This butternut squash enchiladas recipe is full of in-season fall vegetables. Get all your greens and beans wrapped up in these butternut squash enchiladas topped with fresh tomatoes and avocado.

At the farmer's market this week, I bought way too much butternut squash. When butternut squash looks fabulous, and the price tag is ridiculously cheap, butternut squash recipes fill my weekly menu. And then I end up with extra butternut squash. So, tonight, with my overabundance of squash, I cooked a batch of butternut squash enchiladas. I never waste food, so I developed a butternut squash enchiladas recipe with ingredients in my pantry and refrigerator.
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Sometimes, overzealous buying creates dinner ideas. For example, my family loves enchiladas, so I plan food with them in mind. Although I changed my original menu plan, they will love this butternut squash enchiladas recipe.
For those with kids trying to transition the family to a plant-based diet, it's all about the spices and tastiness rather than the vegetables hiding inside.
As a mom, I understand the struggle. That's why I veganize the recipes my family loves as meat-eaters. So, let's make some butternut squash enchiladas the whole family will enjoy!
Enchiladas Ingredients
- Butternut Squash: One cup of cooked butternut squash has only 83 calories and provides 7 grams of filling fiber — making it an excellent choice to lose excess weight and body fat. It contains both insoluble and soluble fiber. Soluble fiber has been associated with fat loss and decreased appetite.
- Chili Powder: Pure ground dried chile peppers make chile powder. Usually, chile powder has no additives. On the other hand, chili powder is a blend of chile peppers and other spices, including cumin, peppercorn, oregano, and salt. The mixture depends on the brand, so check the ingredient label to find the exact spices it contains.
- Cumin: Using cumin as a spice increases antioxidant intake, promotes digestion, provides iron, may improve blood sugar control, and may reduce food-borne illnesses.
- Red Onion: Red onion is sweet and offers a wonderful flavor profile to these enchiladas.
- Red Bell Pepper: Red bell pepper is sweet in flavor.
- Black Beans: Black beans are hearty, firm, and meaty.
- Hatch Green Chilies: Green chilies can be added raw, roasted, or canned.
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Fire-roasted diced tomatoes are exactly what they sound like: the tomatoes are charred over a flame before they're diced and canned (sometimes, they're also enhanced with onion and garlic powder). Often, you can see the blackened flecks on the tomatoes
Other Ingredients
- Raw Spinach: I used raw instead of cooked spinach because it acts as a barrier between the tortillas and the wet ingredients and cooks in the oven.
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Fire-roasted diced tomatoes are charred over a flame before they're diced and canned (sometimes, they're also enhanced with onion and garlic powder).
- Hatch Green Chili Sauce: Hatch green chili sauce is bottled or canned in the Mexican food section of the grocery store.
- Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce: I make my own vegan nacho cheese sauce with potatoes and carrots.
- Corn or Flour Tortillas: For a gluten-free option, choose corn tortillas.
- Jalapeno: When working with jalapenos, wear gloves and remove the seeds and veins before chopping or slicing.
- Cilantro: Cilantro adds a fresh earthy green.
- Avocado: Avocado adds a creamy, excellent addition to this enchilada recipe.
Enchiladas Ingredients Substitution
- Choose acorn, buttercup, or delicata squash.
- Sweet potatoes are also an excellent substitute for butternut squash in recipes
- Ground cayenne pepper is technically a chili powder, but jars and bottles labeled “chili powder” are usually made from a blend of a variety of peppers. Most chili powders you find in stores also include spices like cumin, onion and garlic powder, and salt.
- Ground coriander is often substituted for cumin.
- Yellow onion or white onion can be used in place of red onion.
- Try green pepper for a substitute for red bell peppers.
- Pinto beans are an excellent choice for butter nut squash enchiladas.
- Buy canned hatch green chilies instead of roasting and chopping the chili yourself.
- Use canned diced tomatoes instead of fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Add another type of green, such as kale or collard greens, to replace spinach. However, I suggest the raw greens be added uncooked.
- Purchase canned or jarred enchilada sauce.
- Select store-bought vegan cheese sauce or shredded vegan cheese of choice.
- Skip the tortillas and use thin strips of zucchini or eggplant.
- Garnish with garnishes of choice.
Cooking Options
Even though cooking the butternut squash in the same pan as the rest of the ingredients is quicker, I chose to roast the butternut squash in bite-sized pieces separately.
As a result, the butternut squash absorbs the seasonings and is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. But saute it with the other ingredients instead if strapped for time.
Roasted Butternut Squash
- Preheat an oven to 400 degrees
- Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Cut the butternut squash into bite-sized, identical cubes
- Make a single layer of butternut squash on the baking sheet
- Season with chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder
- Roast for 30-40 minutes
Sauteed Butternut Squash (option)
Instead of roasting the butternut squash for the butternut squash enchiladas recipe, sautéing is another option.
- Cook the filling in a large skillet and add the butternut squash after cooking the onion mixture.
- Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring for 15 minutes or until the butternut squash is soft.
How to Make the Enchiladas
To prepare the pan, pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan and spread it out to cover the base.
Then begin filling and rolling the tortillas.
Instead of adding the spinach to the cooked filling, I prefer to use it raw and cook it in the oven with the other packing. As a result, the spinach remains firmer and doesn't retain as much water.
Also, the spinach acts as a blocker to prevent the filling from leaking through the tortillas.
Next, add a generous portion of filling in the center on top of the layer of spinach.
Now, roll the tortilla upward while tucking in the sides, keeping the filling in the center.
