Our new happy hour began June 22, with both $3 and $5 specials! Make sure you take a look at our menu and take a look below at a few items that we love to enjoy starting at 3:30 p.m.! Be sure to stop by your favorite Macayo’s to try these!
We’ve got a lot more on the menu – be sure to take a look!
Summer’s in full swing and we know what means – staying cool, laying out by the pool, and spending summer evenings with friends and family. For cold, delicious beverage ideas, make sure you check out our suggestions in the first part of Macayo’s Guide to Summer, but for delectable recipes for the whole family, check out our ideas below! We’ve been sharing quite a few great, easy recipes lately, but we’ve rounded some favorites that are simple and delicious. Got a summer fiesta coming up? Try these below or give us a call – we’ve got great party platters and catering options for fiestas of all sizes!
These delicious taquitos are inspired by our chicken taquitos and shrimp and chorizo taquitos. The best part about these is that they are simple but packed with flavor and adored by guests of all ages! They are made for summer evenings by the pool.
Juicy carne asada is a staple for many dishes, from tacos to quesadillas. We love this recipe, and we love that it also pairs well with roasted chiles, roasted peppers and even other types of meat. Try this on the grill (check out our grilling tips!) some weekend evening and get ready to enjoy a new family favorite.
Tropical salsa is a favorite for many, so why not try your own? This pairs well with simple pork tacos (an easy part of a great taco bar!) as well as chips and as a marinade. This is a fun, summery addition to your standard salsa choices.
It’s a bit hot outside, so we’d love to see you cool off at your local nearest Macayo’s for delicious foods and cool summer beverage choices!
With triple digits dropping down on Phoenix and not looking like they’re going anywhere soon, it’s time to cool off with a refreshing beverage. Thankfully, in our Macayo’s Guide to Summer, we’ve got you covered. We’ve been sharing quite a few beverage recipes lately, but if you’ve missed these great concoctions, take a look at a few of our favorites below:
Great for the kids, this beverage is super simple to make and is perfect for an afternoon by the pool or even inside (in the air conditioning!) with friends with family. Our favorite thing is that this drink is super easy to change up! Try adding fresh-squeezed orange juice or experimenting with what you put on the rim – the options (sugar? colored sugar? seasoned salt?) are endless.
Talk about a party drink! This Macayo’s favorite is no-frills fabulous. We prefer Dos Equis, which pairs classically well with a traditional margarita recipe.
Our featured Margarita of the Month for May, this is a great beverage for when you don’t want to pack on the sugar or calories! This recipe is simple, fruity and refreshing – make sure you use fresh, delicious strawberries, and you won’t feel guilty about having more than one!
Too hot to chill outside? Head over to your nearest Macayo’s for refreshing summer drinks found on our new happy hour menu! Begin your summer with our drink ideas and stay tuned for our tips on food and fun!
Summer is a great time to throw a Mexican fiesta with family, friends, and neighbors. Of course, if this will be your first time throwing a fiesta, you may understandably be at a bit of a loss when it comes to what kinds of food, drinks, games, and decorations would be appropriate. Furthermore, how much of it can you do on your own? Believe it or not, you can throw an absolutely unforgettable summer fiesta on your own (and with help from Macayo’s!) without too much work!
Start by considering the types of food you’ll want to serve up to your guests. When it comes to Mexican party appetizer ideas, you’ll want to serve foods that can easily be eaten without making a mess. You can never go wrong by setting out small plates of tortilla chips with your own fresh salsa, queso dip, bean dip…or all three! If you plan on serving your guests a full meal for dinner, consider something easy yet fitting, such as a taco bar.
In addition to having some great Mexican food offerings at your summer fiesta, you’ll want to make sure your guests have plenty of drinks to enjoy, too. If your guests will be of-age, then you really can’t go wrong with setting up a margarita bar. Stock up a table with plastic margarita glasses, salt and sugar (for garnish), fresh lime juice, lime wedges, tequilas, and the like. You can also post some of your own favorite margarita recipe ideas on the wall next to your table so that guests can make their own, thus saving you the hassle of bartending for everybody. Just make sure you include some “mocktail” virgin recipes as well, especially for your younger guests. Need a margarita recipe to try? Check out our favorites!
