Cheesy Calabacitas

Cheesy Calabacitas is a dish of summer squash with onions and green chiles, and it’s the perfect side dish to make with zucchini. My recipe omits the corn and/or tomatoes that are sometimes used in Calabacitas which makes this a low-carb side dish!

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Calabacitas is a quick and easy way to cook summer squash when they’re abundant, and if you like the idea of cheesy zucchini with green chiles you’ll probably enjoy this recipe. Some recipes for Calabacitas include things like corn or tomatoes, but for my lower-carb version I concentrate on the flavors of the squash, onions, green chiles, and of course plenty of cheese.

This is definitely a recipe that should be made to individual taste, and when I first made this I thought a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles was plenty spicy, but now I use two cans! 

And this Cheesy Calabacitas recipe can certainly be used for a vegetable side dish, but when I have a lot of zucchini and summer squash I’d happily eat a big plate of this for a meatless lunch or dinner.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• onion
• zucchini or yellow summer squash
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), or other all purpose seasoning blend
• canned diced green chiles (affiliate link) (see notes)
• Mexican cheese blend
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

What is Calabacitas?

Calabacitas is the name that’s used to describe a way to cook summer squash or zucchini that’s common in Mexico or the American Southwest. This recipe is sometimes called Mexican Zucchini. Calabacitas always includes zucchini or summer squash, onions, green chiles, and cheese, and some versions add other ingredients like corn, tomatoes, or red pepper.

How low in carbs is my Cheesy Calabacitas?

My cheesy version of this favorite summer squash recipe without corn or tomatoes has only about 10 net carbs per serving!

What type of Green Chiles are used in Calabacitas?

There are quite a few different varieties of Mexican Chile Peppers that are green. But for this recipe I’m just using the diced green chiles that are found in the grocery store. The canned green chiles you find will usually be relatively mild Anaheim Chiles or Hatch Chile Peppers. Unless you really like spicy food I wouldn’t use hotter chiles in this recipe.

An important tip for making Calabacitas:

Calabacitas is an easy recipe that’s quick to make. But one key to get amazing flavor here is browning the onions and then the squash as they cook; as long as you manage to let them cook without turning long enough to get nicely browned, you can’t go wrong with this easy recipe.

Want more recipes for Zucchini?

For more ideas for using zucchini or summer squash, check out some of these posts:

How to Make Cheesy Calabacitas:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Chop onions and open one or two 4 oz. cans of diced green chiles (affiliate link), depending on how much heat you prefer.
2. Cut the squash lengthwise into fourths, then slice the pieces into slices about 3/4 inch thick. 
3. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and then cook the onions until they’re barely starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
4. Add garlic and Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) and cook 1-2 minutes longer. 
5. Add the squash and cook about 3 minutes without turning to get the squash lightly browned.
6. Add the cans of green chiles, stir, cover the pan, and cook about 3 minutes more or until the squash is barely starting to soften. 
7. When the squash is barely tender, season well with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
8. Add most of the two cups of grated cheese (more or less to taste), stir gently, and cook about 2 minutes to melt all the cheese.
9. Sprinkle a little more cheese on at the end and let it melt as you serve it.
10. This won’t win any beauty contests when its done, but it’s truly delicious.

More Cheesy Summer Squash:

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Zucchini and yellow summer squash are both great low-carb ingredients, and Cheesy Calabacitas is also a perfect dish for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. South Beach would recommend reduced fat cheese, but low-carb diets would definitely like full-fat cheese for this recipe.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Check out Zucchini Recipes for more ideas to use up that zucchini! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Calabacitas recipe was first posted in 2006. The recipe was updated with better photos and nutritional information in 2020 and updated again with more information in 2024.

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