Butternut Squash Tacos with Black Beans

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Butternut squash tacos are made with spiced roasted squash and paired with simmered black beans and crumbled cheese for a fabulous meatless dinner.

The other day when I grabbed butternut squash at the farmers market, I knew immediately I would be making these butternut squash tacos.

I’ve been making these tacos for years, and they’ve consistently been a favorite in my house. In fact, I’ve had times where I’ve eaten them every single day for an entire week! 

I normally hate eating the same thing over and over, but there’s just something about these butternut squash tacos that makes them so satisfying.

They’re super simple: Butternut squash is cubed and roasted with spices, while black beans simmer with onion and tomato. It’s an easy weeknight meal for more than just Taco Tuesday!

Everything is done at the same time, and you can pile it on your warmed tortillas, add your favorite toppings, and go to town. Meat, who needs it?

Ingredients for butternut squash tacos

You’ll need:

Butternut squash – Depending on the size of your squash, you might need more than one. You’ll want a squash that is 2-3 pounds in size.

Olive oil – You’ll need oil for cooking the squash as well as the onions.

Spices – The squash is seasoned with cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt. You can use as much or as little as you like. You can also add chili powder, ground chipotle pepper, Mexican oregano, or garlic powder, or your favorite taco seasoning.

Onion – Use white onion or yellow onion. I don’t recommend using a sweet onion here. If you want more of a bite, use red onion.

Tomato – One medium tomato, or a few smaller tomatoes. You can use any variety of tomato.

Black beans – This recipe uses 1 15-ounce can of black beans. Make sure to drain and rinse the black beans well, which will help reduce the after-affects some get from eating beans.

Tortillas and toppings – Whether you use corn or flour tortillas, make sure to heat them up prior to filling. For toppings, we love cotija cheese on these tacos. The section above the recipe card has more topping ideas.

How to make this recipe

Heat the oven to 400°F.

Peel the butternut squash, halve, and scoop out seeds. Cut the squash into bite-size pieces and add to a bowl.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the squash and stir to coat.

Mix together the cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt, and sprinkle over the squash. Stir again until the pieces are evenly coated with spices.

Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes. (You can line the baking sheet with parchment paper first for easy cleanup, if you like.) Remove from oven, stir, and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the squash is soft and slightly caramelized.

While the squash is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan set over medium.

Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are soft and the tomato starts to break down and has released juices.

Stir in the black beans and a pinch of salt, and simmer to heat through. If the squash isn’t done yet, keep beans at a low simmer until ready to serve.

Warm the tortillas and fill with a scoop of squash and a scoop of beans, topping with cheese, fresh cilantro, or your other favorite toppings!

Tips & Tricks

Preparing butternut squash

Cutting and preparing winter squash can seem daunting due to the thick skins. 

The easiest way I’ve found to prepare butternut squash is this:

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the squash.
2. Trim top and bottom, then slice the neck from the bulbous part of the squash. Dice neck.
3. Scoop out the seeds and membrane using a melon baller, then dice remaining squash.

If you have a butternut squash with a longer neck and smaller bulb end, you will end up with more edible flesh than a squash with a short neck and larger end.

You can also swap in frozen butternut squash cubes. Thaw them completely before using and pat dry.

Using dried beans in this recipe

You can definitely use dried beans for this recipe. Dried beans are a great economical option, especially if you want to make a lot of beans at once.

If you use dried beans for these butternut squash tacos, be sure to soak them overnight and get them cooking ahead of time. The cooking time for dried beans will vary depending on the bean, but will usually take a few hours on the stovetop.

I tend to use canned simply out of ease, but I love Rancho Gordo heirloom beans when cooking from dried. Black beans are my recommendation, but you can use your favorite variety of bean.

Storage and reheating

Store any leftovers in airtight containers for up to 5 days. I usually store the squash and beans separately, but they can also be mixed together and stored that way.

To reheat, warm gently in a pan on the stove, or heat in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, until warmed through.

You can also rework these leftovers and serve with eggs for breakfast or add rice to make burrito bowls.

What to serve with butternut squash tacos 

One of the main reasons I love tacos, especially vegetarian tacos, is because there are just so many different ways to top them!

These tacos are great with both corn tortillas and flour tortillas. Make sure you heat your tortillas on a griddle or frying pan. This is especially important for corn tortillas, because they will rip if you don’t!

For salsa, try classic salsa roja, tomatillo salsa, or seasonal persimmon salsa. Or just offer your favorite hot sauce!

Diced avocado is great, or you can use avocado crema or roasted garlic guacamole. Plain sour cream or Mexican crema are also good options. There are lots of vegan sour cream options out there now if you prefer to avoid dairy.

Love the tang and crunch of pickles? Go for pickled red onions or pickled jalapeños. I also love to have cut limes available for anyone who wants to add a squeeze of juice.

You’ll love these vegetarian roasted butternut squash tacos for weeknight dinner any day of the week!