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Nopales con Chorizo (or Mexican Chorizo with Cactus) – You’re going to love this recipe!
In my fridge, you’ll almost always find homemade chorizo. I will cook the entire package and save some for later.
Same thing with nopales, or cactus. I make a big batch and put them into several dishes.
This recipe is a combination of leftover chorizo and leftover nopales blended into one absolutely DELICIOUS dinner idea!
More Chorizo Recipes:
Chorizo con Huevos
Queso Fundido con Chorizo
Chorizo con Papas
Chorizo Cheese Dip
Here are the ingredients you will need. Yes, only 5 ingredients to make this recipe. Who doesn’t love that?!
Swap out Options:
Instead of a serrano pepper, you can use a jalapeno or a diced roasted poblano pepper.
This is pork chorizo, but beef works perfectly well in this recipe too.
- Cook the chorizo.
- Drain the fat.
Mexican chorizo is usually very fatty. Stand back while cooking. It will splatter at you.
Drain the excessive fat. Don’t worry. It will still have plenty of fat and spice even after the excess grease is removed.
Pro Tip:
Cook one big batch. That way, you only have to clean the greasy stove once. Cooked chorizo lasts up to 4 months in the freezer and up to 5 days in the fridge.- In the meantime, roast the tomatoes, onion, serrano, and garlic.
- You can do this on a skillet or under the broiler.
Roasting in the Broiler:
Place all the ingredients on a cookie sheet.
Drizzle with oil.
Roast under the broiler for 15 minutes. Turn halfway.
- Roast until all sides have turned black.
Serrano peppers are spicier than jalapenos. You can see where they land on the Scoville Scale. As a general rule of thumb, the smaller the pepper, the spicier it will be.
This is your basic Roasted Tomato Salsa. If you have some in your fridge, then great! One less step.
You can also use Chipotle Salsa or Chile de Arbol Salsa for a spicier dish.
- Place the tomato salsa ingredients in the blender
- Blend until smooth.
- Set aside until ready to use.
For those of you who don’t like spicy food but love food full of flavor, take out the serrano. The chorizo has tons of yummy flavors.
For those of you who LOVE spice, add an extra serrano.
- Once you’ve drained the fat from the pot.
- Add the cooked nopales.
- Add the tomato salsa.
- Mix and cook for 15 minutes.
Be sure to stir occasionally.
There’s a step-by-step tutorial in the Ensalada de Nopales recipe on how to clean and cook nopales, or cactus paddles.
Great Idea:
Buy cactus in a jar. They are already cooked. Simply rinse well before adding to this dish.What to Serve With It?
- Pinto Beans
- Mexican Rice
- Corn Tortillas
- Queso Fresco
- or top with Cotija Cheese
Nopales con Chorizo is a tasty Mexican recipe that’s full of yummy flavors. Easy to make and easy to enjoy!
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Ingredients
- 1 lb chorizo
- 2 tomatoes
- 1/4 onion
- 1 serrano pepper
- 1 lb cactus diced and cooked
Instructions
- Cook the chorizo.
- About 5 minutes.
- Break up with your spatula as it cooks.
- In the meantime, roast the tomatoes, onion, and serrano pepper on a griddle.
- Turn as needed. Make sure they are black on all sides.
- Place the roasted tomatoes, onion, and serrano in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Drain any excess fat from the chorizo.
- Add the cactus and the tomato sauce.
- Cook for 15 minutes.
- Taste for salt before serving.
- Enjoy!
Yum! I love how delicious and easy this is! A great way to use leftovers!
Right? So easy and delicious
I’ve never had Nopales con Chorizo before but it looks right up my street! Definitely going to try the recipe 🙂
This recipe is amazing. Hope you try it!
I need to get my hands on some cactus and make this – looks so good!
It’s delicious. Hope you try it!
This sounds like a dish filled with spicy heat. We love chorizo. I know this would be a warm welcome on a chilly day. The perfect comfort food.
The perfect comfort food indeed! Hope you try it!
Yum yum all the way. Love how you have made the salsa with roasted tomatoes. Surely trying this one!
So good right? We love this one too