Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls
This spaghetti squash burrito bowl recipe is easy to make and so good for you, too! These beautiful burrito bowls are vegan, gluten free and so delicious.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Man alive! Monday snuck up on me after a weekend away. (Park City, Utah—have you been? It’s my new favorite mountain town.) No amount of black coffee or dark chocolate peanut butter cups have managed to wake me up from my post-trip fog, but I have this totally epic burrito bowl recipe for you. Let’s get to it.
Basically, all you do is roast some spaghetti squash until it’s tender and caramelized on the edges. While the squash is in the oven, you’ll have plenty of time to toss together a simple, colorful red cabbage slaw. It has lots of lime and some black beans for protein. Then, blend up some salsa verde with avocado for a creamy sauce that completes the dish.
These bowls are so simple and crazy delicious that I almost saved them for my cookbook, but I just couldn’t wait. Make them for dinner tonight?
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Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls
This spaghetti squash burrito bowl recipe is easy to make and so good for you, too! These beautiful vegetarian burrito bowls are also vegan and gluten free, but above all, delicious. Recipe yields 4 burrito bowls.
Ingredients
Roasted spaghetti squash
- 2 medium spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds each), halved and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cabbage and black bean slaw
- 2 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced and roughly chopped into 2-inch long pieces
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 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
Avocado salsa verde
- ¾ cup mild salsa verde, either homemade or store-bought
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro (a few stems are ok)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 medium garlic clove, roughly chopped
- Optional garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled feta and/or seasoned toasted pepitas (not shown)
Instructions
- To roast the spaghetti squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. On the baking sheet, drizzle the halved spaghetti squash with olive oil. Rub the olive oil all over each of the halves, adding more if necessary.
- Sprinkle the insides of the squash with freshly ground black pepper and salt. Turn them over so the insides are facing down. Roast for 40 to 60 minutes, until the flesh is easily pierced through with a fork.
- Meanwhile, to assemble the slaw: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, black beans, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Toss to combine and set aside to marinate.
- To make the salsa verde: In the bowl of a blender or food processor, combine the avocado, salsa verde, cilantro, lime juice and garlic. Blend until smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary.
- To assemble, first use a fork to separate and fluff up the flesh of the spaghetti squash. Then divide the slaw into each of the spaghetti squash “bowls,” and add a big dollop of avocado salsa verde. Finish the bowls with another sprinkle of pepper, cilantro and optional crumbled feta or pepitas.
Notes
Serving suggestions: I think these bowls would go great with my favorite green salad.
Storage suggestions: Store burrito bowls, covered, for up to 3 days. There should be enough lime in the avocado salsa verde to keep it from oxidizing, but if you want to be sure, store it separately in a small bowl with plastic wrap pressed against the surface.
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.
Delicious! Thank you so much! I do alternate day fasting and was able to whip this up really quickly to break my 40 hour fast.No tummy upset. Will make again!
Great to hear, Suzanna!
Made this tonight. I didn’t have bell pepper so grated some carrots into the slaw. It was delicious. The avacado cream was a winner, I will use it with other recipes.
You are so very creative, this recipe is worth the time! Very good. I am wondering whether the spaghetti squash should be warm or hot when one is ready to add the salsa…?
Hi Marie! Honestly, it’s good either way.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it tonight and we all loved it — even my 10 & 11 year olds! We put a dollop of vegan sour cream on top because, well, we tend to put a dollop of vegan sour cream on everything. :-) The pumpkin seeds added a fabulous texture.
Very light, fresh, and delicious! I also made the salsa verde with your linked recipe. Super tasty and really made the squash pop!
I rarely ever leave comments but I just had to with this recipe. Where do I begin? There were so many different layers to this recipe and yet all the ingredients blended harmoniously. It was really quick to put this together, and I am definitely adding this recipe to the rotation. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe Kate, we absolutely LOVED it!
Hooray! Thanks so much, Holly!
This slaw is a part of just about every burrito bowl or tacos dish I make. It is so good! Who knew I love red cabbage so much.. but I do! The crunch, flavor, – everything adds so much and is so good. And what I also love about it is you can switch it up! I have used red onion instead of green onion, I have added corn, whatever I have done it has always turned out so awesome. I have actually not had it with the spaghetti squash but spaghetti squash is so yummy I do not see how it couldn’t be good.
A fun and beautiful dinner! I like the creativity of this dish, though it does require a bit of time due to all the chopping and prepping of the 3 separate components. The slaw was tasty but I think it could’ve used a bit more heat (jalapeno, maybe?) or salt. I ended up using an avocado-lime crema from a different recipe so I can’t comment on the salsa verde sauce. I felt satiated from this meal, although my fiance felt like it was a little light and he would’ve preferred this for lunch. Regardless, this was a great way to get more veggies in and to use up a can of beans that we all have sitting in the pantry! Thanks Kate!
