Nopalitos are the edible young paddles of the prickly pear cactus, grown throughout their native Mexico, the southwestern United States, and the Mediterranean (brought back by the conquistadores).
The paddles are widely available in Mexican markets in the US, either whole (with spines) or prepared (cleaned, spines removed, chopped).
They are tasty cooked, and are used in many traditional Mexican dishes. Here is a quick, easy, and delisioso nopalitos recipe prepared for me by my Mexican friend and caterer Arturo Vargas.
Do you have a favorite nopalitos recipe? Please let us know about it in the comments.
Nopalitos with Tomatoes and Onions Recipe
PrintIngredients
- 1 lb nopalitos, nopales prickly pear cactus paddles that have been stripped of spines, cleaned, and chopped
- Olive oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper
Method
1 Sauté onions, garlic, jalapeño: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add red onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook for a minute, stirring occasionally.
2 Add the nopalitos, then the tomatoes: Add the nopalitos. Cook for several more minutes. Then add the chopped tomato.
Continue to cook until all vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
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Links:
Cactus and Corn Salsa here on Simply Recipes
How to Cut and Prepare Prickly Pears from Garrett
Hominy and Cactus Soup from the Perfect Pantry
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I made it! I rinsed the pound of nopalitos it before I sautéed it because I’m not a fan of all that slime. I sautéed the garlic and onions as directed, added the nopalitos and let them cook for 5 minutes and added the tomatoes after and cooked them for another 5 minutes. I browned ground beef separately and seasoned it to my liking and finally warmed up corn tortillas to make tacos-beef went first, topped with the nopalitos and garnished it with queso fresco- it was soooo .
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Are they supposed to be slimy and the end result watery? Help!
I always eat nopalitos raw. Living in Austin, I have no trouble finding them fresh, cleaned, and sliced. I toss them with some Pico de Gallo, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
I had nopalitos as a kid & it was good. My dad had this recipe from his mom in sonora. There is health benefits as well. He added chopped pork & red chili sauce. Yummy …I just got some paddles from my neighbor & I’m getting my menu ready for my Cinco De Mayo party..I’m sure this recipe will b a hit. Thank you.
Are all nopales eatable?…I live in Thailand and theres nopales here are they the same, they look the same
Thanks
Great question. I would ask a local nursery. ~Elise