Place the rolled tortillas next to each other in the pan on top of the enchilada sauce. And then add the remaining enchilada sauce, vegan nacho cheese sauce, and additional enchilada sauce.
Then, top with the remaining enchilada sauce.
Cover with aluminum foil or another covering and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Once heated through, remove the aluminum foil, and cook the remaining 10 minutes until brown on top.
Tips
- Did you know you don't have to peel butternut squash? Sometimes, peeling the squash is complex and results in a slippery, hard-to-manage squash. However, the skin of butternut squash is edible, just like sweet potatoes.
- Do not include spinach in the filling. Instead, use it raw to prevent sogginess.
- Use white or yellow onion instead of red onion for a milder flavor.
- Serve salsa on the side as an added garnish.
Serving
- Jalapeno
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro
Recipe FAQs
According to Healthline, butternut squash is rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants. This low-calorie, fiber-rich winter squash may help you lose weight and protect against cancer, heart disease, and mental decline.
Yes, butternut squash is among many foods that help reduce inflammation
Butternut squash is a starchy vegetable and carbohydrate. However, it also contains 6.6 grams of fiber per serving.
Tips
- Adding the enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan creates a barrier to prevent the tortillas from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan without using oil.
- When rolling the tortillas, fold the sides first, and fold while keeping the ingredients in the center without falling out.
- For a shortcut, choose a favorite vegan shredded cheese and add it to the inside and outside of the enchiladas.
- Vegan cheese melts at 400 degrees, so turn the heat up if placing shredded vegan cheese on top.
- Add vegan sour cream as a creamy addition to the butternut squash enchiladas.
- Do not cut the avocado until ready to use as a garnish to keep it from browning.
- Fresh lime wedges are a great garnish to offer a citrus topper.
- Serve with Mexican coleslaw and Mexican rice.
So, if you love butternut squash recipes, give butternut squash enchiladas a try!
Other Vegan Mexican Recipes
If you love butternut squash enchiladas, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients
Enchiladas
- 2 ½ cups butternut squash cut into cubes
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 3 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 15 ounces fire roasted tomatoes 1 can
- 8 ounces hatch green chili sauce
- 15 ounces black beans drained (1 can)
- 4 ounces green chilies 1 can
- 6 corn or flour tortillas
Enchilada Sauce
- 15 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 can
- ½ cup hatch green chili sauce
- ½ cup vegan cheese sauce
Garnishes (optional)
- Sliced jalapenos
- Sliced tomatoes
- Avocadao
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Making the Butternut Squash Filling
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the butternut squash into identical size, 1-inch cubes (skin on or off)
- Lay on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Season with chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the squash is browned and softened.
- Remove from the oven and all to cool slightly.
- In a large skillet, saute the garlic, onion, and hatch green sauce until the onions are translucent.
- Add the red bell peppers, black beans, and 1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Cook until the fluid from the tomatoes dissipated.
- If sauteeing the butternut squash instead of roasting it, add the butternut squash when adding the black beans and tomatoes, but this time cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the black bean mixture from the stove and allow it to cool completely.
- Once cooled, combine the butternut squash and the black bean mixture into a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Now, make the quick and easy enchilada sauce.
Easy Enchilada Sauce
- In a high-speed blender, add fired roasted tomatoes, and blend slightly (You do not want to puree the tomatoes).
- Then, pour fire-roasted tomatoes into a bowl, add the green chile sauce, and stir to combine.
- In a 9X 13 inch pan, pour half the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan, spreading it evenly.
Making the Enchiladas
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Lay each tortilla on a flat surface
- Spoon a generous amount of filling in the center of the tortillas.
- Then, fold each side in before rolling each tortilla tightly.
- Put each filled tortilla in the pan on top of the enchilada sauce, seam down. This will prevent your filling from spilling out, and it seals the seam.
- Now, continue until all the filled tortillas are placed in the pan.
- The rest of the enchilada sauce covers the top of the filled tortillas, ensuring the vegan enchiladas are all covered.
- Drizzle with additional cheese sauce.
- Place the covered pan in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with optional garnishes are desired.
Notes
- Adding the enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan creates a barrier to prevent the tortillas from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan without using oil.
- When rolling the tortillas, fold the sides first, and fold while keeping the ingredients in the center without falling out.
- For a shortcut, choose a favorite vegan shredded cheese and add it to the inside and outside of the enchiladas.
- Vegan cheese melts at 400 degrees, so turn the heat up if placing shredded vegan cheese on top.
- Add vegan sour cream as a creamy addition to the butternut squash enchiladas.
- Do not cut the avocado until ready to use as a garnish to keep it from browning.
- Fresh lime wedges are a great garnish to offer a citrus topper.
- Serve with Mexican coleslaw and Mexican rice.
- Use store-bought enchilada sauce
- Instead of making a homemade cheese sauce, use your favorite vegan cheese of choice, or Bitchin Cheese Sauce is a great substitute.
- Use the pre-cut bag of butternut squash
- Add Pico de Gallo instead of the suggested garnish.
- Add vegan sour cream
- Serve with tortilla chips and salsa
- Use refried beans instead of black beans
- Pinto beans are a suitable replacement for black beans
- Butternut squash enchiladas can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Kristi
Hi Kathy. Please review step 9 "uncovered pan" for accuracy. Love your recipes. Thanks for all your hard work.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Kristi, thanks for the head's up. I fixed it. I appreciate it. I'm glad you're enjoying the recipes.