18 Festive Mexican Christmas Recipes, From Enchiladas to Tamales Celebrate the holiday with flavors, dishes, and traditions from Mexico. By Kim Wehby Kim Wehby Kim Wehby is a copy editor with over a decade of experience in the food and beverage space, including a senior editorial role at People Inc. Food Studios. She's edited and developed content for Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Eating Well. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 19, 2025 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Photo: HEAMI LEE / FOOD STYLING CHELSEA ZIMMER / PROP STYLING / CHRISTINE KEELY 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. How Christmas Is Celebrated Around the World Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 18 Banana Leaf–Wrapped Lamb Shank Tamales with Morita Chile Salsa DYLAN + JENI 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. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 18 Pozole Rojo Victor Protasio 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." Get the Recipe Save 03 of 18 Birria Tacos Greg Dupree 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. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 18 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. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 18 Vegan Pozole Rojo Photo: HEAMI LEE / FOOD STYLING CHELSEA ZIMMER / PROP STYLING / CHRISTINE KEELY 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. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 18 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. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 18 Beef-and-Cheese Red Chile Enchiladas Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen 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. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 18 Guava Ponche with Sweet Vermouth DYLAN + JENI 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. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 18 Oyster Mushroom Tamales with Mole Encacahuatado DYLAN + JENI 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. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 18 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. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 18 Coconut Arroz con Leche Tamales DYLAN + JENI These luscious dessert tamales are filled with a slightly sweet coconut rice pudding. Drizzle with cajeta or dulce de leche for a buttery finish. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 18 Mezcal Negroni Victor Protasio 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. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 18 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. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 18 Cinnamon-Sugar Churros with Cajeta Greg Dupree Claudette Zepeda offers pro tips for perfect churros, a crowd-pleasing dessert fit for any celebration — complete with a caramel dipping sauce. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 18 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. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 18 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. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 18 Citrus-Marinated Turkey © Petrina Tinslay 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. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 18 Vanilla-Orange Flan © Petrina Tinslay 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. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Holidays & Occasions Christmas Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit