17 cactu recipes

Cactus chili is a hearty slow cooker beef and red bean chili with a fiery hit of red pepper flakes and a splash of wine, simmered low all day until deep and rich. Serve it loaded with cheddar and sour cream.

Serve with sour cream, chopped green onions, grated sharp Cheddar and crushed red pepper flakes alongside.

A simple and easy recipe that creates a unique and delicious treat!

Ground beef with cactus pairs browned beef and onions with tangy nopales and tomatoes with chilies. A four-ingredient Mexican-style skillet supper ready in 30 minutes.

Cactus honey sherbet swirls magenta prickly pear juice with peeled peaches, wildflower honey, lemon, and a fold of whipped cream for a Southwestern frozen dessert that lands somewhere between sorbet and ice cream.

Traditional Southwest cactus candy made from prickly pear, simmered in citrus sugar syrup and rolled in powdered sugar. A unique desert treat with old-fashioned charm.

Cactus pear breakfast shake with prickly pear puree, banana, honey, and milk blended with ice. A vibrant magenta smoothie with a sweet, melon-like tropical flavor.

1 tbsp of chicken base may be used in place of instant chicken bouillion

Scrambled eggs with cactus (nopalitos) and onion, a classic Mexican breakfast that's tangy, savory, and ready in 15 minutes. Uses canned nopalitos for convenience.

Creamy ginger penne with grilled chicken, prosciutto, portobello mushrooms, and sweet peppers in a rich lemon-pepper cream sauce. A bold Southwestern-Italian fusion pasta.

Tender cactus shoots (nopales) simmered in a smoky homemade chili sauce with garlic and onion. A bold Mexican-inspired side dish that pairs beautifully with beef, chicken, or fish.

Southwest omelette with nopalitos cactus, chunky salsa, and Monterey Jack cheese. A broiler-finished egg dish with bold Tex-Mex flavor, ready in 25 minutes.

This dish is best at room temperature, although it is good hot or cold also. I have given just the basic recipe; you can add all kinds of things, like corn, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, blanched chayote squash, etc.

Chili primero with smoked bacon, cubed round steak, pickled cactus, jalapenos, and masa harina thickening. Long-simmered Tex-Mex chili packed with deep, layered Southwestern flavor.

Nopales con huevos y serranos: Mexican scrambled eggs with cactus paddle strips, fiery serrano chiles, tomato, cilantro, and melted Monterey Jack. A hearty breakfast from Mexico's high desert tradition.

Creamy Southwestern grilled cactus soup with nopalitos, jicama, broccoli, corn, and melted cheese in a roux-thickened broth. A bold, one-of-a-kind bowl.