Mexican zucchini and corn (calabacitas con elote) is a fun and easy recipe to make. Along with the zucchini, you can also use peppers, onions, or any other vegetables in season. The corn adds sweetness and texture to this dish- It's very delicious. This Mexican side dish takes less than half an hour from start to finish!
Do you love vegetables? I do (a lot)!
I grew up learning how to really appreciate all kinds of vegetables when we used to visit my Abuelita at her farm in the state of Veracruz.
Jump to:
This time was also a “vacation” for my mother because having 8 kids must have been crazy, not to mention a lot of work. I didn’t realize at that time that we were learning valuable life lessons, like how to find dry wood even though there were rainy days.
My brothers would go fishing and hunt with my cousins. Meanwhile, I spent a lot of my time at the kitchen helping grind the corn and watching how the women of the house worked in an orchestrated rhythm preparing the meals for the workers that would come back at noon for lunch.
But of all those things, one of my most cherished memories was going with my Abuelita to the riverbank, a few yards from the kitchen where she had her vegetable garden.
We would pick up zucchini, squash, peppers, tomatillos, and herbs for the midday meal. She would place them on her apron and go back to the kitchen to cook them for lunch.
What could be fresher than that?
Sometimes, I think this was one of the secrets of why she lived a long life as all of my uncles did. All of them passed away in their mid 90’s.
Frequently Ask Questions About Calabacitas A La Mexicana
To this day, I still make this recipe for calabacitas con elote and now my family loves it too! Before I share this recipe, here are a few questions I've been asked and wanted to answer.
What is the difference between calabacitas and regular squash?
Mexican calabacitas are more like a cross between zucchini and squash. Where regular squash, there are many different varieties, such as summer squash, winter squash, acorn squash, etc.
In Mexico, the variety that is more popular is from the Cucurbitaceae family of squashes, we call the elongated form squash "Calabacita Italiana", and the small round squash "Calabaza Pipiana".
Can I make this recipe without corn?
Yes, you can completely leave it out. But, it would be called "calabacitas a la Mexicana" (Mexican zucchini with tomatoes) in this case.
You can really mix in any vegetables you like.
What else can I add to this recipe?
Thankfully, this recipe could be a side dish or a main dish if you want. That means it's very versatile and it has many variations in Mexico.
Some may add cream and cheese while others add roasted poblano pepper strips or diced pork.
The combinations are endless! A perfect Vegan or Vegetarian Mexican dish.
Can I use frozen vegetables?
Yes! You can replace the fresh ingredients in this recipe if you want to save time or don't have access to them.
Mexican Zucchini and Corn Recipe
It's very easy to make this calabacitas recipe at home!
Here's what you need:
- Mexican Squash or Zucchini, buy the smaller ones for better flavor and tender texture.
- Fresh corn kernels, if using frozen corn, drain well.
- White onion
- Garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- Serrano peppers (chopped)
- Oil (vegetable or canola)
- Tomatoes (diced)
- Cilantro (or epazote- chopped)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!
How To Make Calabacitas Con Elote: Step By Step Tutorial
This vegetable side dish is very delicious. Here's how you can make it:
- Saute the chopped onion and garlic in oil for about one minute. Add the zucchini and cover the frying pan.
- After about 5 minutes, add the corn and chopped peppers and stir to prevent browning. Keep cooking for 3 minutes and add the tomatoes.
- Stir and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until zucchini and corn are tender.
- Garnish with cilantro or epazote.
Serve and enjoy!
What To Serve With Mexican Zucchini and Corn
One of the best things about this recipe is that it works as a side dish OR it can be the main dish.
If you decide to make the zucchini and corn your dinner, I recommend serving it with Mexican rice and homemade corn tortillas. You can make your own vegetarian tacos!
If you want to serve these veggies on the side, I like to cook up some seasoned pork chops or a batch of chicken- Veracruz style and some rice.
More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for calabacitas con elote, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
- Mexican Squash With Cheese
- Cream Of Corn Soup
- Avocado Tomato Corn Salad
- Cream Of Zucchini Soup
- Easy Steamed Squash
I hope you make this Mexican zucchini and corn! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely
📖 Recipe
Corn and Zucchini Mexican Style
Ingredients
- 2 medium size zucchini about 3 cups
- 2 ½ cups of fresh corn kernels
- ½ cup chopped white onion
- 1 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 serrano peppers, chopped
- 1 ½ Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 2 medium size tomatoes diced About 2 cups
- 2 Tablespoon of chopped cilantro or Epazote
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute the onion and garlic in the oil, about one minute. add the zucchini and cover the frying pan, about 5 more minutes.
- Add corn and chopped peppers and stir to prevent browning. Keep cooking for 3 minutes and add tomatoes. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until zucchini and corn are tender.
- Garnish with the Cilantro or Epazote . In case your tomatoes are not juicy, add some water to prevent sticking.
Gloria
I make this all the time. We always made it at home on the ranch, I still do. Looks great, good photos.
