Cast-Iron Cornbread with Chipotle, Jalapeños and Hot Honey

I’ve made a jalapeño cornbread for years, usually adding chili powder and taking it in more of a Mexican-inspired direction. Over time, I found myself liking the smoky flavor of chipotle and adobo more than the chili powder version I’d been making. I wanted something different to make during chili season and this is where I ended up.

The part I like most is putting the fresh jalapeños and most of the hot honey into the hot cast-iron skillet before the batter goes in. They bake at the bottom of the cornbread instead of being mixed throughout it, so the bottom picks up the jalapeño, butter and honey while the chipotle and adobo season the batter itself.

I also use whole buttermilk whenever I can find it. In the stores around me, it’s labeled Bulgarian buttermilk, and I like the cornbread better with it. It’s not a deal breaker if you can’t locate it. Sour cream, melted butter and oil also help keep the cornbread tender too, especially after it cools.

There’s also a quarter teaspoon of liquid smoke in the batter. It sounds like almost nothing, and that’s the idea. The cornbread doesn’t taste like liquid smoke. It’s there to reinforce the chipotle.

The last tablespoon of hot honey goes over the top after baking, so you still taste it separately from the honey that cooked with the jalapeños. Between that, the chipotle, adobo and smoke in the batter, this ended up being the cornbread I wanted next to my favorite chili recipe.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I tried the jalapeño in the batter first, which is how I’d always made jalapeño cornbread, but I liked it much better when I put it directly into the hot skillet. The chipotle and adobo stay in the batter, so the smoky flavor stays, while the fresh jalapeño gets butter and hot honey all to itself at the bottom.
• I also tried putting all of the hot honey in the skillet, but I missed tasting it on the finished cornbread. Holding back a tablespoon fixed that. Most of it still cooks with the jalapeño and butter, but you get hot honey straight from the bottle at the end too.
• I kept the sour cream, butter and oil because I liked the way cornbread stayed soft after it cooled. Butter alone gave me the flavor I wanted, but adding some neutral oil kept the texture softer later. The sour cream gives the batter more moisture without making it loose.
• There’s twice as much cornmeal as flour because I still want this to taste like cornbread, not cake. I use fine-ground yellow cornmeal, and once the batter is mixed, I leave it alone for five minutes before it goes into the skillet. That gives the cornmeal a few minutes to absorb some of the liquid before baking.
• I give the cast iron a full ten minutes in the oven after it reaches 400°F. I want the butter to react as soon as it goes in, because the jalapeño and hot honey follow right behind it. A skillet that has only warmed up while the oven preheats doesn’t give me the same result.

Ingredients

• Fine-ground yellow cornmeal – Fine-ground gives the cornbread a smoother texture while still letting it taste like cornmeal. Avoid cornmeal mix or self-rising cornmeal because the leavening and salt are already in this recipe.
• All-purpose flour – There’s enough flour to give the cornbread support, but not enough to make it cake-like.
• Granulated sugar – Only 2 tablespoons. This is very much a savory cornbread, with the hot honey adding most of the sweetness. If you want a sweeter cornbread, my lemon blueberry cornbread is made with fresh blueberries, lemon zest and a little more sugar.
• Baking powder and baking soda – Both help the cornbread rise, while the baking soda also reacts with the acidity in the buttermilk and sour cream.
• Fine sea salt – Keeps the cornmeal, dairy and chiles from tasting sad.
• Liquid smoke – Measure this one. A quarter teaspoon is enough to support the smoke from the chipotle without tasting like liquid smoke.
• Whole buttermilk – I prefer whole buttermilk for the texture it gives the cornbread. In my stores, it’s often labeled Bulgarian buttermilk, but it’s okay if you can’t find it.
• Full-fat sour cream or whole-milk Greek yogurt – Adds moisture to the batter and helps keep the cornbread tender. Stick with full-fat for this recipe.
• Eggs – Help the cornbread hold together once sliced.
• Unsalted butter – Melted butter goes into the batter for flavor, with another tablespoon held back for the hot cast-iron skillet.
• Avocado oil or vegetable oil – A neutral oil helps the cornbread stay tender after it cools without adding another flavor.
• Chipotle pepper in adobo – Use one pepper from the can and mince it finely. It gives the batter smoky chile flavor without relying on the fresh jalapeño for all of the heat.
• Adobo sauce – This is the sauce from the same can as the chipotle pepper, so you don’t need to buy anything separately.
• Fresh jalapeño – Finely diced with the seeds and ribs removed. This goes directly into the skillet instead of being stirred into the batter.
• Hot honey – Most goes into the skillet with the jalapeño, with the last tablespoon saved for drizzling over the cornbread after baking.

How to Make Chipotle Hot Honey Skillet Cornbread

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (heat the skillet)
  Put a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat everything to 400°F. Once the oven is hot, leave the skillet in there for another 10 minutes. I want the cast iron really hot before anything goes into it because the jalapeños and hot honey are going straight into the pan.
• Step Two (make the batter)
  Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, oil, liquid smoke, minced chipotle and adobo sauce. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold until you don’t see any dry flour or cornmeal. Stop there. Cornbread doesn’t improve because you kept stirring it.
• Step Three (let it sit)
  Let the batter rest for 5 minutes before it goes into the skillet. That gives the fine-ground cornmeal time to absorb some of the liquid, and I think the texture is better for it.
• Step Four (build the bottom)
  Have the jalapeños and hot honey ready before you pull the skillet from the oven because this part goes fast. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the hot pan and swirl it across the bottom and up the sides. Scatter the jalapeños evenly over the bottom, then drizzle 3 tablespoons of hot honey over them.
• Step Five (add the batter and bake)
  Spoon the batter over the jalapeños and hot honey right away, then spread it evenly without stirring up what’s on the bottom. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cornbread is golden around the skillet and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Don’t wait for a completely dry toothpick. That’s how good cornbread turns into dry cornbread.
• Step Six (cool and finish)
  Let the cornbread sit in the skillet for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of hot honey over the top right before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Have the diced jalapeño and hot honey measured before you remove the skillet from the oven. Once the butter comes in contact with the hot cast iron, you want everything ready to go. This isn’t the time to realize you still need to chop the jalapeño.
• The butter should melt immediately when added to the skillet. If it doesn’t, the skillet probably isn’t hot enough yet. Swirl the butter across the bottom and up the sides before adding the jalapeño.
• Spread the jalapeño evenly across the bottom of the skillet, then drizzle the hot honey over as much of it as you can. Anything you add or pour into one area is going to end up concentrated in a couple of slices.
• Once the jalapeño and hot honey are in the skillet, don’t leave it sitting around before adding the batter. You’ve spent all that time getting the cast iron hot, so use it while it’s hot.
• Start checking at 15 minutes because cast iron and ovens don’t all bake the same. I remove the cornbread when the center is set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. A completely dry toothpick is not the goal.
• Give it 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into it. It’s still very hot when it comes out, and I get better slices after it has had time in the skillet.

Storage and Reheating

• Once the cornbread has cooled, remove it from the cast-iron skillet instead of using the skillet as a storage container. Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• For longer storage, refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I like the texture at room temperature, so I let refrigerated pieces lose some of their chill or warm them before serving.
• For one or two slices, the microwave is the fastest option. Heat them briefly, around 10 to 20 seconds at a time, until warm. Cornbread can go from warm to tough surprisingly fast in a microwave, so don’t get ambitious.
• To warm several pieces, wrap them loosely in foil and put them in a 300°F oven until warmed through. Add more hot honey after reheating if you want it.
• This cornbread also freezes well. Once completely cool, wrap individual slices tightly and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature, then reheat as above. Wait until after reheating to add any extra hot honey.

FAQs

• How spicy is chipotle hot honey skillet cornbread?
  It has some heat, but it’s still easy to eat. The chipotle and adobo give the batter smoky chile flavor, the fresh jalapeño adds more heat, and the hot honey adds sweetness along with it. Removing the jalapeño seeds and ribs keeps the fresh chile from becoming too strong.
• Can I make this cornbread less spicy?
  Yes. I would reduce the fresh jalapeño first because that’s the easiest source of heat to adjust without changing the smoky flavor of the batter. You can also use a milder hot honey. I would leave the chipotle and adobo alone unless you want less of that flavor too.
• Can I make this without a cast-iron skillet?
  You can use another 10-inch oven-safe skillet that can handle a 400°F oven and a full preheat. The bottom may not brown the same way because another pan won’t necessarily heat like cast iron. I wouldn’t use a glass baking dish for this method.
• Can I use a different size cast-iron skillet?
  A 10-inch skillet gives the batter the thickness and bake time I developed the recipe around. A 9-inch skillet will make a thicker cornbread and will require more time, while a 12-inch skillet will make it thinner and bake faster. If you change the skillet size, watch the center rather than relying only on the stated baking time.
• Can I use regular honey instead of hot honey?
  Yes. You’ll lose the chile heat from the hot honey, but you’ll still have chipotle, adobo and jalapeño in the cornbread. Regular honey will give you the same sweetness without that additional heat.
• Can I leave out the liquid smoke?
  Yes. The chipotle and adobo still give the cornbread smoky flavor without it. I wouldn’t add more chipotle to make up for it because you’ll also be adding more heat.
• Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
  Yes. Whole-milk Greek yogurt can be used in the same amount as the full-fat sour cream. Stick with a full-fat or whole-milk version for the closest texture.
• Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
  I wouldn’t make that substitution directly. Buttermilk adds both acidity and a thicker consistency, and the acidity is important because baking soda is part of the leavening in this recipe. Regular milk changes more than one thing at once.
• Can I use pickled or canned jalapeños?
  I would stick with fresh jalapeño for this recipe. It goes directly into the hot skillet, while pickled jalapeños contain vinegar and considerably more moisture. I haven’t developed the recipe around that extra liquid, so I wouldn’t consider them interchangeable.
• What do you serve with chipotle hot honey cornbread?
  This is the cornbread I make for chili season. It’s also good with barbecue, pulled pork, smoked meats, beans and hearty soups. I especially like it with foods where hot honey on the side makes sense too.
• Can I make it ahead?
  Yes. I would make it no more than a day ahead, keep it airtight once cool, then warm it before serving. Save any extra hot honey for after reheating.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• I like things that can take some heat.
• I’ve noticed sweetness gets more interesting after it’s been through something.
• I don’t confuse familiar with finished.
• Things get better when I stop putting everything in the same place.
• I can usually tell when I’m trying to improve something and when I’m only making it busier.
• Some things don’t reveal themselves until you cut into them.
• I don’t mind changing a recipe I’ve loved for years if my taste has changed with me.
• I like when the part you don’t see right away has its own reason for being there.

When Sweet and Spicy Belong Together

• Grilled Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken – Honey, garlic, chile heat.
• Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce – Pineapple, habanero, honey.
• Hot Honey Peach Chicken and Waffle Bites – Peach hot honey, chicken, pickles.
• Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Chicken – Gochujang, honey, Korean BBQ sauce.
• Carolina-Style Brown Sugar Vinegar BBQ Sauce – Brown sugar, molasses, vinegar.

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Chipotle Hot Honey Skillet Cornbread

Chipotle hot honey skillet cornbread is made with chipotle and adobo in a tender buttermilk batter, while fresh jalapeños and hot honey cook directly against a buttered cast-iron skillet. More hot honey is drizzled over the cornbread after baking.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword buttermilk cornbread, chipotle hot honey skillet cornbread, hot honey cornbread, smoky cornbread, sweet and spicy cornbread

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 to 10

Calories 284kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• cast iron skillet 10" Preheating the cast ironbefore adding the jalapeños, hot honey and batter provides the direct heat needed for the bottom of the cornbread to brown properly.
• mixing bowls (large and medium). For whisking dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
• whisk Distributes the leaveners evenly through the dry ingredients and mixes the wet ingredients.
• rubber spatula Makes it easier to fold the batter without overworking it and to spread it in the hot skillet.

Ingredients

• 1⅓ cups (208 g) fine-ground yellow cornmeal
• ⅔ cup (80 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsps (25 g) granulated sugar
• 1½ tsps (6 g) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda
• 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) whole Buttermilk or 2%
• ½ cup (120 g) full-fat sour cream or whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tbsps (85 g) unsalted butter melted, divided
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil
• ¼ tsp (1 ml) liquid smoke
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo finely minced
• 1 tbsp (15 g) chipotle adobo sauce (from the same can the chipotle pepper was in)
• ¼ cup (~35 g) finely diced fresh jalapeño seeds and ribs removed
• 4 tbsps (84 g) hot honey divided

Instructions

• Place a 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C), leaving the skillet in the oven for at least 10 minutes once the oven reaches temperature.
• Whisk the fine-ground yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt together in a large bowl until evenly distributed.
  1⅓ cups (208 g) fine-ground yellow cornmeal, ⅔ cup (80 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tbsps (25 g) granulated sugar, 1½ tsps (6 g) baking powder, ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda, 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
• In a separate bowl, whisk the whole buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, 5 tablespoons (71 g) melted butter, oil, liquid smoke, minced chipotle pepper and adobo sauce until well mixed.
  1 cup (240 ml) whole Buttermilk, ½ cup (120 g) full-fat sour cream, 2 large eggs, 6 tbsps (85 g) unsalted butter, 2 tbsps (30 ml) avocado oil, ¼ tsp (1 ml) liquid smoke, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, 1 tbsp (15 g) chipotle adobo sauce
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold only until no dry pockets of flour or cornmeal remain. Do not overmix. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes to give the fine-ground cornmeal time to absorb some of the liquid.
• Carefully remove the hot cast-iron skillet from the oven. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Scatter the diced jalapeños evenly across the bottom, then drizzle 3 tablespoons (63 g) hot honey over the jalapeños.
  ¼ cup (~35 g) finely diced fresh jalapeño, 4 tbsps (84 g) hot honey
• Immediately spoon the rested cornbread batter over the jalapeños and hot honey. Spread the batter evenly without disturbing the jalapeños on the bottom of the skillet.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cornbread is golden around the perimeter and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not wait for a completely dry toothpick, which can result in dry cornbread.
• Let the cornbread cool in the skillet for 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon (21 g) hot honey over the top before slicing and serving.

Notes

• Use fine-ground yellow cornmeal for the texture and hydration intended in this recipe.
• Give the cast-iron skillet the full 10-minute heating time after the oven reaches 400°F (204°C). The skillet needs to be thoroughly hot before the butter, jalapeños and hot honey are added.
• Have the diced jalapeño and measured hot honey ready before removing the skillet from the oven so the batter can be added while the cast iron remains hot.
• Fold the wet and dry ingredients only until the dry pockets disappear. Overmixing can make the cornbread tougher.
• The 5-minute batter rest gives the cornmeal time to begin absorbing the liquid before baking.
• A toothpick with a few moist crumbs is the preferred doneness cue. Waiting until it comes out completely dry can result in overbaked cornbread.
• The hot honey is intentionally divided. Three tablespoons (63 g) cook against the skillet with the jalapeño, while 1 tablespoon (21 g) is reserved for the finished cornbread.
• Full-fat sour cream or whole-milk Greek yogurt can be used. Avoid reduced-fat products, which contain more water and can change the batter.
• For less heat, reduce the amount of chipotle pepper or fresh jalapeño rather than eliminating the adobo sauce entirely.

 

 

If you’re making this Chipotle Hot Honey Skillet Cornbread, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 90g | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 455IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made this Chipotle Hot Honey Skillet Cornbread? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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The post Chipotle Hot Honey Skillet Cornbread appeared first on Noble Pig.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Chorizo and Corn, Elote Style

I knew exactly how I wanted these stuffed poblano peppers to taste. Corn, chorizo and cheese were a must, but none of those things could be allowed to change the reason I was making them in the first place. They were always going to be Mexican street corn peppers that tasted like elote. It’s what I wanted.

Because there’s something deeply attractive about someone who can tell me exactly what they want, and not in a general or “whatever you think” kind of way. I mean specific enough that I can see the thing you’re describing.

If I ask you what kind of birthday cake you want and you tell me chocolate, okay fine. But if you tell me you want a very, almost-black chocolate layer cake made with dark cocoa and espresso, sour cream in the batter, salted caramel and a thin layer of ganache between the layers, more ganache outside but not perfectly smoothed, fresh blackberries, flaky salt and one candle, now I know something about you. And if you add that you don’t want buttercream rosettes and would prefer the cake to look a little severe, even better.

Now I’m not spending my energy trying to figure you out. I’m using that energy to make the thing you want extraordinary. I’d pick the blackberries on my property myself because they’re better and they’re mine. I would taste three dark chocolates before deciding and I’d find the flaky salt with the right crystal size. The salted caramel would be homemade, by me. I would get the ganache thickness right because you specifically said thin between the layers. I’d stand six feet away from the finished cake and squint at it because you said you wanted it a little severe-looking and I would need to determine whether it had achieved sufficient severity. That’s not exhausting to me. It’s pleasure.

I love knowing that much. I appreciate that you’ve paid enough attention to yourself to know the difference between what you really want and what would be fine. And I especially like being aware of what you don’t want, because that tells me even more. More specificity is never a burden. What’s worse is the answer, “anything’s fine” because you think it comes off as accommodating, but if that’s your permanent operating system, you’ve basically handed me every decision.

Where should we eat? Anywhere. What do you feel like doing? Whatever you want. Do you want to stay here or go somewhere else? Either one. Chocolate or vanilla? I like both. After the tenth one, I’m begging you to develop a preference.

Because now I have to choose the restaurant, wonder whether you’ll like the restaurant, choose the time, decide whether you’d rather have gone somewhere else, and then watch your face for evidence that “anything” didn’t, in fact, include this particular thing. That’s not easier, it’s labor.

