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Mexican Christmas food spans enchiladas, pozole, tamales, and regional specialties like birria and mole. These are our favorite recipes for flavorful versions of those dishes, along with a few festive drinks plus plenty of desserts like tres leches cake and flan. Start a tamale-making tradition, warm up with red, green, or plant-based pozole, and enjoy saucy enchiladas for a very feliz Navidad.
Banana Leaf–Wrapped Lamb Shank Tamales with Morita Chile Salsa
Food writer and event producer Paola Briseño González serves these slow-cooked lamb tamales at her annual holiday parties. Wrapped in banana leaves for a custard-like texture, they’re finished with a smoky morita chile salsa.
Pozole Rojo
This long-simmered soup built on a foundation of tomato and pork was a favorite of food journalist Priya Krishna’s when she lived in Mexico. “Choose from a selection of toppings: finely chopped onions, sliced avocado, lime, radishes, lettuce, queso fresco. Go big, or keep it simple,” she says. “That’s the true beauty of pozole: No two bowls look or taste exactly alike.”
Birria Tacos
Birria is a beloved Christmas dish in Jalisco — here, it’s tucked into tacos. A combination of tender chuck roast and succulent short ribs is marinated and then slow-cooked in adobo for lots of smoky flavor.
Champurrado
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Champurrado, a thick, warm beverage made with chocolate, masa, and piloncillo, is traditionally served in Mexico throughout the Christmas season. Former F&W food editor Diana Perez flavors hers with cinnamon, adding a whole cinnamon stick to infuse the drink as it boils.
Vegan Pozole Rojo
Pozole traditionally contains chicken or pork, but this vegan version from Edgar Castrejón subs in earthy oyster mushrooms for umami flavor and chew. Two types of chiles bring heat and vibrant color to the dish.
Tres Leches Cake with Dulce de Leche
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco
A popular treat year-round, tres leches cake is, for many families, also an essential dessert on the Christmas menu. Here, Sue Torres soaks squares of simple yellow sponge cake in a rum-spiked milk blend then drizzles them with cinnamon-infused dulce de leche.
Beef-and-Cheese Red Chile Enchiladas
Tender ground beef is seasoned with cumin and wrapped in soft corn tortillas then coated in a smoky, deeply flavored New Mexico–style red-chile sauce. Crumbled queso fresco adds creamy richness, while sliced onions and cilantro bring brightness.
Guava Ponche with Sweet Vermouth
So many bright seasonal fruits go into this vermouth-centered take on the spiced tropical fruit punch Ponche Navideño. Hibiscus, guava, apples, and mint make for a gorgeous pink hue and a lovely floral, fruity flavor.
Oyster Mushroom Tamales with Mole Encacahuatado
For plant-based tamales that’ll please everyone at the table, roast oyster mushrooms until golden and crispy then layer them over a rich peanut mole.
Chicken Pozole Verde
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Made with a puree of tomatillos, cilantro, and a combination of jalapeños and poblanos, this tangy, verdant version of the traditional hominy-based Mexican stew will definitely have you going in for a second bowl. Be sure to serve it with all the fresh fixings.
Coconut Arroz con Leche Tamales
These luscious dessert tamales are filled with a slightly sweet coconut rice pudding. Drizzle with cajeta or dulce de leche for a buttery finish.
Mezcal Negroni
Yana Volfson’s riff on the classic gin cocktail features mezcal for a robust, smoky flavor. Notes of citrus, herbs, and spices come through in this festive drink.
Marranitos
Linda Xiao / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
A staple on Mexican holiday cookie platters, these soft and chewy pig-shaped cookies are fragrant with ginger, cinnamon, and allspice.
Cinnamon-Sugar Churros with Cajeta
Claudette Zepeda offers pro tips for perfect churros, a crowd-pleasing dessert fit for any celebration — complete with a caramel dipping sauce.
Mole Poblano
Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelesa Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Originally from the state of Puebla, mole poblano is considered the national dish of Mexico. Given its complex, time-consuming preparation, it’s often reserved for major holidays and events; at Christmas, it commonly accompanies a roasted turkey.
Enmoladas de Calabaza
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Enmoladas are essentially enchiladas given the mole treatment, and this recipe is the ultimate version. Here, tender strands of spaghetti squash are wrapped inside fried corn tortillas and smothered in a smoky kabocha squash mole.
Citrus-Marinated Turkey
Chef Jose Garces prepares this turkey in the same style as a traditional Yucatán dish called cochinita pibil, a slow-roasted pork marinated in citrus and annatto paste. Brining and marinating the bird make it especially succulent.
Vanilla-Orange Flan
Flavored with orange zest, Cointreau, and vanilla bean, this creamy flan from chef Jose Garces’ mother is especially lovely served with a delicate melon-citrus salad.
