Estimated reading time: 17 minutes
Hola! Susy here, the Head Chef at Gran Luchito. I may spend most of my days whipping up culinary creations, but today, I’m excited to share a taste of Mexican Easter traditions and my favourite festive menu!
In Mexico, a land steeped in rich Catholic culture, Easter is a vibrant celebration that brings together faith, family, and of course, ¡deliciosa comida (delicious food)! Did you know that during Lent, we traditionally savour the vibrant flavours of vegetables, fish, and shellfish, while taking a break from red meat? It’s a culinary exploration that leads up to the grand Easter feast. So, buckle up and get ready to dive into the heart of a Mexican Easter with me!
Mexican Easter Menu
After living in the UK for more than 12 years now with my own little blended Mexican-British family, there is always a mix of traditions which translates into the food that I prepare for them during important celebrations such as Easter. Here’s my favourite Mexican Easter Menu, are some of the recipes that I would cook during our Mexican-inspired Easter. All done with a bit of Mexican flair, because who doesn’t love Mexican flavours?
- Starter: Grilled Shrimp
- Main: Lamb Barbacoa Tacos
- Sides: Mexican Coleslaw and Lime & Coriander Rice
for the Easter meal
Grilled Shrimp
Add a splash of colour and flavour to your Easter table with a vibrant grilled shrimp dish, marinated in Gran Luchito Crunchy Salsa Macha.
This quick and easy recipe is perfect for any Easter gathering.
Ceviche
This fresh and spicy ceviche, bursting with summer flavours, is so good you’ll wish it never ended. Combining the flavours and textures of the sea and the countryside, this dish features prawns, crunchy carrot, onion, cucumber, jalapeño, and lots of lime juice.
Lamb Barbacoa Tacos
People traditionally prepare Lamb Barbacoa for special occasions in Mexico, and lamb also makes a perfect dish for Easter in England.
So here’s my take on Mexican lamb that you can have in tacos, or just on its own with some sides. Up to you! Either way, it’s delicious.
Pulled Lamb Flatbreads
Our Pulled Lamb flatbread recipe offers a unique and flavourful twist on traditional Easter meals. The Lamb Barbacoa provides a rich, savoury taste, while the flatbreads make it a fun, shareable, and less formal option perfect for gatherings with family and friends. It’s a delicious way to celebrate Easter with a Mexican-inspired flair.
Lime and Coriander Rice
Enhance your Mexican Easter meal experience by incorporating the vibrant and fresh signature flavours of lime and coriander into this side dish. The zesty notes of lime and the aromatic essence of coriander perfectly complement the rich and savoury profile of Lamb Barbacoa. Together, they create a harmonious blend that tantalizes the taste buds and elevates the overall dining experience.
Mexican Coleslaw
Coleslaw is a great dish for adding freshness and texture to the Easter meal. It’s an interesting coleslaw thanks to a combo of homemade Chipotle Mayo made with our Chipotle Paste and Gran Luchito Smoky Chipotle Fajita & Taco Mix which do all the work of adding flavour for me!
Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Peppers, renowned for their vibrant flavours, hold a special place in Mexican cuisine. Easter provides the perfect occasion to delight in “Chiles rellenos” or stuffed poblano peppers. These peppers are carefully filled with a delectable mixture and coated in a light batter made from whisked egg whites. The peppers are shallow-fried and served with homemade tomato sauce.
My Top Easy Meals For Lent
In the weeks leading up to Easter, people traditionally give up meat for Lent as they see it as celebratory food. This time of year always makes me feel a bit of nostalgia for some of my favourite Mexican fish and seafood dishes. Here are some of my favourite recipes to eat during the Lent season, which are also easy to make at home.
Street Food
Street food is such a big part of Mexican culture and it’s no surprise that you will find special street food playing an integral role during Easter. Everyone pours out in the streets and enjoys the delights of street food. I enjoy recreating some of my favourite bite-sized street foods when entertaining at Easter. It always helps to remind me of being back home!
