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.
Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to Nopalitos with Tomatoes and Onions on Simply Recipes. Thank you!
PrintLinks:
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
If you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #simplyrecipes — We love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter!
Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
Your comment may need to be approved before it will appear on the site. Thanks for waiting. First time commenting? Please review the Comment Policy.
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 .
xxxxxyyyyy
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