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Home » Recipes » Dinner

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

By Erin · October 11, 2021 · Updated January 4, 2022 · 15 Comments

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Vegetarian
enchiladas in a baking pan and on a plate with text overlay

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!

baked cheesy enchiladas in a rectangular baking dish

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 smoothies 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!

Recipe features

  • Each tortilla is stuffed with a mix of sauteed 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!
someone pulling an enchilada from a baking pan and the cheese is melty

Ingredient notes:

  • 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 dried garlic powder, pre-mixed taco seasoning, and smoked paprika.
  • Black beans - Canned beans are all you need. Pinto beans are the best replacement.
  • 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.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Cook the squash. Add the squash to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until the pieces are tender.

cooked diced butternut squash in a skillet

Step 2: Make the filling. To a bowl, add the beans, tomatoes, onion, and rice. Add the squash once it’s cooked.

Step 3: Assemble the enchiladas. Fill a tortilla with the butternut enchilada filling, sprinkle cheese over top, then roll up the tortilla. Place it fold side down in a baking dish. Repeat this step until you run out of tortillas.

butternut squash, black beans and diced tomatoes in a bowl and in a tortilla

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

  • Make sure to chop the squash into bite-sized cubes for easy eating.
  • Add more to the filling, like diced jalapeno, corn, sauteed ground beef, or wilted greens.
  • To make these enchiladas vegan-friendly, simply use your favorite vegan shredded cheese or omit the cheese entirely.

What’s the best way to cook butternut squash?

Sauteeing 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.

someone cutting into a cheesy enchilada on a plate

More vegetarian dinner recipes

  • Red Lentil Soup
  • Vegan Pumpkin Chili
  • Eggplant Pasta

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

baked cheesy enchiladas in a rectangular baking dish

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

Butternut Squash Enchiladas are filled with tender butternut squash, black beans, and rice before being drenched in smoky enchilada sauce and baked with cheese on top. They’re delicious, vegetarian, and so filling!
5 from 14 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 2 cups butternut squash cubed
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon taco seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 15 oz. black beans drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes fresh or canned
  • ½ cup red onion diced
  • 1 cup rice white or brown; cooked
  • 15 oz. red enchilada sauce
  • 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend
  • 6 flour tortillas
  • cilantro and avocado for topping
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Cook butternut squash in a skillet over medium heat with a bit of oil, along with the garlic, taco seasoning, smoked paprika, and salt. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
  • While the squash is cooking, combine beans, tomato, onion, and rice together in a bowl and set aside. Once squash is cooked, add it to the bowl.
  • Make the sauce by whisking all 3 ingredients together. Pour half of the sauce into a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Next, assemble the enchiladas: fill a tortilla with the butternut squash mixture, then sprinkle some cheese inside and roll the tortilla, placing it fold-side down into a 9x13 baking dish. Repeat this process for all of the tortillas.
  • Pour the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over top (you can add extra cheese if you'd like). Bake the enchiladas for 15 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese has melted.
  • Remove from oven and top with cilantro and avocado. Enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation; serving size is 3-4 people

Nutrition

Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 107g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 1563mg | Potassium: 873mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 8444IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 280mg | Iron: 6mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in October 2018. It was updated with new text and photos in October 2021.

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About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michael says

    March 20, 2019 at 5:58 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      March 20, 2019 at 7:41 am

      Yes absolutely!

      Reply
  2. Jess @choosingchia says

    October 06, 2018 at 10:43 pm

    These look so good Erin! Love the addition of sqaush for the extra fall feeling. Perfect for a taco tuesday!

    Reply
  3. Izzy @shelikesfood says

    October 04, 2018 at 9:42 pm

    This is the perfect way to use that rice! I love enchiladas and these look great!

    Reply
  4. Trish says

    October 04, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    This sounds amazing! That glorious cheese stretch is EVERYTHING.

    Reply
  5. Regina says

    October 04, 2018 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    I am 1000% certain I will be making these awesome enchiladas with butternut squash this winter! They look super cozy and delish!

    Reply
  6. Dana says

    October 04, 2018 at 2:33 pm

    5 stars
    These look like the best flippin' enchiladas ever! I love how filling they are with Floating Leaf's wild rice blend. Who needs meat? I can't wait to make these. Perfect time of year, too 🙂

    Reply
  7. marcie says

    October 03, 2018 at 9:04 pm

    5 stars
    I'm in love with wild rice and have never thought to use it as a filling for enchiladas! This is so great for fall!

    Reply
  8. Michelle says

    October 03, 2018 at 6:47 pm

    5 stars
    Oh yESSS! All my favorite flavors here, and with my new favorite brand of rice! Love those beautiful Floating Leaf blends!

    Reply
  9. GiGi Eats says

    October 03, 2018 at 6:03 pm

    So if you hear a knock on the door later today... It MAY or may not be me... With my plate 😉

    Reply
  10. Sue | theviewfromgreatisland says

    October 03, 2018 at 2:55 pm

    I think I might just have to make 2 pans of these ...one for me and one for everyone else!!

    Reply
  11. Robyn Gleason says

    October 03, 2018 at 2:12 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, Erin, this dish looks perfect with this wild rice blend. Just loving all the flavors!

    Reply
  12. Kristen says

    October 03, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    5 stars
    These enchiladas are incredible! I love Floating Leaf rice blends. They really are the best, aren't they?

    Reply
  13. Vera Meyer says

    October 03, 2018 at 9:56 am

    where's the wild rice?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      October 03, 2018 at 10:01 am

      Hi! The Floating Leaf Prairie Blend is made with sprouted brown rice, wild rice, split pea, quinoa, and hulled millet--lots of goods 🙂

      Reply

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