno sauce to really spice them up!

  3. Chimichangas with homemade salsa
  4. I didn’t have my first chimichanga until a few years ago and I felt like I really missed out until this point. Easy, delicious and fun to say! 😉

  5. Arroz con Pollo
  6. This is a very simple dish that can be used as a side dish with other foods (like fajitas) or served on its own with the curry sauce. It’s SO good with the sauce…

  7. Taco Chili
  8. A new recipe that I just discovered that we totally love. And it makes sense. We love tacos, we love chili — why not taco chili? But with chicken for a twist!

    chicken taco chili

  9. Homemade taco seasoning
  10. You can’t make tacos or taco chili without taco seasoning. And here in Germany, that’s not always easy to come by. Plus, who wants half of their seasoning mix to be unnecessary preservatives and other additives? I love making our own seasonings and you can adjust it to your needs.

  11. Empanadas
  12. I’ve been meaning to make some empanadas lately because I use my little turnover gadget for them — but so many other good foods have been distracting me!

  13. Enchilada casserole
  14. I don’t make this dish nearly enough! Somehow I always seem to forget it exists…but it’s SO good!

  15. Salsa verde beef
  16. Quick, versatile and very tasty!

  17. Guacamole
  18. A mouthwatering guacamole recipe from Rachel at A Southern Fairytale — that girl knows how to cook!

  19. Cervezas and Margaritas
  20. A Mexican feast just isn’t complete without a cold beer or a margarita– or both!