Thanks for your feedback! I think your ideas for increasing the spice to your taste is great, Kristina.
My new favorite way to eat spaghetti squash! I found this recipe last week when starting a cleanse/weight loss plan and I’m making it for the second time in just over a week. I had to swap black beans for kidney and chickpeas and it’s still amazing! I cut up a fresh tomato to top it off. I will be making this all the time, even when not dieting. Thank you for a healthy and flavorful recipe!! They are hard to come by in my opinion.
This was so good! A week ago I had been a life long slaw hater, but two of your slaw recipes later and I’m a changed woman! This came out amazing, just like your Asian Peanut Slaw. Like other readers mentioned, this reminded me a bit of a Chipotle veggie burrito. I added some more salt to taste and used a roma tomato since I was out of bell pepper and can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for another great recipe!
Hooray! Music to my ears. Thanks for sharing, Sarah.
This doesn’t say if I am supposed to let the squash cool any.
This was SO tasty and filling!! Didn’t change a thing. I recommend making double of the avocado sauce. Thank you for such a delicious recipe.
Found your website today and fell in LOVE! Pinning everything left and right to make this week. Just noticed your in KC. I am as well!!
Be sure to let me know what you think of recipes as you try them, Leanne! I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
This recipe was delicious and so unique! I would have never thought of turning a spaghetti squash into a burrito bowl! We cooked the slaw for about 4 minutes and used salsa instead of salsa verde because that’s all we had. The color wasn’t as pretty,but it tasted great. Thank you for a great vegan recipe!
Have just been taken off meat. Wole grain .corn and soy. So i am trying to find some recipe
Kate,
I often go to the internet for recipes and today I came upon your recipe for spaghetti squash burrito bowls. I have a 20 acre organic farm in Idaho and have found that a lot of people don’t know what to do with spaghetti squash. I am growing it this year because I love it. It is a great substitute for pasta (in some cases). I don’t do pintrest, instagram, etc.. I would like to know if I can give out a printed copy of your recipe for “spaghetti squash burrito bowl”. Your website is on the printed page and I would highlite it for their further reference and other recipes in your cookbook. I am noticing more and more people around here are searching for healthier eating habits and we can all appreciate that. I take my produce to a flea market on Saturdays and I like to share with my neighbors any new ideas to eat healthier.
This is one of my go-to meals. I love it so much. Extra slaw makes a REALLY GOOD topping on a big plate of nachos the next day! :)
That sounds like a great idea! (assuming you mean the burrito version!) I appreciate your review, Sara-Jane.
This was SOOO delicious, even my meat-loving husband was impressed. So nice and colourful too :) I used extra oil and lime juice in the coleslaw. Will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing!!! Nancy in Nova Scotia (Canada)
Thank you, Nancy! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Love all your recipes. Especiall6 motivating during these crazy times. Thank you.
Wow….I wasnt expecting it to taste so good and it I didn’t even have salsa verse on hand. I just topped it with plain avocado. It was still very good!
I’m happy you enjoyed it!
I made this last night, and it was so flavorful and easy to make. We signed up for a fall CSA farm share and recipes like this one – made me realize I can make lots of great things with squash! My spouse loved it, too!.
I really wanted to love this recipe as I love almost every Cookie and Kate recipe that I make (thank you for making my healthy diet so delicious!) I just think it is missing something though.. Maybe some jalapeño in the slaw and avocado dressing for more of a burst of flavor like in the Southwest Kale and Black-bean Salad. Overall very good though!
Hi Ashlee, I’m sorry to hear you think this one is missing something. But, I think your add-ins would be great.
I made your burrito bowl spaghetti squash tonight on a whim just by asking Siri for spaghetti squash recipes. Not having all the ingredients. I had bag of coke slaw, black beans and limes. I had avocados, Pico de Gallo and added cheese, sour cream and browned up some hamburger then added taco seasoning to the burger. I’m not a Keto fan. But I thought my version of your recipe, I would serve to my boss if he came over for dinner. Thank you so much. I loved it. Edie Mae
Ps I even took a picture of it, so beautiful.
I love your creativity! Thank you for taking the time to review, Edie.
Delish! More filling than i thought it would be. Very tasty. The store-bought salsa verde was expired so i used what i had which was regular salsa. Everything was great!
This is the first time I have ever given a comment on a recipe. This is also the first time we have had or cooked a spagetti squash. It was amazing! The salsa verde was so fresh and flavorful and was a perfect blend with the slaw. I followed your recipe in all of it and I will definitely make this quite often. The only problem we had was stopping when we were full. I didn’t know if it was going to be enough to fill everyone up. It was MORE than enough! Thank you for posting all of your amazing recipes.
