How to Cook Nopales – Cactus Paddles
I wasn’t sure how to name this post… many ideas came to mind, like:“What to do with cactus pads”, “Some recipes using nopales”, etc., and the list could go on a few more lines, but I decided on just: “How to cook Nopales – cactus paddles” and I hope you find them easy to prepare
The weather is getting warmer here and instead of the same old lettuce, tomato, etc., salad, I decided to make a nutritious Ensalada de nopales. We do not get the freshest nopales around here but, who’s complaining? You can see in the pictures that they look close to their expiration date, with dark spots here and there, but they were still crispy and that is what matters when you choose the nopales. (If they are soft and bendable, do not buy them).
Now… Let’s go cook some nopales!!
How to cook Nopales – Cactus Paddles
DIRECTIONS:
- Place the cactus paddle on your cutting board and, using a sharp knife, trim off the edge. Scrape the spines, thorns or eyes, running your knife from back to front until completely clean. Turn the cactus paddles and do the same on the other side. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Repeat the same steps with the rest of the cactus paddles. Finally, rinse the cactus paddles and take them back to your clean cutting board.
- Place a medium size pot with 4 quarts of water to boil.
- Cut the cactus paddles into small strips.
- Once the water is boiling add the cactus, onion, garlic, 1/2 tsp. of salt and the tomatillo husk. Boil uncovered for about 8-10 minutes or until tender. The cactus will exude a sticky substance and most times will foam, so, pay special attention to this step to avoid the foam to spill over.
- Once cooked, drain and rinse the cactus. Let them drain completely or pat them dry with paper towels. Now, your nopales are ready to be prepared into salads, scrambled eggs, as an addition to your Mexican stews, etc.
Note: Nopales also taste really good grilled and topped with melted cheese. Just make 3-4 small cuts to each nopal after you cleaned the spines; brush them with oil and grill them for about 3 minutes on each side.
Nopales Salad
DIRECTIONS:
Place the nopales in a large bowl; add the chopped tomato, onion, serrano peppers and cilantro. Mix the ingredients. In a separate bowl mix lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add this to the nopales mixture and stir. Top the salad with crumbled fresh cheese and avocado slices. (Radishes go well with this salad also). Eat with corn tortillas or tostadas.
NOPALES WITH EGGS FOR BREAKFAST
Add the oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped green onions and stir-fry for a minute. Add the nopales and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Add the eggs and cook until tender, stirring as needed. Add salt to taste.
HOW TO COOK CACTUS PADDLES (NOPALES)
Ingredients
- 6 nopales cactus pads
- 1 tomatillo husk to reduce the viscosity effect
- 1/4 white onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp. of salt
NOPALES SALAD
SERVES 4
- 6 nopales cactus pads chopped and cooked
- 1 1/2 cup chopped tomato
- 2 serrano peppers finely chopped
- 1/2 cup of chopped onion
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 cup crumble fresh cheese
- Corn tortillas or tostadas to serve
NOPALES WITH EGGS FOR BREAKFAST
- 2/3 cups of nopales chopped and cooked
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp. of chopped green onions
- Salt to taste
Instructions
VERY IMPORTANT TIP: Use kitchen tongs to hold the nopales or, better yet, wear gloves to protect your hands from the thorns. Once you are familiar working with cactus paddles then you can try to clean them without gloves.
- Place the cactus paddle on your cutting board and, using a sharp knife, trim off the edge. Scrape the spines, thorns or eyes, running your knife from back to front until completely clean. Turn the cactus paddles and do the same on the other side.
- Repeat the same steps with the rest of the cactus paddles. Finally, rinse the cactus paddles and take them back to your clean cutting board.
- Place a medium size pot with 4 quarts of water to boil.
- Cut the cactus paddles into small strips.
- Once the water is boiling add the cactus, onion, garlic, 1/2 tsp. of salt and the tomatillo husk. Boil uncovered for about 8-10 minutes or until tender. The cactus will exude a sticky substance and most times will foam, so, pay special attention to this step to avoid the foam to spill over.