No summer fiesta could ever be complete without some fun games that all your guests can partake in! Of course, one staple you’ll want to consider for your fiesta is that of a good old-fashioned piñata. If you’ll have children at your party, fill it up with all their favorite candies. Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey is also a great idea – even for adults!
Finally, you’ll want to make sure that your fiesta party decorations reflect your fiesta spirit as much as your food, drinks, and games do! For decorations, then, you might consider making your own paper streamers or paper chains, which are easy to create using just construction paper and tape or staples. Consider using red, white, and green, which are the colors of the Mexican flag.
As you can see, there’s not a whole lot of work involved in planning and throwing your own backyard summer fiesta. All it takes is a little bit of foresight and creativity. Not interested in making your own food after taking care of decor, games and drinks? Call Macayo’s! We have great party platters and catering options from which to choose!
This salsa recipe is easy, tasteful and refreshing. It pairs well with all types of tacos, but especially with pork tacos and fresh tortilla chips. Whether served as a sauce or as a dip, this recipe incorporates the tropical flavors of pineapple and mango for a unique and bold taste that’s absolutely perfect for summer.
All you really need is the ability to chop up some ingredients finely, and a way to store the salsa so that it stays fresh. We recommend mason jars, which can easily keep your salsa fresh for about a week after making it.
So, just what will you need to throw this tropical salsa recipe together? Here’s a list of ingredients for a large batch that will be more than enough to serve your family with dinner:
Start by peeling and coring the pineapple before chopping it into very small pieces. Then, peel the mango and do the same thing. Chop up the two plum tomatoes, along with the red onion. If you’re not a big fan of strong onion taste, you can also substitute the red onion for something a little less strong in flavor, such as a sweet onion. Of course, if you like red onion, you might consider adding a little bit more than the standard quarter of a cup. Chop up your clove of garlic after peeling it from the skin (you can also use minced garlic, but fresh garlic does make a big difference in the overall flavor). Add all of these ingredients into a large bowl.
Then, juice one full lime and add that into the mix, being careful not to get any seeds into the mixture. The lime juice will add a light citrus flavor while also helping the other flavors mix together. It’s also a good idea to add a pinch of salt to the salsa, which will also help draw out flavors from the various ingredients. Finally, chop up some fresh cilantro until you have three tablespoons full of the finely chopped herb before adding it to the bowl.
Mix all the ingredients together until married well. Then, cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator to chill before serving. Waiting an hour will give the flavors time to fully develop and mend well with each other, so it’s highly recommended that you don’t serve immediately.
This tropical salsa is excellent with tortilla chips as an appetizer, but you can also use it to marinade chicken, serve it with tacos or burritos, or even as a dipping sauce for taquitos. Whatever you do, just make sure you mix up a large enough batch of this delicious salsa for everybody to enjoy, because it’s sure to go quickly!
For more summery salsa recipes and fun dishes to try at home, follow the Macayo’s blog! Be sure to stop by your nearest Macayo’s to try our fresh dips and salsas, as well!
Rolled taquitos (such as our favorites from the Macayo’s Scottsdale and Shea menu!) are a flavorful, simple, and versatile meal option that are a hit for just about anybody. The great thing about them is that, even though this is a beef recipe, you can substitute the beef for just about any other meat your family might like, whether it be ground chicken, chopped steak, or pulled pork.
To make enough to feed a family of four or five, you’ll need to make sure you have some basic ingredients on-hand. Here’s what you’re going to need:
Additionally, make sure you’ve got some basic seasonings, such as salt and pepper, along with a large, high quality skillet.
Got all your ingredients ready? Time to get started! Go ahead and preheat your oven to 425 degrees F; it should be ready at about the same time it’s time to pop the taquitos into the oven.
Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Saute garlic, onion, and jalapeno; once soft, add beef and brown. Add some salt and pepper before tossing mixture into a bowl of cheese, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Once the beef seems to be well coated, set the entire mixture aside.
It’s time to get rolling! Bust out a couple cookie sheets and grease them so the tortillas don’t stick to them. Then, begin rolling a small amount of the beef/cheese mixture into each tortilla before setting them on your greased baking sheet. Since the beef is already cooked, you only have to cook the tortillas for about 10 minutes—just long enough to let them crisp up. Then, just let them cool for a few minutes before serving!
