Easy Calabacitas Recipe (Mexican Style Zucchini with Corn)
Mexican calabacitas have been one of my favorite Mexican dishes since childhood. This quick and easy calabacitas recipe is made with fresh zucchini, corn, tomato, onion, and green chile for a healthy, flavorful dish. Enjoy it as a side, a main course, or as a taco filling. Your whole family will love calabacitas con maíz, and it’ll become a summer staple you’ll want to make again and again.
Calabacitas aka Mexican Squash
In Mexico these little squashes are called calabacitas or calabacita italiana or Italian squash.
Calabacitas are a delicious Mexican dish traditionally cooked with sauteed onion, green chiles, and tomato. Sometimes it’s called calabacitas a la Mexicana because it has the three colors of the Mexican flag.
Calabacita squash is a spotted green zucchini that’s smaller than the large, deep green colored summer squash you find in the US and Europe. The taste is quite similar and they can be used interchangeably. During the summer months you’ll have no problem finding them as well as all sorts of summer squash.
You may not commonly find this dish at your local Mexican restaurant but you will in Mexican people’s home. It’s a meal my mom often made for our family, and growing up it was always one of my favorite meals that she’d make for us.
Calabacitas are so incredibly easy to make and it’s one of the more popular traditionally plant-based Mexican foods.
The wonderful thing about this dish is that you can make it completely 100% vegan or you can also make it a vegetarian dish. It’s just a versatile dish all around.
Once you start making this at home you’ll see that there’s no need to find it at your local restaurant and you’ll start making it on a regular basis especially during the summer months.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Calabacitas
• With just a few of fresh vegetables you can have a delectable, light, healthy, quick and easy dish that’s crowd-pleasing too.
• It’s ready in 20-30 minutes!
• You can serve it as a side dish or main dish paired with Mexican rice, beans, and warm tortillas.
• Super budget friendly, specially when the fresh ingredients are in peak season during the summer months.
• Calabacitas are a low carb dish that’s safe for those on low-carb diets or medically restrictive diet.
Ingredients
Calabacitas: These small zucchinis can be found at your local grocery store, farmers markets or Hispanic food stores. If you don’t have them available you can use regular green zucchini. Please note that in Mexico we don’t use the yellow squash variety, it doesn’t even exist here.
Green Chilies: You can use serrano pepper for high heat, jalapeño for medium heat, or for mild to no heat you can use poblano peppers. Try not to use green bell peppers because it will change the taste of the dish. Remember this dish is ” a la mexicana” so stick with green chile peppers and not red pepper.
White Onion: This is the traditional onion used in most Mexican recipes. In a pinch I’ve used spring onions for a different flavor.
Garlic Cloves: Not everyone uses this but I pretty much put it in all of my savory dishes for additional flavor.
Roma Tomatoes: In Mexico we have a preference for fresh tomatoes instead of canned. For the best and most traditional flavor use fresh tomatoes like Roma or plum tomatoes or regular round, I wouldn’t recommend cherry tomatoes because the taste is a bit different.
Corn: To give it an even more Mexican touch, this calabacitas con elote recipe uses fresh corn. The best flavor is corn from fresh ears of corn but in a pinch you can use canned. I prefer white corn but yellow will do.
Oil: I like to use olive oil for health reasons, but regular vegetable oil is fine too.
Seasonings: Salt and fresh ground black pepper is really all you need. But some people also like to add a little Mexican oregano, ground cumin, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Optional Ingredients: You can mix in some dairy or vegan crema and cubed queso fresco or dairy-free cheese, if you’d like. I sometimes mix in some crema then top with my homemade vegan cotija cheese.
Make it a Calabacitas Vegetarian Recipe
To make this a vegetarian dish you can mix in some dairy crema or sour cream for a creamy version. For calabacitas con queso you can mix in some cubed queso fresco or panela cheese.
How to Make Calabacitas
Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the chopped onion, chopped chile, and minced garlic. Sauté for a few minutes and until the onion begins to brown. Stir now and then to prevent burning.
Step 2
Next add the chopped tomato and drizzle some salt and pepper over it. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until the tomato is to desired tenderness – most people cook it until it completely breaks down, I don’t like it too mushy so only cook briefly.
Step 3
Mix in the corn then add the chopped zucchini and give it a good stir to well combine.
Step 4
Place the lid on the pan and cook for about 8 minutes or until the zucchini is to your desired tenderness. I like it to be tender but not mushy so cook for only a few minutes. If you’re using cream or cheese mix them in once the zucchini becomes tender then cook until the sour cream is warmed through or until the cheese melts. Once cooked, carefully taste and adjust salt if necessary.
How to Serve Mexican Style Zucchini
This traditional Mexican zucchini dish is a popular vegetable side dish to meat dishes.
You can also serve it as a main course with some whole or refried beans (I love black beans with calabacitas), some arroz rojo and warm corn tortillas.