- Once cooked, drain and rinse the cactus. Let them drain completely or pat them dry with paper towels. Now, your nopales are ready to be prepared into salads, scrambled eggs, as an addition to your Mexican stews, etc.
NOPALES SALAD
- Place the nopales in a large bowl; add the chopped tomato, onion, serrano peppers and cilantro. Mix the ingredients. In a separate bowl mix lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add this to the nopales mixture and stir. Top the salad with crumbled fresh cheese and avocado slices. (Radishes go well with this salad also). Eat with corn tortillas or tostadas.
NOPALES WITH EGGS FOR BREAKFAST
- Add the oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped green onions and stir-fry for a minute. Add the nopales and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Add the eggs and cook until tender, stirring as needed. Add salt to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
More recipes using Nopales: Grilled Cactus Recipe, Nopales Smoothie, Cactus Salad with Pomegranate, Fava Bean and Cactus Soup.
If you like our recipes follow us on Instagram @mexicoinmykitchen
i love salads and ensaladas. they are both healthy. thanks for sharing this.
Very cool…I always wondered how to make cactus.
I love your site. My husband loves Mexican. I have tried Tamales, Carna Asada and I will be back to your site.
Do you make Tamales? Is it really a breakfast food?
Tamales are an any time food, but especially breakfast! They are best reheated on a griddle the morning after and served with eggs over easy. 🙂
Tamales are an any time food, but specially delicious as a breakfast food. re heat in the morning on a hot griddle and serve with eggs over easy… 🙂
This is new for me, never had cactus. Wonder what it tastes like!
In my opinion the taste is similar to that of a green bean.
To me nopales taste a bit like dill pickles. 🙂
As a child, that’s what it taste like to me. However, I now like them especially in salads or with other items i.e. Chile colorado.
Tastes more like okra and pickles.
Hi Rossel,
I also love salads, specially this time of year. I can live on salads alone during summer. I hope you try this recipe.
Pigpigscorner, The nopales sort of taste like green beans/sparragus. In my country a lot of people use them as a medicinal aid, sometimes blending it in a fruit smoothie. I know it sounds odd.
Hi Miranda,
And yes, I do make tamales all kinds of them, the spice ones and sweet ones. And yes too, to having them for breakfast, but also lunch and dinner. Tamales are sold in the strees of Mexico City inside a french bread for breakfast sometimes outside the metro stations or close to the bus terminal.
Glad to see you stopping by.
recept how to make a good Tamales ?
Hello James,
Please follow this recipe link below.
For red sauce pork tamales:https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2015/02/how-to-make-easy-hot-tamales-using-corn.html
For chicken green sauce tamales: https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2010/12/tamales-chicken-in-green-salsa.html
Happy cooking!
I've never seen cactus being made into a dish but this looks great!
This is sooo interesting and so cool. This is probably just normal to you but I didn't know cactus pads can be made into salads and sandwich. I would want to try that!
For salads you could also try curing them in rock salt for a couple of minutes and then rinsing them in cold water instead of boiling them in water; a technique used in Nayarit, Mexico. They will be super crunchy, and you'll avoid the okra-like sticky substance….also, the color remains bright green. Great pictures, thank you!
You don't look them in water then? So they'd be raw? If so, you would use them same as cooked ones? Thank you
Hello,
Yes, the salt will cure them. I had seen this method used only to make salads with the nopalitos, but not to use them on stews. Some people will add the nopales raw and chopped to the stews and let them cook with the rest of the stew.
wow, what a great lesson on nopales! I've seen this around in markets, but never knew what to do with them. This is awesome, and a rather "tame" and "introductory" way to enjoy nopales.
It looks like it might taste a bit like…pickles?
They definitely don't taste like pickles.Trust me on that I hate pickles. It's more similar to a green bean flavor.
