Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos
Colorful butternut squash tacos with crisp slaw, black beans and guacamole! These tacos are a simple weeknight meal. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Just when I thought I couldn’t come up with another recipe, my wonderful hair stylist said, “Tacos.” So here we are, two grocery stores later, with tacos that are as tasty as they are colorful. You need some color to brighten up drab winter days, you know?
For these tacos, I drew inspiration from my sweet potato tacos and roasted up some cubed butternut squash instead (sweet potatoes would be awesome here, too!). I actually cheated, for once, and used two bags of pre-cut squash from Trader Joe’s. I think I’ll do it again soon.
While the squash roasts in the oven, just mix up some simple cabbage and black bean slaw (a riff on the slaw used in my spaghetti squash burrito bowls) and mash up some guacamole. I have finally learned that mashing guacamole with a pastry cutter or potato masher works way better than a dinky fork. Hallelujah! Hope you love these. Find more tacos over here!
Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos
Colorful butternut squash tacos with crisp slaw, black beans and guacamole! These tacos are a simple weeknight meal and a great option for vegan and gluten-free eaters. Recipe yields about 8 tacos (4 servings).
Ingredients
Roasted butternut squash
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 ½ pounds, I used two 12-ounce bags of pre-sliced butternut from Trader Joe’s), peeled and sliced into ¾-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cabbage and black bean slaw
- 2 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced and roughly chopped into 2-inch long pieces
- 2 cans black beans (15 ounces each), rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black beans
- ⅓ cup chopped green onions, both green and white parts
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, to taste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
Simple guacamole (double if you love guac!)
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
- Pinch of salt, more to taste
Everything else
- 8 corn tortillas (certified gluten free if necessary)
- Optional garnishes: additional chopped cilantro, hot sauce, toasted pepitas, crumbled feta cheese (omit for vegan tacos)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line one large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
- To roast the squash: On your prepared baking sheet, toss the cubed butternut in enough olive oil to lightly coat all sides, about 2 tablespoons. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon chili pepper and a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange the butternut in a single layer. Bake until the butternut is tender throughout and caramelized on the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway.
- Meanwhile, to assemble the slaw: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, black beans, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Toss to combine, then taste and add additional lime juice and/or salt if necessary. Set aside to marinate.
- To prepare the guacamole: In a small bowl, combine the diced avocado, lime juice, coriander and salt. Mash with a pastry cutter, potato masher or fork until the mixture is blended and no longer chunky. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
- To warm the tortillas: In a small skillet over medium heat, warm each tortilla on both sides before transferring to a plate and covering with a lint-free towel to keep warm. Repeat with each tortilla, stacking each warmed tortilla on the last.
- To assemble the tacos, spoon an ample amount of slaw down the center of your taco, top with roasted butternut and spread a spoonful of guacamole down the side. Top with garnishes of your choice and serve immediately.
Notes
Change it up: Sweet potatoes would be an awesome substitute for the butternut.
Storage suggestions: Store individual components separately for best results. Store leftover guacamole in a small bowl with plastic wrap pressed against the top to prevent oxidation.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I made the butternut squash tacos and used the sweet potatoes – great suggestions – felt the slaw needed some vinegar – used white wine vinegar – really made the slaw come to life
Good idea, thanks Tracy!
Yum! I used this recipe tonight for dinner (and tweaked to our own taste/whatever ingredients we had). This is brilliant. Thanks, Kate!
Thank you, Lotan! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
I prepped these this morning to have later. They were so delicious that I ate them for breakfast!
Success! Thank you, Erica. So glad you enjoyed these.
These turned into my favorite taco recipe EVER. Every time I crave tacos I make this combination. Thank you!
I made these with sweet potatoes instead of squash but oh man is it delicious! New favorite dish! Thanks so much!
This was very good!
Love the way you mix all the yummy flavors together.
I think next time I will buy the squash already cubed. Save time!