This versatile recipe goes great with your typical Mexican sides, including rice and beans. However, you can also serve them up with some simple dipping sauces, such as sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. You could even serve it up with a Fiesta salad topped with tortilla strips!
The next time you’re in the mood for Mexican food but are tired of using the same Mexican recipes at home, try these perfect rolled taquitos or head to your nearest Macayo’s for some fresh, traditional Mexican cuisine.
When you throw a summer gathering, it can be a good idea to provide both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages for your guests. Mocktail recipes are great to have on-hand for gatherings where children will be present, as well as adults who don’t prefer to drink. Sure, you can have sodas and fruit juice, but we’ve got a few ideas for some great nonalcoholic creations.
Now that summer is quickly approaching, surely you’ll be whipping up some easy at home cocktails, such as margaritas! But what about offering your guests some delicious mocktail margaritas? They’re easier to make than you might think!
Looking to serve up a non-alcoholic version of the traditional margarita? Start by gathering the following ingredients:
Directions:
If you’re putting sugar on the rim, start by pouring some sugar into a saucer dish. Then, after wetting the rim of a margarita glass with juice from a lime wedge, dip the glass into the sugar so that it sticks on the rim. Next, fill a cocktail shaker with ice before adding the rest of the wet ingredients. Shake well. For a mocktail margarita on the rocks, strain through the cocktail strainer into the margarita glass. Garnish with a fresh-cut lime wedge before serving up to your guests for a delicious mocktail that will be the talk of your party.
The great thing about this mocktail recipe is that it’s absolutely versatile; you can change up the ingredients to achieve different flavors. For example, you can transform this mocktail recipe into a strawberry mocktail margarita recipe with just a few simple tweaks. For this recipe, you’ll want to have:
This mocktail is best served up frozen, but you can also do it on-the-rocks if you don’t have a blender! Start by garnishing the rim of a margarita glass with coarse sugar and fresh lime wedges. Then, set the glass aside while you mix up the mocktail. Add ice to the blender, along with the strawberries, orange juice, sparkling water, and lime juice. Blend until smooth and pour into a margarita glass. Yum! Also, keep in mind that if you don’t have fresh strawberries on-hand, you can also use frozen ones. The taste won’t be quite as fresh, but it’ll still be amazing and your younger guests probably won’t even know the difference.
The next time you host a summer gathering and are looking for some easy to make at home cocktails and mocktails for your guests, be sure to keep these wonderful and simple margarita mocktail recipes on-hand.
We’ve got more alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage recipes for you to try on the Macayo’s blog! Come on by any location anytime to try your favorite drink!
When most people think about summer cocktails, they tend to think of the classics, such as margaritas and piña coladas. However, you don’t have to stick to the same basic ingredients in order to enjoy delicious cocktails this summer. In fact, you might consider switching things up a bit by incorporating some less-expected ingredients into your summer drink recipes. Here are just a few surprising ingredient ideas, along with some great recipes to accompany them!
Ginger beer has a very strong and distinct taste, and it blends perfectly with many types of ingredients. Consider, for example, whipping up a strawberry Moscow mule. Simply combine one can of ginger beer with an ounce of strawberry-flavored vodka. You can even add some fresh strawberries or a watermelon wedge for garnish and additional fruity flavor.
Of course, what better time for popsicles than the dead heat of summer, especially as a means of cooling down? Try mixing up one part ginger ale to one part sweet champagne for a light and bubbly cocktail that’s perfect for summer. Just before you serve them up, add a fresh, juicy popsicle to the drink for extra flavor. Your guests can either watch the popsicle dissolve into the drink, or they can take it out and enjoy it for themselves.
Typically, cranberries are considered to be more of an autumn or winter drink, but they can also be surprisingly delicious in a crisp summer beverage. In fact, you can mix up a yummy cranberry margarita for your next summer gathering; it may sound like an odd combination of flavors, but trust us, it works. To craft this margarita, just start with your traditional margarita ingredients, but add a splash of fresh-squeezed cranberry juice (you can use store-bought if you’re short on time). Toss in a few fresh cranberries for garnish and additional flavor. Try our White Cranberry Margarita for refreshing cocktail, as well!
