Oil-Free Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos

Everyone loves tacos. Omnivores, plant based peeps, kids, those relatives you only see once every five years… So, it’s not exactly hard to create a crowd-pleasing taco, but we’ve made it even easier. Our Oil-Free Roasted Squash Butternut Tacos are satisfying, healthy, and so delicious you’ll want to eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not to mention, these plant based babies are gluten-free, nut-free, and a snap to make. Yum!

What you’ll need 

For roasting the squash

Butternut squash: these gourds are often featured in seasonal autumn recipes, but you can find them in most grocery stores year-round, and they’re too tasty to only enjoy occasionally. Try to find a medium-sized one for this recipe. You can also use fresh pre-cut or thawed frozen squash if available.

Lemon Tahini Dressing: this dressing is one of our most beloved recipes. We use it to coat the squash for roasting without oil. You won’t use the full recipe, so save the leftovers to drizzle over salads and veggies, or drink from the jar—it’s that good!

For the tacos

Corn tortillas: we like these for their delicious depth of flavor. Toasting creates some almost nutty flavors that lend themselves well to the roasted squash. If you’re looking for sprouted corn tortillas, they can often be found in the frozen section of natural supermarkets. You can use flour tortillas if you prefer.

Salsa: if you’re purchasing jarred salsa, we recommend finding one with low sodium and, if possible, no corn syrup, oil, added sugar, or other additives. Fresh salsa can sometimes be found in the refrigerated produce or deli section. If you prefer to make your own, try our yummy Salsa Fresca.

How to make Oil-Free Roasted Squash Butternut Tacos 

First, preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. 

Now, make yourself a batch of the Lemon Tahini Dressing and try not to get distracted licking the blender clean (those blades are sharp!). 

Once you’re done, it’s time to get your squash ready for roasting. Using a large, very sharp knife, cut both ends off and then cut in half lengthwise (from top to bottom). Be super careful when cutting the squash and keep your fingers clear of the knife. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds (save these for roasting if it suits your fancy) and use a peeler to remove the thick skin on the outside of the squash. 

Pro tip: squash can be damn tricky to cut. If you’d rather not fight your produce, prick the skin with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape and microwave it whole for three minutes (be careful removing). Or if you’re old school, place the squash on a sheet pan and pop into the hot oven for about 20 minutes. Allow it to cool a bit so it’s easy to handle, then peel and chop with ease. Your squash may roast a little faster if you’ve done this, so keep an eye on it. 

Cut into cubes. You want your pieces to be uniform enough so everything roasts evenly and small enough to fill the tacos without overstuffing. We like ½-inch cubes.

Place the cubes into a mixing bowl and add your dressing and black pepper. Stir to coat all the squash. 

Transfer to your baking sheet and spread out so that the squash is in a single layer. If there’s no room for you to spread the squash out, you may want to use two pans so air can circulate around the squash better. If the cubes are too close together, they’ll steam rather than roast and we won’t get any yummy caramelization. 

Roast for 20 minutes, then give everything a stir and, if you’re using two pans, switch their positions. Roast for an additional 10–15 minutes. You want the squash to be fork-tender and nicely browned. 

While your squash is roasting, prepare your other taco ingredients. 

Dice your avocado, chop your lettuce and cilantro, slice your limes, and heat up the pinto beans (these can be rinsed and warmed right from the can). If you’re making fresh salsa, get that together. 

Once the squash is ready, toast your tortillas by placing them in your toaster, toaster oven, or oven for about one minute (any temperature is fine since we’re removing them fast, but if your oven is very hot, keep an eye on them). Alternatively, you can heat them in the microwave by putting on a microwave-safe plate with another plate placed upside down on top. Microwave for about 45 seconds. You want them warm and flexible, but not too crispy or they’ll become brittle. 

Smash some avocado onto your tortillas with a fork and top with some lettuce. Add a spoonful of your beans, then some squash, salsa, and a bit of cilantro. Squeeze a little lime on top and/or drizzle with more Lemon Tahini Dressing. Plate your Oil-Free Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos up and bask in the compliments and requests for seconds.

Enjoy any time 

One fun way to serve these is to do a taco bar. Set out all the ingredients and let everyone build their own perfect tacos. There may be more dirty dishes, but everyone will enjoy themselves so much you won’t mind. Better yet, assign dish duty to someone else. 😉

We love eating these babies for breakfast. Yes, you read that right. You’ll be full, satisfied, and energized all morning long. They’re even yummy when eaten cold. If you roast the squash on Sunday, it will keep in your fridge all week, and whipping these suckers up will be super quick. Weeknight dinner win!

Store leftover squash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

Have you tried these Oil-Free Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos? Are they your new favorite breakfast? Let us know in the comments below.

May all your meals be crowd-pleasers. 

Xo 
Team Dirty

Looking for more vegan taco recipes? Try our Smoky Tofu Tacos or Walnut Lentil Soft Tacos.

Have you heard us taco ‘bout Plant Fueled Life?

If you want to set the taco bar high, check out our free 10-day trial. No credit card or perfection required. You’ll have instant access to all of these plant based taco recipes (101 and counting!) which are free of oil and animal products and full of flavor! 

Some of our favorites are:

🌮 Roasted Sweet Potato & Buffalo Spinach Dip Soft Tacos
​🌮 ​Mushroom Barbacoa Chimichurri Tacos
🌮 Jackfruit Carnitas & Red Cabbage Tacos
🌮 Chickpea Masala Tacos with Lemon Cilantro Slaw

Molly’s tips for setting up a crowd-pleasing taco bar

Note: this recipe originally appeared on our blog back in 2015. Molly loves these tacos for breakfast! Read Plant Based Breakfast Basics: 8 Helpful Tips to see why eating leftovers for breakfast is a complete game-changer!