Christmas
Mexican Christmas food, a traditional Christmas Eve dinner
What Mexican families eat from the posadas to Three Kings Day, and how to cook it without spending Christmas Eve at the stove.
In Mexico the big meal is Nochebuena, the night of December 24, not Christmas Day lunch. The table usually holds bacalao, salt cod stewed with tomatoes, olives and pickled chiles; romeritos, a wild green cooked in mole with little dried shrimp fritters; a roast turkey or pork leg; a creamy white spaghetti; a sweet apple salad or a colorful Christmas Eve salad of beets and jicama; and a pot of hot fruit punch. On the 25th everyone eats the leftovers.
Before that come the posadas, nine evening parties from December 16 to 24 with a piñata, tamales, pozole, fritters and hot drinks. The season ends on January 6 with a sweet bread ring called rosca de reyes.
Almost all of it is make-ahead food, which is good news if you are cooking a Mexican Christmas dinner for the first time. Below is a day-by-day plan, then the recipes grouped by course, each with notes on what to buy outside Mexico.
A day-by-day plan for Christmas Eve dinner
Built for about 8 people with bacalao, romeritos, two salads, punch and buñuelos. The timings come from the recipes themselves.
- Early December. Order or hunt down the specialty items: Norwegian salt cod (Latin and Portuguese shops, or online), dried shrimp from an Asian grocery, and tejocotes, which Latin supermarkets in the US sell frozen or in syrup. If you want tamales, make a batch on a weekend and freeze them cooked; they keep 3 to 4 months.
- December 22. Start soaking the salt cod in the fridge, changing the water after 12 hours and then every 8: 36 hours for thin pieces, 48 for a thick loin. If you are making mole from scratch, make the paste today. Buñuelos can be fried now; they stay crisp 3 days in a tin, and the piloncillo syrup keeps a week in the fridge.
- December 23. Cook the bacalao, which tastes better the next day. Make the mole sauce and vegetables for the romeritos. Roast the beets and cut everything for the Christmas Eve salad, mix the dressing for the apple salad and toast the nuts. Blanch and peel the tejocotes and cut the sugarcane for the punch.
- December 24, morning. Cut the apples and toss the apple salad. It is the one thing worth doing on the day, because cut apple browns.
- December 24, about 2 hours before dinner. Punch on the stove about 75 minutes before serving. Fry the shrimp fritters and finish the romeritos, about 45 minutes with the sauce made. Reheat the bacalao over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes. Assemble the Christmas Eve salad in 8 minutes and dress it at the table.
- December 25. Leftovers day. Mexican families pile the bacalao into crusty rolls as sandwiches (tortas). Frozen tamales go straight into the steamer for about 30 minutes, no thawing.
The main dishes
Bacalao and romeritos are the two dishes most tied to Christmas Eve, especially around Mexico City, and they often share the table with a turkey or a roast pork leg. If this is your first go, start with the bacalao: the only tricky part is getting the salt out, and the stew is made the day before. Think of it as a Mexican take on Spanish salt cod, rich with tomato, olives and capers.
Romeritos are harder to source abroad; samphire or sea beans are the closest swap. For a bigger centerpiece, mole poblano works with turkey as well as chicken and is split over two days, with the paste made ahead. If you make it, the romeritos can use the same mole.
If your dinner centers on a roast, there are three with a plan for the 24th: a stuffed Latin Christmas turkey, a Mexican adobo pork leg and a pork loin in prune sauce. Next to it there is almost always a dish of creamy Mexican white spaghetti, whose sauce you can make the day before.
DinnerMexican Christmas Bacalao, Salt Cod in Tomato and Olives
Mexican Christmas bacalao is salt cod stewed with tomatoes, olives, capers, baby potatoes and pickled peppers, 120 minutes for 8. How long to soak it, what 2.2 lb yields, the cost, and a plan for Christmas Eve.
DinnerMexican Romeritos in Mole with Dried Shrimp Cakes
Mexican romeritos, a salty seepweed simmered in mole with potatoes, nopales and puffy dried shrimp cakes, 90 minutes for 8. What romeritos are, samphire and other US/UK substitutes, a Christmas Eve plan, allergens and storage.
