12 Mexican Christmas Recipes From Enchiladas to Tamales (2024)

How Christmas Is Celebrated Around the World

Banana Leaf-Wrapped Lamb Shank Tamales with Morita Chile Salsa

These smoky braised-lamb tamales, favorite at event producer Paola Briseño González's holiday tamale parties, get a pop of freshness from bright cilantro-onion relish, while a wrapper of banana leaves perfumes the masa with a softly sweet aroma as they steam.

Oyster Mushroom Tamales with Mole Encacahuatado

Paola Briseño González roasts oyster mushrooms, concentrating their flavor, for a hearty vegetarian tamale filling to pair with velvety, intensely aromatic, and deeply savory peanut mole, or mole encacahuatado.

Vegan Pozole Rojo

This recipe from Edgar Castrejón's cookbook, Provecho, is velvety and rich, smartly employing mushrooms for earthy flavor and slight chew. The result is just as satisfying as a meat-laden pozole, and leftovers are fabulous.

Mushroom-Chickpea Pozole

Marcela Valladolid's vegetable-packed pozole also uses mushrooms for earthy heartiness without the meat.

No-Bake Vegetarian Enchiladas

The recipe here is based on a dish created by Josef Centeno's great-grandmother, who raised 12 kids. Because meat was expensive, she often made enchiladas using only vegetables, like carrots and potatoes. The salsa is spicy and complex, made with both serrano chiles and dried chipotles.

Pork and Chorizo Pozole

Pozole is a slow-simmered, elaborately spiced Mexican stew made with hominy (dried corn kernels soaked in a mineral lime bath). This streamlined version from Chopped judge Aarón Sánchez uses two time-saving ingredients: fresh chorizo (which is already spiced) and pork cut into small, quick-cooking cubes.

Cheese Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

At Mestizo, his former restaurant in Leawood, Kansas, Aarón Sánchez would make an elaborate, long-simmered sauce for enchiladas. For a quick meal at home, though, he reaches for canned red chile sauce, such as one from Las Palmas. "It's old-school, very straightforward," he says. Sanchez sometimes adds shredded braised chicken to his enchiladas for a heartier meal.

Vanilla-Orange Flan

Chef Jose Garces serves this thick, creamy flan — his mother's recipe — alongside a refreshing salad of melon and citrus.

Coconut Arroz con Leche Tamales

Lightly sweetened coconut rice pudding provides a custardy contrast to the tender masa in these dreamy dessert or breakfast tamales.

Cinnamon-Sugar Churros with Cajeta

Claudette Zepeda offers pro tips for perfect churros, a crowd-pleasing dessert for any celebration.

Guava Ponche with Sweet Vermouth

Ponche Navideño is a Christmastime spiced tropical fruit punch that's served warm with a shot of tequila in Mexico. Paola Briseño González's chilled riff is refreshing and bright thanks to hibiscus, guava, apples, and mint.

Mezcal Negroni

Yana Volfson's riff on the classic gin and Campari co*cktail has an earthy richness courtesy of smoky mezcal.