What authentic Mexican dishes are fairly easy and good for a crowd?

Question

I'm having a Central American-themed party, but would like to break away from the Tex-Mex that usually floods those parties (chips and salsa, queso dip, etc.).

What are some authentic Latin-American dishes that don't take a ton of prep, but are suitable for snacking on while drinking tequila?

Answer 1

empanadas.  they do take a decent amount of prep, but they are well worth it.  they are also easy to eat, making them a hit at any appetizer buffet.  you can also make churros, which are authentic mexican dessert, and are sure to satisfy the late night drunk's sweet tooth.  you can make mini-soft tacos, flautas, quesadillas, or the pickled jalapeno peppers that you normally see in a jar on the counter of your local taco stand.  good luck.  

Answer 2

if you really want 100% authentic Mexican drinking and party snacks, i would recommend,

Queso de puerco tray-cubed hog head cheese with sliced onion and tomatoes and covered in lemon juice and la valentina picante sauce, you could substitute the hog head cheese with smoked ham.

Cueritos de puerco- pre sliced pickled pork skins in a tray with tomato and sliced onion , covered in lemon juice, picante sauce and Mexican sour cream.

Patas de Puerco- pickled pig feet, same as cueritos but without the sour cream.

tacos Dorados- brown hamburger meat with taco spices ,sauted onions and serrano peppers, make folded tacos and hold together with a toothpick and deep fry until golden, this taco is the ancestor to the taco bell taco.

flautas- same as tacos dorados but rolled instead of folded. also known in the US as taquitos

Answer 3

Shrimp or Fish Ceviche. Make a bunch and serve with tostadas and hot sauce. They are light and perfect for a crowd.

Answer 4

Make tapas or enchiladas.s Since you want them to be for snacking, cut them in fours and put toothpicks through them. I know it's a little bit of work, but there's not much to prep for and after you take them out of the oven, you just have to cut them.  

Answer 5

Quesadillas would be easy it's basically just tortillas and cheese and you can cut them into a  finger food sized snack.

Answer 6

Well, as a Mexican, I find your question difficult.  Easy and good for a crowd usually means finger food and finger food usually means dips and chips.

You can make good authentic food that is chips and dip type, but still great.

Guacamole

1 avocado

1/4 of an onion finely chopped

Some cilantro (for a good texture, remove the leafs from the stems and don't cut them just fold them into the pureed avocado)

Small tomato

Salt to taste

(now, if you want some spice without the heat, take a fresh jalapeño or two and vein and seed them and them chop it into fine cubes and fold in...for some heat, do the same without veining and seeding).

That's a basic real guacamole (to add anything else is to adulterate perfection).

Now, you can add a can of baby shrimp to the guacamole and this makes it more interesting and more substantive.  (You can cut some corn tortillas and deep fry them for a good restaurant flavor, or get some tostitos).

(Now, Central America is not Mexico.  Only one of the Mexican states is in Central America.  For Central American cuisine, you might think of Pupusas, and other things like that.)

Tequila is from Mexico and I'd stick with Mexican.

In the north of Mexico we make Frijoles a la charra, which is a bean soup and at a party, we might have small cups and spoons.  In some northern restaurants, this is an apetizer that is standard to open the meal.

You wouldn't have to make the beans from scratch.  Just get some canned pinto beans and put these into a pot and add some water.

Then chop the following:

1 Onion

2 tomatoes

Some cilantro

Throw in a whole jalapeño or two (don't puncture it if you just want the flavor)

And, some bacon cut into squares (you can omit this for vegans or Semites)

In a pan cook the bacon and drain the fat and add the onions and tomatoes.  Then throw this into the pot with the beans and add the cilantro to the soup.  This is a very quick version of the Frijoles a la charra that tastes almost the same as the real thing.

For good refried beans without slaving, get La Costeña brand refried beans.

You can make tostadas with refried beans and top them with some finely chopped lettuce, thin slices of tomato, and some crumbled queso fresco.

You can also make different types of flautas.  The basic flauta consists of boiled chicken that has been shredded and put inside a tortilla that has been rolled and then deep fried.  You can make the same, but cut the rolled and stuffed tortilla in half and then fry VERY crispy so that it will hold through the party.  Put this into a basket lined with parchment or some type of paper towel to absorb the oil.

Have plenty of lime wedges and for real “Mexican” lemons, get Key Limes, cause that’s what we eat in Mexico.

If you have a fondue, you can make some queso fundido with chorizo (Supremo chorizo is sold at most places in the USA, as long as you have a good latin market.  You can even get the beef version.  Get some Oaxaca (Asadero) cheese, which is a creamy string mozzarella and melt this together.  You will need some tortillas or tortilla chips to eat this.

Fajitas (Arracheras) tejanas are also a good northern dish.  Just get some REAL fajita (Flank steak, very expensive in some parts but VERY TASTY) and chop into small bits and cook till it’s a nice dark brown in a pan.  Add some bacon cut into squares and be sure to drain the fat.  Add some mushrooms and cook thoroughly.  Top this with Queso Oaxaca and put into a nice casserole dish with some tong-like fork/spoon to facilitate serving.  Have some warm corn tortillas ready for your guests to make little tacos of this great food.  Some roasted onions are a great side (wrap these whole in foil and once cooked, slice open and top with lime juice and salt and enjoy).

We also make a simple tomato, ice burg lettuce, and onion salad that is dressed with some freshly squeezed key lime juice by each person to taste.

I hope this gives you some ideas.

Answer 7

You can make a version of the Mexican Nachos known to South Texas as Chachos.  These are individually prepared nachos, each on a quarter of a fried corn tortilla; start by spreading refried beans, then add shredded cheese, a bit of guacamole, a slice of jalapeno, and a piece of beef fajita!  

These are great with tequila!