LunchMole Poblano from Scratch, with Turkey or Chicken
Mole poblano from scratch with ancho, mulato, pasilla and chipotle chiles toasted 15 seconds a side so they never turn bitter, 160 minutes for 8. Two-day holiday plan, turkey or chicken, jarred paste vs homemade, allergens and freezing.
DinnerLatin Christmas Turkey with Picadillo Stuffing
Latin Christmas turkey with a Mexican-style picadillo stuffing of pork, beef, apple, dried fruit and nuts, roasted at 325°F (165°C) to 165°F (74°C). Times by the pound, thawing, gravy and a Christmas Eve plan for 10.
DinnerMexican Adobo Pork Leg, Pierna Adobada for Christmas
Mexican adobo pork leg, or pierna adobada, is a bone-in fresh ham rubbed with guajillo, ancho and orange adobo and roasted under foil at 325°F (160°C). What to buy in the US or UK, a Christmas Eve timeline and leftover tortas.
DinnerPork Loin in Prune Sauce, a Mexican Christmas Roast
Mexican pork loin in prune sauce, seared and braised at 350°F (180°C) in prunes, orange juice and red wine until the center hits 145°F (63°C). Which roast to buy, how much per guest, a make-ahead plan and reheating, for 8.
Salads and sides
Next to salty, rich mains, the table needs something cool and something sweet. The apple salad is creamy, sweet and the one kids go for; sour cream stands in for Mexican media crema. The Christmas Eve salad, with beets, jicama, orange and peanuts, is the fresh option with no cream. Many families serve both.
Creamy white spaghetti is the other classic side next to the turkey or pork. Have crusty rolls on hand too: they go with the bacalao and become the next day's sandwiches.
To round out the roast without extra stress, Mexican Christmas rice with pecans and raisins and creamy mashed potatoes can be made the day before and reheated while the meat rests.
DessertsMexican Apple Salad (Ensalada de Manzana) for Christmas
Mexican apple salad with media crema, condensed milk, pineapple, pecans and raisins, ready in 90 minutes for 10 servings. Which apples to buy, how to stop browning, how far ahead to make it, a less sweet version and amounts for 20 and 30.
SaladsMexican Christmas Eve Salad with Beets, Jicama and Oranges
Mexican Christmas Eve salad (ensalada de Nochebuena) with roasted beets, jicama, oranges, pomegranate and peanuts, 100 minutes for 8. How to keep the beets from bleeding, jicama swaps, a citrus dressing ratio and a make-ahead plan.
DinnerMexican White Spaghetti (Espagueti Blanco) for Christmas
Mexican white spaghetti is pasta in a blended sauce of crema, cream cheese and butter, the creamy side next to the holiday ham or turkey. How much sauce keeps it loose, how to make it ahead for 20 and how to reheat it without it drying out.
DinnerMexican Christmas Rice with Pecans and Raisins, for 8 to 20
Mexican Christmas rice (arroz navideño) cooked in butter and chicken stock, with plump raisins and pecans toasted separately so they stay crisp. Amounts for 4 to 20, a creamy corn version, and how to make it the day before and reheat it.
DinnerCreamy Mashed Potatoes, Made Ahead for a Latin Christmas
Creamy mashed potatoes made with floury russets or Maris Pipers, started in cold salted water and mashed by hand so they never turn gluey. How much to make for 6, 12 or 20, how to make them the day before Nochebuena and reheat them soft.
Posada food, tamales and pozole
Posadas are stand-up parties for a crowd, so the food comes out of big pots. Tamales are made in one long session, a tamalada, and frozen; making 24 takes about as much work as 12. Green chicken tamales and rajas con queso tamales cover meat eaters and vegetarians, and pink sweet tamales go with a hot corn drink. Corn husks and masa harina for tamales are sold in Latin aisles in the US and online in the UK.