Thought port wine was just for enjoying on its own? Think again. There are all kinds of great recipes you can incorporate port wine into, especially during the summer months. If you’re in the mood for something fruity, consider making this recipe, which incorporates:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice before straining into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a fresh lime wedge.
Spices are often one of the last things you’d think about putting into a summer cocktail. However, you’d be surprised at just how delicious of a kick cayenne pepper can add to the right beverage. Consider a cool cucumber cilantro margarita topped with just a dash of cayenne. The combination of subtle cucumber flavor with the punch of the cayenne will have all your guests asking for refills.
These are just a few less conventional ingredients to consider working into your easy to make at home cocktails. Not sure how to try these unique ingredients? Stop by Macayo’s at Scottsdale and Shea to try our new drink menu, complete with our new Macayo Mule, which features fresh ginger beer, Casamigos Blanco Tequila, and Patron Citronge Lime; and our Mule-Jito, a combo of two favorites that is tangy and sweet and features Sauza Blue Reposado Tequila, Licor 43, freshly-squeezed lime juice, club soda, coconut water, ginger beer and mint.
Summer’s here, and that means it’s time to fire up the grill and enjoy time outside. However, grilling is an art form, and it takes lots of practice and technique to get it right every time. So if you struggle with getting the perfect sear on a grilled steak or creating the perfect carne asada at home, these tips are for you:
One of the biggest mistakes people make when grilling is not giving the grill enough time to heat up. When you don’t let your grill preheat early enough, any meats you’re grilling won’t get that nice sear, and won’t be as juicy. That’s because a piping hot grill immediately sears meat on contact, creating a nice crust on the outer layer that seals in the juices on the inside. For best results, then, try to preheat your grill at least 25 minutes before you start cooking, especially if you’re cooking at a very high temperature.
The other benefit to preheating your grill plenty early is that this also allows time for any bacteria on the grill to be burned off completely.
Furthermore, understand that different meats need to be treated differently on the grill. For instance, if you’re grilling pork, it’s best to do so on medium heat, whereas steaks should be cooked on high heat to get that sear. For cooking fish, it’s important that you grill on high heat and that you take the time to clean your grill off thoroughly before you get started. With ground beef, such as for hamburgers, the thickness of your patties will determine how long they should sit on the grill. Consider whipping up some great Mexican recipes with beef on the grill, such as carne asada. Yum!
No matter what kind of meat you’re grilling, remember that marinades and seasonings are your friend. Always marinate meats as far in advance as possible. If you’re short on time but still want flavorful meat, consider grilling with flank steak, which is great at absorbing marinades. Season red meats with salt, which helps to draw out juices before you put them on the grill and adds excellent flavor at the same time.
Depending on the type of grill you have, there are also some other considerations you’ll want to keep in mind For example, if you have a charcoal grill, make sure to carefully select a charcoal that’s additive-free; ideally, you’ll want to choose a charcoal that’s nothing more than charred wood clumps. Unfortunately, some charcoals have additives that can negatively impact the taste of your grilled food.
If you’re using a gas grill, make sure you keep an eye on your propane levels and exercise additional precautions when handling propane tanks. Nothing’s worse than running out of propane halfway through cooking, so it’s a good idea to keep a spare propane tank handy, just to be safe.
There’s no denying that perfecting the art of grilling takes some time and practice. However, by keeping these tips in mind the next time you fire up the grill, you’ll be well on your way to more delicious barbecues. Above all else, be sure to make the most of your summer by grilling and spending time with your family as much as you can!
For other cooking and grilling tips and delicious, traditional Mexican recipes, follow the Macayo’s blog – and be sure to stop by your nearest Macayo’s to try the perfect carne asada!
We wanted to share the full-length video announcing our new Shea location in Scottsdale – this video features a bit more of the inspiration behind the changes and how we are continuing the legacy of Macayo’s founder Woody Johnson.
If you haven’t stopped by our Shea location yet to see the changes and taste our new, Shea-specific menu, we’d love to see you! With new small plates (platos pequeños) featuring delicious items like fried avocados and shrimp and chorizo rolled tacos, to modern versions of classic Mexican dishes like our hand-dipped relleno, our new menu is full of exciting dishes that will sure to become your favorites. We’d love to hear what you have to say about them! Stop by the Shea location anytime and celebrate with us!