None of us need somebody to be particular about everything, because sometimes you genuinely don’t care, which is okay. But a person who has no preferences anywhere becomes exhausting, because I can never quite locate them in any of it.

And here’s the thing, when I say what I want, I’m not asking for it to be provided because I told you what it is. I’m telling you who I am. And you don’t have to guess. Ever.

That’s why, before I made these stuffed poblano peppers, I already knew how they needed to taste. Street corn was the goal.

I grew up in Southern California, so lime, chile, corn, cilantro and Cotija have been part of my palate forever. I’ve made Mexican street corn into soup, chicken bowls and pasta, but I’d never added chorizo to it. The pork chorizo gave the corn enough richness and chile flavor to make the filling feel more like dinner, especially once I added the quesadilla cheese I already knew I wanted in there.

And right now the poblanos at the farmers market are enormous. I’ve been buying them a lot, and they’re what this filling needs. They’re big enough to hold an avalanche of corn, chorizo and cheese without going missing. I don’t roast them first either. They get enough time to soften once they’re filled, and I want the peppers to still be able to carry all of that filling when they come out of the oven.

I could have kept changing them, but at some point I had to recognize I’d already gotten what I asked for. This is exactly how I wanted them.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I wanted the Mexican street corn flavor to survive everything else I was putting into these peppers. I put pork chorizo, three cheeses and an unreasonable amount of filling into these, but you still taste the corn, lime, cilantro and chile first. The chorizo was the piece I hadn’t tried before, and once I mixed it into the creamy corn filling, I knew I was keeping it. It gave me the richness and chile flavor I wanted without turning these into another stuffed pepper filled with seasoned ground meat.
• I didn’t want one chile responsible for everything. The poblano is earthy and mild, fresh jalapeño gives me a greener kind of heat, and the adobo adds smoke. Tajín goes on after baking so the chile and lime stay noticeable. The cheeses have separate roles. Quesadilla cheese comes in with the melt, cream cheese holds the landslide of corn and chorizo together, and Cotija stays out until the end where I can still taste its saltiness.
• And I don’t precook the poblanos or bulk the filling up with rice. I want the peppers to soften in the oven while staying firm enough to hold the avalanche I’ve piled into them. Frozen corn gives me consistent sweetness and availability, and once I’m folding it into chorizo and cheese and sending the whole thing into the oven, there’s no award for making this harder with fresh corn.

Ingredients

• Poblano peppers – Look for the biggest ones you can find because there is an incredible amount of filling going into them. They soften in the oven but keep enough of themselves to handle all the filling.
• Olive oil or avocado oil – I coat the outside of the poblanos before baking so the exposed pepper has a little oil while it softens.
• Fresh Mexican-style pork chorizo – This was the missing piece for me. The rendered fat and chile seasoning work their way through the corn and cheese, making the filling rich enough to turn these into dinner.
• Frozen corn – Exactly what I want for this recipe. It gives me sweet, sturdy kernels year-round without adding another cooking step, and there’s lots happening here without shucking corn first.
• Quesadilla cheese or Mexican cheese blend – Used in both the filling and over the top before broiling. Quesadilla cheese is my first choice because it melts so well and gives the filling the stretchy cheese pull everyone wants for Instagram.
• Fresh cilantro – I use a full ⅓ cup because cilantro is part of what makes the filling taste like Mexican street corn rather than corn, chorizo and cheese.
• Jalapeño – Fresh jalapeño has a greener kind of heat than the adobo. I remove the seeds and ribs, but you can leave some behind if you want more spice.
• Cream cheese – This is what makes the corn mixture creamy and helps the loose filling stay together inside the poblano. Let it soften first or you’ll be working much harder.
• Fresh lime juice – That acidity is important with this much cheese and chorizo. Fresh lime keeps the filling tasting like sweet corn. Bottled juice doesn’t quite get it right.
• Chili powder – Adds more chile flavor throughout the filling and doesn’t make the peppers overwhelmingly hot.
• Adobo sauce or chopped chipotles in adobo – Adobo adds smoke and more chile flavor; use chopped chipotles along with the sauce if you want more heat.
• Sea salt – Seasons the filling, but remember the chorizo, quesadilla cheese, Cotija and Tajín are salty too.
• Tajín – Goes on after the peppers come out of the oven, where I can still taste the chile and lime.
• Cotija cheese – Also saved for the finish. I want the salty Cotija on top where I can taste it, not melted into oblivion with everything else.

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (prep the poblanos)
  Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut the poblano peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and lightly coat the outside of each half with oil. There’s no need to roast them first. They’ll spend 20–25 minutes in the oven once they’re filled, which softens them without taking away their ability to hold the small landslide we’re about to pile into them.
• Step Two (cook the chorizo)
  Cook the pork chorizo in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. Once it’s browned and fully cooked, take it off the heat and give it a few minutes to cool. I don’t want screaming-hot chorizo going straight into a bowl of cream cheese.
• Step Three (make the street corn filling)
  Add the thawed corn, quesadilla cheese, cilantro, jalapeño, softened cream cheese, lime juice, chili powder, adobo sauce and sea salt to a large bowl and stir until everything is well mixed. Fold in the cooked chorizo last. And yes, there’s a lot of corn. That’s on purpose.
• Step Four (fill and bake the poblanos)
  Divide the filling among the six poblano halves and mound it up tall. Arrange the peppers on a baking sheet with room between them and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the poblanos have softened and the filling is hot and bubbling.
• Step Five (broil and finish)
  Sprinkle more shredded quesadilla cheese over the peppers, switch the oven to broil and give them 2–3 minutes, until the cheese melts and starts to brown. Stay close because broilers have no loyalty. Once the peppers come out, finish them with Tajín and crumbled Cotija.

Recipe Tips

• You’ll want to choose poblanos with some real estate. Wider peppers are easier to halve and fill without everything immediately trying to escape over the sides.
• Drain the chorizo only if it really needs it. Some brands release far more fat than others. I want some of the seasoned chorizo fat making its way into the filling, but if you have a skillet with a lake at the bottom, spoon some off before adding the meat.
• Make sure you thaw the corn completely. Any ice still hanging onto it becomes water in the filling, so drain off whatever collects before the corn goes into the bowl.
• Take a bite of the jalapeño before you decide how aggressively you want to proceed. Jalapeños are wildly inconsistent, and you already have chili powder, adobo, chorizo and Tajín involved.
• The baking sheet definitley needs a rim. The filling is mounded high and gets bubbly in the oven. Occasionally cheese or chorizo fat makes a break for it, and you want that to end up on the pan rather than the bottom of the oven.

Storage

• Let leftover stuffed poblanos cool before transferring them to an airtight container. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• For reheating, I prefer the oven or air fryer because the pepper stays firmer and the cheese reheats better. Heat them at 350°F until warmed through, then add fresh Cotija and Tajín afterward if you have them. The microwave is fine too, but the pepper will be softer.
• I wouldn’t freeze these. The cream cheese filling changes texture after freezing and thawing, and the poblano loses more of its texture than I’m willing to sacrifice. These are much better eaten within a few days.

FAQs

• Are poblano peppers spicy?
  Usually not very. Poblanos have a mild, earthy chile flavor with less heat than jalapeños. Every pepper gets to have its own temperament, though, so sometimes you’ll find one that’s hotter than expected.
• Can I make these stuffed poblano peppers ahead of time?
  Yes. Cook the chorizo and assemble the filling a day ahead, then keep it covered in the refrigerator. I like filling the poblanos closer to baking so the raw peppers aren’t sitting overnight with a moist filling.
• What is quesadilla cheese?
  It’s a Mexican-style cheese that melts especially well and gets soft and stretchy when heated. Depending on where you shop, you may see Chihuahua cheese, queso quesadilla or a Mexican melting cheese. If you can’t find it, a good Mexican cheese blend is an easy substitute. I can usually find Chihuahua cheese at my regular grocery store or Costco.
• Can I use fresh corn instead of frozen?
  Yes. Cut the kernels from the cob and use the same amount by weight. You don’t need to cook them first. I use frozen because it works well in this filling and means I can make these peppers the same way when corn season is gone.
• Can I make these without the chorizo?
  You can, but they won’t taste like the peppers I developed. The chorizo contributes a lot of seasoning and richness, so if you leave it out, taste the filling before stuffing the poblanos and adjust the seasoning as needed.
• What should I serve with Mexican street corn stuffed poblano peppers?
  I like them over rice, because the rice catches whatever creamy corn and chorizo inevitably falls out when you cut into the mountain of filling. Black beans are good alongside them, as is this radish and jicama salad. Or serve the peppers on their own. They’re substantial enough to be dinner without needing a bunch of extras.
• Do I need to peel poblano peppers?
  No. Since these aren’t being blistered and steamed first, there’s no reason to peel them. The skin softens along with the pepper as it bakes and helps the halves stay intact underneath the filling.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• There’s a difference between being easy to please and easy to know.
• The deeper subject here is not preference. It’s knowability.
• Being known requires leaving evidence behind.
• Evidence is not the same as clues.
• The more clearly you let me know you, the less I have to invent you.
• Sometimes the kindest thing you can give someone is enough information to get you right.
• There’s intimacy in knowing the difference between what someone likes and what they would choose.
• Knowing what you don’t want is the clearest evidence that you know yourself.
• I don’t need you to want what I want. I need you to know what you want when I ask.
• I’ve never felt burdened by specificity. I feel released by it.
• Specificity has always given my generosity somewhere to go.
• Knowing exactly what someone wants doesn’t take the surprise out of giving. It gives you somewhere to put the love.
• The person asking what you want isn’t asking you to make things easier. They’re trying to learn how to love you accurately.
• Thoughtfulness shouldn’t require clairvoyance.
• There are people I would go very far out of my way for. But I don’t want to spend the whole trip wondering whether I’m headed in the right direction.
• I’ve never minded doing too much for someone. I do mind having to guess what too much should look like.
• The people who are easiest for me to give to aren’t the ones who ask for the least.
• Saying “anything’s fine” doesn’t give me freedom. It hands me half of your work.
• “Anything is fine” eventually makes someone else responsible for finding out what isn’t.
• Telling me what you want isn’t asking too much. Making me guess can be. Telling me lets me relax into generosity.
• Burden me with information, not your uncertainty.
• I can do incredible things with a clear answer.
• If you show yourself to me, I won’t punish you for taking up space with your complicated preference. I welcome it.
• I’ve seen people mistake certainty for a closed door when it may be the first time someone has shown them exactly where the door is.
• Ask me exactly what I want. Believe my answer. Give me exactly that. I love all of it. But knowing me well enough that I don’t have to tell you is rarer. That means you were paying attention before I ever had to ask.
• I’ve changed my mind so many times. That’s how I learned which ones I don’t want to change anymore.
• There are things I make differently every time. But there are others I stopped changing because I finally got what I wanted.

I Have a Thing for Street Corn

• Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls (Mexican Elote-Style) – Grilled chicken, charred corn, lime sauce.
• Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad – Sautéed corn, Cotija, chili-lime dressing.
• Mexican Street Corn Soup – Fire-roasted corn, green chiles, Tajín.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers are filled with corn, pork chorizo, quesadilla cheese, cream cheese, jalapeño, cilantro and adobo, then topped with more cheese, Tajín and Cotija.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired

Keyword chorizo stuffed poblano peppers, elote stuffed peppers, Mexican street corn peppers, Mexican street corn stuffed poblano peppers, stuffed poblano peppers

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Broiling: 3 minutes minutes

Total Time 48 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 555kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• skillet (medium-sized). For browning and crumbling the pork chorizo before it goes into the filling.
• mixing bowls (large). Large enough to thoroughly mix the corn filling without crushing the ingredients.
• large rimmed baking sheet Holds all six stuffed poblano halves while containing any cheese or filling that escapes during baking.
• chef knife For halving the pobalnos and finely chopping the jalapeño and cilantro.
• Cutting board To prep the peppers and other fresh ingredients.
• measuring cups and spoons For accuracy of ingredients.

Ingredients

Stuffed Poblanos:

• 3 large poblano peppers cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
• 9 oz (255 g) pork chorizo
• 12 oz (340 g) frozen corn thawed
• 2 cups (225 g) shredded quesadilla cheese or Mexican shredded cheese blend
• ⅓ cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tbsps (30 g) finely diced jalapeño about 2 medium jalapeños
• 1 package (8 oz / 226 g) cream cheese softened
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice
• 2 tsps (5 g) chili powder
• 2 tsps (10 g) adobo sauce or chopped chipotles in adobo for more heat
• 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil or avocado oil

Topping:

• additional shredded quesadilla cheese as needed
• 1 tsp (3 g) Tajin seasoning
• 1-2 tbsps (5-10 g) crumbled cotija cheese

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
  3 large poblano peppers
• Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the pork chorizo and cook until browned and fully cooked, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
  9 oz (255 g) pork chorizo
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the thawed corn, quesadilla cheese, cilantro, jalapeño, softened cream cheese, lime juice, chili powder, adobo sauce and sea salt until evenly distributed. Fold in the cooked chorizo.
  12 oz (340 g) frozen corn, 2 cups (225 g) shredded quesadilla cheese, ⅓ cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro, 3 tbsps (30 g) finely diced jalapeño, 1 package (8 oz / 226 g) cream cheese, 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice, 2 tsps (5 g) chili powder, 2 tsps (10 g) adobo sauce, 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
• Lightly coat the outside of each poblano half with olive or avocado oil. Divide the corn and chorizo filling evenly among the six poblano halves, mounding the filling as needed.
  1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• Arrange the stuffed poblano peppers on a baking sheet with space between them. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the poblanos have softened and the filling is hot and bubbling.
  additional shredded quesadilla cheese
• Sprinkle additional shredded quesadilla cheese over the stuffed peppers. Switch the oven to broil and broil for 2–3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Watch carefully during broiling to prevent burning.
  1 tsp (3 g) Tajin seasoning, 1-2 tbsps (5-10 g) crumbled cotija cheese
• Remove from the oven and finish with Tajín and crumbled Cotija cheese. Serve warm.

Notes

• Poblano peppers vary considerably in size. If your peppers are smaller, you may have enough filling for additional poblano halves.
• Use fresh Mexican-style pork chorizo rather than cured Spanish chorizo. Cook it completely before adding it to the corn mixture.
• Thaw the frozen corn before measuring it into the filling. If there is accumulated water after thawing, drain it before mixing with the cream cheese and other ingredients.
• The poblanos do not need to be roasted or precooked. They soften while the stuffed peppers bake.
• For additional heat, replace some or all of the adobo sauce with finely chopped chipotle peppers from the can.
• The additional quesadilla cheese used for broiling is not included in the measured 2 cups (225 g) used in the filling.
• Assemble the stuffed peppers up to 24 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate. Add the final quesadilla cheese before broiling and wait to add the Tajín and Cotija until after baking.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10–15 minutes or microwave individual portions until heated through.

 

 

 

If you’re making these Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 260g | Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 1317mg | Potassium: 692mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 261IU | Vitamin C: 71mg | Calcium: 303mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made these Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers? I’d love to hear how they turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers appeared first on Noble Pig.

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake with a Chocolate Three-Milk Soak

Even though I’ve made this cake a million times, the amount of milk that goes into tres leches always looks alarming while I’m pouring it. There’s a point when I look at the pan and wonder how the cake is possibly going to take any more. Chocolate makes that part even more interesting.

The first tres leches cake I ever got mad about was for my dog.

I was five years old and in kindergarten when a couple walked past our house pulling a wagon full of puppies, which is a dangerous thing to do in front of a kid with no dog and zero respect for reasonable limits.

My parents were out in the garage doing something I have no memory of, probably yard work or one of those adult Saturday things kids don’t bother retaining, and I was outside with them when I saw the puppies. The couple had the mom and dad dogs on leashes and a pile of babies riding behind them in the wagon. They stopped and I’m pretty sure I lost my mind.

They were looking for homes for the puppies once they were old enough to leave their mom, and somehow, despite there having been no previous family discussion about getting a dog, I managed to secure one on the spot. It was a miracle. I chose the cutest little black puppy.

He had a white patch on his chest and was some combination of Corgi, Cocker Spaniel and Dachshund, which gave him short legs, a long body, floppy ears and longer black fur. I named him Sparky. He looked like several dogs had been assembled into one very good dog.

Once he came home, I treated him less like a pet and more like a stuffed animal with a pulse. I would get off the school bus, run home and immediately pick him up and carry him around for most of the day.

My mom was forever telling me to put him down because he needed to walk and run around. I was always covered in black dog hair and didn’t care. I was obsessed with him.

Sparky was also completely insane. He did zoomies before I knew zoomies were a universal dog thing, so naturally I assumed he had invented them. When we went away on vacation, he retaliated by digging up the backyard and somehow winding the garden hose around anything that stood still long enough to become involved. He was funny, destructive, furious when abandoned and I completely adored him.

When we first got him, one of my biggest questions was his exact birthday. I needed a date. I made my mom put it on the calendar. The following year, I informed everyone that Sparky would be having a birthday party.

This was way before dogs had birthday parties, bakery cakes, outfits and social media accounts devoted to their emotional lives. My plan involved a cake, candles, a birthday hat and singing.

My mom thought this was complete insanity. I didn’t. Most importantly, Sparky wanted chocolate cake. “How do you know he wants chocolate cake?” “He told me.” Obviously, Sparky hadn’t told me anything. I wanted chocolate cake and had made myself his translator.

We used to eat at a restaurant that served tres leches cake, and my mom decided she would make one for his birthday. I should’ve been happy. She was already indulging me with a formal birthday party for a dog. Except she made regular tres leches. I was furious. It wasn’t what Sparky wanted.

