How To Throw The Best Cinco de Mayo Party Ever!

Get ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with some of our food ideas. We’re sharing tips on throwing the best Cinco de Mayo party ever, along with three Mexican food ideas and a Mexican cocktail with bourbon.

How To Throw The Best Cinco de Mayo Party Ever! | Cinco de Mayo Food Ideas

I love to party just as much as anyone else. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo works for me because it is a great excuse to eat good food, enjoy friends and family, and enjoy the levity of a party atmosphere.

So what is Cinco de Mayo?

According to various sources, Cinco de Mayo acknowledges and celebrates the Mexican army’s May 5th, 1862, hard-won victory over French forces located at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867).

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo has gained a great deal of popularity over the past several years.

The holiday is primarily celebrated in Mexico and the United States, where it has become a cultural celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

While it is not a federal holiday in Mexico, it is recognized as a regional holiday in the state of Puebla, where the battle took place. Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a widely celebrated holiday in the United States, with festivals, parades, and parties showcasing Mexican culture, music, and cuisine.

Cinco de Mayo Party Tips

1. Have your party food-focused. Please pay more attention to the food you are serving (make sure it’s authentic Mexican food).
2. Keep your decor simple. While picking up the food and Clamato® Tomato Cocktail at Walmart, I stopped over to the party section and grabbed a few party essentials. They had pinatas and vibrant decorations to help pull off my Cinco de Mayo theme. I was also able to find these tiny plants in the garden section, which made a nice touch to my decor.
3. For parties, it’s best to lay all the food out. Make it easy for guests to access each item without needing assistance. We pulled out a long chalkboard and placed all of the food on it, giving room for each dish to shine.
4. Cocktails and fun party drinks are also important to have an amazing party. We’re sharing our Clamato Bourbon + Tomatillo Foam cocktail recipe below.
5. Be sure to have a playlist of Spanish music to help set the mood.
6. And have fun! Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. As long as you got good food, great drinks, and a fun crowd, your party will be a success!

Food connects us because we all get hungry.

Yes, who doesn’t like discovering new foods and great flavors? I know I do, and one of my favorite foods to explore is the vast plethora of Mexican food and cuisine.

At least once a year, or more if we can, our family travels to California, and one of the things we love most is searching out new Mexican food spots to discover.

A few years back, we were on one of our annual Cali jaunts, and our good friend Josh wanted us to try out a new spot called Cactus Taqueria, and boy, oh boy, was it delicious and incredibly memorable!

My wife, Joshua, and I ate good food and just sat back and basked in the positive vibes and California sunshine.

Acknowledge. Celebrate. Eat. Repeat.

For this Cinco de Mayo party, I made several Mexican-themed dishes.

I put my spin on Spanish or Mexican rice, Mexican corn off the cob, and chicken street tacos.

I also made the show’s star our Clamato Bourbon + Tomatillo Foam. And everything came out great, and the food was incredible.

We got the music going, the drinks flowing, and with the excellent food, how can this party not be a success?

Did you know that Clamato is the official drink of Cinco de Mayo?

It’s true, Clamato is an authentic tomato cocktail, and it spices any party or get-together; it certainly pumped up our party.

We love how well the Clamato paired with the bourbon and tomatillo foam.

Like me, you can pick up your Clamato® Tomato Cocktail at your local Walmart. I did, along with everything else I needed to pull off our Cinco de Mayo celebration; now that’s very easy. 

How to make Mexican Chorizo Rice in the Instant Pot

• 2 cups long-grained rice
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 small Spanish or red onion, chopped into a fine dice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 13 ounces of beef chorizo
• 1 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
• lime wedges for serving

Directions:

1. Remove the lid of the Instant Pot and add long-grained rice, chicken stock, and one 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes (make sure you drain the tomatoes before adding them).
2. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, press the Rice bottom, and make sure the high-pressure vent is closed. *if you don’t have the rice bottom, hit the manual button and put the cooking time on for 14 minutes.
3. While the rice is cooking, place a medium-sized skillet over med/high heat and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the diced onions and sauté the onions for two minutes.
4. Next, add the chorizo and continue to cook until the meat is browned for about five minutes. Remove the chorizo from the stovetop and drain off the excess grease. Set aside.
5. Vent the pot and remove the lid when the timer sounds on the Instant Pot. Make sure the Instant Pot is off.
6. Fluff the rice using a fork and add the browned Chorizo and freshly chopped cilantro. Mix well.
7. Serve with wedges of lime.