Hello Jessie & peachkins glad you can get to see here how we cook them. Maybe you could try them sometime.
Hi Fiamma Culinaria,
That is a great way to eat nopales, thanks for the input. My favorite way to eat nopales is grilled toped with melted cheese. Thank you for stopping by.
Hey!
Burpandslurp,
Pickles? Well…. a litlle not so sour. Thanks for your visit.
I am *so* excited to find this blog! I love to cook Mexican food {and EAT Mexican food} but don't know how to do so authentically! I'm excited to take your journey with you and learn some new things, this is so great.
Very nice food
We have those kinds of cactus here in Turkey, but never thought of making salad from its pads. Noone makes it here. So interesting… We generally eat its fruit, orange in color, which has lots of benefits for health. Seeing these pictures and reading your post, I think I'll be the first to try this salad here. You made me so curious about it.
Did you get to try the cactus pads in Turkey???
Hi! Hot garlic thank you for joining me to cook some traditional mexican food.
Hello! Easy Caribean shop glad you like it, thanks for you visit.
Hi there Zerrin,
i didn't know you had those in Turkey, what a surprise. we also eat the fruit and make different desserts with it.I hope you try them.
Ive been really enjoying your blog, re. the gazpacho recipe yes its 1 TB, Im always in a rush when posting..The weather has been so warn my family are already requesting a 2nd batch..Figtreeapps
what a salad
this is grate im glad, and im also satisfide with the ''ensalada de noplales''….glad to say
Marlene
ricas recetas como para chuparse los dedos!
delicious recipies so good you can leak your fingers!
Thanks a lot for your nice comment Anonymous.
Gracias por tu amable comentario anonimo, espero te gusten todas las recetas.
Thanks Marlene:
Please do come back and visit.
Wonderful! I found your blog today searching for how to cook nopales. We're doing a southwestern ragu and are tucking in chopped nopales. Nice blog!
yo dawg. made this today. omg delish
well i modded your recipe. delish. not so much of a fan of cactus+egg burritos but the salad was wonderful! thank you for the pictures and instructions. glad i was able to cook with them.
Hello Anonymous,
Thank you for stopping by and letting me know about your experience cooking with nopales.
Have a great Day!
This looks like a great recipe, but I must say…. those nopales before cooking are such a beautiful, vibrant green color… after cooking they just look dead. In your opinion, is it necessary to boil the nopales for that long?
Hello Anonymous,
Cooking time varies depending on the thickness and freshness of the Nopales. But if you have tender young Nopales, 10 minutes will be enough.
Just cook the Nopales until they are tender but still firm.
Thanks you for valuable question.
Mely
I just cleaned and cooked some nopales day before yesterday. I love them. Great post. I post about them all the time. Your pictures are awesome.
gracias por tu recetas.
Can you freeze nopales (or nopalitos) for later use? If so, is it best to freeze them cooked or raw? Thank you. And thanks for posting these recipes – they look great!
Hello Anonymous,
Some recipes call for raw nopales and they come out just fine. If you read the comments bellow a reader was kind enough to share her freezing method.
Enjoy!
Thanks so much. I bought some at a flea market and the lady there told me what they were. I thought they were cut bell pepper. I didn't ask how to cook them, but, I stir fried them with onion and they were terrific. I went back yesterday and she said..'oh no, you should boil first'. Well, I didn't get sick, so it worked ok with the stir fry. I love to try new foods.
i love nopalitos con huevo always have an a everyday dish in my ranch!
Thank you for the recipe. I recently went to a farmers market, and kept seeing cactus everywhere. Finally asked about it, and everyone said to have it with eggs. My 20 yr old son, and 18 yr old daughter made it for me today for mothers day following your recipe. Thank you sooooooo much! I was scared, but it was yummy!!
Hello Anonymous,
WHat a blessing for your to have your kids cooking on Mother's Day.
I am glad the recipe was helpful to you.
