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Nopales Tacos

A very simple filling of nopales, ground meat and a fire-roasted salsa. Serve with corn tortillas.

Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 535 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer , Lunch
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

NOPALES
  • 1 pound nopales, cleaned and diced
  • salt
  • A pinch of baking soda (optional)
  • 4 husks from tomatillos (optional)
SALSA
  • 4 plum tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 white onion, cut in quarters
  • 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 2 serrano or jalapeno chiles
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
TACOS
  • 1 pound ground meat (beef, pork, venison, turkey, etc)
  • 1 tablespoon lard or oil
  • 12 to 16 corn tortillas
  • Cheese (cotija or queso fresco), for garnish
  • chopped cilantro, for garnish
  • lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Start by bringing about 6 cups of water to a boil and setting a comal, griddle or cast-iron skillet on high heat. Set a frying pan on another burner, add the oil and turn the heat to medium.
  2. When the comal is hot, set the quartered onions in the center, the unpeeled garlic on the edges and the chiles and tomatoes wherever there is room. You goal is to char the cut sides of the tomatoes and onions, and the skins of the chiles and garlic.
  3. When the water boils, add salt and the nopales. Boil these for 10 minutes, then add a pinch of baking soda. The water may well froth a lot, so keep an eye on things so it doesn't boil over. Boil the nopales for a total of 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.
  4. As everything else is either charring or boiling, brown the ground meat in the frying pan. It should be nicely browned by the time the nopales and vegetables are ready. If it's done early, drop the heat to low.
  5. Once the nopales are cooked and rinsed, add them to the pan with the meat. Once the vegetables are nicely charred, remove the skins from the chiles and garlic, roughly chop the onions and put it all in a molcajete or food processor with the oregano and process into a chunky salsa. Add this to the pan with the meat and nopales.
  6. Stir well and cook it all over medium-low heat while you heat up the tortillas on a comal or in a microwave, over the burners or whatever. Once everything's all ready, serve the carne con nopales with a slotted spoon to drain off any excess moisture and top with the cheese and cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges.

Notes

  • Prep time assumes you have pre-cleaned nopales. 
  •  
  • To make this vegetarian, skip the meat, or better yet, replace the meat with chopped mushrooms. 
  • If you prefer, these are also good on flour tortillas. 
  • You could skip the fire-roasted salsa and go with a red chile sauce, like the one in my recipe for carne con chile, or for my red enchiladas. 
  • You could go green here and replace the tomatoes with tomatillos, and add a roasted poblano or Anaheim chile to the salsa. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 535kcal (27%) Carbohydrates 45g (15%) Protein 27g (54%) Fat 29g (45%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 13g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 81mg (27%) Sodium 721mg (30%) Potassium 956mg (27%) Fiber 9g (36%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 1094IU (22%) Vitamin C 23mg (26%) Calcium 295mg (30%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 535

% Daily Value*

Calories 535kcal 27%
Carbohydrates 45g 15%
Protein 27g 54%
Fat 29g 45%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 13g 65%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 721mg 30%
Potassium 956mg 20%
Fiber 9g 36%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 1094IU 22%
Vitamin C 23mg 26%
Calcium 295mg 30%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.