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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Butternut Squash Black Bean Chimichangas

    LAST UPDATED: January 21, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: September 11, 2017

    Butternut Squash Black Bean Chimichangas

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Crunchy on the outside, soft and spicy on the inside, these black bean and butternut squash chimichangas are a deliciously satisfying fall meal.

    Two Halves of a Butternut Squash & Black Bean Chimichanga on a Plate with Bowl of Sauce and Water Glass in the Background

    Guys, I'm so excited that we're into squash season. As usual around this time of year, I've got a bunch of squash ideas. This year, for once, I'll try to space out my multitude of butternut squash posts out over the season. I think. That's always my intention when making these dishes, but sometimes I get excited and go a bit overboard. I'll do my best!

    Butternut Squash & Black Beans in a Skillet with Wooden Spoon

    Incidentally, I discovered yesterday that I might have an allergy to butternut squash. Nothing big, just a dermal allergy. I was chopping when my hands started to get irritated, particularly my left hand, which I was using to hold the squash. The skin started cracking and peeling! I Googled around a bit to see what might be up, and apparently skin allergies to butternut squash are common. Ah well. I'll have to remember to wear gloves in the future.

    This time around my squash went into chimichangas. My mom used to make chicken chimichangas when I was growing up. They were one of the few meat-oriented dishes that I remember liking, so I thought it was about time I tried a vegan version for the blog.

    Butternut Squash & Black Bean Chimichangas on a Plate with Greens, Tomatoes and Fresh Cilantro

    When I started working on developing a vegan chimichanga recipe I learned that chimichangas are normally deep-fried. Eek! I had no idea. Mom's were always baked, and since I enjoyed those, I decided I'd stick with the oven approach. On those rare occasions that I do treat myself to some greasy deep-fried goodness, I do so at a restaurant and let someone braver than I deal with spattering grease, thank you very much.

    Close Up of a Butternut Squash & Black Bean Chimichanga Cut in Half on a Plate

    Despite not being fried, the tortillas crisp up beautifully, while the filling stays soft and has a rich, spicy southwestern flavor, so these are really fun to bite into. The smokiness and spiciness of the chipotles goes awesome with the butternut sweetness, which I've enhanced ever so slightly with some agave. I can't really remember what mom's chimichangs tasted like at this point, but I do know that I felt just as blissful eating these as I did when I was little. Crispy little tortilla pockets of happiness, butternut squash style.

    Two Halves of a Butternut Squash & Black Bean Chimichanga on a Plate with Bowl of Sauce and Water Glass in the Background
    5 from 4 votes
    Print

    Butternut Squash Black Bean Chimichangas

    Crunchy on the outside, soft and spicy on the inside, these black bean and butternut squash chimichangas are a deliciously satisfying fall meal.

    Course Entree
    Cuisine American, Mexican
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 373 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
    • 1 pound butternut squash peeled and diced (about 4 cups)
    • 1 small red onion diced
    • 3 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
    • 4 chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce minced + 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can (or to taste - use less for a milder version)
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave optional, to balance out the flavor - you can leave it out if you're opposed to adding sugar
    • 2 teaspoons lime juice
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ cup water or vegetable broth
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
    • 4 large burrito size flour tortillas

    For Serving

    • Your favorite salsa
    • Cashew sour cream

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
    2. Toss the butternut squash cubes in ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Arrange them on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping about half way through, until tender and slightly crisp. Remove from the oven, but keep the oven on.
    3. When your squash has about 5 minutes bake time to go, place 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
    4. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
    5. Add the beans, chipotles, adobo sauce, syrup or agave, lime juice cumin, salt, pepper, vegetable broth, and squash (which should be out of the oven by now).
    6. Stir everything up and cook until most of the liquid cooks off, about 1-3 minutes.
    7. Stir in the cilantro and remove the skillet from the heat.
    8. Place ¼ of filling into the center of each tortilla. Fold up top and bottom, and roll sides closed. Place on an oiled baking surface, seam side down, and brush with the remaining olive oil. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
    9. Bake for about 20 minutes (oven should still be at 400°), until the tortillas begin to brown.
    10. Serve with your favorite salsa, avocados or cashew sour cream.
    Nutrition Facts
    Butternut Squash Black Bean Chimichangas
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 373 Calories from Fat 111
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12.3g19%
    Saturated Fat 2.6g13%
    Sodium 1152mg48%
    Potassium 611mg17%
    Carbohydrates 60.7g20%
    Fiber 9.6g38%
    Sugar 8.5g9%
    Calcium 140mg14%
    Iron 5mg28%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Vegan Dill Pickle Potato Chowder
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer says