Happy Belated Mother's Day!
Mely
My Mother use to make Nopales with eggs when we were children but I never saw her make it. Now, I know. Thanks so much.
I just made this today with some carne asada tacos…..it came out amazing. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Hello Curly Girl,
Thanks to you for letting me know that you enjoyed the recipes.
Mely
I love your recipes, they are straight forward & come out so good! I'm going to make the nopales with eggs for breakfast today, & I think I'll throw in some "soy"rizo for added flavor. Keep up the good work, I have bookmarked your page as my "go to" site for Mexican recipes!
I have bookmarked your site! Your recipes are straight forward & come out tasting great. I am going to try the nopales & eggs for the first time today, maybe add some "soy"rizo to the mix. I love the nopales salad, the radishes are an excellent addition to it. I like to mix diced avocado into it; I accidentally mixed some guacamole into a friend's nopalitos & like the result! Your website is my "go to" for Mexican recipes. Next best thing to actually having a Mexican grandmother!! Thanks so much.
Thanks for your nice comment Oleg.
I will try adding the guacamole to my nopales ensalada tacos next time I make it. sound like a good addition.
Happy cooking!
Mely
I freeze nopales two ways, one is boiled for 5 min. Put salt, When they change color that's it, drain, cover with a cover and let drain all the juice,put in food bags and freeze. Second way: once cleaned with out cutting them, cook them on a comal or in a frying pan no oil, the natural juice will cook them, when they change color, try to dry them with the heat a bit and the let them cool, wrap individually between plastic wrap or freezer bags roll about ten together at a time they fit well in the freezer. Later defrost in microwave and use them with tortilla and melted cheese, salcita. Fast and delicious at anytime during the day, I usually have them for breakfast.
Thanks Catherine for explaining you freezing method. I know it will be very helpful.
Happy cooking,
Mely
Mely you are the best, love tour recipes because they are the real deal not the phony fusion mess that is being promoted in some recipes on television. Thank you.
two ways to freeze nopales, chopped & boiled five minutes and let drain, put in freezer bags.
second way is to toast the nopal on a comal or in a frying pan, no oil, their juice will cook them, let them cool and wrap with plastic between each nopal, put ten together, later defrost in Microwave and put them in a tortilla with melted cheese and salcita, great and fast at any hour, I especially like them for breakfast.
Hello Catherine,
Nopales asados con queso derretido is my easy lunch anytime. 🙂
Happy week!
Mely
You are great! Back in Mexico, we always cooked first. Love them with eggs. Something I havent had in a long time is fish with nopales and epazote.
Thanks for the instruction on the nopales, will try to cook them, It looks good:>
Thanks for the instructions on nopales, will try to cook nopales:>
Hello Elim,
I hope you enjoy them.
Mely
Here in Texas you see then bottled in the Mexican markets, are these any good to use to save on cooking time?
My Grandmother use to make Nopales with eggs and fresh flour tortillas, yum yum. At the Mexican markets here in Texas the sell jarred Nopales, are they any good? They would save alot of time.
Very nice blog for authentic Mexican cooking!
Hello Dr. Moon,
Yes, you sure can use the jarred nopales.
Happy cooking!
Mely
Thanks for the simple tutorial on the nopales. I shared to google+
Mely qué riqueza de ensalada, se antoja con este calor de la canícula! Oye Mely yo no hiervo tanto tiempo los nopales, solo que den un pequeño hervor, que cambien de color y listo.
Not just delicious but also a healthy food. Thanks for sharing the recipe and the tips.
Here trying to build up the courage to de-spine cactus for cactus and eggs. ^^ I plan to stuff them with cheese and bread and deep fry them, then serve them on rice and a fried egg on top. I have a spine in my finger from picking one up earlier thinking I had got them out. Seriously afraid to end up with one stuck in my mouth. I will make this happen though! Thanks for the encouragement!
