Recipes with nopales (cactus paddles)
28 verified Mexican recipes with nopales (cactus paddles).
The nopal is the edible cactus on Mexico's national crest: tart, fresh and full of fibre. It's eaten in nopales salad with tomato and queso fresco, in nopales-and-egg tacos, char-grilled alongside carne asada, in pork stews with red salsa and even in green juices. Cooked properly it loses its sliminess and takes on a green-bean bite.
This page gathers 28 verified Mexican recipes with nopales (cactus paddles), ordered A to Z — including Oaxacan Mole Rice Bowl, Beef with Cactus Paddles, Cactus Huaraches with Black Beans (Mexico City Style). Total times range from 20 to 100 minutes, so there are weeknight options as well as weekend pot-cooking projects. The quickest is Nieve de Tuna (20 minutes in total). Indicative UK price: £5.49 per 350g (researched for our cost estimates).
Oaxacan Mole Rice Bowl
A complete bowl with rice, vegan black mole, black beans, grilled nopales, avocado and toasted pumpkin seeds. Oaxaca in a bowl.
40 minmedia4 servings
Beef with Cactus Paddles
Pork with cactus paddles in a tomatillo salsa verde.
85 minmedia6 servings
Cactus Huaraches with Black Beans (Mexico City Style)
Corn masa huaraches stuffed with black beans, grilled cactus, green salsa and cheese.
50 minmedia4 servings
Huevos al Albañil (Builder's Eggs in Green Salsa)
Eggs in tomatillo green salsa with cactus and beans, the Mexican worker's breakfast.
35 minfacil4 servings
Eggs with Cactus Paddles
Scrambled eggs with tender cactus paddles, onion and serrano chilli. A nutritious, low-calorie breakfast.
30 minfacil2 servings
Oaxacan Eggs
Eggs with tasajo, black beans, nopales and pasilla negro chilli salsa.
40 minmedia2 servings
Chicken Mixiote
Chicken marinated in a chilli paste, wrapped in maguey paper and steamed until tender. An ancestral dish from the Mexican highlands.
100 minmedia6 servings
Prickly Pear Sorbet (Nieve de Tuna)
Artisan prickly pear sorbet with piloncillo, in the style of Oaxacan ice-cream vendors.
20 minfacil8 servings
Mexican-Style Cactus Paddles (Nopales a la Mexicana)
Cactus paddles sauteed with tomato, onion, chile, and cilantro.
35 minfacil4 servings
Grilled Nopales (Cactus Paddles)
Cactus paddles grilled with lime, salt and chilli.
25 minfacil4 servings
Cactus Paddles in Green Salsa (Nopales en Salsa Verde)
Tender cactus paddles in tomatillo green salsa with coriander and onion.
35 minfacil4 servings
Nopalitos with Dried Prawns
Tender nopalitos stewed with dried prawns in a rich guajillo chilli sauce — Mexico's most comforting Lenten dish.
35 minfacil4 servings
Nopalitos con Huevo (Scrambled Eggs with Cactus)
Cactus paddles scrambled with eggs, onion, chilli and coriander.
25 minfacil4 servings
Chicken in Pumpkin Seed Sauce with Cactus
Chicken in green pumpkin seed mole with cactus strips — an ancestral sauce for everyday cooking.
70 minmedia4 servings
Romeritos in Mole
Wild greens braised in red mole with cactus paddles, dried prawns and prawn fritters. A festive Christmas dish from Mexico City.
75 minmedia8 servings
Broad Bean and Cactus Soup
Dried broad bean soup with cactus paddle strips and epazote, nourishing and ideal for Lent.
60 minfacil4 servings
Mexican Cactus Paddle Soup (Sopa de Nopal)
Brothy Mexican soup with tender cactus paddles, tomato, chilli and coriander.
40 minfacil4 servings
Tacos de Cecina (Cured Pork Tacos)
Tacos filled with grilled chilli-cured pork, cactus paddles and guacamole, Morelos style.
30 minfacil4 servings
Grilled Cactus and Panela Cheese Tacos
Grilled nopal cactus and panela cheese in corn tortillas with salsa verde and coriander.
30 minfacil4 servings
Cactus Paddle Tacos (Tacos de Nopales)
Vegetarian cactus paddle tacos sautéed with onion, tomato and epazote.
40 minfacil4 servings
Tacos Placeros (Market Tacos)
Market tacos with cactus, cheese and avocado.
25 minfacil6 servings
Tasajo con Nopales (Oaxacan Dried Beef with Grilled Cactus)
Grilled Oaxacan dried beef with charred cactus paddles and salsa.
35 minmedia4 servings
Tlacoyos
Thick oval masa cakes stuffed with black beans, ricotta or broad beans, topped with cactus, cheese and green salsa.
50 minmedia8 servings
Pork Rind Tlacoyos
Oval corn masa patties stuffed with pressed pork rind, served with nopal cactus and salsa.
55 minmedia4 servings
Bean Tlacoyos
Thick oval-shaped corn tortilla stuffed with black beans, served with cactus paddles and salsa.
60 minmedia6 servings
Tlatlapas (Tlaxcalan Bean and Cactus Soup)
Tlaxcalan bean soup with cactus paddles and chilli.
55 minfacil6 servings
Tortas de Camaron Seco (Dried Prawn Fritters)
Dried prawn fritters with egg bathed in red mole, a classic Lenten dish from Puebla.
55 minmedia6 servings
Ximbó (Maguey-Wrapped Nopal and Bean Parcels)
Nopales, beans and chilli wrapped in maguey leaves, slow-cooked.
90 minmedia4 servings
Frequently asked questions
How many recipes with nopales (cactus paddles) are there on Recetas Mexas?
We have 28 published Mexican recipes using nopales (cactus paddles), all with verified ingredients, steps and timings. A few examples: Oaxacan Mole Rice Bowl, Beef with Cactus Paddles, Cactus Huaraches with Black Beans (Mexico City Style).
What's the quickest recipe with nopales (cactus paddles)?
Nieve de Tuna, ready in 20 minutes in total. The rest of the recipes on this page range from 20 to 100 minutes.
How much does nopales (cactus paddles) cost in the UK?
The indicative price we use in our cost estimates is £5.49 per 350g, researched across UK supermarkets and Mexican grocers. Each recipe page shows its calculated cost.
I've got nopales (cactus paddles) and not much else — what can I cook?
Use our "What can I cook?" tool: tick nopales (cactus paddles) plus whatever else you have at home and it tells you which recipes you can make in full and which are only one ingredient away.
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Recipes curated by Edmond Bojalil. Last updated: 2026-06-16.
Founder, Recetas Mexas
Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.
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