How to make Black Bean + Pinto Refried Beans

• 1 tablespoon canola oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of lard or butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon Mexican-style chili powder
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 16-ounce can of black beans; do not drain
• 1 16-ounce can of pinto beans; do not drain

Directions:

1. Place a medium stockpot over medium heat, and add a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add chopped onion and minced garlic, and sauté onions and garlic for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Add beans and Mexican-style chili powder. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15-20 minutes. Use a wand mixer or potato masher to break apart the beans, continue to blend ), or mash them using a potato masher) until the beans are smooth.
3. Remove the beans from the heat and serve.

Note: I used unsalted sweet cream butter and extra virgin olive oil for this recipe.

Easy recipe for Mexican Corn Off The Cob

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon chili lime seasoning
• 1/4 mayo
• 1/4 cup green onion chopped
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 cans whole kernel sweet corn, drained
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
• 1 can golden hominy, drained
• 1 cup Parmesan or Cotija Queso

Directions:

1. Place a large skillet over med/high heat, and add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the butter, and make sure the skillet’s surface is covered in the olive oil and melted butter mixture.
2. Add the whole kernel corn and golden hominy, pan-fry the sweet corn and hominy for seven minutes, then remove from heat.
3. Add the chili lime seasoning, mayo, green onion, cilantro, and freshly grated Parmesan or Cotija Queso, and toss the ingredients together.
4. Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl and garnish with more green onion, cilantro, and grated cheese.
5. Serve.

How to make a Clamato Bourbon + Tomatillo Foam with Bacon

Ingredients:

• 1-ounce bourbon
• 1/3 cup ice
• 2 ounces of Mexican-style beer
• 3 ounces Clamato® Tomato Cocktail
• pinch of chili powder
• 6 tomatillos (to make the tomatillo foam)
• thick-cut bacon
• celery tops and wedges of cucumber for garnish

Directions:

Prep work: Fry several slices of thick-cut bacon and set aside on paper towels. Add six (6) tomatillos and juice, or blend on high into a juicer or blender. This will produce tomatillo juice with a large volume of green foam on top of the juice. Do this after the cocktail is made and just before serving.

1. Add 1/3 cup of ice, bourbon, Mexican-style beer, Clamato® Tomato Cocktail, and a pinch of chili powder into a cocktail shaker.
2. Stir the contents vigorously with a long-handled bar spoon for 30 seconds.
3. Strain into a standard rocks glass filled with ice, spoon two tablespoons of tomatillo foam on top, and add celery tops, bacon, and cucumber wedges on a cocktail stick.
4. Serve.

Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Cheers!

Easy recipe for Chicken Street Tacos {Great for Cinco De Mayo party}

Ingredients:

• boneless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• green onion, sliced
• red bell pepper, chopped
• green bell pepper, chopped
• red onion, chopped,
• lettuce, chopped
• taco seasoning
• sea salt

Directions:

1. Rinse and pat-dry boneless chicken breasts, seasoning both sides liberally with taco seasoning and sea salt.
2. Place chicken breasts inside a large zip-lock bag and use the smooth side of a butcher’s mallet to flatten the chicken.
3. Flatten chicken breasts one at a time. Place skillet over med-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot brown, the chicken is on both sides for about five minutes per side.
4. Turn the heat to low and allow the chicken to cook through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and repeat the process.
5. Slice the chicken and serve with flour or corn tortillas, refried beans, and additional traditional toppings for tacos.

Now let’s get this party started!

How do you plan to celebrate Cinco De Mayo? Drop us a line below and let us know.

Margarita Recipes to check out:

Raspberry Margarita

Cherry Margarita

Sour Apple Margarita

Other Recipes For Your Cinco De Mayo Party

Chicken Street Tacos

Tex Mex Baby Back Rib Tacos

Shredded Chicken Street Tacos

Cinco de Mayo Tex-Mex Sushi Rolls

Cinco de Mayo Breakfast Tacos

Salmon Enchiladas