Corn Macque Choux
Corn macque choux is a Louisiana Cajun dish of fresh corn and tomatoes. Macque choux is a simple vegetable medley that’s easy to riff on with anything you have on hand. Make this tasty sauteed corn recipe for your family and watch it disappear.
I have to be honest, I’ve been making maque choux since before I knew it had a name. This sauteed corn recipe was just a natural mash-up of veggies that went well together.
It wasn’t until I started learning about Louisiana cooking (after several visits to New Orleans) that I realized the simple corn side dish I had been making for years was “a thing.” Go figure.
I researched the origins of this dish and found that there are as many versions of corn maque choux as there are cooks in Louisiana, which gives me confidence that my rendition does indeed qualify as a maque choux recipe — and yours will, too.
Let’s start with the basics… maque choux pronunciation: “MOCK SHOE” is the most common pronunciation, though there are other variations which include “MACK SHOE” AND “MAK-KAY SHOE.” Call it a sauteed corn side dish and you can’t go wrong.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Roasted green chiles lend flavors of fall to this corn recipe.
- You can use fresh or frozen corn, making it a great last minute side dish.
- Corn maque choux is easily customizable to switch it based on what you have on hand.
- It’s a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables.
- It’s ready to eat in about 20 minutes.
- Make this instead of your traditional Thanksgiving succotash recipe.
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Ingredients:
- Bacon – After cooking the bacon strips, use some of the reserved bacon drippings for sauteing the corn and other vegetables.
- Bell Peppers – I like to use orange, yellow or red bell pepper for this recipe but green peppers are traditional. They have a more distinctive vegetal flavor than the sweet, but either will work.
- Fresh or Frozen Corn Kernels – Though it’s always better with fresh corn kernels, we like this recipe too much to only make it in the summer when the corn is at its peak. Frozen corn is fine.
- Onion – Feel free to use yellow, white or red onion. Even sweet Vidalia onions work well.
- Tomatoes – I prefer to use a large tomato cut into small dice, but you can also use grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half or quartered.
- Green Onions – Cajun cooking always includes green onions, adding fresh savoriness.
- Shallots – the flavor of shallots is a cross between onion and garlic.
- Jalapeno – the spiciness of these peppers will vary, though you can get more heat from them by using the white inner membranes. For less spice, discard the seeds and membranes. If you don’t have jalapenos, try a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
- Lima Beans – This addition crosses the macque choux into succotash territory, but I stand by it. I use frozen lima beans for convenience; don’t use canned as they’re too soft.
- Green Chiles – You can use canned green chiles, or if you have access to fire-roasted Hatch chiles, use them here (they’re so good).
- Cajun or Creole Seasoning – this is a spicy blend of paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic, onion and other seasonings that will punch up the flavor of the macque choux. You can use a store-bought seasoning or try my recipe.
- Kosher Salt – I prefer kosher salt to iodized because the flavor is cleaner. You can also use a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Black Pepper – freshly ground will give you the best flavor.
- Italian Parsley – added just before serving will add a fresh flavor to the dish.
Instructions:
- Heat a large skillet of medium high heat and add the diced bacon. Fry until the bacon is crispy and fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel lined dish and set aside.
- Discard all but one tablespoon of the bacon drippings.
- Add the shallots and saute for 1-2 minutes or until softened. Add the bell pepper, onion and jalapenos and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until tender.
- Stir in the corn and lima beans and cook for 3-4 minutes (if using frozen corn and beans, cook until defrosted, if using fresh, cook until they’re tender).
- Add the green chiles and season with salt, pepper, and your favorite Creole or Cajun seasoning blend.
- Remove the macque choux mixture from the heat and stir in the fresh tomato, scallions, cooked bacon and parsley. Serve.
Pro-Tips:
The key to this corn sauté is to cook the vegetables in the proper order, because each has different cooking times. I start with onions and peppers, followed by corn, lima beans and chiles. Remove the pan from the heat and add the fresh corn, scallions and parsley just before serving.
The residual heat will warm the fresh ingredients without cooking them down.
Variations:
- Start with the Trinity of Cajun cooking: yellow onions, green bell peppers and celery, then add the “pope”, a.k.a. garlic.
- Spice it up with Cajun seasonings or Creole seasoning for a punch of true Louisiana flavor.
- Add a touch of heavy cream for richness.
- Make the corn maque choux recipe a full meal by adding chunks of browned andouille sausage or smoked sausage.
- Add seafood, like shrimp or crawfish.
- Add diced summer squash, zucchini or a cup of frozen okra to the sauteed vegetables.
- Make it a vegan corn maque choux by swapping olive oil for the bacon grease and omitting the cooked bacon.
FAQ’s
It comes from the Creole word for corn (maque) and choux (the French word for cabbage). In Louisiana’s early period, this dish was thought to contain cabbage and was served as a casserole, according to John D. Folse, CEC, AAC and author of The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine.
The version of corn macque choux in Folse’s cookbook includes 2 pounds of shrimp, making it more of a meal than a side dish, but he also includes a Mexican-inspired maque choux that’s more of a side salad and a smothered chicken interpretation that’s over-the-top decadent.
No, it’s better. Succotash is simply corn and lima beans. Corn maque choux has more vegetables, seasonings and flavors. Think of this as a dressed-up fall succotash, and if you want corn recipes for Thanksgiving, this one should shoot to the top of your list.
Storage:
If you have leftover maque choux, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second to one-minute bursts.
More corn side dish recipes:
- Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad with Avocado
- Hatch Pepper Skillet Cornbread
- Southern Corn Pudding
- Confetti Corn
- Chopped Veggie Salad
- Grilled Chipotle Lime Corn
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Corn Maque Choux
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ pound bacon diced
- 2 large shallots sliced thin
- 1 medium sweet bell pepper orange, red, or yellow
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 jalapeno (optional) finely chopped (keep seeds and membranes for more heat, if desired)
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup lima beans ,optional I used frozen Fordhook lima beans
- ½ cup green chiles diced (I used Hatch chiles) but you can substitute poblanos.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1 large tomato seeded and diced
- 3 scallions sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the diced bacon. Fry the bacon in the pan and stir occasionally until it has rendered its fat and is crisp. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up excess bacon grease.
- Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
- Add the shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the bell pepper, onion and jalapeños and cook for 1-2 minutes until tender.
- Mix in the frozen corn and lima beans and stir until they’re almost completely defrosted, then stir in the diced chiles and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
- Season the corn maque choux with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your tastes.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the tomato, scallions, bacon and parsley. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!
RECIPE VIDEO:
NUTRITION:
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I didn’t have hatch chiles but used a combo of poblano peppers and jalapenos, (sauteed them). Absolutely delicious! Will serve it at Thanksgiving for sure.
Love this kind of mélange! Beautiful colors too!,
What a lovely side for Thanksgiving. So much flavor and what a burst of color for the table.
Such a delicious combination of flavors! I can’t wait to make this!
Now this is a perfect side dish for the upcoming holidays! We LOVE corn! So delicious!!
This is totally an amped up succotash (a staple in my home growing up) and I LOVE it! Adding bacon and jalapenos is sooooo good!
This is the perfect addition to any dinner table all fall long. Loving all the color it brings too!