Complete Mexican Menu for Family Sundays

Sundays in Mexico are for family, and the meal is the center of the gathering. It's the day you cook unhurried, share the table for hours and enjoy yourselves with no rush. This complete menu will help you recreate that tradition at home, with a timeline so you don't get overwhelmed.

Aperitif: Guacamole with Tortilla Chips

Make a generous bowl of guacamole for the family to nibble on while you cook the rest. It's the perfect way to keep the early arrivals and the hungry children happy.

Quantity: 3-4 avocados for a family of 6. Serve with tortilla chips (bought or home-made), carrots and celery sticks for the children.

How far ahead: make it 30 minutes before serving at most. Guacamole waits for no one.

Soup: Tortilla Soup

A tomato broth with crisp tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream and fresh cheese. A warm, comforting appetizer that whets the appetite without filling you up too much.

For 6 people: 1.5L chicken stock, 4-5 roasted tomatoes, 1/4 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 4-6 tortillas to fry into strips, 1 avocado, sour cream, fresh cheese, lime.

Preparation: roast the tomatoes, blend with onion and garlic, fry the sauce in oil for 5 min, add the stock and boil for 10 min. Fry the tortilla strips until crisp. When serving, put the strips in the bowl, pour over the hot broth, and each person adds their toppings: avocado, sour cream, cheese and lime.

Tip: the broth can be made the day before and reheated. The tortilla strips are fried just before serving so they stay crisp.

Main Course: Carnitas with Rice and Beans

Pork cooked slowly until tender with crisp edges. Carnitas are the quintessential Sunday dish in many Mexican families.

For 6 people: 1.5kg pork shoulder (~£9-10), 2 oranges, 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic, bay leaves, pepper, salt.

Preparation (3 hours cooking, 20 min active): cut the meat into large chunks, put it in a pot with orange juice, garlic, onion, bay, salt and just enough water to cover. Cook over a low heat for 2.5-3 hours until the liquid evaporates and the meat starts to brown in its own fat. Shred and serve.

Sides:

• Mexican red rice: rinse, toast, cook in tomato stock. 30 minutes.
• Refried beans: from a can and mashed, or made from scratch if you have time.
• Warm tortillas, green salsa, onion, cilantro and lime for building tacos.

Serving style: put everything in the middle of the table and let everyone build their own tacos. Children can make their own (with supervision) — they love the independence.

Dessert: Mexican Rice Pudding

Mexican rice pudding is different from the Spanish one: it has condensed milk, cinnamon sticks and sometimes raisins. It's creamier and sweeter, and the whole family loves it.

For 6: 200g rice, 1L whole milk, 1 can condensed milk, 2 cinnamon sticks, raisins to taste, ground cinnamon to decorate.

Preparation: cook the rice in water for 15 min (so it's half-cooked). Drain. Add the milk, the cinnamon sticks and the raisins. Cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, for 20-25 min until it thickens. Off the heat, add the condensed milk and stir. Serve warm or cold with ground cinnamon on top.

Make it ahead: it can be made on Sunday morning. Serve at room temperature or chilled from the fridge.

Drinks

• Horchata: for the whole family. Soak 200g rice for 4h, blend with cinnamon, sugar and milk, strain. Makes 2-3 litres. Children adore it.
• Michelada for the adults: beer + lime + salt + hot sauce + tomato juice. Refreshing and perfect alongside the carnitas.
• Hibiscus water (agua de jamaica): boil 80g of hibiscus flowers in 2L of water, strain, add sugar. Refreshing and a beautiful color. The flowers can be bought in Latin shops for £3-4.