I remember telling her he was going to be mad, followed by some highly credible threat involving his existing history of backyard destruction. I was reminded that I should be grateful anyone had made a birthday cake for a dog at all and that chocolate was not something Sparky should be eating, ever.

For the record, he didn’t eat the cake. He did get ice cream while the rest of us ate the tres leches and sang happy birthday to him because I insisted. But I never forgot that cake.

Years later I started making chocolate tres leches myself, and eventually my childish complaint became a recipe problem worth solving. It wasn’t enough for the cake underneath to be chocolate. Once I poured that much milk through it, the flavor really muted. I wanted the finished cake, after every last alarming cup of milk had disappeared into it, to still taste like chocolate. I kept working on it.

The cocoa made its way into the tres leches mixture itself, then into the whipped cream. I added cinnamon to the cake because I like what it does with the chocolate without turning it into a cinnamon dessert. The cake had to absorb an unreasonable amount of liquid without turning to mush, which took some figuring out too.

What started as a five-year-old arguing on behalf of a dog who had never expressed a single opinion about dessert somehow became a chocolate tres leches cake I’ve been refining ever since.

Sparky never got his chocolate tres leches cake. This is me correcting the record.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• Once I poured that much milk into this chocolate cake, I noticed the chocolate flavor started disappearing under all the dairy. I wanted it to still taste very chocolatey after the cake was completely soaked, which ultimately led to putting cocoa in the tres leches mixture, not just the cake.
• I found that whisking the cocoa into the sweetened condensed milk first really helped. Cocoa and a bowl full of cold, thin milk aren’t cooperative. The condensed milk is thick enough that I can work the cocoa into it until it’s smooth, then whisk in the evaporated milk and whole milk without finding dry pockets of cocoa around the bowl.
• Using oil instead of butter in the cake changed things. Because tres leches spends hours in the refrigerator and gets served cold, butter firms up when it chills. Oil keeps this cake tender straight from the refrigerator, even after it had taken in that absurd amount of milk.
• The chocolate whipped cream was what really finished it off right. Plain whipped cream was fine, but after taking chocolate through the cake and the milk, why quit there. Cocoa went into the whipped cream too, which gave me the chocolate finish I wanted without putting frosting on a cake that definitely didn’t need it.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and fine sea salt – The basic cake crew. The flour gives the cake enough substance for all the milk coming later, while the leaveners keep it light enough for the soak instead of sitting in a dense chocolate brick.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – This goes in three times… in the cake, the tres leches mixture and the whipped cream. All on purpose. Lots of dairy is about to enter this cake, and I wasn’t willing to let the chocolate get lost once it did.
• Ground cinnamon – Enough to chaperone the cocoa and make the chocolate taste more interesting.
• Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cake itself, but not too much because the condensed milk is coming and she has plenty to say.
• Eggs – Keep the cake light and springy, which is important once we ask it to take on the entire tres leches mixture.
• Neutral oil – Oil because this cake spends a long time in the refrigerator. It keeps it soft when cold instead of firming up the way a butter cake can. Vegetable, canola or a neutral avocado oil are all fine.
• Whole milk and vanilla extract – The milk keeps the chocolate batter soft, while vanilla does what it always does.
• Sweetened condensed milk – The thick, sweet part of the tres leches mixture and the first place I whisk in the cocoa.
• Evaporated milk and whole milk – These finish the three-milk soak and thin the condensed milk enough to travel through the cake.
• Heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla – These become the chocolate whipped cream. Keep the cream very cold so it whips properly, and don’t overdo the sugar. The cake has already taken in an entire can of condensed milk. It’s not suffering from a lack of sweetness.
• More cocoa powder for the top – Optional, but I like the slightly bitter finish with the sweet milk and chocolate cream.

How to Make Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the chocolate batter)
  Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9 × 13-inch baking pan. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a medium bowl, then whisk everything together so there aren’t pockets of cocoa or leaveners hiding anywhere. In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, and oil until smooth and slightly thickened, then whisk in the milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir until the flour disappears. Once you stop seeing streaks, put the spoon down.
• Step Two (bake the cake)
  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread it evenly, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The center should spring back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out with a few moist pieces of cake attached. While the cake is still warm, poke holes all over it with a skewer or fork, going all the way to the bottom of the pan. These aren’t decorative little marks across the top. The milk needs paths through the entire cake.
• Step Three (add the chocolate tres leches soak)
  Whisk the cocoa powder into the sweetened condensed milk until completely smooth, then whisk in the evaporated milk and whole milk. Starting with the condensed milk makes this much easier because trying to whisk cocoa into a bowl of thin, cold milk is irritating. Slowly pour the chocolate milk mixture over the warm cake, moving across the whole surface and giving each addition a chance to soak in before adding more. At some point you will look at the amount of milk still in the bowl and be concerned. This happens every time. Keep going.
• Step Four (chill the cake)
  Let the cake cool completely, cover the pan, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Four hours is the very minimum. The milk needs time to move through the cake instead of staying mostly where you poured it, and overnight is even better if you have it.
• Step Five (make the chocolate whipped cream)
  Beat the cold heavy cream until soft peaks form, then sift in the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder and add the vanilla. Keep beating until stiff peaks form, then stop as soon as the whipped cream can hold itself up. There’s no prize for continuing until you accidentally make chocolate butter. Spread the whipped cream over the cold cake and finish with a dusting of cocoa powder, if you want it. I always do.

Recipe Tips

• If you have a skewer, use it. A fork is fine, but a skewer gets all the way down without tearing up the top of the cake.
• Keep your eye on the surface instead of the measuring cup as you add the tres leches mixture. The top of the cake will tell you when it’s ready for more. If you can still see milk sitting across the top, wait a minute before continuing.
• Don’t judge it right after the milk goes in. The cake will look uneven and overly wet at this point. Refrigeration fixes a lot of what’s going on here.
• Don’t forget to give the corners some love. It’s easy to concentrate the milk in the middle of the pan. I make a point of working around the perimeter too so the outside pieces aren’t noticeably drier than the center ones.
• Wait to dust with cocoa until you’re ready to serve. It looks best before the cocoa has had hours to absorb moisture from the whipped cream and darken in spots.

Storage

• Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. With this much dairy and whipped cream on top, this isn’t one to leave on the counter for more than 2 hours.
• I don’t recommend freezing this one. The appeal is the saturated, soft cake under fresh whipped cream, and freezing does neither of those things any favors.

FAQs

• Why isn’t the milk soaking into my tres leches cake?
  Usually one of three things is happening: the cake has cooled too much, the holes don’t go deep enough, or the milk is being added faster than the cake can take it. Stop pouring, give what’s already there time to soak in, and make a few additional deep holes anywhere the milk seems to be collecting.
• Can I make chocolate tres leches cake the day before?
  Please do. I prefer making the cake a day ahead and refrigerating it overnight. I usually wait to add the chocolate whipped cream until later so it looks its best.
• Can I use Dutch-process cocoa powder?
  For the whipped cream and soak, yes. For the cake itself, stick with the unsweetened natural cocoa the recipe was developed with because the batter includes baking soda and changing the cocoa changes the acidity of the batter.
• Can I use 2% milk instead of whole milk?
  You can if that’s what you have, but I prefer whole milk. It gives the soak more richness without making it noticeably heavier, and this isn’t a cake I’m interested in saving a few grams of milk fat.
• Can I leave out the cinnamon?
  Yes. The cake is fine without it, so leave it out if cinnamon with chocolate isn’t your thing.
• How do I know when chocolate tres leches cake is ready to serve?
  Give it at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. When you cut into the cake, you should see that the milk has reached all the way to the bottom rather than leaving the lower portion dry.
• Does chocolate tres leches cake need to be refrigerated?
  Yes. Between the three-milk soak and chocolate whipped cream, chocolate tres leches cake needs to stay refrigerated. I take it out when I’m ready to serve it and put any leftovers back in the refrigerator.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• Lots of things can take in way more than they appear capable of holding.
• Childhood pet love is possesive, physical, unreasonable and completely sincere.
• Sparky had a Corgi chassis, a long-haired Dachshund coat and Cocker accessories. It was like factory parts selected at random.
• What looks excessive from above can disappear completely once it gets inside.
• Pouring more in only works when there’s somewhere for it to go. Knowing the capacity matters.
• There’s a difference between being covered in something and taking it in.
• A surface can look untouched while everything under it has changed.
• Being engulfed by something isn’t the same as being changed by it.
• Chocolate is easier to lose than everyone thinks.
• If you roll a wagon of puppies past an unsupervised negotiator, there will be predictable consequences.
• Sparky’s dessert preferences were being generated completely by his chocolate lobby. Me.
• I may have suggested Sparky would reltaliate over the wrong cake. In my defense, he had priors.
• If you want something to be obvious, sometimes you have to put it everywhere.
• I’ve never felt my delight has had to justify itself. I wanted the chocolate version. That was reason enough.
• You can keep pouring into something that gives you no immediate sign it’s receiving any of it. Sometimes it’s no longer worth it.

For People Who Meant Chocolate

• Chocolate Zucchini Cake – Orange zest, cream cheese frosting.
• Nutella Chocolate Cookie Cups – Soft cookies with Nutella centers.
• Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Butter Brownies – Fudgy brownies with red wine.
• Chocolate Hazelnut Pecan Pie – Gooey Nutella hazelnut filling.
• Guinness Chocolate Layer Cake – Stout, currants, bittersweet chocolate icing.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake is a soft chocolate cake soaked with a cocoa-spiked mixture of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk, then refrigerated and finished with chocolate whipped cream and a hint of cinnamon.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired

Keyword chocolate milk cake recipe, chocolate soaked cake, chocolate tres leches cake, easy tres leches cake chocolate, Mexican chocolate cake recipe, moist chocolate sheet cake dessert, tres leches cake from scratch, tres leches chocolate cake 9x13

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 to 16

Calories 390kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• baking dish 9x13 (23x33 cm) Gives the cake enough surface area to absorb the tres leches mixture evenly.
• mixing bowls (large and medium). One for the dry ingredients and one for prepping the cake batter.
• whisk For mixing the batter and preparing the chocolate milk mixture.
• rubber spatula For finishing the batter without overmixing and spreading it evenly in the pan.
• hand mixer or stand mixer. To whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
• fine-mesh sieve Removes lumps from the cocoa powder, flour and confectioners' sugar.
• skewer or fork. Makes holes through the warm cake so the milk mixture can travel from the top to the bottom.
• large liquid measuring cup Makes the tres leches mixture easier to mix and pour gradually over the cake.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour sifted
• ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
• 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2.5 g) baking soda
• ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
• 1 tsp (2.5 g) ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) canola oil or vegetable oil
• ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

Tres Leches Soak:

• 2 tbsps (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
• 1 (14 oz /396 g) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 oz /354 ml) can evaporated milk
• ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk

Chocolate Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups (480 ml) cold heavy cream
• ⅓ cup (40 g) confectioners' sugar sifted
• ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

Optional Garnish:

• unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9 × 13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a medium bowl. Whisk to distribute the cocoa, cinnamon, and leaveners evenly.
  1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder, ½ tsp (2.5 g) baking soda, ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt, 1 tsp (2.5 g) ground cinnamon
• In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, and oil until smooth and slightly thickened. Whisk in the milk and vanilla extract until incorporated.
  1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, ⅓ cup (80 ml) canola oil, ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir only until no streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing, which can make it harder for the baked cake to absorb the tres leches mixture evenly.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist pieces of cake attached.
• While the cake is still warm, use a skewer or fork to poke holes evenly over the entire cake, going all the way to the bottom of the pan. Deep holes give the tres leches mixture a path through the full height of the cake.
• Whisk the cocoa powder into the sweetened condensed milk until completely smooth. Whisk in the evaporated milk and whole milk until evenly mixed. Adding the cocoa to the condensed milk first makes it easier to incorporate without leaving dry pockets of cocoa in the thinner milk mixture.
  2 tbsps (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 (14 oz /396 g) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 (12 oz /354 ml) can evaporated milk, ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk
• Slowly pour the chocolate tres leches mixture over the warm cake, working across the entire surface. Pause as needed to let the milk absorb before continuing rather than pouring it all on at once.
• Cool the cake completely, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for the best results. The longer refrigeration time allows the three-milk mixture to distribute throughout the cake before the topping is added.
• When ready to finish the cake, beat the cold heavy cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder, add the vanilla extract, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Stop once the whipped cream holds its shape.
  2 cups (480 ml) cold heavy cream, ⅓ cup (40 g) confectioners' sugar, ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• Spread the chocolate whipped cream evenly over the chilled cake. Dust with cocoa powder before serving, if desired.
  unsweetened cocoa powder

Notes

• Whisk the cocoa powder into the sweetened condensed milk before adding the evaporated milk and whole milk. The thicker condensed milk makes the cocoa easier to incorporate smoothly.
• Poke the holes all the way to the bottom of the cake rather than piercing only the surface.
• Pour the tres leches mixture gradually. If milk remains on the surface, give it time to absorb before adding more.
• Four hours of refrigeration is the minimum. Refrigerating overnight gives the milk additional time to distribute throughout the cake.
• Keep the heavy cream cold until you're ready to whip it.

 

If you’re making this Chocolate Tres Leches Cake, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 145g | Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 275mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Chocolate Tres Leches Cake? I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Chocolate Tres Leches Cake appeared first on Noble Pig.

Fresh Homemade Pico De Gallo with a Better Tomato Prep

Pico de gallo is one of those things you don’t assume needs a recipe until you eat one that turns watery five minutes after hitting the table. Mine stays chunky instead of becoming tomato soup because I seed the tomatoes first and let the lime juice, onion, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and salt sit together for a little while before serving. The flavors work their way through everything without turning the tomatoes into a puddle of juice at the bottom of the bowl.

When I was little, probably six or seven, my dad planted an unusual amount of giant beefsteak tomatoes along the sunny fence line on one side of our house in Southern California. By late summer there were more tomatoes than anyone knew what to do with. They ended up in salads, and I’m pretty sure this is when I got hooked on dill pickle and tomato sandwiches, and eventually pico de gallo, because having that many tomatoes in SoCal was basically a gateway to salsa.

But my strongest tomato memory is tomato hornworms.

If you’ve never seen one before, congratulations on your peaceful life. They are enormous green caterpillars that blend perfectly into tomato plants until suddenly you notice one the size of a bratwurst hanging underneath a leaf while casually destroying an entire branch. Every single day there were more of them. We’d inspect the plants, remove what seemed like all of them, then go back out the next evening and find a gazillion more hiding perfectly in plain sight like these tiny agricultural criminals. Because that’s what they were.

Every night I would wait for my dad to get home from work because together we would go hunt hornworms before dinner, while he picked tomatoes for the salad. I refused to look for them alone because they terrified me, but with my dad there it somehow became a treasure hunt. He’d bring a mason jar full of soapy water and we’d search through the tomato plants, dropping each one into the sudsy water for an instant demise.

And these things got massive if you missed them for even a day or two because they were feeding on the leaves, branches, and tomatoes.

I also knew exactly what happened when you squeezed one because they’d release this horrifying bright green goo from all the tomato leaves they’d been eating. It was completely disgusting, which is a very important detail for what happened next.

One night after a very successful hornworm hunt, my dad decided to make pico de gallo. I remember staring into the bowl asking what the green pieces were.

My dad was a huge jokester and without missing a beat, he told me he chopped up the hornworms because we had so many of them. Why waste them.

This was hilarious to him.

Meanwhile I was already eating the pico when he said it, so I immediately imagined biting into giant juicy caterpillars filled with warm green slime. I had an instant breakdown, complete with screaming, crying, spitting pico de gallo across the table while my dad laughed so hard he could barely breathe. The “hornworms” were jalapeños.

This was very 1970s parenting.

And somehow now, decades later, pico de gallo still reminds me of standing outside beside tomato plants with my dad looking for giant camouflage worms like we were handling our own suburban agricultural emergency.

Good pico de gallo should stick to the chip with some level of dignity. It needs lots of lime, onion, cilantro, jalapeño and tomatoes that still taste like tomatoes instead of watery grocery store salsa that tastes like confetti and rolls off the chip before it reaches your mouth.

Now I make this pico de gallo year-round because it goes with everything. It’s good piled onto tacos, scooped up with salty tortilla chips, spooned over grilled chicken, and especially eaten straight out of the bowl. The seeded tomatoes are what keep it from turning watery overnight, which means the leftovers still taste good the next day instead of becoming tomato juice.

What Makes This Pico De Gallo Different

• Most watery pico de gallo problems start with the tomatoes. The second lime juice and salt hit the bowl, the tomatoes start releasing liquid, which is why pico can go from fresh and chunky to watery tomato soup surprisingly fast. Seeding the tomatoes first keeps the texture much firmer and helps everything hold together longer instead of becoming liquid salsa after sitting for ten minutes.
• And here’s the thing about jalapeños, most of the heat lives in the ribs, not necessarily the seeds. I know people diligently remove the seeds while leaving a lot of the ribs behind, then wonder why the pico is still so spicy. Removing the ribs gives you a milder pico without completely losing the fresh jalapeño flavor. And don’t forget to wear gloves while you do this.
• I also always add garlic, which I’m aware is not standard, but without it the whole bowl can taste oddly dull to me, even with good tomatoes and fresh lime juice. I find the garlic helps the onion, cilantro, jalapeño, tomatoes, and lime taste more connected instead of like separate ingredients awkwardly sharing the same bowl.
• And pico tastes better once it sits for a little bit. Right after mixing, everything tastes separate, like yes, we’re in this bowl together, but we’re not talking. Give it 15–30 minutes in the fridge and the onion will soften slightly, the lime makes its way into the tomatoes, and everything starts tasting like pico de gallo instead of chopped veggies having an argument.

