This nopales con chorizo recipe features tender chunks of cactus paddles cooked along with chorizo and onions, all stewed in a flavorful chili sauce made with tomatoes and guajillo peppers.
Nopales con chorizo is a popular Mexican dish made with nopales cactus and spicy chorizo sausage. The nopales are typically diced and cooked with onions, then mixed with crumbled chorizo and simmered in a flavorful chile sauce.
This traditional Mexican dish is often served as a breakfast or brunch dish and can be enjoyed on its own or with flour or corn tortillas and refried beans on the side.
Nopales are a traditional ingredient in Mexican cuisine and are known for their unique flavor and texture. They are also high in fiber, antioxidants, and other beneficial nutrients.
If you’re curious about other Mexican recipes with nopales, check out my ensalada de nopales and pork & nopales stew.
Ingredients
- Nopales: I used a jar of nopalitos because those are easier to find. If you want to use fresh nopales you’ll need first to clean them, dice them, and cook them before using them in this recipe.
- Chorizo: You can use store-bought Mexican chorizo, which is a spicy breakfast sausage. If you can’t find it where you live, you can make my recipe for homemade Mexican chorizo.
- Onion: Yellow or white onion, sliced.
- Tomatoes: Use ripe tomatoes to make the flavorful salsa.
- Chiles: My favorites are guajillo chili peppers which are mild spicy chilies, and I also added some chile de árbol for a spicy kick. Feel free to adjust the quantity to your preference or use other types of chili peppers like serrano peppers.
- Spices: I used only salt, and pepper because the chorizo is nicely spiced already. Feel free to add other spices like cumin, oregano, or garlic.
- Oil: I recommend extra virgin olive oil or any vegetable oil you prefer.
How To Make Nopales Con Chorizo
Place tomatoes in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the skin of the tomatoes starts to break off.
Turn off the heat and immediately add the guajillo and chile de arbol peppers. Sit for 10 minutes or until the chili peppers are nicely softened.
Transfer the tomatoes and chilies to a blender and add salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water. Blend until you’ll have a smooth salsa. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a cooking pan over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook for 4 minutes breaking it with the back of a spoon.
Mix in onions and cook everything together for 5-6 minutes or until onions are nicely softened and the chorizo becomes a little crispy.
Add nopales to the pan and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute or until the flavors are well combined.
Pour in the tomato and chili sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook the nopales with chorizo for 5-6 minutes or until the sauce has thickened a bit.
Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.
The nopales con chorizo is typically served hot, with tortillas or other traditional Mexican sides, read below for ideas to serve this tasteful breakfast!
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to drain and rinse the jarred nopales well before using.
- Mexican chorizo is a fresh, raw sausage that is typically sold in casings. You’ll need to remove the casing and crumble the sausage to cook it evenly.
- If you prefer a milder flavor, you can use fewer chili peppers or omit them altogether.
- You can customize this nopales con chorizo recipe by adding other ingredients, such as diced bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, or cooked potatoes.
- Both chorizo and store-bought nopales have salt already, so make sure to add just a little bit to the sauce and then adjust only at the end of cooking.
How To Serve
Nopales con chorizo is a versatile dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s great with tortillas, refried beans, avocado, and other traditional Mexican sides. Here are some ideas for serving it:
- Tacos & burritos: It makes a great filling for tacos or burritos. Simply heat up some tortillas de harina, and serve the nopales and chorizo mixture topped with, cheese, avocado, and salsa.
- With Beans: Serve the mixture on a plate with a side of frijoles refritos or frijoles de la olla and some warm tortillas for a hearty and filling meal.
- With Rice: The flavorful nopales mixture can be served over rice for a satisfying and flavorful meal. Try with a side of arroz rojo or buttery rice.
- As filling: You can use chorizo and nopales mixture to stuff into Maseca gorditas or to make quesadillas fritas.
Store & Reheat
Nopales con chorizo last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer. Let the mixture cool down to room temperature then transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the fridge or freezer.
When reheating the mixture, you can do so in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat. If the mixture is too dry, you can add a splash of water or chicken stock to moisten it.
FAQ
What does nopales taste like?
Nopales have a unique and slightly tart flavor that is often described as similar to green beans or asparagus. Some people also detect a subtle citrus flavor in nopales. The texture of nopales is somewhat slimy but when cooked, the sliminess of nopales is reduced and they become tender and slightly crunchy.
Why do Mexicans eat nopales?
Nopales have been a staple ingredient in Mexican cuisine for centuries, and are valued for their nutritional benefits as well as their flavor.
They are abundant in Mexico and are relatively easy to grow, even in dry and arid regions.
Also, nopales are a source of pride for many Mexicans and are often associated with Mexican identity and heritage.
More Nopales Recipes
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Video
Nopales Con Chorizo
Ingredients
- 3 cups jarred nopales (diced)
- 14 oz Mexican chorizo
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 1 medium onion (sliced)
- 3 guajillo chilies (stem and seeds removed)
- 5-6 chile de árbol (read notes)
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or any oil you prefer)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Boil tomatoes in plenty of water for 10 minutes or until the skin starts to break off.
- Turn off the heat and immediately add the guajillo and chile de arbol peppers to the hot water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the tomatoes and chilies to a blender and add salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a cooking pan over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook for 4 minutes breaking it with the back of a spoon.
- Mix in onions and cook for 5-6 minutes or until onions are nicely softened and the chorizo becomes a little crispy.
- Add nopales to the pan and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute.
- Pour in the tomato and chili sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the sauce has thickened a bit.
- Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.
Notes
- If you want to use fresh nopales you’ll need first to clean them, dice them, and boil them before using them in this recipe.
- If you prefer a milder flavor, you can use less chili peppers or omit them altogether.
- You can customize this nopales con chorizo recipe by adding other ingredients, such as diced bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, or cooked potatoes.
I absolutely love this nopales con chorizo recipe! The combination of tender cactus paddles and flavorful chorizo creates a mouthwatering dish. It’s a perfect blend of textures and tastes. This recipe is definitely going to be on my regular meal rotation.