32 Mexican Side Dishes To Wow Your Guests

These Mexican side dishes will have all your guests wondering if you took secret culinary lessons. The great thing with these Mexican sides is that they are all easy, healthy and not harsh on your wallet.

So if you are planning a Mexican theme dinner party, I have all the sides you will ever need covered!

90% of these sides are vegetarian and packed with a lot of veggies, so expect some delicious help to get you closer to your 5 a day.

If you are also a lover of Korean food like me, try one of these easy Korean recipe ideas.

32 Mexican Side Dishes

These Mexican side dishes are perfect for people in a rush but are still looking to eat healthy.

Mexican Side Dishes under 45 Minutes

1. Mexican Style Tomato Rice

Flavorful Mexican rice that’s made with leftover rice, vegetables, tomato and Mexican seasoning. This recipe goes perfectly inside a burrito or as a tasty quick side dish. There are also no animal products used in this recipe so it’s vegan too!

2. Cilantro Rice

This cilantro rice is so light and refreshing, it’s a tasty lighter flavored alternative to your typical Mexican spiced rices. It pairs really well with fish and grilled meats, or in a heavily spiced burrito. To make this recipe extra healthy, try it with brown rice!

3. Mexican Yellow Rice

This Mexican rice side dish is so simple, it uses store bought yellow rice that’s elevated with tomatoes, chillies and Mexican seasoning. This recipe only requires 4 ingredients, so it makes grocery shopping a whole lot easier!

4. Guacamole 

This refreshing, creamy guacamole is healthy and only takes 5 minutes to make! It pairs perfectly as a side dish for tacos or burritos, it’s high in healthy fats and packed with vitamins. You can even pair it with some tortilla chips for a quick and healthy snack.

5. Papas con Rajas

Papas con Rajas, or potatoes and poblano chillies is a savoury, vegetarian Mexican side dish. It’s wholesome and delicious with a spicy kick, and only uses a handful of ingredients.  

6. Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo is a popular ‘fresh’ salsa that is also known as salsa fresca or salsa cruda. It’s different to your typical salsa because it’s not blended or cooked. 

This pico de gallo recipe uses traditional ingredients like fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapeno and fresh cilantro. It’s delicious as a filling or side dish with tacos, enchiladas and burritos. 

7. Mexican Street Corn Salad

This Mexican Street Corn Salad is light and healthy, perfect for a summer BBQ party. One portion only contains 144 calories so it’s perfect to add into a low calorie meal plan.

If you are looking for more low calorie salad ideas try these 30 Amazing Salad Meal Prep Ideas.

8. Palmito Ceviche

This palmito ceviche is healthy, zesty and refreshing. It uses hearts of palm which has delicious ocean flavors, so it’s perfect for a vegan fish substitute. It’s whole 30 and oil free and packed with refreshing fruits, veggies and herbs.

9. Tuna Ceviche

This tuna ceviche is fresh, healthy and delicious. This is a great addition to a Mexican styled dinner party. Make sure to use the best grade tuna possible as this dish is eaten raw! A wide variety of ingredients work well with it like avocado & diced cucumbers, so you can pair it for your preference.

10. Skillet Blistered Shishito Peppers

These blistered shishito peppers are incredibly simple to make at home. They require a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes. You can even make these on your outdoor grill, so they are perfect for a BBQ.

11. Mexican Street Corn Zucchini Dip

This Mexican street corn zucchini dip is made with cotija, cheese, spices and veggies. Even though this dip is quick to make, it’s still packed with flavor. Enjoy this cheesy, spiced dip on top of nachos or with some julienne vegetables. 

12. Vegetarian Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

If you are looking for taco side dishes, this vegetarian taco salad recipe works great. It’s light, refreshing and really healthy. It’s loaded with 5 types of veggies, making your 5 a day so easy to hit. The delicious, zesty cilantro dressing works wonders enhancing this recipe too!

13. Pinto Beans Made in under 30 Minutes

These spiced pinto beans are easy to make, just taking 30 minutes. They are flavoured with Mexican spices, making them not just healthy but tasty too. Each portion contains 108 calories so you don’t need to be worried about overeating.

14. Mexican Street Creamed Corn

This homemade Mexican street corn recipe is simple and only takes 20 minutes. It’s perfect for a Mexican side dish or with your outdoor BBQ. It has a creamy, cheesy sauce that’s mixed with chilli and jalapeno giving it a delicious kick.

15. Homemade Red Salsa

Why buy store bought salsa when homemade is much cheaper, healthy and comes together in under 10 minutes! All you need to do with this easy recipe is add the ingredients to a food processor and blend it, then you can store this tasty salsa in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days!

16. Healthy and Light Grilled Mexican Street Corn

This recipe is a healthier and lighter version of the classic grilled Mexican street corn. It’s perfect for a summer bbq, using a light creamy chilli lime sauce. It uses low fat feta cheese, cilantro and chilli flakes which all help to make this dish so moreish.