Ingredients

• Tomatoes – Firm ripe tomatoes hold together much better once the lime juice and salt are added. Seeding them first keeps the pico chunky instead of watery.
• White onion – This is where the restaurant-style pico flavor comes from. Red onion is fine if you want it, but it changes the entire personality of the bowl. The difference between white and red onion is like getting a salute instead of a handshake.
• Jalapeño – Most of the heat comes from the ribs, which is why removing them gives you a milder pico without completely losing the fresh jalapeño flavor. Leave them in completely if you like the burn.
• Garlic – A small amount gives the bowl that little something without turning it into garlic salsa.
• Fresh lime juice – Lime juice is necessary, but it also starts pulling extra liquid from the tomatoes pretty fast, which is exactly why seeding the tomatoes becomes important if you want the pico to stay chunky longer.
• Cilantro – Keeps the pico tasting fresh instead of dull.
• Sea salt – Under-salted pico loses flavor fast, but too much salt also pulls extra liquid from the tomatoes while everything sits. There’s a balance.

How To Make Homemade Pico De Gallo

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (deal with the tomatoes first)
  Finely dice the white onion and jalapeño, mince the garlic, chop the cilantro, and dice the tomatoes. Scoop out and discard the tomato seeds and excess tomato liquid first because this is how you avoid watery pico later. If you want more heat, leave some of the jalapeño ribs intact. If you enjoy suffering, leave all of them.
• Step Two (throw everything into a bowl)
  Add the onion, jalapeño, garlic, tomatoes, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl. Pour in the fresh lime juice, sprinkle over the sea salt, and gently toss everything together until the tomatoes are coated and the whole bowl starts smelling fresh.
• Step Three (leave it alone for a minute)
  Taste the pico and adjust the salt if needed. Then let it sit in the refrigerator for about 15–30 minutes before serving because pico tastes better once everything hangs out for a minute. The lime juice softens the onion while the garlic moves through the tomatoes.
• Step Four (bring tortilla chips immediately)
  Serve with anything you love, but especially tortilla chips.

Recipe Tips

• Try to dice everything roughly the same size so you get tomato, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño together in each bite instead of random mouthfuls that mostly taste like onion.
• Letting the pico sit for 15–30 minutes before serving makes a huge difference because the lime juice, salt, garlic, and onion finally stop tasting separate.
• The tomatoes will naturally keep releasing liquid while the pico sits, so give everything a quick stir before serving.
• If the pico has been refrigerated overnight, using a slotted spoon helps keep things chunkier while serving.
• Under-salted pico is its own kind of disappointment.

Storage

• Store the pico de gallo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I prefer glass because plastic containers tend to absorb the onion smell.
• The tomatoes will keep releasing liquid as the pico sits, so give everything a quick stir before serving.
• Pico tastes best before the tomatoes completely fall under the control of the lime and salt.

FAQs

• Why does pico de gallo get watery?
  Tomatoes naturally start breaking down once the lime juice and salt are introduced. Removing the seeds and excess tomato gel first helps the pico hold its texture longer.
• Do jalapeño seeds make pico spicy?
  Not as much as you would think. The seeds do not produce capsaicin and are fairly mild. They only taste spicy because they sit pressed against the hot ribs and absorb some of the oil. The heat comes from the ribs where the capsaicin is produced and stored.
• What tomatoes work best for pico de gallo?
  Firm ripe tomatoes work best because they stay together better after mixing with lime juice and salt.
• Can pico de gallo be made ahead?
  Yes, although it tastes freshest the first day. Give it a quick stir before serving since the tomatoes naturally soften as it sits.
• Is pico de gallo the same as salsa?
  Not really. Pico de gallo stays more textured because the ingredients are diced instead of blended smooth.
• Why do restaurants seed tomatoes for pico de gallo?
  Because seeded tomatoes hold together better once the lime juice and salt are added.

From My Kitchen Notes

Some observations from my kitchen.

• There were probably easier ways to build character than convincing your child she just ate the face of a hornworm in homemade pico de gallo, but the 1970s operated under different parental management.
• I will still inspect tomato plants like something devastating might be hiding underneath the leaves.
• Some people camouflage themselves, just like tomato hornworms.
• I learned very early that fear becomes much easier to approach when somebody walks into it with you.
• I still think tomato hornworms are one of the most upsetting garden creatures on earth.
• It’s the fake leaf camouflage, the giant segmented body, the little horn, the weird gripping feet and the way you suddenly notice one after staring directly at the plant for five minutes. It’s sinister behavior from a green, goo-producing worm.
• Because pico is chunky, my childhood imagination easily believed there were visible caterpillar pieces in it.
• The idea of being terrified of something, but also loving the ritual around facing the horrifying tomato monsters together tells me something about being human. Scared alone, brave together.
• There’s a very specific kind of trust involved in eating something somebody else chopped for you.
• Some people would rather create an elaborate joke than say one vulnerable thing directly.
• It’s kind of disturbing how something can blend perfectly into the environment while actively destroying the entire plant.
• The phrase “I made this for you” carries an unreasonable amount of power.
• Silent agricultural assassins that somehow regenerate no matter how many you remove.
• It’s fascinating how the childhood brain immediately believes internalizing chopped parasites is a real possibility and not just your dad generating comedy.
• The phrase “we got them all yesterday” never once held up in terms of finding tomato worms.
• I think some things become part of your internal landscape before you consciously realize they live there.
• There are moments that rearrange you so gently nobody else notices when it happens.
• I remain unconvinced that hornworms operate under normal biological rules. They are freaks.
• Some relationships begin the exact same way hornworms appear. One day there’s nothing there and the next day something enormous is attached to your entire life.
• People underestimate how revealing shared food can become.
• I’ve seen enough human behavior at this point to know consistency and inconsistency usually means something.
• Sometimes the thing destroying your peace is also the thing making you walk outside every evening hoping to see it again.
• I still wash tomatoes like someone who once believed she accidentally ate the faces of chopped-up caterpillars. I’m okay now.

More Things To Pile Pico Onto

• Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls – grilled chicken, charred corn, creamy lime sauce.
• Easy Fried Tortilla Chips – crisp, golden, and made for salsa.
• Chipotle Beef Tostadas – crunchy tostadas loaded with smoky beef.
• Slow Cooker Shredded Taco Chicken – juicy shredded chicken for tacos, bowls, and nachos.
• Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos – loaded nachos with creamy lime drizzle.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Homemade Pico de Gallo

This homemade pico de gallo uses seeded ripe tomatoes, fresh lime juice, cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño for a chunky salsa that stays fresh instead of turning watery. Perfect with tortilla chips, tacos, grilled meats, burrito bowls, or scrambled eggs.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword fresh pico de gallo, homemade pico de gallo, pico de gallo recipe, salsa fresca

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Chill 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 (1/4 cup each)

Calories 18kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Cutting board For prepping the vegetables.
• mixing bowls For combining the pico de gallo.
• Citrus Juicer Makes juicing the limes easier.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (150 g) finely diced white onion
• 1 large (20 g) jalapeño finely diced, seeds and ribs removed for milder pico
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 lb (454 g) ripe red tomatoes diced and seeded
• ½ cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice
• ½ tsp (3 g) sea salt plus more to taste

Instructions

• Add the diced white onion, jalapeño, garlic, tomatoes, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl.
  1 cup (150 g) finely diced white onion, 1 large (20 g) jalapeño, 2 cloves garlic, 1 lb (454 g) ripe red tomatoes, ½ cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro
• Pour in the fresh lime juice and sprinkle with sea salt. Gently toss until evenly combined and the tomatoes are fully coated.
  ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice, ½ tsp (3 g) sea salt
• Taste and adjust with additional salt if needed. For the best flavor and texture, refrigerate the pico de gallo for 15–30 minutes before serving so the lime juice, onion, jalapeño, garlic, and salt have time to combine wih the tomatoes without making the salsa watery.
• Serve immediately with tortilla chips, tacos, burrito bowls, grilled meats, or scrambled eggs.

Notes

• Use ripe but firm tomatoes for the best texture. Softer tomatoes release excess liquid more quickly and can make the pico watery.
• Removing the tomato seeds helps the pico de gallo stay chunky instead of becoming soupy as it sits.
• Most of the jalapeño heat comes from the ribs rather than the seeds. Remove the ribs for a milder pico or leave them in for more heat.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving since the tomatoes will naturally release liquid over time.

 

 

If you’re making this Homemade Pico de Gallo, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 60g | Calories: 18kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 391IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 9mg

Have you made this Homemade Pico de Gallo? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Homemade Pico de Gallo appeared first on Noble Pig.

Mezcal Margarita Recipe That Doesn’t Take The Smoke Too Far

This mezcal margarita recipe keeps the smoke from taking over the drink. Too much mezcal and the lime and sweetness disappear. That’s where it starts to go off. I use Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and agave so everything stays in line and still tastes like a margarita.

I didn’t come to mezcal from cocktails. I came to it indirectly through wine school, sitting in distillation classes where things kept returning to the same idea I already loved about wine, that where something is grown and how it’s handled makes a difference.

Believe it or not, mezcal is very wine-coded. When you’re making wine during harvest season, the last thing you want to drink is wine. You can’t stomach another glass of wine. The whole valley smells like fermentation and you’re covered in grape juice all day. You want something else. For most, beer does the job, but when I wanted something a little more interesting, mezcal made an appearance on many occasions.

Mezcal has terroir in the same way wine does. I don’t mean it tastes like wine. It changes depending on the agave, the soil, the climate, and the person making it. That’s not how most people think about mezcal at all.

From many conversations I’ve had, mezcal is often misunderstood, that it’s tequila that wandered off and picked up a smoky habit somewhere along the way, and that’s about as far as the thinking goes. That it’s just tequila made in a different town. It’s not that simple.

Tequila is locked into one type of agave, blue, with a very specific way of processing it. Mezcal has a much wider net and uses dozens of agave varieties from different regions. Then you get into how they cook it, which is where everything changes.

Instead of steaming the agave hearts, like they do to make tequila, they’re buried with hot rocks and roasted. That’s where the smoky flavor comes from. It’s not an accident, it’s the result of how it’s made. If I were using food as a comparison, it’s the same way roasted potatoes develop flavor (mezcal) compared to boiled potatoes (tequila), which are much more neutral.

And that’s what you’re working with when you put it in a margarita.

That’s the part people don’t hear. They try it once, don’t love it, and write it off. Or they end up with a margarita that feels off because someone grabbed whatever bottle had the right word on it and poured it in without thinking about what it would do.

If you pick up a reposado or an añejo mezcal, you’re bringing in oak and caramel flavors that have their place, but it’s not what most people want when you’re expecting a refreshing margarita.

For a margarita, I go straight for a joven (young) mezcal. It’s on the bottle. You have to look for it. That keeps everything lighter so the lime and the orange can come through, and then it’s about keeping it in check. Cointreau takes care of that. It smooths things out in a way lower-quality orange liqueurs don’t. I’m looking at you, triple sec, and the smokiness isn’t in your face, it’s sits there as part of the drink.

So this mezcal margarita takes all of that into account. You still get the hint of smoke, but you can taste the lime, the orange, the drink itself, and it stays refreshing instead of turning into something that hits you over the head.

If you’ve written mezcal off at some point, this is where I’d give it another try.

What Makes This One Different

• Mezcal can take over if you’re not paying attention. This recipe keeps it from happening.
• Look for a joven mezcal. It will be on the label. If it’s dark and oaky, you already know where this drink is headed. Most likely down the drain.
• Cointreau is the ingredient I will die on a hill for. It’s the bridge. Take it.
• Fresh lime. This isn’t the place for shortcuts.
• Agave nectar is the natural pairing for mezcal and fits right into this drink.
• A salted rim is optional, but it changes it more than you’d expect. Skip the Tajin rim for this one.

Ingredients

• Mezcal (joven) – This is where everything starts. Look for a joven. It’ll say it on the bottle. It’s lighter and keeps the drink fresh. If you pick something aged, you’ll notice it right away. It takes the drink somewhere else.
• Cointreau – This is the difference between something that feels put together and something that doesn’t. A lot of bars use triple sec, and that’s when you get that slightly clashing flavor you can’t quite place.
• Fresh lime juice – This does more than you think. It keeps the drink from tasting dull. Once you’ve had it with fresh lime, you’ll notice when it’s not there.
• Agave – It blends in with mezcal, so the sweetness doesn’t stand out on its own. If you use something else, it’s fine, but it won’t be the same.
• Sea salt (for the rim) – Optional, but it changes the first sip. A light rim is enough.

How to Make This Mezcal Margarita

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (salt the glass and add ice)
  Run a lime wedge around the rim and dip it into salt. Just a light touch, not a thick crust. Fill the glass with ice.
• Step Two (add the ingredients)
  Pour in the mezcal, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and agave. There’s nothing complicated about this.
• Step Three (stir)
  Give it a good stir until it’s cold. Not forever, just enough.
• Step Four (taste and finish)
  Take a sip and see where it is. A little more lime or agave can change it fast. Add a lime wheel and drink it while it’s right, before the ice waters it down.

Recipe Tips

• Keep the salt light. It’s there for contrast, not a mouthful.
• I stir this one. Shaking beats it up and waters it down faster than I want. A quick stir gets it cold and keeps it where I want.
• Taste it before you call it done. A little more lime or agave can change it fast.
• If the mezcal feels like a lot, cut it with a splash of silver tequila instead of chasing it with more sweet.
• Use decent ice. It buys you a few more minutes before it starts to water down.
• Make it and drink it. This isn’t one you let sit around. At least I don’t.

Make-Ahead and Batch

• If I’m making this ahead, I mix everything except the ice and keep it in the fridge. It holds fine for a few hours. When you’re ready, give it a quick stir, pour it over fresh ice, and finish it.
• For a batch, scale it up and keep the ratios the same. I usually do 2 cups mezcal, 1 cup Cointreau, and 1 cup fresh lime juice, then add a few tablespoons of agave and taste. It’s easier to add more than fix it later.
• Keep it cold and don’t add ice until you’re pouring, otherwise it starts to drift.
• I’ll usually stash it in a jar or pitcher with a lid so it doesn’t lose anything in the fridge.

FAQs

• Can I use tequila instead of mezcal?
  You can, but then you’re back to a regular margarita. At that point, you might as well make my three-ingredient agave margarita. Mezcal is what adds the smoky layer. If you’re not sure about it, split it with tequila and go from there.
• Can I use triple sec instead of Cointreau?
  You can. I wouldn’t.
• Can I use honey or simple syrup instead of agave?
  Sure, but it comes out different. Agave nectar blends right in with the mezcal since it comes from the same place, so nothing sticks out. Honey is thicker and has its own taste, so you’ll notice it more. Simple syrup is sugar and water, so it’s sweeter and can throw things off if you add too much.
• Do I have to salt the rim?
  No. Try it both ways. You’ll know pretty quickly which you like better.
• What’s the best mezcal to use?
  For this margarita you want a young (joven) mezcal. Aged (reposado or añejo) mezcal is best for sipping or stirred into cocktails that complement the wood, caramel, and smoky notes, like an old fashioned, a mezcal negroni, or a simple mezcal Manhattan. Those aged mezcals pair well with amaros and sweet vermouth. A joven mezcal keeps this drink refreshing.
• Is a mezcal margarita stronger than a regular margarita?
  Not really. It can feel that way because of the smoke, but the alcohol is about the same.

From My Kitchen Notes

Just a few observational musings.

• There’s a version of something that feels right immediately, and another one that only makes sense once you’ve had it done properly. Those are two very different experiences, and people mix them up all the time.
• I don’t think everything is supposed to be easy to like on the first try. Some things take a second look, or a different setting, or just the right combination to click.
• There’s a point where something strong can take over completely, and most people miss it. They keep going because more feels like the right move, and suddenly that’s all that’s left. Knowing where to stop is harder than people think.
• No one making wine, is drinking wine while they do it. People always find that interesting. But it’s the truth. It’s the last thing you want to end the night with.
• I don’t think the goal is to smooth everything out. I think it’s deciding what you’re willing to leave in.
• There’s a difference between something that wants your attention and something that already has it. One forces, the other doesn’t have to.
• If you’ve ever had something and immediately written it off, there’s a decent chance it wasn’t the thing itself, it was how it presented itself at the time.
• Some combinations don’t necessarily need help. Others only work out if you step in at exactly the right moment and then get out of the way.
• I pay more attention to what something does after the first sip than the first impression. That’s where it tells you what it really is.
• You can feel when something is about to go too far, and you either ignore it or you don’t. That choice shows up later.
• There’s a difference between being strong and something being out of balance. People confuse those two all the time.
• Some ingredients are better when they’re left alone. Others only make sense once you give them something to work against.
• I like knowing what something could do at full force, even if I’m not going to use it that way.
• There are times when the best thing you can do is not add anything else.
• There are ingredients that do exactly what you expect them to do, and then there are the ones that make you notice.
• Control isn’t about holding everything down. It’s knowing what happens if you don’t.
• Some things don’t need to prove anything. You can tell all you need to know by their presence.

More Margaritas To Sip

• Blood Orange Coconut Margarita – bright citrus with creamy coconut.
• Spicy Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita – fresh watermelon with a jalapeño kick.
• Dill Pickle Margarita – savory, crisp, and completely different.
• Blueberry Margarita – muddled berries with a citrus edge.
• Hot Honey Peach Margarita – sweet heat with fresh peach.
• Icy Hibiscus Margarita – floral, tart, and refreshing.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Mezcal Margarita

A mezcal margarita that keeps the smoke in check. Made with Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and agave, this version stays controlled and easy to drink without letting the mezcal take over.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword margarita with Cointreau, Mezcal Margarita, mezcal margarita recipe, smoky margarita, stirred margarita

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 minutes minutes

Servings 1 drink

Calories 200kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• rocks glass For serving and making the drink.
• long cocktail spoon For stirring.
• jigger For accurate measurements.

Ingredients

• lime wedge
• sea salt for salt rim (optional)
• ice
• 2 oz (60 ml) mezcal (joven)
• 1 oz (30 ml) Cointreau
• 1 oz (30 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ - 1 tsp (2.5 -5 ml) agave nectar to taste
• lime wheels for garnish

Instructions

• Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and dip lightly in sea salt, if using.
  lime wedge, sea salt
• Fill the glass with ice.
  ice
• Add the mezcal, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and agave.
  2 oz (60 ml) mezcal (joven), 1 oz (30 ml) Cointreau, 1 oz (30 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice, ½ - 1 tsp (2.5 -5 ml) agave nectar
• Stir until chilled and combined without over-diluting.
• Taste and adjust the agave or lime if needed.
• Garnish with a lime wheel and serve immediately.
  lime wheels for garnish

Notes

• Use a joven (young) mezcal for a more refreshing result. Aged mezcals can take over the drink quickly.
• If the smoke feels too strong, reduce the mezcal slightly or combine it with a small amount of silver tequila.
• Stirring keeps the drink cold while maintaining the intended flavor. Shaking introduces more dilution.
• For batching, combine the ingredients without ice and refrigerate. Stir before serving and pour over fresh ice.

 

 

If you’re making this Mezcal Margarita, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 180g | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 90mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Have you made this Mezcal Margarita? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Mezcal Margarita Recipe appeared first on Noble Pig.

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (Coctel de Camarones)

Mexican shrimp cocktail tasted different in Mexico. Colder, more layered, and nothing like what I knew at home. It’s a cold shrimp cocktail served in a tomato-based sauce with lime, avocado, and spice.

Some nights we’d go back up to Rosarito, still covered in sand, eat dinner on the beach, then call it a day. Other nights, if we weren’t completely wrecked from the sand dunes, we’d clean up just enough, then head south to Puerto Nuevo.

Puerto Nuevo was a whole different world, and very touristy. It’s the lobster capital of Mexico. Everyone goes there for spiny lobster, and nothing about it is understated. The tails are deep fried and served on a stick, rice, beans, stacks of the fluffiest flour tortillas that somehow make perfect sense with lobster once you’re there, and the Pacific right in front of you like it’s part of the meal. In that area, every restaurant is very loud, busy, and we were starving by the time we’d sit down because we’d been out all day running the dune buggies like eating wasn’t even part of the plan.

We didn’t go there for the shrimp cocktails. But we always ordered them.

Not just one shrimp cocktail per person. We’d order a ridiculous number of them and let them stack up on the table while we waited for the lobster. Big glass cups filled all the way up with shrimp, tomato, onion, avocado, and a cold sauce that didn’t taste anything like what I knew at home. It wasn’t just ketchup and horseradish. There was more going on, but I couldn’t figure out what.

And then there was the tequila guy.

He’d walk around with a bottle and start spraying it into people’s food, like this is what we do here. He didn’t pour it or ask if you wanted it. It was just his thumb over the top, shaking it out over the shrimp cocktails. He’d move on, then come back and do it again. People egging him on, clapping, yelling, completely into it. It was a welcomed chaos and fit the whole vibe. That little splash of tequila changed the whole thing. You didn’t taste alcohol, but it woke everything up without changing what it was.

I’ve been after that flavor for a long time.

This is the closest I’ve gotten. Mine is not Clamato-based because I wanted control over the sauce instead of trying to work around a bottle. Ketchup, water, lime, and a trio of hot sauces creating the layers I remembered. The blackened seasoning was the thing that finally pulled it together. Is that what they used, I’m sure it wasn’t. But it’s what made this taste like the shrimp cocktails I remember.

It’s cold, it’s fully loaded, and tastes like something you don’t stop once you start.

What I Changed

• I didn’t use Clamato. I wanted control over the base, and Clamato already decides the flavor. Ketchup and water let me dial in the thickness, sweetness, and salt instead of working around a bottle.
• The spice isn’t coming from one place. Red Tabasco, green Tabasco, and Louisiana hot sauce all add something different. I tried a million different combinations, but this trio got it closest. One adds the sharp vinegar edge, green Tabasco is key, and Louisiana ties it together. It was never about making it hot, just making it better.
• The blackened seasoning was the biggest change. Everything before that tasted close, but not complete. It added a little depth underneath everything else and made it feel finished. It was a random grab from the pantry, but I don’t think it was an accident.
• I added tequila the same way I remember it being used. Not enough to taste like alcohol, but enough to change the sauce. You can leave it out, but it’s noticeable when it’s there.
• I cut the avocado larger on purpose. Most versions break down into something closer to a soup. This keeps contrast so you’re not losing it in the sauce.

Ingredients

• Shrimp – cooked, peeled, and chilled.
• Tomatoes – firm, not watery. Nothing soft or overripe.
• Yellow onion – cut small enough to blend in, not take over.
• Avocado – larger chunks on purpose. You want to find it and taste the contrast.
• Jalapeño – just enough to wake it up without turning it into something else.
• Ketchup – this is the base. It lets you control everything instead of inheriting it from a bottle.
• Cold water – loosens it just enough so it coats instead of clumps.
• Cilantro – finely chopped so it blends in.
• Red Tabasco – direct, does exactly what you expect.
• Green Tabasco – a little different, keeps it from tasting plain.
• Louisiana hot sauce – ties the other two together without adding too much heat.
• Worcestershire sauce – makes it feel finished.
• Blackened seasoning – this is what changed it. Don’t skip it.
• Lime juice – this is what brings everything together at the end.
• Tequila – optional, but not really. It doesn’t taste like alcohol, but it changes the sauce.
• Salt and black pepper – adjust at the end, not before.
• Tajín – if you want the rim, do it right.

How to Make Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the sauce and let it chill)
  Ketchup, cold water, cilantro, both Tabascos, salt, pepper, blackened seasoning, Worcestershire, Louisiana hot sauce, lime juice, and tequila if you’re using it go into a bowl. Whisk until it looks pourable. Into the fridge for about 30 minutes. This is where it comes together.
• Step Two (add the shrimp and everything else)
  Once it’s cold, add the shrimp, tomatoes, onion, avocado, and jalapeño. Toss it gently. You want the avocado to stay in pieces, not disappear into the sauce.
• Step Three (portion and finish)
  Spoon into glasses. If you want the Tajín rim, run a lime wedge around the edge, dip, then fill.
• Step Four (serve cold)
  Serve cold. Don’t let it sit around. Fork or chips, doesn’t matter.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t skip the chill time on the sauce. It tastes different once it’s cold. Everything blends and it stops tasting like a list of ingredients.
• Taste it before you add anything else. Lime, salt, and the hot sauces can change depending on the brand and how heavy your hand was.
• Cut the avocado right before it goes in. If it sits too long, it softens and you lose the whole reason for keeping it in pieces.
• Keep the tomato and onion small. Big chunks throw it off and start taking over instead of blending.
• If the sauce feels too thick, add a little more cold water, not lime. Lime changes the balance quickly.
• The tequila doesn’t make it taste like a drink. It just changes the sauce. You’ll notice if it’s missing. Use a blanco tequila for a clean taste. Reposado does change the flavor of the sauce slightly. It’s a personal preference. For context, in Mexico, I’m sure they were spraying the cheapest bottle of tequila available.
• Cold matters. Warm shrimp or room temperature sauce are not the same. Served cold is key.
• Don’t overmix it once everything is in. The more you mess with it, the more it breaks down.
• If you want it spicier, adjust the hot sauces, not the jalapeño. That keeps the flavor where it should be.
• Serve it in glasses right after you put it together. It’s not the same once it sits.

Storage and Make-Ahead

• This is best right after you make it. Cold, fresh, everything in its place.
• If you want to get ahead of it, make the sauce and keep it in the fridge. That part benefits from sitting a bit. You can do that a day in advance without a problem.
• The rest should be cut and added right before serving. Once the avocado goes in, the clock starts. It softens, the sauce loosens everything, and it’s not the same.
• If you do have leftovers, store them in a sealed container in the fridge. It’ll still taste good the next day, but expect it to be softer and a little more blended than when you first made it.
• This isn’t one you fully assemble and let sit. It’s better when you put it together and eat it right away.

FAQs

• Can I use raw shrimp?
  No. Cook it first. This isn’t ceviche. The shrimp should be fully cooked and chilled before it goes in.
• Is this the same as ceviche?
  No. This is coctel de camarones. It’s a cold shrimp cocktail with a tomato-based sauce, not citrus-cured seafood.
• Can I make this ahead for a party?
  You can make the sauce ahead and keep it in the fridge. Add the shrimp, avocado, and everything else right before serving so it stays fresh and holds its texture.
• What size shrimp works best?
  Medium to large shrimp work best here. You want them big enough to stand out in the glass, not get lost in the sauce.
• Can I leave out the avocado?
  Yes. It still works without it, just a little less contrast in texture.
• What makes this a Mexican shrimp cocktail?
  This is coctel de camarones. It’s served cold, built on a tomato-based sauce, and loaded with things like avocado, lime, onion, and hot sauce. It’s not the American version, and it’s not ceviche. It sits somewhere in between, but does its own thing.

From My Kitchen Notes

Observations made while I was living something else.

• Some food only makes sense in the place you first had it. You spend years trying to prove it wasn’t just the setting. This happens with wine too.
• There’s a difference between flavor you understand and flavor you remember.
• There’s a point where something stops being about the ingredients and starts being about the situation you were in when you ate it.
• Some flavors stay with you because of who you were when you had them.
• There’s a point where you know exactly what something is, and you still sit there eating like it’s not happening.
• You can’t recreate a moment, but you can get close enough to remember why it mattered.
• You don’t always get a second version of the same moment.
• You can feel when something is just about the food and when it’s about everything else happening around it.
• There are combinations you would never agree to on paper that end up being the only way you want it.
• Not everything that looks like chaos is a mistake.
• I used to make I called poor girl’s shrimp cocktail in college with blanched cauliflower, bottled cocktail sauce, and a heavy squeeze of lemon. It wasn’t the same thing. I didn’t care.
• Some things don’t need to be explained to work.
• There are places where someone can spray tequila directly into your food and no one questions it. Those are usually the places worth going back to.
• I’ve noticed some of the best things I’ve ever eaten happened when I wasn’t trying to be responsible.
• You can tell who’s paying attention by what they’re willing to try without asking what it is first.
• I don’t think most people realize how often they edit themselves out of something before it even happens.
• I’ve noticed the things people hesitate over are usually the ones that would’ve been worth it.
• There’s a difference between being careful and being held back.
• There’s a point where silence stops being neutral.
• You can tell when something is mutual by how much effort it takes to ignore it.
• There’s a difference between protecting something and not stepping into it.
• There are moments where nothing is unclear, and you just keep eating anyway.

More Cold, Fresh, and All About Lime

• Radish and Jicama Salad with Lime Vinaigrette – crisp, fresh, lime-forward.
• Creamy Mexican Avocado Dressing – smooth, rich, avocado-based dressing.
• Avocado and Three Bean Salad – lime-garlic, creamy, and crisp.
• Shrimp and Avocado Taco Salad – shrimp, beans, avocado, fresh dressing.
• Grape, Corn and Black Bean Salsa – sweet, sharp, not tomato-based.

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Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Mexican shrimp cocktail made with tomato, lime, and hot sauce instead of Clamato, finished with avocado and a splash of tequila. Cold, saucy, and perfect for scooping or dipping.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired

Keyword coctel de camarones, cold shrimp recipe, Mexican appetizer, Mexican shrimp cocktail, shrimp cocktail with avocado, spicy shrimp cocktail

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Chilling 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 280kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• mixing bowls (large) For building and chilling the sauce.
• whisk To fully combine the sauce ingredients.
• Cutting board For prepping vegetables and avocado

Ingredients

Cocktail Sauce:

• ¾ cup (180 g) ketchup
• ½ cup cold water
• ¼ cup (15 g) finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp (15 g) red Tabasco
• 1 tbsp (15 g) green Tabasco
• ¼ tsp (1.5 g) sea salt
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper
• 1 tsp (2.5 g) blackened seasoning
• ¾ tsp (4 g) Worcestershire sauce
• ¾ tsp (4 g) Louisiana hot sauce
• 2 tsps (10 g) fresh lime juice
• ½ oz (15 ml) tequila (optional)

Shrimp:

• 20-25 (400-500 g) cooked and peeled large shrimp
• 1 cup (180 g) ripe, diced fresh tomatoes
• 1 cup (150 g) finely diced yellow onion
• 2 avocados cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) chunks (300 g flesh)
• 1 tbsp (10 g) jalapeño finely diced

Garnish:

• lime wheels or wedges
• Tajín for rim (optional)
• tortilla chips (optional)

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ketchup, cold water, cilantro, red Tabasco, green Tabasco, sea salt, black pepper, blackened seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, Louisiana hot sauce, lime juice, and tequila (if using) until fully combined. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to chill and allow the flavors to develop.
  ¾ cup (180 g) ketchup, ½ cup cold water, ¼ cup (15 g) finely chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp (15 g) red Tabasco, 1 tbsp (15 g) green Tabasco, ¼ tsp (1.5 g) sea salt, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper, 1 tsp (2.5 g) blackened seasoning, ¾ tsp (4 g) Worcestershire sauce, ¾ tsp (4 g) Louisiana hot sauce, 2 tsps (10 g) fresh lime juice, ½ oz (15 ml) tequila
• Once the sauce is well chilled, add the cooked shrimp, diced tomatoes, onion, avocado, and jalapeño. Gently toss until everything is evenly coated, taking care not to break up the avocado.
  20-25 (400-500 g) cooked and peeled large shrimp, 1 cup (180 g) ripe, diced fresh tomatoes, 1 cup (150 g) finely diced yellow onion, 2 avocados, 1 tbsp (10 g) jalapeño
• Divide the mixture evenly into serving glasses. Garnish with a lime wedge and, if desired, a Tajín-rimmed glass.
  lime wheels or wedges, Tajín
• Serve immediately while cold with a fork or alongside tortilla chips for dipping.
  tortilla chips

Notes

• Add the avocado just before serving to keep it from softening and to maintain clean chunks.
• The tequila adds aroma and clarity rather than a strong alcohol flavor; it can be omitted without affecting the sauce.
• Using ketchup and water instead of Clamato allows you to control sweetness, salt, and consistency.
• Adjust heat by increasing or reducing the hot sauces to your preference.
• For best texture, use fully chilled sauce before combining with the shrimp and vegetables.

 

 

For optimal outcomes when preparing this Mexican shrimp cocktail, it's recommended to refer to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

 

 

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

 

 

 

© noblepig.com. All content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing this recipe is encouraged and appreciated, but copying and/or pasting the full recipe to social media or other platforms is strictly prohibited.

Nutrition

Serving: 350g | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 900mg | Potassium: 750mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 900IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg

Have you made this Mexican Shrimp Cocktail? I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

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Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls and the Things I Was Not Supposed to Be Doing

I’ve taken everything about Mexican street corn that works and turned it into a full dinner. Grilled chicken, charred corn, and a creamy elote-style sauce get layered over rice.

This is the same flavor path behind my Mexican street corn soup and pasta salad, but made to be served hot and assembled fresh.

The inspiration for these bowls came from a place where I was very much not where I said I was going to be. Standard behavior if you were a teenager in the 80s.

Like, “I’m staying at so-and-so’s house this weekend,” and then I’d casually end up twenty miles in Baja Mexico, past the border, and definitely past the part where it still feels like a quick decision, into Rosarito, where you’re getting stopped by the police three or four times a day and handing over $20 per person like it’s part of the routine. Because it was. There was always that non-existent stop sign we missed and the fine was always $20 per person, paid on the spot, that’s how it worked.

My parents would have absolutely lost their minds. But there was no tracking back then and freedom existed. And I was fearless.

This wasn’t like our Tijuana trips where we would dance all day and drive home like it was a field trip. This was deeper in, my friend’s parents’ beach house, dune buggies, sand dunes overlooking the sea just north of Puerto Nuevo where we would spend the entire day just flying over the sand like nothing could touch us. We’d trailer everything down from the beach house, helmets were somehow involved, which feels like a miracle in hindsight, and just disappear out there for hours.

And then we’d come back into town, dusty, starving, still running on whatever adrenaline we hadn’t burned off yet, and go straight to the food stands.

Not nice, curated, food stands. These were made of plywood, usually one light bulb hanging down, flies everywhere, and somehow some of the best food I’ve ever had.

There was a taco guy we always went to first. Tiny tacos, just meat, onion, cilantro, nothing else. We’d order 30 or 40 without even thinking about it. And then we’d buy tequila with the worm floating in the bottle, drink enough to get the worm out, hand it over, and have taco guy hide it in one of the tacos.

Taco Roulette.

Tequila-soaked, disgusting, big-ass worm in one of them and you just… waited. Whoever got the worm in their taco and ate it didn’t have to help clean up the dune buggies later.

It was so gross. We thought it was hilarious. And that was just the beginning.

Because then we’d go down the street to this other stand, and this is the one that stayed with me.

He was making what I now realize were basically chicken and rice dinner bowls, way before anyone was calling them that. Rice on the bottom, grilled chicken, corn that he’d char on a grill pan in his plywood box stand and mix with mayo, crema, lime, some seasoning he kept in a container I never figured out. Sometimes cotija, sometimes not. It depended on the day, or what he had, or what he felt like doing. There was nothing the same about it.

