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Mexican Vegetables
$4.93 Recipe/$1.23 Serving
Mexican sauteed vegetables are a simple, easy, delicious side dish for any Mexican or Southwestern inspired meals! You can use these Mexican veggies in tacos, burritos, enchiladas or as a side dish for any meal. Leftovers can easily be repurposed so these Mexican vegetables are great for meal prep too!
Thinly slice the onions. Cut the zucchini and squash into thin half moon shapes and the bell pepper into thin bite size strips.
While you are cutting the veggies, preheat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat.
When the skillet is hot, spray with avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil spray. Add the onions and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the onions have started to cook down, add the zucchini and yellow squash. Be sure to stir well, especially in the beginning so the onions don't start to burn. Cook 5-7 minutes.
After the squash have started to cook down, add the salt, spices and bell pepper. Stir well and cook 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Top tips
Thinly slice the veggies so they will cook quickly. The thicker the veggies, especially the zucchini and yellow squash, the longer they will take to cook.
Give the onions a few minutes to cook before adding the rest of the vegetables to help ensure the onions get time to cook down and get caramelized. When red onions are able to caramelize in the pan, they change flavor and become almost sweet.
If you plan on doubling the recipe, you will want to cook the veggies in two separate pans, as they will steam instead of sauté if you cook them in 1 pan instead of two.
Short on time? Prep the veggies ahead of time - you can store chopped veggies in a well-sealed container for up to 3 days in advance of cooking. You can often also save time by buying precut veggies from the store. There is often a combination of bell peppers and onions in the produce section already prepped.
Recipe variations
Spice: Add 1 fresh jalapeno, 2-3 tablespoons pickled jalapenos or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Spice and smokiness: Add 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
Freshness: Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice over the veggies right before serving
Other veggies: Mushrooms, broccoli, broccoli slaw, poblano peppers, chopped fresh tomatoes. If you add more veggies to the pan, you may need to increase the cooking time and spices.
Creaminess: sprinkle with cotija cheese or feta cheese (not dairy free) or your favorite vegan cheese
Can you use frozen vegetables?Yes you can! However, I don’t recommend frozen zucchini or squash since that can get waterlogged and mushy as it defrosts. Some great frozen veggies to use would be frozen onions and bell peppers.Note: Frozen veggies will likely take longer to cook because they are frozen and when they defrost, they often give off a lot of water that needs to cook off. This can add 3-7 minutes to the cooking time.Storing leftovers
Fridge: store leftover Mexican stir fried veggies in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing leftovers as the squash will get very watery when defrosted. If you know you want to freeze leftovers, just use onions and peppers and omit the squash.
Reheating leftovers:
Stove: Sauté in skillet 3-4 minutes over medium heat until warmed through.
Microwave: Microwave about 1-1:30 minutes to warm through.
Air Fryer: Cook at 375F for 4 minutes (you may want to add parchment to the air fryer).
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
69
Fat
1
g
Carbohydrates
14
g
Fiber
4
g
Sugar
7
g
Protein
4
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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