Sense of Home
This sounds delicious, and it looks beautiful.
-Brenda
La Dama
mmm colache..bien bueno con tortillas y queso.
Melynda
I cannot wait to try this, thanks so much for posting.
Pily Guzman
Mely: qué linda historia... es incríble cómo cambia el sabor de las calabacitas recién cortadas, verdad? son como más dulces, no sé !! este platillo yo también lo preparo y nos gusta mucho...!!Vengo del blog de Nora, hizo carne de cerdo con calabacitas y ahora tú con esto...wow!! tengo que hacer calabacitas ahora mismo, me dejaron MUY antojada !! 😉
saludos Mely
Karey Kumli
The peppers are in your instructions and photos, but not in your ingredients, in English or in Spanish. Please let me know when this is corrected. Thank you@
Mely Martínez
Hello Karey,
You will need 2 serrano peppers for this recipe.
Art by Ruth Sagrario Macotela
OMG! it looks delicious and easy to do...Thanks for sharing.
crunchy mom
This looks so wonderful and I love the memories you have attached to it. Thanks so much for sharing this with Simple Lives Thursday!
xo, Sustainable Eats
NORA
Mely, nos pusimos de acuerdo? Bueno, casi, verdad? Tengo el mismo plato pero con carne de cerdo. Gracias por enlazarme!
Besos
Violeta
Lovely story and great dish!
Lo voy a hacer en estos días,gracias por la receta.
Abrazos
Mexico in my kitchen
Hello girls,
Thank you for stopping by this your humble kitchen.
It is always nice to hear from you but it is even better to visit your blogs.
Everytime I visit your blogs, I get great recipes, ideas and some smiles.
Have a blessed day you all!
Mely
Diana Bauman
Mely, what a delicious dish. Thank you for sharing your story of spending time with your Abuelita. My father, who was born in Chihuaha, comes from a family of 12. He has shared stories with me of spending time in Mexico and they sound so similar. This post was warming and made me smile. I'm definitely going to try this as well as it looks delicious! Thanks again for sharing Mely, I've really learned so much from your site! I'm making the chorizo this weekend 😀 Besitos!!
Mary
This looks and sounds delicious and it is very doable. That's a combination that can't be beat. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Blessings...Mary
Gabriela, clavo y canela
Una deliciosa manera de comer calabacitas, más ahora que hay muchos elotes 🙂
Delicioso plato!
besos
Gaby
Chow and Chatter
looks amazing and what a wonderful post loved the images of you going to get the veggies you can use any type of chili's no worries its really the dried spices that give the flavor with the aloo gobi
would adore it if you would consider an Authentic Mexican recipe for chow and chatter I so need to learn from you
Rebecca
rebeccasubbiah at yahoo dot com
Lori
I just made calabacitas not too long ago. So glad I tried the recipe we really enjoyed it with some corn tortillas.
Cover
Made this tonight, added some cream at the end - amazing! All three of us at dinner (my husband, our roommate and me) were blown away by the flavor created with so few ingredients. Mmmmm.
LeAnn
Isn't it so interesting the memories that food brings up. This does not remind me of my grandmother at all. But the food which do are the ones I make over and over to this day. I most appreciate the blogs which share these types of memories and personal history and how the writer feels about what they are doing. And the recipe does look delicious.
A Barbie Gone BAD
seeing this dish and readin about your grandmother made me cry in my office like a baby, im sorry im posting tons of comments but i decided to go thru whole blog, but my grandmother passed away this year early march and it brought back so many memories as well she would make this for us alot as well with piernitas de pollo that she would go out back an kill 🙂 fresh. sounds bad 🙁 but yes also i dont know if you have ever heard of "COCHAS- son una flor de monte" de donde somos nosotros mis primos van a recojer estas flores de monte y las mujeres las cocinan en desayunos.. very delicious..
A Barbie Gone BAD
omg i just saw i put the name wrong of the flower!
its CHOCHAS!
Mexico in my kitchen
Hola Leslie,
SI las he comido, las venden por la carretera por el rumbo de Aldama, Tamaulipas. Las he comido con huevo en las mananas como desayuno y en salsa de de chile piquin.
Saludos,
Mely
girlichef
Such a great food memory, Mely. Thank you for sharing it 😀 I love this dish and definitely could eat a big bowl full as a main dish!
Unknown
I'm a new fan of your blog! This dish was delicious and I love the stories and memories. I'll be back!
Cathy
I love your blog. I make this dish all of the time. It is perfect for a summertime meal.
Esther
Seriously, I could eat calabacitas con elote every day. Sometimes I add shredded cheese, sometimes I cook them with pork. Your recipe is exactly like my mom's and grandma's. This is comfort food at its best!
mmartinez
Hi Esther,
I have the same feeling about calabacitas cooked this way, or A la Mexicana. Thank you fro your kind comments.
Peter G.
Super easy to make! Love the combination of flavors, we added queso to our dish!
Aurora Egesz
Excelente I teach Mexican cooking class in Canada and this recipe is very original