This recipe is perfect for people following a Weight Watchers diet, it only uses 2 WW points on the blue plan and is gluten free and vegetarian.

17. Mango Pico de Gallo

Mango pico de gallo might sound strange to some but trust me, it works. This mango pico de gallo is so refreshing in summer time and pairs wonderfully with fish and seafood. It’s really healthy, uses few ingredients and contains just 48 calories per portion.

18. Roasted Tomato and Green Onion Salsa

This roasted tomato salsa, adds delicious depth by charring the tomatoes before blending. It takes an extra 5-10 minutes but it’s totally worth it, when you have the time. This recipe is cheap and only uses a few ingredients, so it makes grocery shopping a lot easier.

Instant Pot Mexican Side Dishes

If you want to cook food faster and avoid lots of washing. An Instant Pot is the way to go! Most recipes only require a couple of minutes of prep and actually improve when being slow or pressure cooked.

19. Crockpot Green Chile Pinto Beans

This tasty Crockpot green chilli pinto beans recipe is tender and delicious, using only a handful of ingredients. It’s healthy, packed with fibre, complex carbohydrates and low in calories. This recipe is great when you are in a rush, simply add all the ingredients to the pot and leave to cook. 

20. Instant Pot Quinoa Jalapeno 

This quinoa is a perfect alternative to rice, it’s healthier containing whole proteins and complex carbohydrates. This recipe is pretty full proof, you literally add it into your Instant Pot, set the timer and leave it. It has a delicious spicy kick that pairs superbly with Mexican main dishes. 

21. Instant Pot Mexican Beans

Pressure cooking beans, makes it a lot easier and quicker, which is why this recipe is so good! These tender Mexican beans are packed with spices and fresh peppers, giving you delicious Latina flavors. Not to mention they are healthy and packed with nutrition.

22. Slow Cooker Refried Beans

These slow cooker refried beans are incredibly delicious and take practically no time in prep! They use a handful of ingredients you can literally just add into your cooker, turn on and set the timer, then carry on with your day. These are perfect for busy people, who don’t have much time for prep.

23. Crockpot Black Beans

Raw black beans can be difficult to cook in the traditional way, and it’s important to make sure the beans are cooked through. This crockpot recipe makes it so much more simpler! They are slow cooked in delicious spices for hours, and the best part is, you don’t even need to stir them. 

24. Instant Pot Mexican Rice

This 15 minute spiced rice recipe is a tasty, quick Mexican side dish that’s super easy to make. The instant pot practically makes this recipe fail proof, so it’s great for beginner cooks! Enjoy this as a side dish for your tacos, inside a tasty burrito or with some delicious meats and fish.

25. Instant Pot Mexican Corn

This instant pot Mexican corn recipe is creamy and packed with veggies and spices. It has a rich, tangy sauce that works superbly with the corn & Mexican spice. This recipe is only made using the instant pot so cleaning up literally takes minutes.

26. Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice (5 Minutes)

To make this copycat Chipotle cilantro and lime rice you only need 4 ingredients and a few minutes. It’s a delicious Mexican side dish that works superbly with grilled meats & fish. It’s great for batch cooking and using in your Mexican meal prep. This recipe has information for weight watcher points and is vegan and gluten free.

Keto Mexican Side Dishes

27. Mexican Cauliflower Rice

This Latino style cauliflower rice is the perfect keto substitute for rice, it’s quicker, easier and healthier. One batch of cauliflower rice only takes 12 minutes and uses just a few ingredients. Each portion contains 6 grams of net carbohydrates, which can be further reduced by removing the tomato paste.

28. Mexican Shrimp Ceviche

This Mexican shrimp ceviche is light and refreshing whilst being protein packed. It contains 8g of carbohydrate per portion which can be further reduced by swapping the orange juice for a tablespoon of avocado or olive oil.

29. Chile Con Queso Dip 

This delicious cheesy Chile Con Queso dip, is made with delicious green chillies & jalapeños that add a tasty spice to this Mexican side dish. Serve this with some low carb tortilla chips, keto zucchini fries or celery sticks for a cheesy keto friendly delight.

30. Mexican Street Style Cauliflower

This keto version of Mexican street style cauliflower uses Classic Mexican street food flavors, whilst still being low in carbs. It’s slathered with spicy mayo, cojita cheese and cilantro. It only uses a few ingredients, so it’s really easy to make. This is still perfect for people who don’t follow a low carb diet, this recipe is so delicious it might even make you think about turning keto.

31. Bean-less Refried Beans

This is a keto twist on refried beans, it swaps the beans for eggplant to reduce the carbohydrates. This recipe still has that rich flavor and creamy texture I love from refried beans, but is also keto friendly. 

32. Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Mayo

This smokey chipotle mayo is a Mexican upgraded version of mayonnaise. It has bold flavors from the roasted garlic and chipotle that pair marvelously with the creamy mayo. Try this with a dipping sauce or with a vegetarian bean burger for a delicious vegetarian meal. One tablespoon of this mayo contains approximately 50 calories and 1 gram of carbohydrate.