My husband is a vegetarian, but my children and I enjoy having meat once in awhile. These tacos were perfect, served with optional ground beef on the side. I subbed sweet potatoes for the squash- they were so yummy this way that I opted not to have the meat! And they came together quickly- always a plus! Thanks for another great recipe!
LOVE this recipe! I usually make it with sweet potatoes and it has become a staple. For those who eat fish, it is very good with shrimp added to it as well.
How pretty! I will try these!
Please do!
I love this recipe. One note: it seems like the proportions are quite a bit off, though. I doubled the guacamole, as you suggested, but still ended up with *far less* guacamole and *far more* slaw than I needed/that corresponded to the amount of squash. You might want to consider a revision to those amounts. In any regard, thank you for another lovely dish!
Hi, Katie! I appreciate your suggestion. I’ve found these ratios to work out great. As always, you can adjust the proportions to your liking. Thanks!
I made these for dinner tonight–I’m just thrilled that I made enough to have leftovers for the next couple of days! This is one of my new favorite vegan recipes, thank you!
You’re welcome, Corinna! Enjoy those leftovers. :)
These tacos are absolutely delicious and make great leftovers. My husband and I both agreed that they are probably the most tasty tacos I’ve ever made.
Hooray! That’s awesome, Aubrey.
So glad I found your recipes. I’m going on two weeks meatless and no dairy. I was looking for recipes. This all looks so tasty. Thank you.
Good luck on your meatless challenge, Joseph! I hope it goes well.
Kate, this recipe was delicious. I did not have cabbage, but without it I still enjoyed. I was leary of butternut squash, however, when you roast it with sweet potatoes and in the chili powder, it turned out amazingly delicious. I added jalapenos to it and oh boy can’t say how much I enjoyed eating it with corn tortillas. Thanks for another recipe I won’t lose. :)
You’re welcome, Anna! I’m so glad it exceeded your expectations.
I was looking for something easy, cheap and flavorful to make and this totally fit the bill! My friend recently bought me your cookbook and I’ve loved everything I’ve tried.
I meal prepped this I definitely doubled the guac :)
Aw, what a great friend! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed both the book and my blog, Ashley.
Made these last night and tonight. So f***in good!!! Omg. For the slaw, I added a little more cabbage, 1/4 tsp cayenne and one Serrano chile for an added kick. Family loved it. Saving and will be making it again very soon!
That sounds delicious and extra-spicy, Mikayla! Thanks!
Can’t wait to make this for dinner tonight! You’ve got me cooking again after a long hiatus (which started when I went to law school and continued thereafter). Thanks so much for being an inspiration to eat wholesome foods and live a healthy lifestyle. <3
Made these for dinner(using sweet potatoes) and the boyfriend and I loved them! He told me this is his favorite vegetarian recipe I’ve made so far and we plan to make it again soon. I made it with a Mexican inspired quinoa salad over spinach as a side. Thanks for a new favorite recipe, Kate!
You are welcome, Paige!
Hi! I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice so far this week and it’s only Wednesday. I made my slaw a bit earlier tonight so that it could marinate in the lime juice/olive oil a bit longer. I’m curious to see what it’d be like if a small bit of garlic was added to the squash while roasting?? I can’t wait to try out more of your recipes! Thanks so much + cheers!
You are so welcome, Sara! Overloading when something is in season isn’t a thing, or at least for me :) Enjoy!
I discovered your blog this year and have had success with each recipe. Tonight I asked my husband to prepare this recipe(Squash Tacos) while I worked in the garden. He was skeptical til he saw it was a Cookie and Kate recipe. “She’s the crunchy cabbage slaw lady, right?” he said. “Well, it’s probably good then.”
Susan, your comment made me smile! Thank you so much. Hope you both loved these tacos.
These are life changing!! I’ve only ever tried one other recipe from your site (southwestern kale, Quinn, black bean avocado bowl thing) also life changing!
