Dinner, Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash & Black Bean Tacos

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Tacos are a flavorful vegetarian combination. Tacos are great for an easy weeknight dinner any night of the week!

Tacos really are a thing of beauty. They’re a perfect gateway for a complete meal: your tortilla of choice, protein of choice, veggie for a topping, and all the sauces to bring it together. Perfection and endless combinations if you ask me. Still in the thick of my masters classes and if there’s one thing I know, there’s no time to cook every night. Heat and eat and call it a day. Prepare your taco filling ahead of time because it reheats beautifully. The only thing I have to ‘cook’ are warming the tortillas. Taco Tuesday and Taco Thursday have been on rotation every week, simply rotating the protein and fillings. Less thought on what to cook and more simple meals has been making my life easier!

Ingredients: Butternut Squash & Black Bean Tacos

Butternut Squash: Knowing we’re not in the fall when butternut squash is in season, you could substitute sweet potato here as it’s more cost effective right now. But definitely make sure you make this in the fall with butternut squash! Different flavor profile that’s a must try! Additionally, I roasted the butternut squash, which means turning the oven on. Understood if you want to wait and make these till the fall. Currently 83 degrees here at 10:30 in the morning.
Black Beans: Look for the canned beans without added salt if you’re able to. Recently have been relying on pre-made beans versus making them homemade. Time crunch is real!
Spices: Using a mix here of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and paprika, however, the truth is you can use whichever spices you like. Aiming to make this similar to my taco seasoning mix and if I had already had some of this made up, I would have just used this. Add more or less to your liking. Cumin is not my favorite, but adding a little as it draws out the flavor of the butternut squash.
Coleslaw Mix: Once again, aiming for ease, I used the pre-cut coleslaw mix from the produce section. You definitely can purchase cabbage and shred it on your own, however, if time is an issue, this is a great grab-and-go convenience item.
Mayonnaise/Lime Juice/Hot Sauce and/or Chili Sauce/Cilantro: This is the dressing I used on my slaw for my Shrimp Tacos. Haven’t tried creating another as of yet, but this is quite tangy if you were to eat it on it’s own. Added on top of the tacos and the combination is out of this world. Trust me. Use hot sauce if you want spice, use the sweet chili sauce if you want to tame the tang.
Toppings: Sliced Avocado, Pickled Onions, Crumbled Cotija Cheese. Remember the combinations are endless. Add more toppings if you please or use less toppings and let the slaw and filling shine through. Did I mention how tacos might be favorite meal??

Butternut Squash cut up in cubes with spices in a bowl

How To Make Butternut Squash & Black Bean Tacos

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line one large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for an easier cleanup.
Toss your cubed butternut squash with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil/grapeseed oil to lightly coat all sides. Sprinkle with the spices and make sure to mix them all over the squash. Your hands might be messy, but it’ll all be worth it. Arrange the butternut squash in a single layer on the sheet pan. Bake until the butternut is tender throughout and caramelized on the edges, about 30-35 minutes. Make sure to toss halfway through! I add the black beans at the end to simply ‘warm’ them up with the warm squash. They don’t require cooking, but you could also simple microwave them for a few seconds at a time to warm them up. Just don’t over heat them as they’ll explode and/or dry up in the microwave.
For the slaw, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, green onion (if using), and cilantro. In a small bowl, mixed together the mayonnaise, lime juice, and either hot sauce and/or sweet chili sauce. Toss to combine all (if eating all at once) or take out what amount of cabbage you need and mix with a tablespoon or so of the dressing. I make it fresh and eat for 2-3 meals during the week. Set aside to marinate.
Meanwhile, gather the rest of your toppings. I always have pickled red onions in my fridge, but if you don’t, go ahead and make some of those to have on hand. They’re great to add to sandwiches and tacos, and even in this Salad in a Jar I make. For the avocado, I keep it simple and just add a few slices to each taco. If you prefer it to be guacamole, here’s a quick and easy recipe for guacamole.
Warm your tortillas: In a small skillet over medium heat, warm each tortilla on both sides before transferring to a plate and covering with a towel to keep them warm. Repeat with each tortilla, stacking each warmed tortilla on the last.
Assemble your tacos: spoon an ample amount of slaw down the center of your taco, top with the roasted butternut squash and black beans, add a slice or two of avocado, and then top with the garnishes of your choice. Serve immediately!