Mexican Dinner Ideas (2024)

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This collection of Mexican dinner ideas will help you make the best Mexican dinner! From main dishes to sides to appetizers, drinks, and desserts – every recipe is here to help you have the perfect fiesta!

More Collections: Mexican Side Dishes, Mexican Desserts, Mexican Soups

We Love Mexican Celebrations!

We love Mexican food! Yes, many celebrate Cinco de Mayo with their favorite Mexican dishes, but we have it almost weekly at our house.

Why we love these Mexican dinner ideas:

For a fiesta or any night. Whether it’s for a holiday, a fiesta, or a weeknight dinner, you’ll have plenty of tasty dishes to choose from!
The flavors of Mexico. All of these dinner spreads include familiar flavors from spicy to sweet, you’re tastebuds will water!
Common ingredients. These recipes require the same or similar ingredients prepared in various ways so it’s easy to have them on hand.

common Ingredients in Mexican Cuisine

Corn. From corn tortillas to Elote (Mexican Street Corn) and beyond.
Cheese. Added on top or combined into the recipe.
Seasonings. Common herbs and spices include cumin, chili powder, cilantro, garlic, onion, oregano, chipotle, cocoa, cinnamon, cloves, and more.
Peppers. Chili peppers and jalapenos are both quite common.
Avocados are served sliced or used to make Guacamole.
Tortillas. Corn tortillas and Flour Tortillas are often used in the recipe or served on the side.
Beans. Black beans and Refried Beans are commonly found in dishes or on the side.
Toppings. Common toppings include sour cream, Pico de Gallo, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, olives, queso fresco, and a squirt of lime juice.

Our Top 10 Recipes

On my site, the top 10 most loved Mexican recipes (main and side) include:

Cheese Enchiladas
Chicken Quesadillas
Homemade Spanish Rice Recipe
Mexican Cornbread
Arroz con Leche
Chicken Taquitos
Taco Casserole
Bean Dip
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Baked Chicken Chimichangas

Go-to Appetizers

For a dinner spread plan for 1-2 different appetizers. Salsas, Dips, and sauces can be made ahead of time to make things even easier!

1 Flautas

Appetizer, Main CourseFlautas

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 57 votes

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2 Taquitos Recipe

Appetizer, Main CourseTaquitos Recipe

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 908 votes

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3 Nachos Recipe

Appetizer, Main CourseNachos Recipe

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

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4 Cheese Crisp

Main Course, SnackCheese Crisp

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 29 votes

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5 Bean Dip Recipe

AppetizerBean Dip Recipe

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 373 votes

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6 Cheese Quesadilla

Main Course, SnackCheese Quesadilla

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 9 votes

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7 Queso Blanco Recipe

AppetizerQueso Blanco Recipe

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

4.97 from 88 votes

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8 Jalapeno Poppers Recipe

AppetizerJalapeno Poppers Recipe

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 54 votes

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9 7 Layer Bean Dip Recipe

Appetizer7 Layer Bean Dip Recipe

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

4.98 from 45 votes

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10 Tortilla Chip Recipe

Appetizer, Side DishTortilla Chip Recipe

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 8 votes

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11 Salsa Recipe

AppetizerSalsa Recipe

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 109 votes

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Go-To Sides

Pick 1-2 sides to complement your main dish. A bowl full of Rice is a great one that can be made ahead and kept WARM in the slow cooker or chafing dish. Soups and stews can be served as a main dish or on the side. All of these options pair with almost anything!

12 Spanish Rice Recipe

Side DishSpanish Rice Recipe

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

4.99 from 5351 votes

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13 Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe

Side DishCilantro Lime Rice Recipe

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

4.97 from 61 votes

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14 Flour Tortilla Recipe

Side DishFlour Tortilla Recipe

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

4.97 from 64 votes

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15 Esquites

Side DishEsquites

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 32 votes

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16 Canned Refried Beans

AppetizerCanned Refried Beans

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 44 votes

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17 Mexican Corn Recipe

Appetizer, Side DishMexican Corn Recipe

Total Time: 14 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 55 votes

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18 Loaded Nachos Recipe

Appetizer, Main CourseLoaded Nachos Recipe

Total Time: 27 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 23 votes

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Go-To Mexican Dinners

Now for the star of the show! We recommend choosing 1-2 depending on the size of the party. It’s a good idea to have at least one that can be made ahead of time. Anything fried is usually made right before serving.

23 Chicken Tacos Recipe

Main CourseChicken Tacos Recipe

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 82 votes

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24 Beef Empanadas Recipe

Main CourseBeef Empanadas Recipe

Total Time: 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 28 votes

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25 Cheese Enchilada

Main CourseCheese Enchilada

Total Time: 47 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

4.95 from 719 votes

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26 Bean Chimichangas Recipe

Main CourseBean Chimichangas Recipe

Total Time: 19 minutes minutes

5 from 5 votes

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27 White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Main CourseWhite Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 7 votes

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28 Burrito Recipe

Main CourseBurrito Recipe

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 47 votes

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29 Carne Asada Recipe

Main CourseCarne Asada Recipe

Total Time: 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 10 votes

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30 Chicken Flautas Recipe

Appetizer, Main CourseChicken Flautas Recipe

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 76 votes

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31 Tostadas Recipe

Main CourseTostadas Recipe

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 21 votes

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32 Taco Casserole Recipe

Main CourseTaco Casserole Recipe

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 106 votes

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More Mexican Dinner Recipes

We’ve rounded up even more of our favorite Mexican cuisine, perfect for dinner any night of the week!