Pozole rojo is the festive pork and hominy stew; with the meat and sauce made the day before, party day takes about 50 minutes. Pozole blanco has no chile in the pot, so it suits kids and anyone who avoids heat; each guest adds salsa at the table. Canned hominy works for both.
LunchGreen Chicken Tamales (Tamales Verdes) for a Tamalada
Green chicken tamales with tomatillo salsa and masa whipped with lard until a pinch floats in ice water, 24 tamales in 3 hours, 90 minutes hands-on. Masa harina swap, steaming without a tamalera, a party plan for 40 and freezing.
LunchRajas con Queso Tamales, Cheese and Poblano Pepper Tamales
Rajas con queso tamales with charred poblano strips, tomato and melting Oaxaca cheese in masa whipped until it floats. 24 tamales in about 3 hours. Easy vegetarian swap, Monterey Jack option, steaming without a tamalera and freezing.
DessertsMexican Sweet Tamales (Tamales de Dulce), Pink and Fluffy
Mexican sweet tamales, pink tamales de dulce with raisins, made with 250 g of sugar and 300 g of fat per kilo of masa and whipped until it floats. Makes 24 in 160 minutes, with coloring options, steaming time, freezing and cost.
SoupsPozole rojo, Mexican pork and hominy stew for a crowd
Pozole rojo is Mexico's red chile pork and hominy stew, ready in 150 minutes (80 hands-on) for 10 bowls from guajillo and ancho chiles. Canned vs dried hominy, US and UK swaps, scaling to 25, make-ahead plan and freezing.
SoupsPozole Blanco Recipe, White Pork and Hominy Soup for 10
Pozole blanco is Mexico's white pozole, pork and hominy in a clear broth with no chile in the pot, ready in 165 minutes (70 hands-on) for 10 bowls. Canned or dried hominy, US and UK swaps, make-ahead plan, scaling to 20 and freezing.
Christmas desserts and cookies
Buñuelos are thin, crisp fried disks drenched in piloncillo syrup, the sweet of the posadas and of Christmas Eve. Fry them up to 3 days ahead and pour on the syrup only when serving: in 10 to 15 minutes they go from crisp to soft. Dark brown sugar or dark muscovado can stand in for piloncillo, with a lighter, less smoky syrup.
For an easy dessert table, polvorones, the pecan snowball cookies, keep 2 to 3 weeks in a tin and make good gifts, and mosaic gelatin needs no oven, sets overnight and travels well if you are the guest.
DessertsMexican Buñuelos Recipe, Crispy with Piloncillo Syrup
Mexican buñuelos are paper-thin wheat discs fried at 350°F (175°C) for 30 to 45 seconds a side, 16 in 110 minutes. How to stretch without tearing, why they turn hard or greasy, piloncillo syrup and how many for a party.
DessertsMexican Wedding Cookies, Polvorones That Keep Their Shape
Mexican wedding cookies, or polvorones, made with butter, toasted pecans and a double roll in powdered sugar, 36 cookies in 130 minutes. Chill the dough balls and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 14-16 min so they stay round. Gifting and freezing.
DessertsMexican Mosaic Jello, Gelatina de Mosaico That Unmolds Clean
Mexican mosaic jello, or gelatina de mosaico, sets cubes of three colored gelatins in a creamy milk gelatin for 20 servings. Pour the milk layer below 86°F (30°C) so the cubes stay sharp, with 50 minutes of work and an overnight chill.
DessertsChristmas Butter Cookies That Hold Their Shape
Christmas butter cookies made with powdered sugar, egg yolks and no baking powder, rolled a scant ¼ inch thick and baked cold at 325°F (160°C). About 40 cut-outs, royal icing three ways, decorating without piping tips and drying times.
DessertsBuñuelos de Viento Recipe, Crisp Mexican Rosette Cookies
Buñuelos de viento are Mexican rosette cookies, a thin milk and egg batter fried on a rosette iron heated in 365°F (185°C) oil. How to season the iron, fix sticking or greasy rosettes, keep them crisp and make 40 ahead.
