This Calabacitas recipe is a beloved Mexican vegetable dish made from sauteed zucchini and squash, corn, onions, peppers, tomatoes and cheese. It’s healthy, comforting and super satisfying, even for the biggest of meat lovers!
What is Calabacitas?
Calabacitas (which translates to “little squash” in English) is a Mexican dish made from sauteed zucchini or squash, corn, tomatoes and peppers.
It’s often served as a side dish, but is substantial enough to be served as a main vegetarian meal alongside some homemade flour tortillas.
There are many variations of this dish throughout Mexico and the southwestern United States. Some versions don’t include tomatoes, some are plain and feature only the sauteed vegetables, and some include a flavorful cooking liquid that doubles as a sauce.
This calabacitas recipe has a very light and delicious cheese sauce that’s made from adding a little shredded cheese and milk at the end of cooking.
Both ingredients melt and combine with the cooking liquid of the vegetables to create an irresistible sauce that will have you and your family coming back for second!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- zucchini
- yellow squash
- onions and garlic
- jalapeno and poblano peppers
- plum tomatoes
- canned corn
- salt, black pepper, ground cumin
- shredded cheddar cheese
- milk
How to Make Calabacitas
- Saute the vegetables: Saute the onions and peppers for 5 minutes. Then add the corn and tomatoes, and saute for 5 minutes. Lastly, add the squash and all the seasoning, and saute for 5 more minutes.
- Cover and simmer: Add in 1/4 cup water, reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes to tenderize the zucchini.
- Make the sauce: Add the shredded cheese and milk. Mix everything together until the cheese has melted and formed a light sauce. Immediately remove the pan from the heat.
- Garnish: Top with chopped cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese. Serve and enjoy!
This recipe is ready in only 30 minutes from start to finish, making it a great weeknight side dish that’s also healthy and delicious!
Helpful Substitutions
Calabacitas is super colorful and a great use of summer vegetables. But just in case you don’t have all of the ingredients in your kitchen, here are a few helpful substitutions you can make:
- You can use any type summer squash you have. Additionally, you can use all zucchini or all yellow squash.
- Instead of fresh peppers, you can use 1 4-ounce can of diced green chiles. Make sure to drain them before using them.
- If poblanos and jalapenos are too spicy for your liking, you can use 1 large or 2 small bell peppers instead.
- Don’t have cotija cheese? Substitute it with crumbled feta cheese or leave it out completely.
Storing and Reheating
Calabacitas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Leftovers can be reheated in a microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until fully warmed through. You can also reheat it on the stove in a skillet or pot over medium-high heat until hot.
I do not recommend freezing leftovers.
More Side Dishes You’ll Love
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
- 1 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
- 2 plum tomatoes, diced
- 1 large zucchini, sliced into half moons
- 1 large yellow squash, sliced into half moons
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- optional garnishes: crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions, poblanos, and jalapenos. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add corn and tomatoes. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add zucchini, yellow squash, garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano and ground cumin. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
- Add water to skillet, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Uncover the skillet, add the shredded cheese and milk, and stir together until the cheese has fully melted.
- Remove from heat, garnish with chopped cilantro and cotija cheese, and serve.
Isabel’s Tips:
- You can use any type summer squash you have. Additionally, you can also use all zucchini or all yellow squash.
- Instead of fresh peppers, you can use 1 4-ounce can of diced green chiles. Make sure to drain them before using them.
- If poblanos and jalapenos are too spicy for your liking, you can use 1 large or 2 small bell peppers instead.
- Don’t have cotija cheese? Substitute it with crumbled feta cheese or leave it out completely.
Nutrition Information
Holá Isabel!
Saludos desde Australia! Tus calabacitas ahora son las favoritas de toda la familia. Aumenté la proporción de hierbas y especias, ¡y todos dijeron que era perfecto!
Awesome. Just used bell peppers. Loved the spices. Thanks
Could this work for a vegan dish if subbing plant based milk? If so, what would you suggest?
Hi Samantha! Yes it can, you can add the same amount of coconut milk, almond, or soy milk!
Calabacitas from NM is more simple than this recipe. It is a typical summer side dish. Fresh corn cut off the cob, zucchini or summer squash, onion, garlic, roasted chopped NM green chile, and salt are the ingredients. One tip I learned years ago was after the corn is cut off the cob, firmly run the dull side of your knife along the cob to get some juice or “milk” and add to the pan when you are cooking the corn. It adds some richness or je ne sais quoi to the dish. If you cannot get fresh corn off the cob, I think frozen corn is the best alternative. But, I would eat any calabacitas anyone would fix. The corn/squash marriage is wonderful. If you add some beans, you have the three sisters!
nicely balanced dish and very tasty.
Made this today and it is delicious! Best calabacitas recipe I’ve found yet!
Going to make this weekend to go with grilled steaks. Do poblanos need to be peeled before using?
Hello Mary! They do not need to be peeled for this recipe!
This was so good and flavorful, it is perfect when you are trying to figure out something different for all of the vegetables from the garden.
I made this today and loved it. Next time a little less salt, and I didn’t it make spicy (my hubby doesn’t like spicy, but l do) but otherwise it was delicious!
I’m usually pretty picky, but I decided to give this a try. SO glad I did because it’s amazing! The flavors all mixed together are like a fiesta in my mouth. You will not regret trying this!
Excellant combination of spices and ingredients. Squash came out tender and not over done.
I roasted the tomatoes and corn to give the dish depth of flavor.
Took it to a big family gathering and was a hit with everyone.
Great recipe! We had these with tamales for Christmas Eve. Instead of jalapeño, I used some Hatch green chile my mom sent me from New Mexico. It was delicious!
I made this and liked it except for the milk. Next time I will just sprinkle on the cheese and cover until it melts. The rest of the ingredients were spot on. Thanks for all you do, Isabel!
I stumbled across your recipe for calabacitas and it is now our favorite. Since it is zucchini season, it has become part of our regular meal rotation. This is so, so good! I now look to you for Mexican inspired recipes. In fact, tonight I’m trying your recipe for chile rellenos. Wish me luck!
Isabel, I’ve tried making calabacitas on my own before. What was I thinking? I’ve just made them with your recipe, and YUM! That sums it up. The flavor and texture are perfect. I’m bookmarking your words of wisdom for next time. I write a Polish food blog and I’m a huge fan of the FBP podcast. I’m looking for your episode now. x
We had this with dinner tonight and, oh my goodness, it was delicious! I did not have cotija or cilantro so I topped it with mozzerella. Even so, it was so fresh and flavorful!