I watched him make those bowls over a couple of summers, many times, standing there with sand still on my legs, not thinking I was learning anything. And then I’d go home and make it in my parents’ kitchen like it was a normal meal, like I hadn’t just pulled it from a stand in Mexico they didn’t even know I’d been to. Wild.

We’d take those bowls down to the beach, after we stopped at the firecracker stand, another completely normal store in Mexico, buy bottle rockets, Roman candles and bricks of firecrackers, and shoot them off on the beach right outside the house while watching the sunset and eating on the sand, like it was just another day. Because for us it was.

None of us ever got sick from eating at those stands and we would do it again the next weekend without issue.

I’m not trying to recreate anything authentic here with these bowls. This is just the version that has stayed with me over the years. The one that made it home and has never really left. In fact, it feels more like a gathering of ingredients than a recipe.

Grilled chicken, rice, charred corn, a creamy lime sauce that sits somewhere between sour cream and what he was using with crema. Cotija if you want it, or not. It’s fine either way.

It’s simple in the same way his was. You make and eat it while everything is still warm.

Some things don’t need to be improved. You just bring them forward.

Why I Love This Recipe

• This whole bowl is made around contrast. The corn gets charred so it’s a little sweet and smoky, and it cuts through everything else instead of blending in. This is what makes it feel like elote in bowl form.
• The sauce is creamy, the lime keeps it from going too far, and it doesn’t drown the rice or the chicken unless you want it to.
• The rice catches the sauce and makes it feel like a solid meal instead of something you’re still hungry after. Sure, you could use something less carby, but it won’t be as good.
• The grilled chicken is what makes this feel like dinner, not just a side or something you pick at.
• The best part is how flexible it is. Some days you add everything, some days you don’t.

Ingredients

• Olive oil – Enough to coat the chicken and hold the taco seasoning.
• Taco seasoning – This is where I simplify what I watched him do. He had some blend in a container that I’ll never be able to recreate exactly. This gets you close.
• Chicken breasts – Sliced lengthwise so they cook faster and take on more flavor.
• Mayonnaise – This is part of what makes it “elote style.” Don’t skip it.
• Sour cream – This is where I’ve turned it into the American version. I was definitely eating this with crema in Mexico, which is a little looser and less tangy. Use crema if you want. It’s easy to find. Greek yogurt works too if that’s your thing. It depends how close you want to stay to what I was eating.
• Lime juice – Don’t hold back here. This does a lot.
• Corn (fresh ears) – Grill it, char it, let it go a little further than you think. This is where the flavor comes in, the same way it does in my Mexican street corn pasta salad.
• Cooked rice – White or brown, whatever you have. This is what keeps everything together and makes it a meal.
• Cilantro – Chop it small so it blends in instead of taking over.
• Jalapeños – For heat if you want it, or leave it out entirely.
• Red onion – Dice it small unless you want it to be the only thing you taste.
• Cotija cheese (or feta) – The guy either had it or he didn’t. Sometimes it was mixed in, sometimes it wasn’t there at all. You don’t need it for this to taste good, but if you want that more classic street corn taste, this is where it comes from.
• Avocado – Not traditional, but it works.
• Pico de Gallo / tomatoes – Fresh, bright, and optional.
• Black beans or chickpeas – If you want to stretch it or make it feel more substantial.
• Lime wedges – Always.

How to Make Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (get the chicken going)
  Olive oil and about a tablespoon of taco seasoning go into a bowl or a bag. Add the chicken and turn it until everything is coated. Into the fridge it goes. Fifteen minutes is fine. Longer is better if you have it.
• Step Two (make the sauce)
  Mayo, sour cream, the rest of the taco seasoning. Stir it together, then add lime juice and keep going until it’s smooth. Taste it. If you want it closer to what you’d get with actual elote, this is where you mix in 2–3 tablespoons (30–45 ml) finely crumbled cotija. You don’t have to. It still tastes good without it.
• Step Three (cook the chicken and corn)
  Get your grill or grill pan hot. Add the chicken and the corn at the same time. The chicken cooks in about five minutes per side until it’s done. Turn the corn as it goes so it picks up some char. That’s where the flavor is.
• Step Four (cut everything down)
  Let the chicken sit for a minute so it stays juicy, then slice it. Cut the corn off the cob once you can handle it without burning your hands.
• Step Five (put it together)
  Rice goes down first, then chicken, then corn. Add whatever else you want. Drizzle the sauce over the top and stop there. Eat it while it’s still warm.

Recipe Tips

• Slice the chicken lengthwise. It cooks faster and takes on the seasoning instead of sitting on top.
• Don’t hurry the corn. Let it go further than feels reasonable. This is where it stops tasting basic.
• Drizzle less sauce on top than you think you need. You can always add more, but you can’t undo it once it’s in there.
• Taste the sauce before you use it. Limes are never consistent, so sometimes it needs a little more salt or another squeeze of lime.
• If the sauce feels too thick, add more lime juice. It should drizzle easily.
• Use a grill pan or a hot cast iron pan if you don’t want to get the outdoor grill going. Same idea, just don’t move things around too much while they cook.
• If you’re short on time, use fire-roasted frozen corn. It gets you very close without extra work.
• Let the chicken rest before slicing it. It keeps it from drying out and you’ll notice the difference.
• Build the bowls right before eating. Once it sits, everything softens and it’s not the same.

Storage

• These are best right after they’re made. That’s when the corn still has texture, the chicken is warm, and the sauce hasn’t soaked into everything yet.
• If you have leftovers, store the components separately. The rice, chicken, and corn will be fine in the fridge for 2–3 days. The sauce can be kept in a separate container and stirred before using again.
• Once everything is combined, it starts to change. The rice absorbs the sauce, the corn softens, and it’s not the same anymore.
• If you added avocado, expect it to brown. It still tastes fine, it just doesn’t look great.
• To reheat, warm the chicken and rice separately, then add the corn and sauce at the end.
• This isn’t really a make-ahead, fully assembled meal. It’s more of a create it when you’re ready and eat it right away kind of meal.

FAQs

• Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
  Yes. They stay a little juicier and have more flavor. Cook them the same way, just give them a little more time if they’re thicker.
• Can I make this ahead of time?
  You can get everything ready ahead of time, just don’t put it together until you’re eating. Once the sauce hits the rice, it starts to change and you don’t get that same texture back.
• Do I need to use the cotija cheese?
  No. The guy who made these either had it or he didn’t, and it was still good every time. If you want that more classic street corn feel, use it. If not, skip it or use feta. It’s not make-or-break.
• Can I make this without a grill?
  Yes. Use a grill pan or cast iron pan. You just want some color on the chicken and corn. That’s where the flavor comes from.
• Can I use frozen or canned corn?
  Yes. If you can find frozen fire-roasted corn, that’s the closest shortcut. Just cook it in a hot pan so it picks up a little char.
• Can I make the sauce lighter?
  Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, or do half and half. It changes the flavor slightly, but it still works.
• What can I add to make it more filling?
  Black beans, chickpeas, or extra avocado. Or add more chicken. It’s flexible like that.
• Is this authentic elote?
  No. This is based on something I ate at a stand in Mexico, but it’s not trying to be a textbook version of anything. It’s the elote-style version that made it home with me.
• Why does this taste better with charred corn?
  Because that’s where the flavor is.

From My Kitchen Notes

Notes and observations after the fact.

• There’s one version of a story people think you lived. It’s usually the safer one.
• Some decisions don’t feel like decisions when you’re making them. That part only shows up in hindsight.
• I’ve noticed the people who wait to be sure about something are usually the ones who stay exactly where they are.
• Corn doesn’t get interesting until you let it go further than you think you should.
• You can tell who’s comfortable in motion and who needs everything to stop. I need to keep moving.
• Not everything that looks unhinged is. Sometimes it’s just freedom from a very structured life that was chosen for you.
• There are situations where nothing is technically stopping you. Those are the ones people avoid most.
• Lime has the ability to change everything, but only if you use enough of it.
• My parents never knew I was spending weekends in Mexico. I never told them because it was mine. That wasn’t an accident.
• I’ve written more about what those Mexico trips looked like in my Italian hangover cake.
• Being seen isn’t the same as being known. I’ve chosen both, just not at the same time.
• You can tell when someone wants something and when they’re willing to be seen wanting it. Those are not the same person.
• There’s a version of ourselves that only exists when no one knows where you are. It’s usually the fun you.
• My own teenage years taught me I wasn’t reckless only or controlled only, but that I could operate inside a given box and still choose instinct when it mattered.
• The same pattern of my life still exists, I create things, make decisions quickly, trust myself and don’t need full certainty. I attribute some of that to already knowing what it feels like to move without being watched.
• I’ve eaten mayonnaise from a stand with flies, a cooler for refrigeration and one light bulb and never thought twice about it. I’ve questioned other things more.
• If presented with the opportunity, I would eat at those stand again.
• A tequila-soaked worm hidden in a taco is a very specific kind of commitment. It’s not something you forget, even if you try.
• There’s a difference between something being risky and something feeling alive. People confuse those all the time.
• I don’t wait to understand something before I move toward it. I understand it because I did.
• There are moments where nothing is stopping you except the version of you that’s still thinking about it.
• I don’t think most people realize how often they choose the safer version of their life.
• I knew exactly what I was doing. I just didn’t stop doing it. Not everything that looks casual is.
• Some people would rather stay in control than find out what happens if they don’t.
• There’s a side of you that only shows up when you’re willing to be seen in it. Most people never meet that side.

More Dinner Bowls

• Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls – black beans, rice, seasoned chicken
• Greek Salmon Rice Bowls – yogurt sauce, salmon, white rice
• Salmon Poke Bowls – sushi rice, avocado, mango
• Spicy Salmon Sushi Bowl – crispy rice, edamame, spicy salmon
• Ground Turkey Stir Fry – ground turkey, bok choy

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls (Mexican Elote-Style)

Street corn chicken rice bowls with grilled chicken, charred corn, and a creamy elote-style sauce over rice. A fast, flexible dinner that works for weeknights, meal prep, or casual gatherings.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired

Keyword chicken and rice bowls recipe, easy chicken rice bowls, elote chicken bowls, grilled chicken rice bowls, Mexican chicken rice bowls, street corn chicken rice bowls, weeknight dinner bowls

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 640kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• grill pan or grill. For cooking the chicken and charring the corn.
• mixing bowls For marinating and making the sauce.
• Meat Thermometer For making sure chicken reaches 165°F.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
• 1 (1 oz / 28 g) packet taco seasoning divided
• 2 (~1 lb / 450 g) skinless, boneless chicken breasts sliced lengthwise
• ⅓ cup (80 g) mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream or Mexican crema or Greek Yogurt
• juice of one lime (1-2 tbsps / 15-30 ml)
• 4 ears of corn
• 4 cups (~800 g) cooked white or brown rice

Optional Toppings:

• chopped cilantro
• jalapeño slices
• diced red onion
• Cotija cheese or feta
• lime wedges
• pico de gallo
• diced tomatoes
• black beans or chickpeas

Instructions

• Add the olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of the taco seasoning to a large bowl or resealable bag and whisk to combine. Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight.
  2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil, 1 (1 oz / 28 g) packet taco seasoning, 2 (~1 lb / 450 g) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• While the chicken marinates, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and remaining taco seasoning in a small bowl. Add the lime juice and mix until smooth and combined. If you’re a diehard for tradition, stir in 2–3 Tablespoons (30–45 g) finely crumbled cotija cheese into the sauce for a more classic elote-style finish, but it's not a necessasry add. Set aside.
  ⅓ cup (80 g) mayonnaise, ⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream, juice of one lime
• Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Place the chicken and corn on the grill. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Turn the corn occasionally and cook until lightly charred on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
  4 ears of corn
• Remove the chicken and let it rest briefly, then slice into strips. Cut the kernels from the corn cobs.
• Divide the cooked rice among bowls and top with the grilled chicken and charred corn. Add any additional toppings as desired, then drizzle the elote-style sauce over the top and serve warm.
  4 cups (~800 g) cooked white or brown rice, chopped cilantro, jalapeño slices, diced red onion, Cotija cheese, lime wedges, pico de gallo, diced tomatoes, black beans

Notes

• Slice the chicken lengthwise so it cooks quickly and absorbs more of the marinade.
• Use a cast iron skillet to cook the chicken and char the corn if a grill is not available.
• Frozen or canned corn works. Pat it dry and cook in a hot pan until lightly charred.
• The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep toppings separate for best texture.

 

 

For optimal outcomes when preparing this street corn chicken rice bowl, it's recommended to refer to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

 

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

 

 

© noblepig.com. All content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing this recipe is encouraged and appreciated, but copying and/or pasting the full recipe to social media or other platforms is strictly prohibited.

Nutrition

Serving: 450g | Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 780mg | Potassium: 720mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl? I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls (Mexican Elote-Style) appeared first on Noble Pig.

Radish Jicama Salad with Lime Vinaigrette and Knowing When to Leave It Alone

This radish and jicama salad took a few tries before I left it alone. I had one vinaigrette going, didn’t like it, changed it, didn’t like that either, and at some point just stood there thinking, okay this is getting ridiculous. I went back to lime because it was really the best choice and sometimes you just have to walk away from possibilities that never quite make the cut.

This is a radish and jicama salad with a lime vinaigrette, made around crunch instead of greens.

And can we discuss jicama for a second because it’s one of those things I consistently forget about until I see it again. It looks like nothing, and then you cut into it, and it’s cold and crisp and a little sweet, and suddenly I remember why I love this thing that resembles an oversized potato.

When I was a kid I planted an entire garden of radishes. And it wasn’t just part of a garden, it was the whole thing. I had read about how easy radish gardening was for kids in one of those big vegetable gardening encyclopedias and decided I was going to do this. I didn’t want help, ask for help, and I was going to do it myself.

I had seeds, and I knew when to plant them and what they were supposed to do. That felt like the most important part. It wasn’t. And I, in fact, did not have the situation handled.

At the point where the radishes were really starting to take off, the dog went out and dug up half of what I planted like he had been waiting for this moment, and whatever survived that had the tops eaten off by my rabbit, who clearly didn’t even hesitate at the opportunity, just took them out like they were planted for him.

And then, because it was spring, the turtle came out of hibernation and wandered through whatever was left, just slowly undoing things in his own way, digging and chomping. I never even considered the animals in my ten-year-old, garden-planning brain.

So now I’m replanting, moving things around, trying again, not really sure what I’m changing, except the location, but doing it anyway.

Finally, it was time to harvest. I pulled one up, looked at it for a second. Okay, hmm. I pulled another one. Maybe the next one. I kept going longer than I needed to. I had a very specific radish in my head, the ones I would get in Paris with butter and a baguette, and I really thought I was going to be presenting my family with those long, cylindrical Paris radishes if I just stayed with it.

I never did, because it turns out those were an heirloom variety and a completely different seed, and since I refused help, I learned the hard way. I was stubborn like that, even at ten. That was one of the first times I realized remaining coachable mattered more than I wanted it to.

So, when this salad got me close enough to perfection, after someone with a palate I trust suggested that Mexican oregano, which is more citrusy and earthy than regular oregano, was going to work with the lime instead of against it, they were right. And that avocado oil, instead of extra virgin, was going to let the lime and cumin stay front and center instead of fading into the background. They were right again.

Radishes sliced thin, jicama for crunch, lime, a little vinegar, Dijon, garlic, honey, cumin, Mexican oregano, cilantro, avocado oil. I didn’t stand there changing it again, which is usually how I know to stop.

“Okay, leave it,” I said. Walk away.

It’s cold, it’s crisp, there’s a little bite to it, and that’s it.

I don’t know. Sometimes you keep pushing something and sometimes you just stop when it’s close enough and eat it.

This one got there.

Why I Love This Recipe

• This is a radish and jicama salad, not a bowl of greens with a few things thrown in. You know right away. You notice the crunch first, and it stays that way instead of disappearing into the rest of the plate.
• This is what I make when everything else is already rich. When I want something that cuts through that without turning into something else I have to think about. It’s especially good with tacos or anything coming off a hot pan.
• There’s no cooking, which is the reason I keep making it. If it required one more step, I’d likely opt out because days are busy.
• The lime vinaigrette finally does what it’s supposed to do. Lime, a little vinegar, Dijon, garlic, honey, cumin, oregano, cilantro, avocado oil. Nothing extra, nothing missing, and I’m not going back in with a spoon to change it again.
• The mix of lime juice and two vinegars keeps the dressing from going too sharp or too plain.
• You can leave the salad as is or add to it depending on what you’re making that day. Add grilled chicken and it’s dinner.
• It gives you a small window where everything is right. The radishes still have their peppery edge, the jicama stays very cold and crisp, and the dressing hasn’t soaked all the way in the greens yet. That’s the moment to eat it.

Ingredients

• Jicama – A crisp root vegetable with a clean, slightly sweet bite. Think somewhere between an apple and a water chestnut, but less juicy. Often used in salads for its crunch, it keeps its texture, which is everything here.
• Radishes – Peppery and sharp, the flavor doesn’t hide. Slice them thin or they take over. Too thick and it’s all you’re going to taste.
• Mixed greens – I use a mix with baby spinach. The greens are not the main event, but enough to catch the dressing and bring everything together.
• Lime juice – Fresh has more edge and a stronger citrus flavor.
• Rice vinegar + apple cider vinegar – Used together so the dressing doesn’t go too far in one direction. One keeps it light, the other gives it some weight.
• Dijon mustard – Helps the dressing emulsify and keeps it from separating. You won’t taste it outright, but you’d notice if it weren’t there.
• Garlic – Grated so it disappears into the dressing instead of sitting in it.
• Honey – Enough to take the edge off without turning it sweet.
• Cilantro – Finely mince it so it blends in. Bigger pieces take over fast.
• Avocado oil – Neutral, which lets the lime come through. Other oils get in the way.
• Ground cumin + dried Mexican oregano – They sit in the background but make a difference. You don’t want to notice them first.
• Kosher salt + black pepper – Necessary. Taste and adjust.