Hot drinks
Ponche navideño is a hot fruit punch with tejocotes, guava, sugarcane and cinnamon, made without alcohol so kids and adults drink from the same pot; adults add a splash of rum, brandy or tequila to their own cup. Doubling it for a crowd is barely more work.
With tamales, the classic pairing is champurrado, a thick chocolate and masa drink, or plain atole. Café de olla, coffee brewed with piloncillo and cinnamon, is the one to pour with buñuelos and cookies, and it holds 2 to 3 hours in a warmed thermos. Rompope, a vanilla egg liqueur often compared to eggnog, is the sweet toast in many homes.
DrinksMexican Christmas Punch, Ponche Navideño with Tejocotes
Mexican Christmas punch (ponche navideño) is a hot fruit punch of tejocotes, guava, sugarcane and hibiscus, simmered in order of firmness. Ready in 90 minutes for 20 cups, with 40-cup amounts, spiked ratios, swaps and keep-warm tips.
DrinksMexican Champurrado, Thick Chocolate Masa Drink for a Crowd
Mexican champurrado is hot chocolate thickened with nixtamalized corn masa and sweetened with piloncillo, the drink served with tamales at posadas. Ready in 35 minutes for 6 mugs, with a 20-mug batch and US and UK swaps.
DrinksMexican atole recipe, masa harina or cornstarch, 4 flavors
Mexican atole made with masa harina, piloncillo, cinnamon and vanilla, at 60 g of masa per liter so it coats a spoon without lumps. 35 minutes for 6 cups, plus a cornstarch version, three fruit flavors and a 20-cup party batch.
DrinksCafé de Olla, Mexican Spiced Coffee with Piloncillo
Café de olla is Mexican coffee steeped with piloncillo and Ceylon cinnamon at 60 g per liter, never boiled with the grounds in. Ready in 30 minutes for 6 mugs, with party math for 24, brown sugar swaps and lead-safe clay pots.
DrinksRompope Recipe, Homemade Mexican Eggnog Without Lumps
Rompope is Mexican eggnog made with reduced cinnamon milk and egg yolks only, cooked to 160°F (71°C) so it thickens without curdling. Makes about 5 cups in 70 minutes, with an alcohol-free version, fridge life and gifting tips.
January 6, Three Kings bread
The Mexican Christmas season ends on Three Kings Day with rosca de reyes, an orange-scented bread ring with a tiny figurine baked inside. Whoever finds it hosts the tamales on February 2, Candlemas. To bake it at home, make the dough the day before: it rests in the fridge 8 to 14 hours, and on the 6th you only shape, proof and bake.
More Latin American Christmas menus
If your table mixes traditions, the Latin Christmas recipes page sorts dishes by type of dinner. Compare with a Colombian Christmas, built around natilla and buñuelos during the novena, and a Venezuelan Christmas, with hallacas, ham bread and ponche crema.
Frequently asked questions
What do Mexicans eat for Christmas?
The main meal is on Christmas Eve: bacalao (salt cod stew), romeritos in mole, roast turkey or pork leg, creamy white spaghetti, apple salad or a beet and jicama salad, and hot fruit punch. Christmas Day is for leftovers, and the posada parties before it serve tamales, pozole, buñuelos and punch.
Is Mexican Christmas dinner on the 24th or the 25th?
On the night of the 24th, Nochebuena, often late in the evening. The 25th is a quiet day of reheated leftovers, with bacalao sandwiches on crusty rolls as the classic.
What is an easy Mexican Christmas dinner for beginners?
One make-ahead main, the bacalao, cooked on the 23rd; an apple salad; crusty rolls; and a pot of punch. For dessert, buñuelos fried up to three days before.
What can I use instead of hard-to-find Mexican ingredients?
Sour cream for media crema, dark brown sugar or muscovado for piloncillo, samphire for romeritos, and frozen or jarred tejocotes from Latin stores in the US. Each recipe lists the swaps and how they change the result.
What is served at a Mexican posada?
Party food for a crowd: tamales with champurrado or atole, pozole, buñuelos with syrup and hot fruit punch. The tamales can be made weeks ahead and frozen.