      September 16, 2014 at 5:34 pm

      I think most people (at least Americans) bake their chimichangas. I know I did when growing up. I prefer to bake since deep frying scares me. I leave that for people at restaurants to deep fry my food. lol.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 16, 2014 at 9:17 pm

        Haha! I'm so with you there! A few times I thought of trying to get over my fear of deep frying, but it might just be healthier not to. ;)

        Reply
        • Melanie says

          September 14, 2019 at 9:19 am

          These sound great! Have to try them. Did you attempt an air fryer version?

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            September 15, 2019 at 3:48 pm

            Thank you! I haven't, since I don't have an air-fryer. I'd love to hear how they turn out if you try!

            Reply
    2. Rachel says

      September 16, 2014 at 10:00 pm

      I am SO excited to try this recipe! The dish looks absolutely heavenly from the photos; the colors are beautiful (and so suitable for fall!).

      Do you think the filling would keep well for a few days, if I were to make a large batch?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 25, 2014 at 12:42 pm

        Hi Rachel! Thank you so much and sorry for the late response - I don't know how I missed your comment. I think you could definitely store the filling for at least two days or so. :)

        Reply
    3. Kelly G. says

      September 22, 2014 at 9:53 pm

      More butternut squash recipes, please! I have a ton of these suckers that need using up. ;)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 25, 2014 at 12:43 pm

        I've got at least one more lined up after this!

        Reply
    4. Kelli M. says

      October 30, 2014 at 2:18 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe, Alissa! Like, loooooove. I've been making it on a weekly basis since you posted it. I'm glad I finally remembered to tell you what a winner this is!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 01, 2014 at 9:51 pm

        Yaaaayyy! That's so fantastic to hear!!! I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe and getting so much use out of it. Thank you so much for letting me know! :)

        Reply
    5. Dave says

      September 11, 2017 at 11:43 am

      This looks sooo good! I've been making bean and maitale mushroom chimichangas for about three years now. I'm alone so i make half a dozen burritos and freeze five. Defrost in the fridge overnight or add thirty minutes to the bake time.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 11, 2017 at 3:12 pm

        Thank you! And that's a great idea! I might just double the recipe and freeze a bunch next time. :)

        Reply
    6. Francesca says

      September 12, 2017 at 12:17 am

      Hi Alissa

      Do you by chance have the nutritional values for this recipe?

      Thanks

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 15, 2017 at 10:12 pm

        I don't have nutritional info available yet, but this is a great tool if you'd like to take a crack at it yourself: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594

        Reply
    7. Ben Myhre says

      September 12, 2017 at 8:10 am

      I don't blame you on the baking vs frying. I am not opposed to having a fry daddy around or using just a crapton of oil, but I just don't do it enough for it to make sense! Even outside the mountains of bad stuff I would be putting into my body, it is a matter of practicality. I don't need another thing around my kitchen.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 15, 2017 at 10:13 pm

        Exactly how I feel! I'd be up for indulging once in a while if it wasn't such a pain. :)

        Reply
    8. Melissa Lee says

      September 13, 2017 at 6:36 am

      These look absolutely incredible - adding to my 'must try' list!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 15, 2017 at 10:15 pm

        Thanks! I hope you enjoy them!

