Tacos. Burritos. Enchiladas. They’re all fabulous choices for dinner, but let’s face it—it’s really all about the tasty side dishes. (We’re looking at you, avocado rice and queso fundido.) From super cheesy to keto-friendly, we’ve rounded up 40 Mexican side dishes to try at your next fiesta, whether you’re chowing down for Taco Tuesday, throwing a Cinco de Mayo party or looking to mix up your weekly rotation.
40 Mexican-Inspired Side Dishes That Are Quick, Easy and Oh So Cheesy
•
Published Apr 15, 2022
1. Smoky Barbecued Corn
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
It’s got all the elote toppings you love, like cheese, chili powder, mayo and cilantro. Need we say more?
2. Quick Guacamole Quinoa Salad
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, dairy free, high fiber
We can't get enough of this recipe from Coterie member Gena Hamshaw’s cookbook Power Plates: 100 Nutritionally Balanced, One-Dish Vegan Meals. Why? It's pretty much a big bowl of guac masquerading as a salad.
3. Green Chile And Roasted Tomato Guacamole
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
There’s no better side for Taco Tuesday than a heaping bowl of guacamole. This version from Coterie member Maria Lichty adds heat with green chiles and sweetness with roasted tomatoes.
4. Mexican Posole
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, one pot
Trade your old chili recipe for this hearty Mexican soup. It consists of hominy (big corn kernels, which you can find in the canned goods section of the grocery store), along with other yummy ingredients like chicken and green chiles.
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
5. Mexican Street Corn Deviled Eggs
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
These cuties are the perfect backyard barbecue side dish, and you'll be pleased to find out that you can prepare them in less than an hour.
6. Sun-dried Tomato Guacamole
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegan
Take your guacamole up a notch with a creative Italian spin. The recipe calls for lemon juice instead of lime, plus sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
7. Tater Tot Nachos
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, high protein, crowd-pleaser
Chips are a staple, but sometimes it pays to switch things up. And who doesn't love tater tots? Add salsa, sour cream, green onions and cilantro to transform them into an epic side dish.
8. Grilled Mango Salsa
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, crowd-pleaser
This sweet-yet-spicy recipe calls for onions, tomatoes, jalapeños and mangoes. You can eat the salsa with chips or add a scoop atop summery grilled fish.
9. Fish Taco Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, high protein, special occasion-worthy
Any side dish involving crispy tortilla chips, tender tilapia and crunchy slaw is bound to be a crowd-pleaser.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
10. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Time Commitment: 6 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, high protein, one pot
This Crockpot dish will pair perfectly with any other Mexican-inspired foods you're serving. Scoop it up with chips or use it as taco filling.
11. Mini Nachos
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Nachos can go one of two ways: You either grab a chip with the perfect ratio of toppings...or you get one that's totally bare (or worse, soggy). Our recipe for mini nachos solves that problem.
12. Mexican Pinto Beans
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
Coterie member Gaby Dalkin's incredible Instant Pot beans are spiced up with chipotles in adobo, fresh jalapeños and canned green chiles.
13. Chilaquiles Verdes
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, one pan
Add this savory dish to the brunch spread and your guests will be begging for the recipe. Just line a cast iron skillet with salsa-soaked chips, then once they're crispy, top them off with a runny fried egg.
14. Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Quick, your friends are coming over in half an hour. You have just enough time to transform tortilla chips and a few ears of corn into this mind-blowing flavor explosion. (All that's missing is a chilled cerveza.)
15. Calabacitas Quesadillas
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, <30 minutes
OK, you don’t technically have to share...but it’s more fun if you do. This take from Coterie member Monique Volz puts a twist on a classic by combining traditional ingredients, like zucchini and jalapeño, with vegan cheese and whole-wheat tortillas.
16. Queso Fundido
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Family dinner? Friends in town? Hanging at home solo on a random Saturday night? These are all fantastic reasons to whip up a batch of chorizo-laden queso fundido, which will disappear in approximately 27 seconds.
17. Mexican Brown Rice
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, one pot
The secret to rice that’s bursting with flavor? Cook it with flavorful ingredients like diced tomatoes, garlic, onion and tomato paste.
18. Mexican Caesar Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
Since the Caesar salad was created in Tijuana, it’s technically Mexican. This version made with cilantro, queso fresco, avocado, pepitas and fried tortilla strips is now one of our go-to sides (and it pairs nicely with a margarita).
19. Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, crowd-pleaser, one pot
The best thing about tortilla soup? You can top it however you like. We love avocado, pico de gallo, Monterey Jack cheese, crispy tortilla strips and a spritz of lime.
20. Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser
Bye, canned beans. Lean on dried pintos, veggie broth, jalapeño, spices and your trusty pressure cooker instead.
21. Charred Corn And Zucchini Mini Mexican Pizza
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian
Meet the tlayuda, a Oaxacan street food. It looks a lot like a pizza, which is where Coterie member Aida Mollenkamp found her inspiration for this appetizer. Top it with chiles, black beans, avocado and cotija cheese.
22. Homemade Chipotle Salsa
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegan, crowd-pleaser
At our house, salsa is a side dish, not a condiment. If you’re like us, you’ll want to give this smoky number by Gaby Dalkin a whirl.
23. Mango Guacamole
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, no cook, vegan
Mango might seem like a strange addition at first, but its tangy, tropical sweetness is just the match for buttery avocados and acidic lime juice.
24. Skillet Nacho Dip
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, one pan, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Never be disappointed by a naked or soggy tortilla chip again. Thanks to your cast iron skillet, your chips will stay crunchy and the dip will stay hot.
25. Beef Empanadas
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Psst: These savory turnovers freeze like a charm and will last you up to three months, in case you want to make a double batch...just sayin'.
26. Baking Sheet Quesadillas
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, one pan, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
Why cook one quesadilla at a time on the stove when you could whip up eight at once in the oven? (You can find rectangular tortillas in your supermarket's deli section, BTW.)
27. 5-ingredient Chipotle Chicken Taquitos
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, high protein
Save yourself a *ton* of time by shredding a rotisserie chicken for the filling. All its flavor will come from canned chipotle peppers in adobo.
28. Grilled Corn With Spicy Aioli
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love it: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
Want to get that charred barbecue taste in the off season? Cook the corn in a grill pan on the stove or broil it in the oven until it's golden brown.
29. Everyday Mexican Salad
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, vegetarian, <30 minutes
If you insist on inviting vegetables to the fiesta, make sure they come in the form of this salad. It stars an avocado-lime dressing spiced with cumin.
30. Spicy Avocado Hummus
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, crowd-pleaser
Two iconic dips, one lucky bowl. Think of this ten-minute appetizer as a cross between hummus and guacamole. Might we suggest serving it with pita chips and tortilla chips?
31. Sweet Corn Gazpacho
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, vegan, no cook
Cool down with this cold soup that boasts sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, white beans and all the garlic. Finish it off with corn kernels, radish sprouts, cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of cotija.
32. Avocado Rice
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegan, crowd-pleaser
Aka how to one-up Chipotle in 20 minutes flat. Once you taste it, you'll add it to every burrito you ever make.
33. Mexican-inspired Black Beans
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, one pot
Canned beans are always a welcome shortcut. All this rendition takes is cooking them down with tomato sauce, cilantro and seasonings.
34. Roasted Poblano And Corn Guacamole
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, vegan
In the winter, you can totally swap fresh corn cobs for frozen corn kernels. Whatever you do, don't skip roasting the vegetables—it's what gives the guac its zesty, charred flavor.
35. Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, one pan, crowd-pleaser
Speaking of guac, you're going to need something to scoop it up with...
36. Heirloom Tomato Salad With Cacao And Agave Dressing
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, <10 ingredients, vegan
Show off your summer tomato haul with this zingy, elegant recipe that stars a sweet-and-sour vinegar dressing.
37. 7-layer Dip
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Store-bought essentials like refried beans, canned green chiles and prepared salsa make this party staple a cinch to put together.
38. Vegan Chilaquiles With Red Sauce
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegan, one pan
Oniony tofu crumble takes over for traditional cotija cheese, but the serrano-tomato sauce is just what you'd expect.
39. Bacon Guacamole
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
Proof that bacon really does make everything better. We'd use this savory masterpiece to crown your next batch of cheeseburgers, if we were you.
40. Cauliflower Tortillas
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, low carb, keto-friendly
Dunk them in queso fundido, fill them to make soft tacos, grill them for tiny quesadillas or use them to assemble low-carb enchiladas.
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.
