Butternut Squash Enchiladas
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Butternut Squash Enchiladas are filled with tender butternut squash, black beans, and rice before being drenched in enchilada sauce and baked with cheese on top. They’re delicious, vegetarian, and so filling.
Butternut Squash Enchiladas are the perfect Meatless Monday meal to warm you up during the chilly months! Filled with taco seasoned butternut squash, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, and rice, each enchilada is so comforting and never skips out on the flavor.
I’m a huge fan of loading butternut squash into cozy meals once fall arrives. I’ll add it to chili, curry, and even this butternut squash smoothie for slightly sweet and earthy flavors! It’s the most perfect fall ingredient (sorry, pumpkin!) and is a great way to impart extra vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants into these tasty weeknight enchiladas.
Even if you think you don’t like squash, I dare you to take one bite of these cheese and sauce-covered butternut squash and black bean enchiladas and not love it. They’re zesty, smoky, tender, and so filling! And be sure to try a personal favorite of mine, this butternut squash chickpea chili. So, so good!
Recipe features
- Each tortilla is stuffed with a mix of sautéed butternut squash, black beans, rice, cheese, and tomatoes for tons of flavor.
- Assemble, store, and bake them the next day for an easy make-ahead meal.
- A cozy, comforting vegetarian meal you can serve to the whole family!
Ingredients
- Butternut squash – Buy pre-chopped or frozen butternut squash to save time or peel and chop it yourself. No squash at home? Swap it with 1 or 2 sweet potatoes instead.
- Seasonings – Use a combination of dried garlic powder, pre-made taco seasoning, chili powder, and cumin.
- Black beans – Canned beans are all you need. Pinto beans are the best replacement.
- Vegetables – Red onion, cilantro and tomato (yes I know tomato is *technically* a fruit) all add a ton of flavor to this dish.
- Rice – You can use plain white, basmati, or brown rice or give the meal a little more flavor with cilantro lime brown rice or Spanish rice instead. Quinoa would also be delicious!
- Enchilada sauce – Use a store-bought red enchilada sauce to keep the recipe quick and easy or make homemade enchilada sauce instead.
- Cheese – Any shredded melting cheese, like cheddar or a Mexican blend, will do.
- Tortillas – Use 10-inch flour tortillas so the enchiladas don’t fall apart.
How to Make Butternut Squash Enchiladas
Step 1: Cook the squash. Add the squash to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until the pieces are tender, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 2: Make the filling. To a large bowl, add the beans, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and rice. Add the squash once it’s cooked and stir everything together.
Step 3: Assemble the enchiladas. Fill a tortilla with the butternut enchilada filling, sprinkle cheese over top, then roll up the tortilla. Place seam side down in a baking dish. Repeat this step until you run out of tortillas.
Step 4: Bake, then enjoy. To finish, pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas in the baking dish, add the remaining cheese on top, then bake. Dress up the finished enchiladas with cilantro and sliced avocado, then enjoy!
Expert tips and FAQs
- Add more to the filling, like diced jalapeño, corn, sautéed ground beef, or wilted greens to bulk these up even more!
- To make these enchiladas vegan-friendly, simply use your favorite vegan shredded cheese or omit the cheese entirely.
- You may have some extra filling leftover, and that’s ok! Simply eat it on it’s on the next day, or serve it alongside baked tofu or air fryer chicken thighs.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
Make sure to chop the squash into bite-sized cubes for easy eating. Plus, that way they’ll cook more quickly in the skillet.
What’s the best way to cook butternut squash?
Sautéing peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash on the stovetop is a quick and easy method. If you really want some deep and rich flavors, roast the seasoned squash with oil on a sheet pan in a 400ºF oven before adding it to the enchilada filling.
What goes well with vegetarian enchiladas?
Any Mexican-inspired side you love! Serve them with fried tomatoes with corn salsa, grilled corn kale salad, or guacamole salsa with tortilla chips to keep things light.
Can you make them ahead of time?
Of course! Just assemble the enchiladas in the baking dish without the enchilada sauce or cheese on top. Cover the dish with a lid or plastic before storing it in the fridge overnight or in the freezer. Pour the sauce over top before baking.
How long do enchiladas last?
Baked enchiladas store well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Wait for the cooked enchiladas to cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350 until warmed through. NOTE: you may need to add extra cheese on top if you’re heating from frozen.
More vegetarian dinner recipes
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Butternut Squash Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp taco seasoning
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced
- 1/3 cup tomatoes, diced
- 2 tbsp cilantro , chopped
- 15 oz. red enchilada sauce, divided
- 8 large flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the butternut squash. In a small bowl, stir the garlic powder, taco seasoning, chili powder, cumin, and salt together, then pour the spice mixture over the squash and toss to combine.
- Sauté the squash until soft, 6-8 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir the rice, beans, onion, tomato, and cilantro together, then add the butternut squash and toss to combine.
- Preheat oven to 400° F and pour 1 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Lay a tortilla out on a flat surface, then add a heaping spoonful of the butternut squash mixture to the center, along with a tablespoon of cheese. Roll both sides of the tortilla up over the filling, then gently flip over and place it seam side down into the baking dish. Repeat this process with all 6 tortillas.
- Once finished, pour the remaining enchilada sauce overtop of the tortillas, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake the enchiladas for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melty. Sprinkle additional cilantro overtop, and serve with diced avocado as well (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in October 2018. It was updated with new text and photos in September 2024.
Hello Erin and thank you for the great recipe! I would love to give these a try but one quick question first. Do you think frozen butternut squash cubes would work okay? There is a bag in my freezer I’ve been dying to get rid of and barring some unforeseen consequences. I think these enchiladas would help me do that.
Yes absolutely!
These look so good Erin! Love the addition of sqaush for the extra fall feeling. Perfect for a taco tuesday!
This is the perfect way to use that rice! I love enchiladas and these look great!