These tasty street tacos are loaded with spicy butternut squash and crispy chickpeas then drizzled with an avocado cream sauce for an irresistible meal! Try them for your next taco night!

butternut squash tacos on a cutting board
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Alex is generally not a fan of butternut squash, but these tacos made him reconsider. After I made a tray of these tacos, I can tell you that we didn’t have any leftovers.

The combination of caramelized butternut squash and spicy, crispy chickpeas creates the perfect taco filling!

butternut squash tacos on a cutting board

How to Cut Butternut Squash

To cut a butternut squash, you’ll need a cutting board, a vegetable peeler, and a large, sharp knife.

First, peel the butternut squash to remove the skin. Then, cut the squash to separate the neck from the rounded base. Cut the rounded base in half and use a spoon to scrape out any seeds. Cut the squash into evenly sized cubes.

butternut squash on a cutting board

How to Make Butternut Squash Tacos

Chop the butternut squash into evenly sized cubes, as shown above. Then, drain and rinsed the canned chickpeas and spread onto a paper towel. Gently pat dry.

a plate of chickpeas

Roast the squash and chickpeas until the chickpeas are crispy and the squash is browned.

butternut squash and chickpeas on a pan

While the squash and chickpeas are roasting, prepare the avocado creama sauce.

Divide the filling into street taco-sized shells.

butternut squash tacos on a cutting board

Top with avocado cream sauce and add jalapeños, if desired.

butternut squash tacos on a cutting board

Substitution Ideas

  • If you want to keep this recipe vegan, use a vegan sour cream or skip the sour cream entirely.
  • I like to use my homemade taco seasoning so I can keep an eye on the sodium, but I also really like the Frontier Co-op taco seasoning.
  • To make this recipe gluten-free, use corn tortillas. Be sure your taco seasoning is gluten-free if you’re not using a homemade recipe.
butternut squash tacos on a cutting board

Make-Ahead Tips

You can chop the butternut squash in advance, but I don’t recommend baking the taco filling ahead of time, as the chickpeas won’t stay crispy once they cool. You can make the avocado crema up to 4 hours in advance. The sour cream helps to prevent the avocado from turning brown.

To save even more time, look for pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section at the grocery store. This is a great way to make this recipe come together even faster.

Side Dish Ideas

Pair these tacos with this Mexican Brown Rice, Rice Cooker Mexican Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice, or pair it with these delicious Mexican Style Black Beans! Add a side of this Mexican Street Corn Salad or a bowl of Pinto Bean Soup!

Print
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butternut squash tacos on a cutting board

Butternut Squash Tacos

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 tacos 1x
  • Category: Tacos
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Mexican
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

These tasty street tacos are loaded with spicy butternut squash and crispy chickpeas then drizzled with an avocado cream sauce for an irresistible meal! Try them for your next taco night!

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Tacos

  • 2 cups butternut squash, chopped into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (click for recipe)
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 8 corn or flour tortillas (street taco size)

For the Avocado Crema Sauce

  • 1 large avocado
  • 1/4 cup sour cream, Greek yogurt, or vegan sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons diced jalapeno (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Chop your butternut squash and rinse and dry the chickpeas.
  3. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil onto the sheet pan, toss the chickpeas and butternut squash with the olive oil, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper
  4. Roast the chickpeas and squash for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Roast until the edges of the squash are brown and cooked through.
  5. While that’s happening mix the avocado lime crema.
  6. For a chunky texture, mix by hand in a bowl. For a smoother texture, puree in a food processor.
  7. Once the chickpeas are crispy and the squash is browned, assemble the tacos. Top each tortilla with a combination of chickpeas and squash then drizzle with the avocado lime crema. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and add a drizzle of hot sauce, if desired.