How to Make Radish and Jicama Salad

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the vinaigrette)
  Whisk the lime juice, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon, garlic, honey, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin in a bowl. It should start to look a little thicker and less separated.
• Step Two (add the cilantro and oil)
  Stir in the cilantro, then drizzle in the avocado oil while whisking. Don’t hurry this part. This is where it emulsifies and turns smooth instead of staying broken. Drizzling slowly keeps the dressing from separating too quickly.
• Step Three (taste it)
  Taste it. Add a little more salt if it needs it. If you made it ahead, pull it out of the fridge for a few minutes, then shake or whisk it again. It comes back.
• Step Four (put the salad together)
  Add the greens, radishes, and jicama to a big bowl. Pour in some dressing, not all of it, then toss. You can always add more. You can’t take it out.
• Step Five (serve it)
  Serve it right away while everything still has some life to it.

Recipe Tips

• Slice the radishes thin. If they’re thick, that’s all you’re going to taste.
• Cut the jicama evenly. Big pieces throw everything off.
• Don’t pour all the dressing in at once. Start with less, toss it, then decide. It should coat everything, not sit in the bottom.
• Drizzle the oil slowly when you’re making the dressing. That’s what keeps it from breaking.
• Taste it before serving. Limes aren’t consistent, so sometimes it needs a little more salt or a little more honey.

Storage

• This salad is best right after tossing. That’s when everything still has the texture you want it to have.
• The dressing can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for 3–4 days. Let it sit out for a few minutes, then shake or whisk to bring it back.
• You can prep the radishes and jicama ahead and keep them separate in the fridge. The same goes for the greens.
• Once dressed, it starts to change. The greens soften first, the radishes and jicama last a little longer, but it’s not the same.
• If you know you’re making it ahead, keep everything separate and toss it right before serving.

FAQs

• Can I make this ahead of time?
  You can prep everything ahead, but don’t toss the radish and jicama salad until right before serving. Once the dressing goes on, the greens start to soften, and it’s not the same.
• What can I use instead of jicama?
  Cucumber is the closest in texture. Fennel works too if you want something a little different in flavor. The key is something with crunch.
• Are radishes spicy?
  They have a peppery bite, especially if they’re thick. Slice them thin and it’s much more balanced.
• Can I skip the cilantro?
  Yes. Leave it out. It’ll still be fine.
• What protein can I add to make it a full meal?
  Grilled chicken, shrimp, or even something simple like rotisserie chicken. Something that fits with the rest of the salad.
• Can I make the dressing creamier?
  You can add a spoonful of Greek yogurt or a little mayo if you want it thicker. It changes the feel, but it’s still fine.
• Can I use bottled lime juice?
  You can. It will be softer and less defined. Fresh lime has more edge, which is what makes this taste the best, but bottled will still get you there.

From My Kitchen Notes

Just a few existential observations.

• I thought I had a plan because I knew when to start. That turned out to be a very small part of it.
• Jicama stays cold even when everything else around it isn’t. It’s so underrated.
• There’s a point where you stop adjusting and just watch what happens.
• Lime is usually where I end up when I’ve tried too many other things.
• Some versions of recipes never quite get there, no matter how many times you try again.
• Close enough has a very specific feeling. You either catch it or you keep going past it.
• Not everything needs help. But sometimes the willingness to ask for advice makes all the difference.
• There’s a differnce between checking on something and interfering with it.
• There’s a point where staying where you are becomes its own decision.
• I don’t always know what I’m doing, but I usually know when to stop.
• There are moments where everything lines up and still nothing happens. That part is never about the recipe.
• Some things come together after you stop pushing them. Some things don’t move until you do.
• I’ve never been interested in perfect versions of anything. I like something a little rough around the edges.
• You can watch someone decide in real time that they’re not going to deal with something.
• The part where you think the next one will fix it… that part can go on for a while.
• The first version of anything isn’t the final version. It teaches you more by doing than thinking ever will. Waiting for certainty is just another way of not starting.
• Sometimes the only way to see what something is… is to leave it alone and come back to it.
• It turned out that radishes weren’t hard to grow. They’re just fast and unforgiving. And if you don’t thin the seeds, there’s too much competition going on underground.
• Some things don’t move unless something moves them.
• I’m not someone who waits for clarity. I move first and let clarity catch up. I have never needed a perfect plan to start. That’s my operating system.
• You can’t think your way into an experience. You have to walk into it.

What to Serve with Radish and Jicama Salad

• Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw – crispy cod, sweet mango slaw.
• Cajun Shrimp Tacos – skillet shrimp, creamy slaw.
• Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole – cheesy, layered, green chile.
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas – charred vegetables, seasoned chicken.
• Chicken Fajita Casserole – baked chicken, peppers, tortilla chips.

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Print

Radish and Jicama Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Radish and jicama salad with lime vinaigrette, crisp greens, and fresh flavor. This crunchy radish and jicama salad combines peppery radishes, sweet jicama, and a balanced lime dressing for a light side that works with tacos, grilled meats, or seafood.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Cinco de Mayo, Mexican-Inspired, Summer Recipes

Keyword cilantro lime vinaigrette, cinco de mayo side dish, fresh salad salad, jicama radish salad, jicama salad, lime vinaigrette salad, radish and jicama salad, radish salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 to 6

Calories 160kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• mixing bowls For whisking the vinaigrette and tossing the salad.
• whisk To emulsify the dressing.
• Knife For slicing radishes and cutting jicama.
• Cutting board For prep work.

Ingredients

Lime Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp (5 g) Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic grated
• 2 tsps (10 ml) honey
• ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper
• ¼ tsp (0.25 g) dried Mexican Oregano leaves
• ¼ tsp (0.25) ground cumin
• 2 tbsps (8 g) finely minced fresh cilantro
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) avocado oil

Salad:

• 3 cups (90 g) mixed greens
• 5-6 large radishes thinly sliced
• ½ medium (~250 g) jicama cut into matchsticks or small cubes

Instructions

• To make this radish and jicama salad, whisk the lime juice, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, honey, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin in a medium bowl until fully combined and slightly thickened.
  ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar, 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp (5 g) Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, 2 tsps (10 ml) honey, ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper, ¼ tsp (0.25 g) dried Mexican Oregano leaves, ¼ tsp (0.25) ground cumin
• Stir in the minced cilantro, then slowly drizzle in the avocado oil while whisking continuously until the dressing is fully emulsified and cohesive.
  2 tbsps (8 g) finely minced fresh cilantro, ⅓ cup (80 ml) avocado oil
• Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt as needed. If not using immediately, refrigerate and let sit at room temperature briefly before serving, then shake or whisk to recombine.
• Place the mixed greens, sliced radishes, and jicama in a large bowl. Add enough dressing to lightly coat the ingredients, tossing gently until evenly dressed.
  3 cups (90 g) mixed greens, 5-6 large radishes, ½ medium (~250 g) jicama
• Serve immediately for the best texture and crunch.

Notes

• Thinly slice the radishes so their peppery bite doesn’t overpower the salad.
• Cut the jicama evenly for a consistent crunch in each bite.
• Use fresh lime juice for the best flavor balance in the vinaigrette.
• Drizzle the oil slowly while whisking to keep the dressing emulsified longer.
• This salad is best served right after tossing to maintain texture.
• The dressing can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days; shake or whisk before using.
• This radish and jicama salad pairs well with tacos, grilled chicken, seafood, or other warm-weather meals.

 

For optimal outcomes when preparing this radish and jicama salad, it's recommended to refer to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

 

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

 

© noblepig.com. All content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing this recipe is encouraged and appreciated, but copying and/or pasting the full recipe to social media or other platforms is strictly prohibited.

Nutrition

Serving: 150g | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1200IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made this Radish and Jicama Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Radish and Jicama Salad with Lime Vinaigrette appeared first on Noble Pig.

Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw: After Cabo Ruined Me

I started making these fish tacos after a trip to Cabo with my boys, back when they went marlin fishing and came back to shore with a fish so big it needed multiple courses. They caught a massive marlin, so we took it to a restaurant that night, and the kitchen turned it into absolutely everything. Tacos, battered pieces, grilled plates, the whole situation. It kept coming back to the table in different forms like a flex, and it felt on brand for us in every possible way.

Somewhere in the middle of that meal, there was a slaw with mango in it. Not fruit salad energy, just mango mixed into a coleslaw mix. It was cool and tangy enough to cut through fried fish without taking anything away from it. I remember thinking I liked it better than the usual versions, even if it technically disqualified the tacos from being called Baja. I was literally in Baja, eating them, so I stopped caring.

The restaurant smoked the rest of the marlin over the next day and sent it home with us. They even mounted the bill on a plaque like punctuation. It was kind of cool, and I’m not even sure how we got that through TSA, but we did. I don’t cook marlin at home because I live in the real world, but the memory stuck. So these tacos are cod. Sometimes sturgeon when I can get it here in the PNW. The slaw is still mango. The batter is beer, usually Modelo, because that’s what I like and it works.

This isn’t a reinvention. It’s just how I make fish tacos now, because once you eat them this way, everything else feels like a downgrade.

Why I Love This Recipe

• The batter fries the way I want it to. Crispy on the outside, the fish stays intact, and there’s no weird coating slippage.
• Mango in the slaw is the right kind of wrong. It keeps the tacos from tasting boring without turning them sweet.
• The slaw stays crunchy. It doesn’t disappear into juice halfway through eating.
• The chipotle lime sauce is smoky without taking over. You can still taste the fish. A plus.
• The pieces fit together easily. Hot fish, cold slaw and soft tortillas. Nothing really competes or disappears.
• They are the best dinner tacos. Not snack tacos, not frilly tacos. You eat a few and you’re done, done.
• I can fry the fish ahead, keep everything separate, and it still tastes good when people finally show up.
• I never get tired of it halfway through the second taco. That’s the real test.

Ingredients

This recipe has a few moving parts. Everything here is necessary.

• Cod fillets – This is the fish I use for even frying, and it stays intact. Cod flakes big, which I like, and it means it won’t fall apart when you take a bite.
• All-purpose flour – You’ll use it twice. First as a light dusting so the batter sticks, then again in the beer batter itself. Same flour, two roles.
• Cornstarch – This keeps the coating from getting heavy once it hits the oil. It’s the difference between crisp and vaguely breaded.
• Baking powder – A small amount goes into the batter so it fries up with some air instead of turning really dense. Not enough to make doughnuts, just enough to make a difference here.
• Modelo (or your favorite Mexican beer) – This is the beer I use on purpose. It has a mild maltiness that works with fried fish instead of competing with it, and it doesn’t leave that bitter aftertaste some beers do once they’re cooked. It tastes like it belongs here.
• Kosher salt and black pepper – You’ll want to season the fish directly, then season the batter. If you skip the first part, the fish tastes like it’s just along for the ride.
• Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder – These live in the batter and don’t dominate, but without them the coating tastes unfinished.
• Neutral oil – For frying. Use something that doesn’t bring opinions into the situation. Peanut or avocado oil are preferred.
• Corn tortillas – Warm them before assembling the tacos. Cold tortillas crack, split, and make everything harder than it needs to be. You can also make my homemade corn tortillas if you’re feeling it.
• Coleslaw mix – I use the bagged stuff because it’s consistently crunchy. This is not the moment to prove you can shred cabbage. Don’t bother.
• Mango – Dice it small so it weaves through the slaw instead of taking over. This is where the Cabo memory shows up, whether Baja purists like it or not.
• Green onions and cilantro – They keep the slaw from tasting too sweet and give it some extra flavor.
• Lime juice – I add it to the slaw, the sauce, and again at the end. It ties everything together with a bow.
• Granulated sugar – Just enough to soften the acid from the lime in the slaw. You’re not trying to taste it.
• Olive oil – I add a little to the slaw so everything coats evenly instead of sitting dry in the bowl.
• Mayonnaise and sour cream – Together they make the base of the chipotle sauce. Creamy, but not too thick.
• Chipotle peppers in adobo – For the smoke and heat in the sauce. Start with one if you’re cautious. Two if you know yourself.

How to Make Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (heat the oil and start the slaw)
  Get a deep skillet or Dutch oven going with enough neutral oil to fry and bring it to about 350°F. Give it a minute to actually get there. Rushing this is how fish turns greasy and sad.
  While the oil heats, toss the coleslaw mix, mango, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, sugar, salt, and olive oil in a big bowl. You’re not trying to wilt it into submission. Just coat it and let it sit so the cabbage softens a touch and the mango does its thing.
• Step Two (make the sauce and put it away)
  Blend the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chipotle peppers in adobo, and salt until smooth. Scrape the bowl once if you need to. Stick it in the fridge and forget about it for a bit. It gets better when it rests.
• Step Three (prep the fish)
  Pat the cod completely dry with paper towels. No shortcuts here. Season it evenly with salt and black pepper and set it aside while you get the coatings ready.
• Step Four (set up the two-step coating)
  In a shallow dish, mix the flour, salt, and pepper for the first coat. This is just insurance so the batter sticks where it’s supposed to.
  In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Slowly whisk in the beer until it’s smooth, then stop. Overmixing is how you ruin a good thing.
• Step Five (batter and fry the fish)
  Coat each piece of cod lightly in the flour mixture and shake off the excess. Dip it into the batter and let the extra drip back into the bowl before it goes anywhere near the oil.
  Lower the fish into the oil in small batches. Give it space. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed, until the batter is golden and the fish flakes easily inside. Move the finished pieces to a wire rack so the crust stays crisp. Let the oil come back up to temperature before the next round.
• Step Six (warm the tortillas and finish)
  Warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet until they’re soft and bend without cracking. Keep them wrapped in a towel so they stay warm.
  Add a few pieces of hot fish to each tortilla, pile on the mango slaw, and spoon over the chipotle lime sauce. Finish with a squeeze of lime and eat them immediately, preferably while standing near the stove.

Recipe Tips

• You’ll want to keep the oil at the right temperature. You don’t need to keep watch, but you do need it hot enough before the fish goes in. If the oil isn’t ready, the batter slumps instead of setting, and that’s not fixable later.
• Dry fish is my non-negotiable. If the cod is damp, the batter slides off and floats away like it has somewhere better to be. You don’t want this. Use paper towels, patience, and be done with it.
• The dry dredge isn’t an optional idea. That light flour coat is what keeps the batter exactly where it belongs. If you skip it, you’ll lose half the crust in the oil.
• Stop mixing the batter when it looks right, you’ll know. Once it’s smooth, just walk away. Overworking it turns the coating heavy, and that’s not what you’re after.
• I fry the cod in small batches. Crowding drops the oil temperature fast, and everything goes downhill from there. A few pieces at a time keeps the crust crisp and the inside tender.
• Use a wire rack, not paper towels. Paper towels trap steam and will undo all your hard work. A rack lets the crust stay intact while you finish frying all the pieces.
• Make the slaw early. It benefits from a little time to soften.
• Warm the tortillas right before serving. Cold tortillas crack, hot ones don’t. A dry skillet is all you need.
• If something feels off, add lime. It fixes more than salt ever will in this recipe.

Storage

These tacos are best the day you make them, when the fish is still crisp and the slaw hasn’t gone too soft. That said, leftovers do happen.

• Fish: Let it cool completely, then store it in a container lined with paper towels. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat on a wire rack in a hot oven (425°F) until the crust comes back. Do not microwave unless you enjoy disappointment.
• Slaw: Store it separately in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It will start to soften a bit, but the flavor does hold. Stir it before using.
• Chipotle lime sauce: Keeps well for up to 3 days in the fridge. Give it a quick stir before serving.
• Tortillas: Wrap and refrigerate if needed, but they’re better fresh. Warm them again in a dry skillet.
• This is not a freezer situation. Fried fish and time apart don’t improve things. Just make them, eat, and move on.

FAQs

• Can I make any part of this ahead of time?
  Yes, but do it selectively. The slaw and chipotle lime sauce can be made earlier in the day and kept in the fridge. The fish should be fried right before you eat. Those are really my non-negotiables.
• What beer should I use?
  I use Modelo because I like it. Any light Mexican lager will do. If you don’t want to use beer, sparkling water works, but keep it very cold with either one. Cold liquid helps the batter set faster when it hits hot oil, which is what gives you a lighter, crisper crust instead of something heavy.
• What fish works best here?
  Cod is easy, reliable, and available. Pollock, halibut, mahi-mahi, or even sturgeon all work if you cut them into similar strips. You want something firm that won’t fall apart in hot oil.
• Can I bake or air-fry the fish instead?
  This recipe is made for frying. Baking or air-frying changes the whole thing. If that’s what you want, it’s a different recipe.
• Is the mango slaw very sweet?
  No. The mango adds contrast, not dessert energy. I use enough lime and salt to keep it in check. If your mango is extra ripe, just use a little less.
• Is this spicy?
  I think it’s very balanced and not aggressive in any way. The heat mostly comes from the chipotle sauce, and you control how much goes on. Add chili flakes or sliced peppers if you want more.
• Can I skip the chipotle lime sauce?
  You can, but it’s doing such good things. If you leave it out, at least add extra lime and salt so the tacos don’t feel unfinished.
• How many tacos does this make?
  Enough for four people who are actually eating. Or two people who are pretending they’ll stop at two.

From My Kitchen Notes

Just things I’ve noticed when I make and eat these fish tacos.