Hi How long do the nopales cook in boiling water would you say about? Or should I say how do you know once they are ready?
Hello,
Once the water starts boiling reduce heat and leave for about 5 to 7 minutes. Some people cook them longer up to 10 minutes, but I like my to still look plump.
Happy cooking!
Just came across your website when looking for different recipe ideas. I always make nopal cactus with eggs for breakfast but the kids have gotten tired of it last night I tried your salad recipe and it was excellent. This week I am going to try it cooked with a mild chile salsa with some tortillas and refried beans to change things up.
Hello Elba,
Nopales can be cooked in many different ways. There are several recipes using nopales on the blog. Check the search box on the top right side and write Nopales. Enjoy!
Hola, raised in Calif on the TJ border but never learned all the secrets to mexican cuisine (except I can make a very flavorful tamal). Somehow I missed the type of cheese you prefer. Are there certain cheese that enhance flavor to this recipe above other's. Please a run down sometime of the cheeses of mexico and what's used for meat dishes, tamales, enchelada's etc. Would be so helpful to me a novice at mexican cooking. I miss california for the mexican flavors. Thank you for your valuable time and expertise. Great blog and all the participants as well. People are fun!
Hello Billie,
I usually buy the "Queso Fresco", sold at latin stores. Thank you for your kind comment, I have in mind to write about the types of cheese and their uses. Thank you for following.
I love your recipes!
Have you shopped the Grande Latin Markets in the Dallas area for fresh nopales? I shop the market in Mesquite and their nopales are really fresh!
Hello,
Thank you for your kind comment about the recipes. I had been to that store in Mesquite once, it about 1 hour from where I live, but it is a good store to find all kind of things.
If you have the cactus, and there are varieties with no big spines and few of the little ones, you can harvest the pads when they are about no larger than palm size. Usually at that stage they are juicy with no spines and soft skin. You can just dice them up and cook them Easy and delicious.
The factory that I worked at had many Mexican ladies that were great cooks.We had pot lucks on holidays and there was a cactus dish that had a spicy sauce (not mole) and it had a slight vinegar taste.Do you know what this dish may have been? Very good!
Hello Barbara,
Yes, it is a dish made with dried peppers, usually guajillo, and sometimes people will add pork too.
Check this recipe link below, use the same ingredients to make it with nopales.
https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2014/02/chile-colorado-guajillo-pork-stew-recipe.html
Happy cooking!
I️ don’t know why the computer won’t post it but it is 5 stars
Hello Maddie,
Thank you for trying the recipe! Happy cooking!
Hi, just found your site. I’m very excited to try some of the printed recipes. I’m going to start with no pales, as my husband just brought some home. I’m curious, as to the tomatillo husk you included in your recipe. This husk would generally be something that is discarded here in my home, but I’m fascinated seeing this. Thank you.
Hello Mary,
The tomatillo husk is just to reduce some of the viscosity produce by the Nopales. You do not need to add it if you don’t want it. Just add a pinch of baking soda to the water before adding the Nopales.
I have a Napol Cactus in my back yard. Been here 18 years and it was about 4 ft tall and wide. Now it is 10 ft by 25 ft wide.. I have to trim it 4 or 5 times a year and throw it in the bay. The fish love the paddles and the birds eat the red buds before I can. I didn’t know about cooking the paddles until now. Thank you..If anybody wants a plant or paddles let me know. I live in Clearwater, Florida.
I have a huge cactus in my house with quite large paddles. that look like the ones you are using. I have no idea what it is called, can I eat this.
Hello Pauline,
Some large size cactus paddles are edibles, where are you located?
Drooling as I write this! I love nopales; my favorite dish is nopales con puerco y chile colorado. My mom often made nopales con huevo, & my dad made ensalada de nopales.
As a kid, we had a huge nopal growing in the backyard, so we had a free, easy source of nopales. Great memories, Mely, & thanks for the recipes!
Hello Esther,
Have fun cooking!