My daughter is vegetarian (thought it was just phase but it’s been over a year!), but hates both squash and sweet potatoes ☹️. So I’ll be mining your site today for ideas. I’ve told her I will help her keep vegetarian stuff on hand so she can make something easy if we are having meat, but if every one of your recipes is as good as the two I’ve tried, we might all be converting to vegetarianism ❤️
Another great resource, Kristi, for all meals is my cookbook! You should check it out. Love Real Food, can be purchased online at Amazon Barnes & Noble, BAM!, IndieBound, Anthropologie and Indigo. The blog has several recipe options without squash and sweet potatoes as well. Try searching ingredients you know she does like in the search bar. Enjoy!
Damn girl. These are friggen fantastic.
I tweaked ever so slightly:
Added 1 tsp of honey and some cumin to the slaw.
And also topped with a sauce – vegan mayo with adobo sauce, lime juice (great combo that put them over the top)
As an omnivore and taco lover, I would take these over meat any day! Thank you for your constant inspiration, I recommend you to every one I know!
Ha! Thank you, Hilary. I really appreciate your review :)
Delicious! Ended up using a broccoli slaw mix instead of cabbage because that’s what I had on hand, and it was SO GOOD! Will definitely add this to my repertoire :)
I have made this twice and it is so delicious! You don,t even miss meat when you eat these tacos.I make a simp,e tahini dressing to drizzle on top.My new favourite tacos.
Win!! Thank you, Karen.
Wow! I made these for my husband last night, and they are one of the most tasty & visually exciting meals your mouth can land on! This is a keeper for sure. Only addition I did was to add some finely diced red onion into the avocado. Served with more fresh lime to squeeze over the tacos. Sooo good! Thanks for the recipe!
I love your description, Patricia! Thanks for sharing how you made it your own. Love that! I appreciate the review.
These were delicious and so pretty! I had the leftover squash and slaw mix in a bowl topped with cucumber for breakfast. So so good!
That sounds wonderful! Thank you, Michelle.
These tacos were fabulous! Even the person who thought veggie tacos were just not going to be tasty said, “Delicious!”
I made the recipe exactly as written but if I were doing it again for those who like spicy, I’d up the chili powder and pass the shiracha.
Thank you Kate!
I’m glad it was a pleasant surprise! Yes, kick-up the spice if you like. Sounds like a great way to make it better for your tastes. Thank you, Karen for sharing!
Turned out amazing – made for a picnic and everyone loved it!
Thanks for the review!
I made these tacos today. Absolutely delicious! Even my husband who probably would have chosen some kind of meat to eat, loved them and said would eat them again! And super easy to make! Definitely a keeper!
That’s a win, Marisa! Thank you for your star review. :)
Thanks for the recipe.
I modified it a bit. I used savoy cabbage and made warm “re-fried” black beans (no oil or lard) instead of mixing the beans with the cabbage. It is light yet of full of flavors. Big hit tonight.
Thanks for sharing!
Funny story! I made these tacos last night (and leftovers for lunch today) and they were amazing! So amazing that I thought I would come on here an comment, which I never do. As I was reading through the comments I noticed people were talking about butternut squash! Hmmm…I don’t know where my head was last night (mommy brain) but I made these with cubed sweet potatoes and they were delicious! I will have to try them with butternut squash next time! (Also, adding a little Cholula sauce makes them extra good!)
We all have those days! But yet, good with sweet potatoes too. Thanks for sharing and for your review, Cydney.
This will be a repeat recipe. The hint sweetness of the squash, with the vibrant flavors of the slaw and avocado came together wonderfully. We topped with more green onion, tiny bit of cheddar and some siracha. Delicious!
Love your toppings! Thank you, Kate for sharing.
Love these tacos. Delicious!!
I’m glad you like them, Lorrie!
Absolutely delish! So easy to prepare and my family can’t wait to have it again. Thanks.
I’m so happy to hear that!
