Cuaresma, But Make It Delicious

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The first time cuaresma caught us off guard, it felt personal. It came with a text: “We’re outside.”

No warning. No time to rethink the menu. Just a kitchen that, five minutes earlier, was fully committed to a very non-cuaresma plan. Someone casually drops, “Oh by the way, no red meat,” while already opening the fridge like they live there.

Cool. Great. Love that.

So now it’s a group effort: limes getting squeezed like they owe you money. Someone finds shrimp in the freezer—bless. A can of tuna gets pulled out with zero shame. Cilantro appears out of nowhere (it always does). And within minutes, cuaresma is no longer a problem—it’s the whole vibe.

Plates start landing. Someone says, “Esto quedó bueno.” That’s it. That’s the review.

At its core, cuaresma season is that stretch leading up to Easter where red meat quietly exits the group chat, especially on Fridays. But in real kitchens, it’s less about what’s missing and more about what steps up—seafood, citrus, spice, and that instinct to just make it work.

And once you get into it, cuaresma isn’t something you adjust to. It’s something you start looking forward to.

Cuaresma Is a Pantry Sport

There’s always a moment during cuaresma where the best thing on the table came from absolutely no plan.

Just whatever was there… and a little confidence.

3 Ways to Level Up Canned Tuna This Cuaresma

Because cuaresma will humble you—but it will also reward you.

The Ceviche Twist
Tuna, but make it fresh. Lime, pico, crunchy cucumber, a splash of Clamato—suddenly it’s giving marisquería energy without leaving your kitchen. Tostadas mandatory. Napkins also mandatory. Cuaresma food can get a little messy like that.

Tortitas de Atún
These always start as “let’s just make a few” and end with someone asking, “¿Hay más?” Tuna mixed with mashed potatoes, crisped until golden. The outside does its thing, the inside stays soft, and somehow they disappear faster than anything else on the table.

Mexican-Style Tuna
Tomato, onion, jalapeño doing their little sauté moment, tuna joins in, and suddenly there’s a guiso that tastes like you planned ahead. Tortillas show up warm (someone always steps up), and cuaresma is officially handled.

The Cuaresma Rotation That Never Misses

At some point, you stop asking what to cook and just start craving the usual suspects.

These are the ones that keep showing up—and nobody’s mad about it.

Aguachile Verde, Pero Bien Hecho

This is not the dish you make quietly.

Shrimp hits lime and immediately starts changing the mood. Serrano and cilantro come in strong—like, wake up strong—while cucumber and onion keep everything from going off the rails. It’s bright, it’s spicy, it’s a little dramatic… in the best way.

Someone always says, “pica, pero rico.” Exactly.

Check out our Aguachile Verde’s full recipe here.

Tuna Tostadas That Feel Like a Flex

There’s always that one bite where someone pauses like… hold on.

Big eye tuna, diced clean, barely dressed—just enough soy, lime, sesame oil. It lands on a tostada with avocado like it belongs there. Like it’s been waiting.

No overthinking. No heavy sauces. Just clean, sharp flavor that somehow feels fancy and casual at the same time.

See the full recipe for the Big Eye Tuna Tostada here! 

Tilapia Ceviche That Goes Fast

You don’t realize how good it is until you go back and it’s basically gone.

Tilapia cured in lime, mixed with tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeño—simple, yes, but it hits every time. It sits in the fridge just long enough to come together, then disappears little by little.

“Solo un poquito más…” Famous last words.

Full recipe for the just-a-bit-more Tilapia Ceviche, here!

Fish Taco Salad That Still Feels Like Tacos

This is what happens when someone says, “algo más ligero,” but nobody’s trying to suffer.

Fish, grilled or seared, flaked like it’s not here to impress anyone—but it does anyway. Greens underneath, but also corn, beans, avocado, tomato—porque obviously. Lime and crema doing their thing.

And somehow, even without tortillas, it still eats like tacos.

We all understand what’s going on here. Cuaresma just made it acceptable.

Check out the full Fish Taco Salad recipe here. 

Cuaresma Isn’t About Giving Things Up

Let’s be honest—cuaresma has a reputation it didn’t ask for.

People think it’s all plain fish, sad plates, and counting the days. But that’s only if you’re not paying attention.

Because in real life, cuaresma looks like:

The aguachile that hit harder than expected.
The tostadas that never made it out of the kitchen.
The tuna that went from backup plan to main character real quick.

It’s the sound of something frying while someone else is already making a salsa. It’s the lime wedges running out faster than anything else. It’s someone standing by the stove saying, “ya casi,” like that means anything.

That can also be cuaresma. Not quiet. Not boring. Definitely not lacking.

So when the plan falls apart—and it will—just lean into it.

Open the fridge. Grab the limes. Trust that something good is about to come together.

Because it always does.