How to Eat Nopales, the Nutritious Cactus Paddles You Can Enjoy Raw or Cooked

Nopales, also known as prickly pear cactus pads, are vastly versatile, antioxidant-packed succulent plants. While these spiny cactus paddles are staples in Mexican cooking, their uses are endless and go beyond one particular cuisine. We caught up with culinary experts to learn more about this vegetable and get innovative ideas for using nopales.

What Are Nopales?

Nopales are the pads or leaves of the nopal cactus or the prickly pear (botanical name, Opuntia ficus-indica) and are usually eaten as vegetables; the edible cactus fruit is called tuna. Flat and oval-shaped, nopales are covered with spines—though some commercial pads are grown without them. 

The nopal cactus is native to Mexico and the southwestern U.S. Nopales are deeply ingrained in Mexican culture and cuisine, with over 100 varieties cultivated throughout the central regions and beyond. In Mexico, nopales are called nopalitos. "Nopal" stems from the word "nochtli," which means prickly pear in Nahuatl, the Aztec Empire's indigenous language. The Aztecs ate all parts of the plant, including the young paddles, and considered nopal cacti juice sacred and used it for medicinal purposes. 

Nopales are also grown in the southwestern U.S. (and used in New Mexican cuisine) and other countries, including Morocco, South Africa, Ethiopia, Peru, Argentina, Italy, and Chile.

Nutritional Benefits

Considered a superfood, nopales are rich in antioxidants and fiber and boast vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, K, and B6, plus riboflavin, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Nopales are also thought to reduce inflammation and aid in digestion.

What Do Nopales Taste Like?

Nopales have a unique taste and texture but bear comparison to other vegetables. "Nopales (or cactus pads) carry a bright herbaceous flavor that is reminiscent of asparagus, green beans, or purslane," says Olivia Roszkowski, chef-instructor of plant-based culinary arts at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus.

"Raw, the texture is crunchy and the flavor is slightly tangy," says JC Colón, culinary director of Lolita, a NYC restaurant specializing in authentic Mexican cuisine. Roszkowski likens that citrusy tanginess to the sour note characteristic of tomatillos. "When cooked, they have a tender texture similar to okra," Colón says. Roszkowski finds the viscous interior texture "slightly slimy and sticky to the touch."

How to Buy Nopales

Nopales are sold fresh, jarred, canned, and frozen. They can be purchased fresh all year long, says Colón, who asserts fresh is the best option.

That said, the meal you have in mind may also impact the ideal form. "It's best to purchase them fresh if you plan on searing or grilling whereas jarred and frozen nopales are convenient for adding to soups, salsas, dips, tacos, and sandwiches, as they do not require the removal of the spines," Roszkowski notes.

When purchasing fresh nopales, choose bright green paddles with their spines intact, Roszkowski says. She offers these additional pointers:

• Avoid soft or wilted nopales.
• Choose paddles of similar size to ensure they cook evenly.
• Larger paddles may be less tender and contain more slimy liquid, which can be a deal-breaker for some appetites.

How to Clean and Cut Nopales

Some varieties of nopales are grown without spines, but there's a good chance you'll encounter some with the spines still intact. While some specialty stores sell fresh nopales cleaned and chopped, others leave the thorny work to customers. Here's how to de-thorn them:

1. Slip on gloves to safeguard your hands.
2. Hold on to the stem and remove the tiny thorns by sliding a sharp knife in the direction counter to how they grow.
3. Lie the pads flat on a cutting board, trim the edges, and remove the base.
4. Rinse the paddles then prep them for nopales recipes. 
   

How to Eat Nopales

Nopales can be used in sides and mains, toppings, drinks, and desserts. "Nopales are also very good at soaking up any flavor you introduce them to," Roszkowski notes.

• Grilled: Brush the paddles with olive oil, then season with fresh lime juice, salt, and paprika as you grill.
• Salsa verde: "We use nopales in a salsa which beautifully enhances our New York strip steak," Colón says. They are grilled and diced then combined with cilantro, tomatillos, onion, and lime juice. Devise your take, or stir nopales into our Salsa Verde.
• Mexican dishes: Nopales are a great addition to most Mexican-inspired dishes, Roszkowski says. You can continue the salsa party and mix nopales into black bean salsa. "Try adding them to spicy cheese quesadillas, tortilla soup, refried beans, vegetable fajitas, and breakfast tacos, or as a nachos topping," she suggests.
• Stuffed tortillas: "I use nopales like any roasted pepper for flavor and texture," Colón says. His favorite nopales creation is a dish with roasted peppers (rajas) and tomatillo salsa. "Cook all together and then stuff a tortilla with the filling and pan fry with some Oaxacan cheese, and you're in heaven," he says.
• Cocktails and juices: Juice the nopales paddles to transform them into an agua fresca or a margarita, Roszkowski says.
• Pickled: Pickled nopales provide great texture and add an acidic component to dishes, Colón says.
• Toppings and sides: "If venturing into other regional fare, nopales can be grilled and added to a panini, or chopped and used as a topping for gazpacho, or fried in tempura batter," Roszkowski says. 
• Fried rice and stir fry: The texture and flavor also enhance vegetable fried rice and Asian-inspired stir-fry dishes; scatter a handful over our Easy Ginger Kitchen Stir-Fry.
• Okra replacement: Remember that sticky, viscous liquid released when cooked? "It can act as a stand-in for okra in gumbo," Roszkowski says.
• Frozen desserts: Nopales' tangy taste can even ramp up the last course of a meal. "Try making a nopales sorbet or popsicles for a novel sweet treat," she says.