A first for both! Thank you for taking the time to review. I’m glad it was enjoyed!
All I can say is Amazing! I also made a version with shredded chicken lining the bottom. Also great!
OMG, this was so good!! I made these spaghetti squash burrito bowls for dinner, and am so glad I have three more servings to enjoy later in the week. Quick, flavorful, colorful, and nutritious–just the way I like my food. :) Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe!
P.S. I added a pinch of cumin to the cabbage black bean slaw. Highly recommend!
OMGOODNESS…I love everything about this recipe! It’s flavorful, filling and so easy to make. Thank You!
You’re welcome, Ginger!
Do you think I can substitute the cabbage with arugula? It’s what I have on hand. Thinking of making tonight for my family.
Hi! Yes, that will work too. Let me know what you think!
Love love love this recipe! My husband begs me to make it at least 2x per month. We’ve been using it since you first published it! We had some leftovers from last night so I scraped out the squash/slaw and refrigerated over night. For lunch today I gently reheated and put the leftover mash into some corn tortillas- LIFE CHANGING! Thank you for all of your creativity, Kate! Always look forward to the new recipes!
Hooray! I love that. Thank you for sharing, Krista.
So, sitting in Park City on a snowy day!!! I read your post!!
So, thanks for the receipt!!
Yes, Park City is the best mountain town.
OMG YUM!
This was absolutely delicious. I followed your recipe exactly as written, and I wouldn’t change a thing about this! This will be in my dinner rotation from now on! Thanks for a fabulous recipe!!!!
Thank you, Brittany! I’m glad you loved it.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for such a yummy, healthy recipe!
Hi,
I eat healthy and I would like to incorporate more vegetarian recipes, however, I simply HATE all squashes. It seems most recipes contain squashes! How can I substitute?
Thank you,
Terri56
Hi Terri, I would suggest trying another recipe if you don’t enjoy squash.
This was tasty, cheap, and easy to make! Yay! Thank you so much.
This was the most delicious spaghetti squash recipe I’ve ever tried. Love the flavors so much! thank you for sharing your creation!
I’m glad to hear you loved it, Maria! I appreciate your review.
Made this for the first time for this week’s work lunches. Delicious!! Thanks, Kate!
You’re welcome, Teresa!
I believe I followed the recipe exactly and my daughter,12, and I loved them!!! Definitely going to be a new regular. :D
That’s great to hear, Darcie! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Loved this dish! So yummy! I added a little homemade Whole 30 ranch on top. I ended up heating the whole dish up when re-heating and found I loved it even more with it all heated up. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Jennifer! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Hi, Kate. I found your recipe while searching for ways to incorporate more vegetables into weekly meal-planning. All I can say is mmmmmm.
It is sooo good. I made this twice in the week and even doubled the recipe to have extra to pack for lunch. My husband especially enjoyed it. It is super nutritious and so delicious. Thank you so much!
Wonderful to hear, Kimberly! I appreciate your review.
I have made this multiple times, but don’t think I have left review. It is absolutely delicious and my husband and I both love it. Didn’t change a thing!
I’m so glad you did! I appreciate your review.
This is by far the best…and easiest…vegetarian meal I’ve had! Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful to hear, Lynne! Thank you for your review.
I really appreciated the flavors from this recipe. Spaghetti squash needs bold flavors to punch it up. For some reason, my squash gave off a lot of liquid when roasted and made for a slightly “soupy” result. Any suggestions on how to prevent this in the future?
The avo salsa verde is phenomenal! I used the leftover salsa on the breakfast tacos – yum!
Hi Sue! I’m sorry to hear that. I think that’s a variable in the squash itself.
Filling and flavourful! Might even add some jalapeños to the salsa next time but definitely will make these again.
I haven’t tried these yet but I keep coming back for the cabbage and black bean slaw recipe! So yummy!!
I love to hear that!
Yum!! We like spice so I made it with a jalapeño salsa verde. I also added Gardein crumbled meatless beef as an additional topping. This will definitely be repeated!
Wow, this was FABULOUS! One of the most delicious dishes I ever made (maybe I should cook more?)! And gluten and dairy free!
I would’ve been happy with a simple roasted spaghetti squash . . . but I’m SO glad I found this recipe! It combines so many tastes I love: cabbage, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, black beans, avocado, garlic. So tasty AND nutritious! Shared a serving with a friend, but scarfed the other three for myself. :-P Oh yeah, I’ll be making this one again– thanks!!
That’s great to hear, Kimberley! I appreciate your review.
Ok, I just sent this recipe to soccer (football) friends, surely meat eaters, me too. But this is so good I scraped the squash shells for breakfast.
Omg! 5/5 So yummy and healthy a bit of passive cooking time, but overall easy to prep and delish. Thanks for featuring a vegan recipe!!