Mexican Calabacitas with Zucchini (Printable)
Tender zucchini and corn simmered with tomatoes, peppers, and melted queso fresco in this classic Mexican side dish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fresh Produce
01 - 2 medium zucchini, diced
02 - 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
04 - 1 medium tomato, diced
05 - 1 medium poblano pepper, seeded and diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
→ Dairy
08 - 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
→ Pantry
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Optional
13 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
14 - Lime wedges, for serving
# Steps:
01 - Pour olive oil into a large skillet and warm over medium heat until shimmering.
02 - Add diced onion and poblano pepper to the hot oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften and become fragrant.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic, being careful not to burn it.
04 - Add diced zucchini, corn kernels, tomato, ground cumin, and dried oregano to the skillet. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
05 - Cook the mixture for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender-crisp but not mushy. The zucchini should yield easily when pierced with a fork.
06 - Remove skillet from heat. Fold in half of the crumbled cheese and chopped cilantro, stirring until just combined and cheese begins to melt.
07 - Taste the calabacitas and add more salt or pepper if needed to balance the flavors.
08 - Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Garnish with extra fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Its one of those rare dishes that tastes even better the next day when all those spices have had time to really make friends with each other
- The combination of sweet corn, tender zucchini, and just a hint of heat hits every single note on your palate
02 -
- Overcooking zucchini is the number one mistake people make—keep checking it after 8 minutes because once it passes that tender point, it turns into mush quickly
- ChefRicardo taught me to add the cheese off heat because it maintains its texture and you actually taste it instead of it just disappearing into the dish
03 -
- Dice your vegetables uniformly so they all finish cooking at the same time—nothing worse than crunchy corn alongside mushy zucchini
- Have all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking because this moves fast once you add the garlic