Try serving calabacitas inside warm corn tortillas with salsa and avocado slices for easy vegan calabacitas tacos. I also love to garnish them with a sprinkle of crumbled vegan queso, a drizzle of salsa roja and if I have crema that too.
This is such a delightful, filling and nutritious meal that’s not only easy to make but also budget friendly.
Taste
This traditional calabacitas recipe is fresh, healthy, and light, yet hearty enough to be served as a vegan main meal.
The sweet smell of onions caramelizing alongside the earthy scent of corn is unforgettable! The moist and mild zucchini absorbs the flavors of the corn and tomato perfectly.
The tomatoes provide extra moisture and a little sweetness to the dish, and the serrano pepper adds just a touch of heat to balance out all of the flavors. The spices are minimal and all of the flavors come from the vegetables.
It is fresh, healthy, light yet hearty enough to be served as a vegan meal.
You can also cook calabacitas in a hearty Mexican vegetable soup.
Nancy’s Tips
• It’s best to have all the veggies chopped and ready to go because the dish comes together quickly.
• Try not to overcook the calabacitas so they don’t turn mushy.
• This dish is best when eaten the same day that it’s cooked. The zucchini begins to break down with reheating.
• You can also use the calabacitas as fillings for quesadillas, burritos, and gorditas or for sopes too.
• If you have meat eaters in your house that won’t eat just veggies, you can pair this with their favorite animal protein.
• If you have leftover calabacitas the next day you serve with a vegan egg or a sunny side up egg for a filling breakfast.
How to Store & Reheat
To store leftovers first allow to come to room temperature, then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. After that the tomato changes in flavor.
Freezing is not recommended for zucchini.
To reheat, stove top is best. Heat a large pan then add a drizzle of oil and a splash of water, then pour in the calabacitas. Cook for a few minutes while you stir now and then.
You can also microwave for a minute or two until warmed through.
Gracias
I’m so happy you stopped by. If you have any questions or want to let me know how you liked this recipe, do leave a comment. Muchas gracias, I appreciate you!
More a la Mexican Recipes
Calabacitas (Mexican Zucchini with Corn)
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 Tablespoons olive oil vegetable oil
- ½ small white onion finely chopped
- 1 whole serrano pepper roughly chopped*
- 3 whole garlic cloves minced
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes roughly chopped
- ¾ cup corn canned or fresh corn kernels
- 1 extra large calabacita cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- pinch ground black pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
- Once hot drizzle in the oil then add the chopped onion, chopped chile and minced garlic. Sauté for a few minutes and until the onion begins to brown. Stir now and then to prevent burning.
- Add the chopped tomato and drizzle some salt and pepper over it. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until the tomato is to desired tenderness.
- Mix in the corn then add the chopped zucchini and give it a good stir to well combine.
- Place the lid on the pan and cook for about 8 minutes or until the zucchini is to your desired tenderness.
- If you’re using cream or cheese mix them in once the zucchini becomes tender then cook until the sour cream is warmed through or until the cheese melts.
- Once cooked, carefully taste and adjust salt if necessary.
Recipe Notes & Pro Tips
- If you don’t have a very large zucchini use two small ones.
- For the chile you can use serrano or jalapeno.
- Use canned, or frozen kernel or when in season use fresh corn. Either yellow or white corn is fine to use.
- If served as a side dish this will be enough for 4 servings, if as a main it will be enough for 2 servings.
- Make your own beans instead of buying canned ones, get the recipe here.
Nutrition
(Please notice that this article contains Amazon affiliate links, which may earn us a small commission if you make a purchase through them. Your support helps us continue to provide valuable content.)
Looking for a Barro Plate Like Mine
Amigos so many of you ask me where I get my beautiful Mexican pottery from. The answer is Mexico. I know many of you can’t travel so I’ve put together a gorgeous collection from Amazon. Click the image below to go check it out.
Quick Answers About Calabacitas
What are calabacitas?
Calabacitas is a Mexican dish made with zucchini, corn, tomatoes, onions, and green chile peppers, served as a side or light main dish.
Are calabacitas and zucchini the same?
In Mexico, calabacitas are a lighter green, shorter and rounder squash, but they can be used interchangeably with green zucchini in recipes.
Can I make calabacitas vegan?
Yes! Skip the cheese or use a dairy-free alternative like vegan shredded cheese or cashew crema.
How do you make calabacitas more filling?
Add beans, tofu, vegan chorizo, or serve with rice or warm tortillas.
How long do calabacitas last?
They keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Can I freeze calabacitas?
Freezing is possible, but not recommended. The zucchini’s texture changes once thawed and becomes quite soft. I don’t really like to freeze it. But if you do, freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. You can reheat from frozen or thaw it overnight in the fridge before warming on the stove or microwave.
Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born food writer and author of Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Raised in the U.S. and now living in Southern Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens.Read more…