Sunday Timeline

To eat at 2pm:

• 9:00 — put the carnitas on to cook (3 hours on their own, just the occasional check)
• 10:00 — make the rice pudding. While it cooks, make the aguas frescas
• 11:00 — make the base for the tortilla soup (the tomato broth)
• 12:00 — cook the red rice. Prepare the refried beans
• 13:00 — chop the toppings (onion, cilantro, limes). Fry the tortilla strips for the soup
• 13:30 — make the guacamole. Brown the carnitas in a pan for the crisp edges
• 13:45 — warm the tortillas. Serve the guacamole with tortilla chips
• 14:00 — to the table! Soup first, then carnitas with everything

Budget for 6 People

• Carnitas (1.5kg pork): £9-10
• Rice + beans: £3
• Guacamole + tortilla chips: £6
• Tortilla soup: £4
• Rice pudding: £4
• Tortillas, salsas, toppings: £5
• Drinks: £5

Total: ~£36-40 for 6 people, about £6-7/person for a complete 4-course menu. Impossible to eat this well and this cheaply in any restaurant.

The Mexican Sunday isn't only about the food — it's about being together, sharing stories, and enjoying yourselves with no rush. Put on some background music, turn off the screens and enjoy the table the way they do in Mexico. Find more recipes to share in our catalogue.

Where to Find the Ingredients in the US

In our experience making this menu dozens of times, getting the ingredients in the US is easier than it seems. Pork shoulder for the carnitas is found in any supermarket at a good price — look for the shoulder or collar cut, which works just as well. Supermarket avocados are usually good quality, especially the Hass ones that arrive ripe later in the week, perfect for Sunday guacamole.

For corn tortillas, you have two options: the Mission tortillas sold in the larger supermarkets (a pack of 8 for around £2.50), or fresh tortillas from Latin shops, which are infinitely better and cost between £3-4 a kilo. If you live in London or another large city, you'll find specialist shops where you can also buy hibiscus flowers, dried chiles, Oaxaca-style cheese and other authentic ingredients. We've tried both options and the difference in flavor is noticeable with the fresh tortillas.

Adaptations for Families with Children

One of the great strengths of this menu is how well it works with children of all ages. Carnitas without chile are naturally mild and juicy, ideal for the little ones. In our experience, children are fascinated by building their own tacos — it's an interactive activity that keeps them entertained and lets them choose what goes in each one.

For children who can't handle heat, make a mild little salsa separately: simply blitz a roasted tomato with a little onion and cilantro, no chile at all. The rice pudding for dessert is a guaranteed hit with the whole family, and you can let the children help decorate their portions with cinnamon and raisins.

If you have babies or children under 3, finely shredded carnitas with a little bean is a complete, nutritious meal. Well-cooked red rice also works perfectly for the little ones. The key is not to add extra salt to the children's portions and to make sure the meat is well shredded.

Seasonal Variations on the Sunday Menu

This base menu can be adapted to every season. In summer, swap the tortilla soup for a mango ceviche or some fresh-tuna tostadas — something light and refreshing that doesn't heat up the kitchen. Horchata and hibiscus water are perfect for the warm months; serve with plenty of ice and lime slices.

In winter, carnitas are even more comforting. You can add a pozole rojo as the soup instead of the tortilla soup for a heartier first course. Rice pudding served warm and freshly made is a hug in a cup during the cold months. And if you want to raise the dessert game, make some churros with hot Mexican chocolate.

Organization Tips for Repeating Every Sunday

The key to turning the Mexican Sunday into a family tradition is organization. We've tried many systems and the one that works best is preparing a fixed shopping list you reuse each week with small variations. Buy the pork and avocados on Fridays, when the supermarket stock is freshest.

Another time-saving trick: cook a big pot of beans on Saturday night. Canned beans are a valid alternative — you'll find canned black beans for under £1. Just drain them, mash them in a pan with a little oil and onion, and you have decent refried beans in 10 minutes.

If you want to vary the main course each Sunday, alternate between carnitas, chicken in mole, beef birria or cochinita pibil. They all follow the same slow-cooking logic and are made on the same timeline. Discover more ideas in our catalogue of Mexican recipes, and if you'd rather leave it to the professionals some Sunday, see our Mexican restaurants in the US.