Shutterstock Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration of Mexico’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In America, it’s more of an excuse to celebrate Mexican culture, including the cuisine! Of course, now there are also Tex-Mex, California Mexican, and Mexican-influenced dishes—and numerous […]
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Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration of Mexico's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In America, it’s more of an excuse to celebrate Mexican culture, including the cuisine! Of course, now there are also Tex-Mex, California Mexican, and Mexican-influenced dishes—and numerous ways to cook them, including in a crockpot. Since we’re bringing in a slow cooker, the following recipes are less about authenticity and more about festivity! Here are 20 slow cooker recipes to help you celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
We have a lot of slow cooker adaptations on this list, but let’s kick things off with an obvious candidate for a crockpot recipe: barbacoa. This shredded beef can easily be made in the slow cooker, and this recipe from The Recipe Critic can show you how it’s done with either beef brisket or chuck roast. The result is perfect for tacos, burritos, or anything you want!
A classic Mexican side dish, beans & rice can be made entirely in your slow cooker—if you use this recipe from Sweet & Savory Meals. It tastes great, but our favorite part is only having to clean one pot instead of two!
This Mexican pulled pork is perfect for the slow cooker, and so is this recipe from RecipeTin Eats. It calls for pork shoulder, onion, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and orange juice, as well as a simple rub made of cumin and ground oregano. Use it the same way you’d use the barbacoa!
Chicken enchiladas sound like a lot of work, even in a slow cooker, which is why we love this enchilada casserole recipe from Mom Makes Dinner. Instead of making the filling first and rolling each enchilada, all the ingredients are mixed in the pot—including corn tortillas, which are cut into strips.
Hominy and meat are the basis of traditional Mexican posole, which is usually topped with garnishes like radishes, shredded lettuce, and limes. This version from Damn Delicious includes all of the above, as well as poblano peppers, green chilies, and tomatillos, as well as a mixture of spices.
Chicken breast, chicken broth, cream cheese, and salsa go into your slow cooker, and eventually into a warm tortilla that gets wrapped into a square shape and sealed with a flour paste. Of course, you’ll need a skillet of hot oil to get the chimichangas crispy, and this recipe from Thriving Home Blog also has tips on freezing them as a make-ahead meal.
Tacos have been eaten in Mexico for hundreds of years, including fish tacos. Of course, they’ve evolved quite a bit since then, with some even taking on a California spin. That includes this slow cooker version from America’s Test Kitchen, which uses halibut filets.
Huevos rancheros (or “ranch-style eggs”) consist of fried eggs and pico de gallo atop corn or flour tortillas. This slow cooker recipe from Today is great for when you want to get breakfast (or brunch) going early in the morning, but aren’t eating for a few hours, as it starts in a skillet before finishing in a crockpot. And it includes chorizo!
This Mexican casserole from Bubba Pie is different from the enchilada casserole we previously discussed, as it features tortillas layered between seasoned beef, corn, beans, green chilies, cheese, and black olives. So it’s actually more like a “Mexican lasagna”! The beef needs to be cooked in a skillet, but everything else just goes right into the slow cooker.
Mexican street corn without a grill? Or a pot of water? Si! The only pot you need is your crockpot, and the only other thing you need to pull off this side dish—which is covered with sour cream, mayo, and cotija cheese—is this recipe from The Lazy Slow Cooker.
Mole is one of the most popular sauces and marinades in Mexican cuisine, however, it can be incredibly time-consuming to make depending on the recipe. Not only does this version from Sunkissed Kitchen simplify it down to about a dozen ingredients, but it enlists your slow cooker to help. (Note that cornstarch can be substituted for arrowroot!)
These nachos from Well Plated by Erin start in your slow cooker and finish in the oven, but you’ll be using the oven anyway because the recipe also tells you how to make tortilla chips from scratch! These nachos feature chicken, salsa, and pinto beans, but the recipe encourages you to customize with additional toppings like jalapenos, poblano peppers, tomatoes, olives, and/or avocado.
Quesadillas don’t need to be complicated, and this recipe from Eating on a Dime is proof. Put chicken, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and onions in your slow cooker, and set it on low for 6-8 hours. When you’re ready to eat, just scoop some of the mixture into a tortilla, top with cheese, fold, and griddle until it turns brown.
For the best restaurant-style white cheese dip, mix queso Blanco cheese, milk, butter, green chilies, jalapenos, garlic powder, and taco seasoning in your slow cooker. Then just give it a quick stir and cook for two hours on low. Tip of the sombrero to The Country Cook for the recipe.
Salsa doesn’t need to be cooked, but heating it transforms the flavors, and it preserves the quality if you’re considering canning. Making the salsa can still be a simple process, especially with this seven-ingredient crockpot recipe from The Magical Slow Cooker.
Salsa chicken is one of the easiest ways to make chicken in a slow cooker. As Gimme Some Oven explains, it’s as easy as putting chicken breasts in the pot, covering them in your favorite salsa, and cooking on high for 4 hours (or low for 7-8 hours). Serve with rice, beans, or both!
There are a lot of slow cooker recipes for burrito meat, but this one from Eating on a Dime goes one step further and actually cooks the wrapped burritos in the slow cooker…after they are covered in sauce and cheese! The recipe calls for beef—specifically stew meat—but you can sub your favorite filling.
Steak in the slow cooker? Don’t fret, Barefoot in the Kitchen will walk you through how it’s done. These fajitas use flank steak with salsa, onion, jalapenos, and whatever bell peppers you’d like—and it all gets cooked together. You’ll need some tortillas, too, but don’t put them in the slow cooker this time.
Mexico: Meet the 50th state! These Hawaiian pork taquitos from Six Sisters’ Stuff were a huge hit in our family, and then we somehow lost the recipe. Now that it has been found again—specifically for this list—will we soon be making these slow cooker taquitos topped with a homemade pineapple salsa again! (Note: We’ve also successfully—and deliciously—made this recipe with chicken!)
This tortilla soup from Kim’s Cravings is a fun spin on Mexican cuisine that’s made specifically for your slow cooker. It combines a flavorful haul of ingredients—chicken, tomatoes, onion, corn, black beans, and green chilies—and tops the result with cut tortilla strips, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, and a bit of lime juice.
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