Chipotle Squash Tacos Dorados
Typically, Tacos Dorados are made with ground beef, mashed potatoes and cheese. This version has sweet butternut squash, earthy black beans and cheese for a light, bright vegetarian twist!
We roast the squash with chili powder, paprika and cumin, then toss it with black beans in adobo sauce to dial up the flavor. The corn tortillas fry up brown and crispy, but they still have a little chew. They come out of the pan almost like mini quesadillas.
The toppings are what really make this dish. We heaped ours with homemade lime crema, pickled red onions, radishes, avocado and cilantro. The fresh produce contrasts beautifully with the smoky flavors. But there is no wrong way to top this treasure of a recipe. You can add whatever your heart desires.
4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the tacos:
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, smashed
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
12 corn tortillas
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Shredded lettuce, for topping
1 avocado, diced, for topping
Thinly sliced radishes, for topping
Pickled red onion, for topping
Lime wedges, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving
For the lime crema:
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
Juice from ½ lime juice
Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
- To make the squash and bean filling: Heat the oven to 425 F.
- In a large bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic and salt until well coated.
- Transfer everything to a foil-lined sheet pan and spread the squash in an even layer. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the squash is tender and well-charred on the edges.
- Discard the garlic. Return the squash to the bowl and toss it with the black beans, cilantro and adobo sauce until well coated.
- To make the crema: In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise and lime juice and season with salt. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil in the skillet. Add 3 to 4 tortillas to the skillet, carefully rub them in the oil and flip them over to coat both sides.
- On one side of each tortilla, add about ¼ cup of the filling and 1 to 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Fold the tortillas in half and pan fry for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are browned and crispy.
- Transfer the tacos to a platter and repeat steps 7 and 8 with the remaining olive oil, tortillas and filling.
- To serve, top the tacos with the shredded lettuce, lime crema, avocado, sliced radishes, pickled onions and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and your favorite hot sauce.
- Leftover tacos can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The toppings are best prepared and served fresh.
Recipe adapted from: Dishing Out Health