33 Carnitas Tacos

Main CourseCarnitas Tacos

Total Time: 9 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

5 from 9 votes

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34 Pork Tacos

Main CoursePork Tacos

Total Time: 6 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

5 from 8 votes

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35 Carne Asada Tacos Recipe

Main CourseCarne Asada Tacos Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

5 from 6 votes

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36 Steak Taco Recipe

Main CourseSteak Taco Recipe

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

5 from 10 votes

Desserts & Drinks

Save room for dessert! I usually try to make this ahead of time so it’s ready to go when that sweet tooth hits. For a great tip, you can easily extend any dessert by adding Ice Cream.

54 Arroz con Leche Recipe

DessertArroz con Leche Recipe

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 359 votes

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55 Sopapilla Recipe

DessertSopapilla Recipe

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 57 votes

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56 Tres Leches Cake

DessertTres Leches Cake

Total Time: 4 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 36 votes

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57 Churro Recipe

DessertChurro Recipe

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 33 votes

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58 Mexican Fried Ice Cream Recipe

DessertMexican Fried Ice Cream Recipe

Total Time: 4 hours hours 17 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 16 votes

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59 How to Make Flan Recipe

DessertHow to Make Flan Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

4.94 from 16 votes

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60 Churro Cheesecake Bars

DessertChurro Cheesecake Bars

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 235 votes

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61 Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe

DessertMexican Wedding Cookies Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour hour 26 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 28 votes

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62 Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe

DessertSopapilla Cheesecake Recipe

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 13 votes

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63 Carmelitas Recipe

DessertCarmelitas Recipe

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 57 votes

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64 Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipe

DrinksMexican Hot Chocolate Recipe

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 25 votes

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65 Horchata Recipe

DrinksHorchata Recipe

Total Time: 12 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 13 votes

A Family Go-To!

For those crazy weeknights we LOVE having a tray of these Enchiladas in the freezer so we can just pop it in the oven and have a delicious meal in no time.

Not only are chicken enchiladas so easy but they are so good! They are perfect for making in mass quantities and are super freezer friendly.

Here is the recipe:

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60+ Mexican Dinner Ideas

By: Lil’ Luna

Servings: 4

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded
▢ 2 cups Colby jack cheese shredded
▢ 1 (19-ounce) can Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce
▢ 1 cup sour cream
▢ 6-8 corn tortillas
▢ 1 (4 ½-ounce) can can chopped green chiles
▢ salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix chicken, green chiles, 1 cup of cheese, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
Add enchilada sauce to a small skillet and bring it to a boil then remove from the heat.
Grab one of the corn tortillas and dip it into the enchilada sauce for about 10-15 seconds. Repeat the process for the rest of the corn tortillas.
Spoon ⅓ cup of chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons sour cream in the middle of each tortilla (I usually put the sour cream in a sandwich bag and cut the bottom tip which makes it easier to squirt right down the center).
Roll the tortilla tightly and place seam-side down in an 8×8 (or 9×9) inch baking dish.
Repeat this rolling process with the rest of the corn tortillas. Pour the leftover enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Notes

FOR A 9×13 PAN…INGREDIENTS:

3 – 4 CUPS CHICKEN
3 CUPS MONTEREY JACK CHEESE
1 – 28 OZ. CAN LAS PALMAS GREEN CHILE ENCHILADA SAUCE
12-15 CORN TORTILLAS
1 – 2 CANS 4.5 OZ. CHOPPED GREEN CHILES
11/2 – 2 CUPS SOUR CREAM
SALT & PEPPER

Make ahead of time. Make the enchiladas as instructed, cover them with foil or saran wrap, and place them in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance. To make them even better, take the excess sauce and place it in an air-tight container. Pour on the sauce and add the cheese before storing.

FREEZE.We LOVE to freeze these Chicken Enchiladas and save them for later. In fact, we often double the batch and then eat one and freeze the rest for another night.

Nutrition

Calories: 588kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 122mg, Sodium: 1700mg, Potassium: 342mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 1810IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 534mg, Iron: 2.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

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Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!

Perfect for Your Next Fiesta!

We hope these recipes help you create the perfect Mexican meal. Just pick one from each category and we guarantee you’ll get rave reviews! They’re simple, delicious, and perfect for your next FIESTA!

So many great Mexican dinner Ideas!!

More Collections: Mexican Casserole Recipes, Mexican Beef Recipes, Mexican Appetizers

Categorized as: Appetizers, Cuisines, Desserts, , Drinks, Extras, Food Roundup, Main Dishes, Mexican Recipes, Recipes, Sides

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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