        Reply
    9. Shannon says

      September 13, 2017 at 6:29 pm

      I wanted to make this recipe but I only had sweet potatoes. It came out fabulous. I love squash so I will definitely make it that way too.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 15, 2017 at 10:16 pm

        Awesome! I love black beans and sweet potatoes! I'm glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    10. Claudia says

      September 24, 2017 at 12:54 pm

      These are absolutely incredible. I will be making these again and again and again.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 27, 2017 at 9:30 am

        I'm so glad to hear that! Thanks Claudia!

        Reply
    11. Cara O'Sullivan says

      September 27, 2017 at 11:17 pm

      Wow this was spicy and amazing!!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 28, 2017 at 8:53 am

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It does have quite a kick with all the chipotle peppers! :)

        Reply
    12. Jenny Oldenburg says

      October 09, 2017 at 1:22 pm

      I've had this recipe on my todo list for like a month. I finally bought the chipotle peppers to go with it and the weather feels like fall. I am so excited But I have one question:Do you peel the squash? I have varying luck when it comes to the toughness of the peel so I tend to get rid of it.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 09, 2017 at 9:39 pm

        I'd definitely peel the squash. Thanks for catching that - I just added an instruction to clarify. :) I hope you enjoy these!

        Reply
        • Rebekah says

          March 02, 2020 at 3:43 am

          These were a bit too sweet for my liking - I think if I were to make them again I would omit the maple syrup and use sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin.

          Reply
    13. Laura says

      October 18, 2017 at 8:44 am

      Can you share your favorite cashew cream recipe to go with this?
      I’m looking forward to making this!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 18, 2017 at 9:15 pm

        Of course! There's a cashew cream recipe included with this post: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/chipotle-lentil-stuffed-sweet-potatoes/ It should go nicely with the chimichangas. :) Enjoy!!

        Reply
    14. Chrissy says

      October 23, 2017 at 7:24 pm

      Made these tonight. I may go a touch lighter on the chipotles next time, whew!!!! LOVED it, though. Will definitely be making again : )

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 25, 2017 at 9:15 pm

        Glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks Chrissy!

        Reply
    15. Ali says

      November 20, 2017 at 7:40 pm

      Absolutely YUMMY! Loved this recipe :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 21, 2017 at 9:14 am

        Yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    16. Angelica M. says

      May 31, 2018 at 7:49 pm

      Made these this evening and they were absolutely delicious!! I've started eating a plant based lifestyle since May 1st and the transition has been easy because of your easy to follow recipes.
      My husband loved them so much!!
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        June 02, 2018 at 2:19 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks so much Angelica!

        Reply
    17. Hilary says

      October 18, 2019 at 6:51 pm

      I’m not the biggest fan of butternut squash. It’s fine, but I will choose something else if given the option. You have any suggestions for a good substitute? I love chimichangas!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 20, 2019 at 2:13 pm

        You could use all kinds of things! Roasted cauliflower, potatoes, sweet potatoes or even just some cooked chickpeas would all work well in place of the squash. I'd love to hear how any of these variations turn out if you try them!

        Reply
    18. LP says

      January 28, 2020 at 11:39 pm

      This was my first time using chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and I did not realize they were this spicy! I normally don't mind a bit of a kick to my food, but this was way too much, so a warning to others who may not like too much spice. The flavors otherwise were good enough that I will try this again, with maybe half the amount of peppers and adobo sauce. Now to go get rid of my heartburn...

      Reply
    19. Danielle says

      July 11, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      I made these tonight and they were just amazing. Had no chipotle chillies or adobe paste so substituted 6 finely chopped jalapeños and 1 tsp chipotle paste and it worked out fine. It was really easy too. I’ve already has requests to make them again from the rest of the household!

      Reply
    20. Lisa Kusel says

      December 15, 2021 at 4:17 pm

      5 stars
      These turned out far more delicious than I'd anticipated. Made only two changes: left out the sweetener (def. did not need), and added some cheddar cheese before rolling (we're not vegans) to give it a nice gooey consistency. My vegetarian daughter arrives home from college next week and I will be sure to make these for her. Truly a hit. Thank you!!!!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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