• Mango slaw has ruined me. I didn’t mean for it to become my default, but once it did, there has been no going back.
• Every time I think about using another fish, I still usually end up with cod. It acts the way I expect, which is sometimes all I want.
• I always underestimate how fast the batter sets. There’s a moment where it looks wrong, and then suddenly it’s exactly right.
• If I make the slaw too early, it gets tired. If I make it too late, it feels unfinished. Timing is everything.
• The chipotle sauce tastes different after it’s cold for a bit. Not better or worse. Just… together.
• I always fry one extra piece “to test,” and I never share it.
• I like eating tacos standing up, mid-assembly, before anyone asks where the plates are. My bad habit.
• Lime juice at the end feels less like seasoning and more like closing the loop.
• Every time I make these, I think about that marlin for a second longer than I expect to. That was a fun trip.

More Crispy Seafood (I Have a Pattern)

If you noticed a theme, yes. That’s intentional.

• Cajun Shrimp Tacos – Spicy, sauced, and always gone faster than I planned.
• Air Fryer Fish Nuggets – Crunchy, reliable, and impossible to stop picking at.
• Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp – Crisp shrimp + aggressive sauce = problem.

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Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw

Beer-battered fish tacos made with crisp fried cod, mango slaw, and a smoky chipotle lime sauce. This recipe uses a two-step coating for light, crunchy fish and balanced toppings that hold up in warm corn tortillas.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired

Keyword beer battered cod tacos, beer-battered fish tacos, cod fish tacos, crispy fish tacos, fish tacos with mango slaw, fried fish tacos

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4 (8 tacos)

Calories 385kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Dutch Oven or deep skillet. For safe, even frying.
• wire rack keeps fried fish crisp without trapping steam.
• food processor or blender. For the chipotle lime sauce.
• mixing bowls For slaw, dredge and batter.
• thermometer for frying Helps maintain oil at 350°F (177°C).

Ingredients

For Frying:

• neutral oil, for frying (about 2 inches / 5 cm deep)

Mango Slaw:

• 4 cups (170 g) coleslaw mix
• 1 cup (165 g) diced mango (if using frozen, thaw first)
• ⅓ cup (30 g) sliced green onions
• ⅓ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro
• 3 tbsps (45 ml) fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsps (25 g) granulated sugar
• ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil

Chipotle Lime Sauce:

• ⅓ cup (75 g) mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice
• 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• ¼ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt

Fish:

• 1¼ lbs (570 g) cod fillets cut into 1-inch (2.25 cm) strips
• ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
• ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper

Seasoned Flour:

• ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper

Beer Batter:

• ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
• ½ tsp (2 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt
• ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper
• 1 tsp (2 g) paprika
• 1 tsp (2 g) onion powder
• 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
• 1 cup (240 ml) cold beer

For Serving:

• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 lime cut into wedges

Instructions

• Heat the oil to 350°F (177°C) in a deep skillet or Dutch oven with enough depth to safely fry the fish. Maintain this temperature throughout frying for a crisp, non-greasy crust.
  neutral oil, for frying (about 2 inches / 5 cm deep)
• In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, diced mango, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and olive oil. Toss well until evenly coated and set aside to lightly soften while the fish is prepared.
  4 cups (170 g) coleslaw mix, 1 cup (165 g) diced mango, ⅓ cup (30 g) sliced green onions, ⅓ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, 3 tbsps (45 ml) fresh lime juice, 2 tbsps (25 g) granulated sugar, ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
• Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chipotle peppers in adobo, and kosher salt to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  ⅓ cup (75 g) mayonnaise, ⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream, 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice, 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, ¼ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt
• Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels and season evenly with kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.
  1¼ lbs (570 g) cod fillets, ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper
• In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, and black pepper for the seasoned flour coating.
  ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour, ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Slowly whisk in the cold beer just until the batter is smooth. Do not overmix.
  ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch, ½ tsp (2 g) baking powder, 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, 1 tsp (2 g) paprika, 1 tsp (2 g) onion powder, 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder, 1 cup (240 ml) cold beer
• Working with one piece at a time, dredge the cod in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the floured fish into the beer batter, allowing excess batter to drip back into the bowl.
• Carefully lower the battered fish into the hot oil, frying in small batches to avoid crowding. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed, until the fish is golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to drain and repeat with the remaining fish, returning the oil to temperature between batches.
• Warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat until soft and pliable. Keep warm wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.
  8 corn tortillas
• To assemble, place a few pieces of fried fish in each tortilla. Top with mango slaw and spoon over the chipotle lime sauce. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
  1 lime

Notes

• Nutrition is calculated per taco, not per serving platter or per recipe.
• Values include one corn tortilla, beer-battered cod, mango slaw, and chipotle lime sauce.
• Frying oil is estimated assuming ~1 tablespoon (14 g) oil absorbed per taco, not total oil used in the pot.
• Nutrition excludes extra lime wedges or additional sauce beyond what’s used to assemble one taco.
• Oil remaining in the pan after frying is not included in calculations.
• Keep the oil close to 350°F (177°C) to prevent greasy batter or premature browning.
• Always dry the fish thoroughly before dredging so the batter adheres properly.
• Cold beer or sparkling water helps the batter set quickly in hot oil, creating a lighter crust.
• Use a wire rack instead of paper towels to preserve crispness.

 

Frying Oil (For my fellow exacting nerds, I know you will appreciate it.):

For deep-frying the fish, plan on about 1½ to 2 quarts (1.4–1.9 liters) of oil in your Dutch oven or heavy pot.

What matters more than the exact amount is this:

• You want 2 to 2½ inches (5–6 cm) of oil in the pot
• Enough depth so the fish floats freely and doesn’t touch the bottom
• Oil temperature at 350–365°F (175–185°C) - protect this sweet spot

If you’re using a wide, shallow pan, you may need closer to 2½ quarts.
If you’re using a smaller Dutch oven, 1½ quarts usually does it.

 

If you’re making these beer-battered fish tacos, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 200g | Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 690mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made these Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw appeared first on Noble Pig.

Easy Fried Tortilla Chips, Made at Home on Purpose

I didn’t start making my own tortilla chips because I wanted to.

I started because there are moments when leaving the house feels like too mch trouble.

Too many steps and decisions between wanting something and having it.

Chips can be real like that.

They are corn, oil, salt and heat. Nothing else, you either stay with it or you don’t.

There’s a very specific window when tortilla chips turn from pale and hopeful to golden and finished. Miss it by thirty seconds and they’re wrong forever. Not ruined. Just… not what they were meant to be. That’s the part people don’t talk about. The part where you have to stand there, doing nothing else, watching something become itself without interference.

You can’t rush or crowd them or touching them once they’ve decided.

I think that’s why I love them so much.

Making chips teaches you to hold back. It asks you to wait and pay attention, and pull back right when your brain says do more. And when you finally lift them out of the oil, crisp and blistered, they don’t need a story. They just need salt.

Serve them with salsa, or guacamole, or straight from the bowl, standing at the counter, acting like this was never a big deal.

Some things aren’t meant to be chased down.

They’re meant to be caught by staying still. And these chips are it.

Why I Love This Recipe

• You cut the tortillas and they look unremarkable, almost disposable, thin and pale and easy to underestimate. But once they hit the oil, they tell you a different story. Too cool and they go limp, soaking up what they shouldn’t. Too hot and they harden before they’ve had time to open. There’s a precise window where they turn golden and release all at once. Miss it, and you feel it later.
• They your demand presence. You can’t multitask here or wander off. You have to stand at the stove and watch and wait. You move only when it’s time. It’s discipline, the kind that doesn’t reward force or impatience, only reserve.
• I love how fast they disappear once they’re done. Someone eats one standing up and then another. They don’t need any context or framing.
• There’s something stabilizing about food that doesn’t try to hold on to meaning, but ends up holding it anyway. Chips and salsa on a counter while the day just exists. The crunch cutting through everything else.
• These chips remind me that some things aren’t meant to be improved. They’re meant to be made correctly, with ease, and then let go. Finished, clean and complete.
• You fry them, salt them and step back. And that’s enough.

Ingredients

There isn’t much here. This is a recipe that shows its seams immediately. Every choice registers, which is why it’s special.

• Corn tortillas are the mainstay. Plain, white corn, nothing fortified or perfumed. They start stiff and unassuming, then loosen the moment heat meets them. Old tortillas are actually better here. A little dryness gives them something to wake up from.
• Oil matters, but not in an extravagant way. You want something neutral in flavor, the kind that holds temperature without coaxing. Canola, vegetable, peanut oils that do the work and don’t leave a signature behind.
• Salt is the final say. Fine, clean, applied while the chips are still hot enough. Miss that timing and it sits on the surface instead of becoming part of the chip. Get it right and it disappears into the bite.

That’s it. No backups or distractions with this recipe. When the list is this short, nothing can hide.

How to Make Easy Fried Tortilla Chips

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (cut the tortillas)
  Stack the tortillas on the board and cut them into wedges. Six per tortilla is right. Not because it’s tradition, but because they fry evenly and end up where they’re supposed to. Uneven cuts show up later. You’ll feel it when one goes too dark while another’s still light.
• Step Two (heat the oil)
  Pour the oil into a heavy pot and bring it up to 350°F. This is the part you don’t rush. Oil that isn’t ready makes nervous chips. They dawdle too long, take on too much, lose their edge. When the temperature’s right, everything in the oil moves with less resistance.
• Step Three (fry in batches)
  Lower in a small handful of wedges. Not all of them. Never all of them. Give them room. Stir gently so they don’t grab on to each other, the way things do when they’re dropped in too fast. One to two minutes is enough. You’re watching for that moment when they stiffen and turn lightly golden, when they stop bending and start holding together.
• Step Four (drain and season)
  Lift them out and let the oil fall back where it belongs. Lay the chips flat and salt them while they’re still hot. Wait too long and it slides right off, like it was never even invited.
• Step Five (repeat and finish)
  Let the oil come back to temperature before you go again. Adjust the heat. Pay attention. Every batch resets the room a little. When they’re done, transfer the chips to a bowl and leave them alone for a minute. They’re good warm. They’re just as good once they’ve cooled.

Recipe Tips (Read This Before You Touch the Oil)

Frying tortilla chips is less about skill and more about observing. Most problems don’t come from doing the wrong thing, but from doing the right thing at the wrong moment.

• If the chips turn greasy
  The oil wasn’t ready. Oil that’s too cool invites the tortillas to hang out, and they take advantage of that. Let the temperature come all the way back to 350°F between batches. Fast frying is what keeps them light.
• If the chips come out too dark or hard
  The oil ran hot. Pull the pot off the heat for a minute and let it settle down before continuing. Chips should move through the oil quickly, not get shocked by it.
• If the chips bend instead of snap
  The pot was crowded. Too many wedges at once drop the temperature and create uneven cooking. Smaller batches give each piece the space it needs to firm up properly.
• If the chips taste flat
  They weren’t salted soon enough. Season while they’re still hot and open, right after they come out of the oil. That’s when salt actually stays where you put it.
• If the chips lose their crunch after cooling
  They were stacked too soon. Spread them out so steam can escape. A wire rack over paper towels helps if you have one, but space matters more than equipment.
• If you’re tempted to hurry
  Don’t. Let the oil reset. Let the chips finish. This is one of those things that only works when you allow it to.
• The chips will tell you what they need.
  Your job is to notice and not argue.

Storage & Holding Their Shape

Chips are clear about what they need after the oil. Ignore that, and they kind of tell on you.

• Let them cool completely before you put them anywhere. Warm chips trapped in a container sweat, and sweat ruins everything. Give them air. Give them a minute. They come together on their own.
• Once cool, store them at room temperature in an airtight container or a heavy resealable bag. No fridge or humidity. Just somewhere dry where they can stay exactly as crisp as they worked to become. They’re best within a few days, but they’ll hold longer if the seal stays tight.
• If they lose a little snap, you don’t throw them away, wake them back up. Spread them on a baking sheet and slide them into a low oven, around 300°F, just until they firm up again. Let them cool before serving. Heat restores their shape. Cooling locks it in.
• These are chips you make because you’re not leaving the house again.

FAQs

• Can I use store-bought tortillas for this?
  Yes. That’s the point. This is what you do when the tortillas are already open and the bag of chips is empty. Corn tortillas work best because they hold their shape and fry cleanly without trying to become something else. If you’re in warrior mode you can make my homemade corn tortillas and turn them into chips.
• Why do my chips turn greasy instead of crisp?
  The oil wasn’t ready. When the oil is hot enough, the chips set almost immediately and push the oil away. When it isn’t, they absorb what they shouldn’t and never quite recover. Temperature decides everything here.
• Why are some chips darker than others?
  Uneven cuts or crowded batches. Chips need space to move and heat that stays steady. Too many at once drops the temperature and turns timing into guesswork.
• Can I salt them later?
  You can, but they won’t listen. Salt sticks when the chips are hot and open. Wait too long and it slides right off, like it was never invited in the first place.
• Can I bake these instead of frying?
  Yes, if you want something different. Brush lightly with oil, bake hot, and turn once. They’ll be crisp, but not the same. Frying gives you that immediate snap and hollow sound when they hit the bowl.
• Why do homemade chips taste better than bagged ones?
  Because they haven’t been sitting around deciding who they are. They go from oil to bowl with no pause, no packaging, no middle distance. You taste the corn and salt. That’s it.
• Can I make them ahead of time?
  Yes. Just don’t seal them up warm or stack them while they’re still giving off heat. Let them finish what they’re doing first. They hold best when you don’t interrupt the last part.

Some things don’t need explaining beyond this. If they’re crisp and golden when you bite into them, you did it right.

From My Kitchen Notes

These are the things I notice once the chips are on the counter and no one is talking yet.

• Frying tortilla chips always pulls my mind toward rationing. Not metaphorically. Literally. Oil watched like a resource. Heat treated with suspicion. The understanding that you don’t get sloppy when the margin is thin.
• Fresh chips change how people move. Their hands sort of slow down and the grabbing stops. There’s a brief calibration where everyone seems to register that this isn’t infinite, even if it is.
• The sound matters more than the look. That first sharp crack when you bite tells the truth before your brain has time to form an opinion.
• I’ve noticed people eat these standing up, angled toward the counter. It’s not casual, but more attentive. Like they don’t want to miss the moment it’s best.
• There’s an electricity when they hit the bowl. Not excitement. Alertness. As if the room just got a little quieter on purpose.
• No one asks how they were made. They ask if there are more. The effort disappears entirely once the result is right.
• Chips like this don’t invite a lot of talking. They don’t want admiration. They want to be taken seriously and then finished.
• They vanish faster than expected, and no one feels hurried by that. Completion feels natural here.
• I think that’s why they work. They arrive fully formed, and do exactly what they’re meant to do,

What to Scoop Up With These Chips

These chips don’t need much help, but they do show up better when something good is waiting on the other side of the bowl.

• Baked Taco Dip – Beans, cheese, and salsa brought together while everything’s still warm and relaxed. This is a scoop-and-hold situation. The chips stay crisp long enough to matter, even under melted cheese.
• Grape, Corn, and Black Bean Salsa – Sweet grapes, black beans, corn, lime, and just enough jalapeño to keep things honest. It’s juicy and loose, which is exactly why the chips need to be strong. This pairing lives and dies on crunch.
• Pickle de Gallo (Dill Pickle Salsa) – Dill pickles, pickle juice, jalapeños, onion, garlic, and lime. These chips can handle it. The corn sweetness keeps the acidity from running the show.
• Avocado and Three Bean Salsa – Creamy avocado, canned corn, beans, and a simple lime-garlic dressing. This one is hearty without feeling heavy. It turns chips into something closer to a meal without needing them to do more than scoop.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Easy Fried Tortilla Chips

Easy fried tortilla chips made from corn tortillas, oil, and salt. Fried at the right temperature, they turn crisp and golden without absorbing excess oil.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired

Keyword easy fried tortilla chips, fried corn tortilla chips, homemade tortilla chips, how to fry tortilla chips

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 260kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Dutch Oven or large heavy-bottomed pot. Holds heat steady so the oil temp stays consistent.
• thermometer for frying Helps keep the oil at 350°F for crisp, non-greasy chips.
• baking sheet Keeps chips spread out after frying. Line with paper towels.

Ingredients

• 12 (360 g) white corn tortillas
• 3 cups (720 ml) canola oil
• ¾ tsp (4 g) fine sea salt

Instructions

• Cut the tortillas into wedges by stacking a few at a time on a cutting board and slicing each tortilla into six equal pieces with a sharp knife.
  12 (360 g) white corn tortillas
• Pour the canola oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and set it over medium heat. Heat the oil to 350°F (177°C). Using a thermometer helps keep the oil at the right temperature, which is key for crisp chips that don’t absorb excess oil.
  3 cups (720 ml) canola oil
• Working in small batches, carefully add a handful of tortilla wedges to the hot oil. Stir gently with tongs or a spider so the pieces stay separate. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chips are crisp and lightly golden.
• Lift the chips from the oil and let the excess drip back into the pot. Spread them in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season immediately with fine sea salt while they’re still hot.
  ¾ tsp (4 g) fine sea salt
• Let the oil return to 350°F (177°C) between batches, adjusting the heat as needed. Continue frying the remaining tortilla wedges in small batches so they cook quickly and evenly.
• Transfer the finished chips to a serving bowl once they’ve cooled slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature for the best crunch.

Notes

• Old tortillas work especially well. Slight dryness helps the chips fry faster and stay crisp.
• Fry in small batches. Crowding the pot lowers the oil temperature and leads to uneven browning.
• Season immediately after frying so the salt settles into the surface instead of sitting on top.

 

If you’re making these fried tortilla chips, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 45g | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: -1mg

Have you made these Easy Fried Tortilla Chips? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Easy Fried Tortilla Chips appeared first on Noble Pig.