Aguas Frescas – They sell these in the streets around Easter time. They are refreshing fruit drinks made simply of fruit blended with water, lime juice and a bit of sweetener. Typical flavours include watermelon, cucumber, pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, peach and lemon. They are incredibly hydrating and you get the heat.
Gorditas – A typical Mexican street food dish that you will always find around Easter time. Masa pockets filled with savoury fillings like cheese and beans, shredded beef, carnitas, chicken mole, potatoes, and chorizo are the options available – the list goes on! For our gorditas recipe, we went with a classic picadillo filling (minced beef fried with potatoes) where we used Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste.
Sopes – These are also found everywhere and are thick pieces of masa shaped into discs and then pinched on the edges to form a vessel. The sopes are then lightly fried and topped with various toppings. We went classic and decided to pair our sopes recipe with our delicious Gran Luchito chipotle Refried Beans, then add fried chorizo, crumbled feta on top, a spoonful of creme fraiche and Gran Luchito Tomatillo Salsa.
Esquites – Otherwise known as Mexican street corn, we couldn’t not have this on here! You can have it as a dip with some Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips, or just eaten alone like they do on the streets (in little cups). Check out our Mexican corn recipe. What makes this sweet corn recipe so irresistible is the sauce made with parmesan, lime juice, Gran Luchito Chipotle Mayo and coriander.
Easter in Mexico – Semana Santa
Now that we’ve chatted about food, I’ll tell you a bit more about how Easter is celebrated in Mexico because it is so special! Holy Week is called Semana Santa and is the seven days leading up to Easter Sunday. It’s celebrated worldwide in Catholic countries such as El Salvador, Spain, Colombia, Mexico, and many more.
hood to hide their identities as they worship and repent. It has nothing to do with the Ku Klux Klan!
Virgin Mary, always in mourning for the death of Christ.
The week consists of one big festival with thousands of people taking part in processions, where scenes from the story of Jesus Christ’s last days before he was crucified are presented. Some say it’s a sombre event because of this, but it’s also very captivating!
Try Setting a Festive Mexican Easter Table
Last but not least, set up your table nicely ready for your family to sit together and enjoy the special Easter meal. This doesn’t have to be complicated, here are a couple of elements that I would always use:
Fresh flowers
These are the best decorations there are in my opinion, as they always lift the table and make everyone feel welcome. They can even be flowers from your garden or just a bit of greenery. Some of my favourite choices include sweet peas, colourful tulips, bright pink roses, camellias and of course daffodils.
Colour
Mix and match your cutlery, plates and glasses. Vibrancy, colour and fun is what it’s all about!
How To Make Cascarones
Cascarones, pronounced kas-ka-ron-ez, are known to be empty eggshells filled with confetti, often used on festive occasions like Easter and Cinco de Mayo. Cascarones are significant due to their cultural symbolism, particularly in Mexican traditions. Originating in Spain and brought over to Mexico in the mid-19th century, cascarones are a symbol of good luck and are traditionally cracked over someone’s head to release the confetti inside, showering them with good wishes.
It’s believed that the person who gets a cascaron broken over their head will have good luck. They are a popular tradition during Easter and many other festive celebrations, adding a vibrant and fun touch to the events.
To make them, you need to start by carefully poking holes in one end of the raw egg and draining the contents.
Once the eggshell is empty, rinse it out with water and let it dry. After it dries, you can dye the shell using food colouring or paint it however you like. Then, let the painted eggshell dry completely before filling it with confetti through the hole you made.
After filling the eggshell with confetti, cover the hole with a piece of colourful tissue paper using glue and let it dry.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading Chef Susy’s blog on Mexican Easter traditions, and it’s got you thinking about that important Easter Sunday meal, or just the next few weeks leading up to it! Don’t forget to tag us in your Mexican-inspired Easter recipes #granluchito
