Have you ever wondered how to cook nopales? Yes, those cactus leaves you’ve seen at the store are totally edible and delicious! Let’s make nopales together! We’re walking you through how to make nopales, with step by step photos to help you tackle this intimidating (but delicious) Mexican dish.
I love to cook new foods, especially new produce. There’s just something about learning more about food in general, as well as new cultures, that I just love! I learned how to cook nopales after seeing them in the Mexican grocery store. They may look intimidating, but are well worth the effort.
Cooking nopales is a fun way to add a new veggie to dishes like omelettes, vegetable fajitas, or alongside your other vegetarian Mexican recipes. Their crunch is irresistible and they will complement any flavors you throw at them. This would be a fun one to serve at a gathering where you can introduce all of your friends to this fun new ingredient. Keep a few cactus leaves whole as decor for the party and the perfect conversation piece.
Just one – nopales! The texture is akin to a bell pepper with that perfect crispy snap. Yes, you do need to remove those spines so be careful when you pick them up! Grocery stores will usually provide tongs for handling the cactus.
Place in a medium pot with salt, and fill with water until all the cactus paddles are covered. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 more minutes. Drain the water from the nopales and give them another rinse under warm water to remove any excess slimy liquid.
How to Cook Cactus Leaves
There are some extra steps, but learning how to cook nopales is so worth the fun flavor and texture. I’ll walk you through how to prepare this fun veggie.
Step 1: Trim Edge Carefully hold the leaf with tongs while you slice off the outermost edge. It’s best to just use a knife to slice this away to get a clean, safe edge.
Step 2: Remove ThornsThis step makes me think of slicing a fresh pineapple – run your knife perpendicular to the leaf to remove the thorns without too much flesh coming off.
Step 3: RinseRinse well and make sure all the spiky thorns are off, as well as the little micro needles that can be hard to spot.
Step 4: SliceSlice into strips or dice into cubes. The longer strips would act just like bell peppers in fajitas. I like to dice for nopales tacos as it’s easier to fit in taco shells.
Step 5: BoilBring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the cut nopales, and cover. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
Step 6: RinseStrain and rinse the cooked nopales. They can get a bit of a slimy texture similar to okra, and rinsing will help this.
Step 7: ServeEnjoy these as-is or add to your favorite recipes with lots of seasoning. At this point, they’re great sautéed!
Meal Prep: Go ahead and cook, rinse, and dry these cooked nopales. Then freeze just like you would peppers and onions.
Storage: Cook these ahead and place them in an airtight container for 3 days or so in the fridge. This way you can add some to any meal.
First, to choose them, you want paddles that are bright green and although soft, not limp. The smaller the paddle the more tender it will be, but large ones are delicious too.
My favorite way to cook them, aside from grilling them, is to sear them in a skillet with a bit of oil for a few minutes and then let them cook covered until all of that liquid comes out, then uncover until all that liquid cooks off. Pretty much like cooking mushrooms. Not only does it work, but it also adds a nice seared flavor with merely any oil and you don’t have to drain and rinse many times. See below for precise directions, and give it a go!
Cleaning and cooking nopales can seem challenging if you are not familiar with the ingredient. Truth is, cleaning them, can be a bit daunting at first. That’s why I CANNOT wait for cleaned and diced fresh nopales to be readily available in grocery stores here in the US, just like they are in Mexico. But while that happens, let me give you some tricks.
Lay the paddle flat on a chopping board and trim about ¼ inch off the edges and about ½ inch of the thick base. Then slice in any shape or size, or keep it whole if it will be grilled or asada or used as a mounting base. I usually cut them into little squares and rectangles as I mostly use them for salads and soups.
To clean them, if it’s your first time, you may want to use plastic gloves. Rinse under cold water being careful with the thorns. Nopales are persnickety, their thorns are almost invisible, but a good clue is that wherever there is a bump there may be a thorn. Then, using a vegetable peeler or small sharp knife, pretty much as if they were asparagus, peel away the bumps and thorns, you may want to lean the nopales against a chopping board, and then rinse again. No need to peel off all of the outer dark green skin, in fact, try to keep as much as you can.
How to cook nopales on stove – Mexican Recipes Now
FAQ
How do you know when nopales are ready?
Can you eat nopales raw?
How long do you boil nopales?
Cover pot with lid and boil nopales 8 to 10 minutes or until paddles are tender and mucilage has seeped out. Carefully pour liquid and nopales through colander or strainer. Rinse boiled nopales well under running water to remove any remaining mucilage, then enjoy as desired. See Notes for serving suggestions.
What is the best way to heal a boil?
Here are some home remedies that you can try to help heal a boil: 1. Apply warm compresses. This can help to bring the boil to a head and promote drainage. Soak a clean washcloth in warm water and apply it to the boil for 10-15 minutes at a time, several times a day. 2. Use over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotic ointment. This can help to fight the infection and prevent it from spreading. Apply a thin layer of ointment to the boil 2-3 times a day. Keep the area clean and dry. Wash the area with soap and water twice a day, and pat it dry. Cover the boil with a bandage. This will help to keep the area clean and prevent the spread of infection. 3. Avoid touching or squeezing the boil. This can force the infection deeper into the skin and make it worse.
How do you use boiled nopales?
Follow directions above for boiling nopales. Strain and rinse nopales well, then use boiled nopales as desired in salads, tacos, burritos, etc.
How long do you boil nopales in a crock pot?
Add smashed garlic cloves to water and place pot over high heat. Bring water to boil. Once liquid begins to boil rapidly, add prepared nopales to pot. Cover pot with lid and boil nopales 8 to 10 minutes or until paddles are tender and mucilage has seeped out. Carefully pour liquid and nopales through colander or strainer.