I made this tonight and my husband and I loved it! Thank you. This is actually the 3rd recipe of yours I have tried in the last two weeks since finding your site; I started with your banana bread and then also made your baked spinach and artichoke dip. Thanks for all the great recipes! I am looking forward to trying many more!
You’re welcome! I’m excited you are making your way through the blog.
I made this tonight and my husband and I loved it. This is the third recipe I have tried over the last week since finding your site, I made your banana bread and then tried your baked spinach and artichoke dip – we loved them all. Thank you for all the inspiration!
I love that! Thanks for letting me know what you thought, Hayley. I appreciate you taking the time to review!
I had a lot of green cabbage to use up and have to say that it was very pretty with the different shades of green and the contrasting black beans. I used lots of fresh lime juice.
Thanks for sharing, Connie!
Fantastic combination of flavors and beautiful presentation. I liked the idea of the roasted pepitas on top too and added them to mine! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome, Jacquelyn!
This was a hit! I didn’t have cabbage on hand, so used a few things sliced radishes for a similar crunchy texture on the slaw. Thanks for another great veggie dish!
Sounds like a great change! I appreciate the review, Allison.
These were epic. I used frozen squash and sauteed it with red onion and chili powder and then used refried black beans as the base. The cabbage slaw is amazing and I added some red wine vinegar to break it down a bit. The grill pan for the tortillas is key
Epic, I love it! thanks for sharing, Katie.
Delicious and very easy to make. I had some cut up butternut squash I needed to use up and came across this recipe. I’m so glad I did! I ended up making a bowl instead of tacos and it was so good. I didn’t have any red cabbage at home so I added some radishes and bell pepper to the black beans instead. So yummy! The best part is that I have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. Can’t wait! It’s amazing how something this easy using pretty basic ingredients turns out so good. Another winner that I will definitely make soon again.
I’m glad you did too, Annika! I appreciate the review.
I made 2 and a half of this for 10 people.
We found the cabbage preparation quite bland, we added lemon juice and cumin and garlic and corn, but still half of it remained at the end of the meal.
Any tips on making this cabbage even more flavorful?
Everything else got a great success.
I’m sorry you didn’t love the cabbage! You could add additional spice, if you like. Or increase the amount of lemon juice. It is nice if you let it marinate some before serving. Thanks for your feedback!
I don’t think I’ve made a single one of your recipes that didn’t blow me away. This was certainly not the exception. Thanks, Kate!
Wonderful, Justine! Thanks for sharing.
I followed the recipe exactly and it was a big hit. My husband said the flavors really “popped,” and my daughter who generally doesn’t eat big meals, ate 3 tacos! I served them with Mexican rice as a side dish. Great recipe!
That’s great, Ellen! I’m happy it was such a hit.
Would frozen and defrosted squash work?
That could work! You will still want to roast it. Watch how much time it takes. If it is already uncooked, should be similar timing. The texture might be slightly different since it’s been frozen, but likely still delicious!
Great recipe! I made these for dinner tonight using pre-cut butternut squash. I had Mission low carb tortillas on hand .. they worked out nicely.
All the flavors blended together wonderfully. We all had seconds and will enjoy the leftovers for lunch.
I love having these for leftovers! Thanks for sharing, Jane.
I did not have red cabbage so used Nappa that I had. Delicious combination of flavors. A hit for our Monday Taco night. Will add this to the rotation with the cauliflower tacos that we love so much. Thank you.
This was a thrill to eat. We actually filled Venezualan homemade arepas instead of tortillas and it was a gastronomic success!
I used residual oil from roasting butternut squash to pan fry tortillas and wow! I can always depend on your recipes for tastiness. This is delicious. Love the coriander in the guacamole
Thank for sharing, Samantha!
These tacos are spectacular! I recently started moving towards a predominately plant based diet. I was really craving tacos today, but I was skeptical any plant based tacos could live up to carnitas or barbacoa, and I was blown away by the incredible flavors in this recipe. These tacos are going to become a new go-to favorite! Thanks for the awesome recipe!