Cinco de Mayo Food Ideas That Are Sporked-Approved

The modern Cinco de Mayo party can take many forms, from parades and festivals that honor Mexican culture with traditional foods, drinks, and music to ragers at bars crowded with people who may or may not know what they’re celebrating tossing back Margs like they’re water and wearing shirts that say “Cinco de Drinko.” I’ll leave the socio-cultural analysis of this up to you. What we’re here to do is give you some easy Cinco de Mayo food ideas (drink ideas, too) that are fit for the party that you will inevitably be invited to, or maybe even hosting, this Cinco de Mayo.

Five Mexican-Owned Food Brands We Love

Credit: Liv Averett / Chuza / Dahila Coffee Co / Hernan Mexico / Hot Mama Salsa / Nemi

To kick off our list of Cinco de Mayo food ideas, we have a handful of Mexican-owned food brand recs. From snacks to salsa to coffee, this list will put you on to some of the best Mexican-owned brands available at major grocery retailers.

Best Tortilla Chips

The centerpiece of any good Cinco de Mayo party (and any party in general) is chips and salsa. Everyone has different preferences when it comes to the kind of tortilla chips they like, so our ranking features the stars of several categories including best lime, best light-bodied, and best overall.

Best Salsa

I tried to decide what was more important, the chip or the salsa, and I found myself completely lost in thought for like ten minutes, unable to come to a conclusion. They both have to be good. They must be. From best chunky to best smoky to best salsa verde, this list has all the best salsas you need to complete the array.

Best Store Bought Guacamole

Header: Best Guacamole — Credit: Liv Averett / Costco / Instacart / Target / Trader Joe’s / WeGuac

The best guacamole is homemade and I’m not here to fight you on that, but if you don’t have time or energy to chef up your own guac, you can still have an amazing chip dip straight from the grocery store.

Best Taco Seasoning

Seasoning is easily the most important part of the taco making process. If you’re looking to avoid using the small pouch that has been sitting in your pantry for ten years, and you want a taco seasoning that will add rich heat and spice to your taco meat, this list has the best you’ll find at the grocery store.

Best Corn Tortillas

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon / Instacart / Walmart

Simply put, tortilla choice can make or break your tacos. Not every stack of tortillas at the grocery store is created equal. Only the best, found on this list, have the great corn flavor and chewy texture that you need to create a quality taco for your Cinco de Mayo party, which would CLEARLY be incomplete without tacos.

Best Flour Tortillas

Maybe you’re going for burritos this Cinco de Mayo, or perhaps quesadillas. Or maybe you like to eat tacos with flour tortillas…I guess you can do that, if you really want to. Whatever your destiny may be, it will only be fulfilled if you have the best tortillas available.

Best Frozen Taquitos

If I was a few Margs deep and saw a tray of hot taquitos being taken out of the oven at a house party, I would be indescribably thrilled. Indescribably. That’s gotta make taquitos one of the best Cinco de Mayo food ideas, no?

Best Boxed Mexican Rice

If you’re going for a full meal for your Cinco de Mayo party as opposed to small bites, you will definitely want to include some Mexican rice in your lineup. To eliminate the hassle of measuring seasonings and simmering things, we’ve found the best tasting boxed Mexican rice options for you.

Best Refried Beans

Refried beans are delicious and versatile. They can be a side dish, they can be a to- tier dip for your tortilla chips, they can be a topping for nachos—they can be whatever you want them to be, especially on Cinco de Mayo. Perhaps the best part is that the prep is simply throwing them in the microwave (or on the stove if you’re too good for us electromagnetic wave enthusiasts).

Best Canned Micheladas

What is a Cinco de Mayo party without Micheladas? A bad Cinco de Mayo party. I don’t make the rules. I actually don’t suggest following rules either, generally speaking, but this one should be strictly abided by. You must have a Michelada at the Cinco de Mayo function.