Cinco de Mayo is the perfect excuse for making great food and drinks. Don’t get caught up with the crowds at the Mexican restaurants this year. I’ve got 14 Gluten Free Cinco de Mayo Recipes you can make at home. They’re easy to make and the whole family will love them. Keep reading and pick a few out to go with the tacos and cheese dip.
Cinco de Mayo Recipes – Drinks
Start the party off with a couple of at home cocktails. Lots of beer contains gluten but here are a couple adult beverage ideas that are sure to be hits.
Margarita
The Margarita is my favorite cocktail for Cinco de Mayo, Taco Tuesday, or any other day that I want a mixed drink.
Margaritas are made using tequila and orange liqueur. Tequila is made from the distilled and fermented juice of the blue agave plant. The orange liqueur Cointreau is made by distilling orange peels. Both of these alcohols are gluten free.
For me, nothing beats a frozen margarita on the rocks with salt. If frozen is your thing, make it that way. It’s just a matter of dropping it all in a blender with ice. Click below for my margarita recipe.
Cinco de Mayo Recipes – Appetizers
A Mexican Restaurant meal isn’t complete without a big bowl of chips and salsa in front of you when you’re sitting at the table. Make your own Latin inspired dips with these recipes.
Restaurant Style Salsa
I load up a tortilla chip with as much salsa as it will hold. The more spice the better. I make a big batch of restaurant style salsa at home that lasts all week. The food processor does the blending and chopping and fire roasted canned tomatoes add a ton of flavor.
Roasted Salsa Verde
While not as popular as tomato based salsa, this mild green salsa adds some variety to Cinco de Mayo. It’s made with tomatillos that are found right near the tomatoes in your grocery store. For a tangy salsa switch up, try this recipe.
Chunky Guacamole
Chunky Guacamole is my version of Tableside Guacamole you get at a Mexican Restaurant. It’s full of tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime juice. Along with the recipe, I’ve also got some tips for keeping it fresh for a day or so in the fridge. Check it out by clicking the link below.
Cinco de Mayo Recipes – Soup and Salad
If you’re a soup and salad kind of person, here are a couple options to get your meal started.
Corn and Avocado Salad
This Mexican inspired salad has golden kernels of corn, red ripe tomatoes and bright green avocado. Add a few other ingredients and a simple vinaigrette to round it out. Now you’ve got a fresh and bright side dish full of nutrition. As an added bonus, it would also work for topping your tacos and enchiladas.
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Black bean soup made in the Instant Pot is great because you don’t have to soak your beans before making the soup. It’s a flavorful soup full of fiber. The soup works as a starter to the meal or double up your serving and make it the main course. Don’t forget to top that bowl of soup with shredded cheese, creamy sour cream, and crunchy corn tortilla chips.
Cinco de Mayo Recipes – Side Dishes
A meal isn’t complete without something on the side. Here’s a favorite Mexican side dish.
Instant Pot Refried Beans
Stop! Don’t open that can of beans! Instead, toss everything in the instant pot and make your own refried beans. You get more servings making your own vs what a can provides and it’s super inexpensive. Make your own refried beans using the Instant Pot in just about an hour.
Gluten Free Cinco de Mayo Recipes – Main Courses
I’m not saying skip the tacos this year on Cinco de Mayo. I’m just saying add one of these recipes to the meal as well. Afterall, variety is the spice of life.
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
I use a Boston Butt or pork shoulder for pork carnitas. It is an affordable cut of meat so when they are on sale pick one up and pop it in the freezer. The Instant Pot cooks the pork until it’s perfectly tender. Then the meat is popped under the broiler to crisp up. The carnitas meat goes in taco shells, on tortilla chips and made into nachos or just on the plate as is.
When you pick up a Boston Butt before making the carnitas, I’ve got directions for properly freezing meat HERE.
Instant Pot Ropa Vieja
Ropa Vieja is actually one of the national dishes of Cuba and not a Mexican recipe. For Cinco de Mayo, you’ll be OK letting this recipe into the celebration. A beef roast is cooked in a tomato based sauce with, peppers, onions, and garlic. After the meat is tender it’s gets shredded up and served over a bed of rice. Yum!
One Pan Chicken and Rice Southwest Style
If less dishes are your idea of a good dinner try making this Southwest Chicken and Rice. It’s a one pan meal that gets bowled up at the end. Sure, there are beans in it, but when it’s all mixed into the chicken and rice before being topped with cheese and sour cream, the kids should eat it, right?
One Pan Chicken and Rice Southwest Style
Mostly Make ahead Mexican Stuffed Peppers
The key to stuffed peppers is cooking parts of the full meal separately and then putting it all together. That way, it’s more about heating everything together instead of hoping the peppers are cooked and the rice isn’t still crunchy.
If you have extra filling it freezes well or is good the next day just reheated on its own.
Mostly Make ahead Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Roasted Shrimp
Roasting shrimp is so easy it’s barely a recipe. All it takes is coating the shrimp with some olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Then it’s roasted it for a few minutes in the oven and you’ve got perfectly cooked juicy shrimp.
Give the shrimp a Mexican flare by sprinkling over some taco seasoning or chili powder and cumin. Then add it to your tacos or nachos for a switch up from beef or chicken!
Cinco de Mayo Recipes – Toppers
Part of what makes Cinco de Mayo fun is all of the meal toppers. Cheese, sour cream and salsa are great but so are other condiments as well. If you’ve never canned before I’ve got a couple easy recipes for you that will make Taco Tuesday fun for months.
Pickled Jalapeños
Store bought jarred Jalapeños are good but Homemade Pickled Jalapeños are awesome! I like to mix different hot peppers together and make my own blend.
I use them on tacos and nachos as well as eggs, sandwiches, and sometimes eat them right out of the jar.
Cayenne Pepper Sauce
Sure, you can buy a bottle of hot sauce at the store. I have multiple bottles in my fridge so I’m not judging you at all. When Cayenne peppers are plentiful in the garden though I make up a batch of my own pepper sauce and can it.
Like pickled jalapeños, there are a TON OF USES for Cayenne Pepper Sauce. Tacos, eggs, potatoes, sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs and so much more!
With all these Gluten Free Cinco de Mayo Recipes you won’t have to fight the crowd at your favorite Mexican restaurant. Make some of these recipes at home and drink all the margaritas you want!
