Spaghetti squash is roasted with melted cheese, black beans and green chiles to make delicious Tex-Mex tacos, burritos or quesadillas.
The slightly sweet, mild flavor of spaghetti squash is a surprisingly delicious filling for tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Who knew? I certainly didn't until I tried this easy and really delicious combination of squash, black beans, melted cheese and green chiles.
Of course you'll also want cilantro and green onion, too. Plus shredded cabbage with lime or Mexican slaw, sour cream and something spicy to top it off.
For this recipe, the spaghetti squash is cooked twice. First, it's steamed in the Instant Pot or roasted in the oven. Then, the cooked strands are baked with cheese, green chiles, black beans and spices.
How to Cut Spaghetti Squash
Be careful when cutting a large squash! The easiest and safest way to cut spaghetti squash is to first cut an inch or two off one end of the squash so you can set the squash upright without it rolling around. This video shows you how.
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Roasting: Roast halves brushed with oil or butter, cut side down on a sheet pan for 45 to 60 minutes at 450 F, until tender and nicely browned.
Instant Pot: Pour 1 cup water into the Instant Pot. Set the spaghetti squash halves cut side down on the steamer rack trivet that comes with the Instant Pot. To fit both halves, you’ll probably have to tilt or stack one of the halves so it isn’t lying flat. Cook on high pressure for 10 to 12 minutes, with instant release.
Microwave: Put halves in a microwave-safe dish, cut side down, with 1-inch of water. Pierce the skin several times with a fork. Microwave for about 20 minutes, until tender.
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Spaghetti Squash Tacos
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Spaghetti squash is roasted with melted cheese, black beans and green chiles to make a delicious filling for Tex-Mex tacos, burritos or quesadillas.
Total cooking time: The spaghetti squash is cooked twice - first, it's steamed or roasted (20 to 45 minutes) and then the cooked strands are baked with cheese, chiles, black beans and spices (25 minutes).
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles (mild or hot)
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 to 4 green onions, chopped
Taco Toppings
Of course you'll want all your favorite taco toppings, like shredded cabbage, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, lime, tortillas and/or chips, etc...
Instructions
First, cook the spaghetti squash. For this recipe, I cook the spaghetti squash in my Instant Pot for convenience, but you can also roast the spaghetti squash for a deeper, more caramelized flavor.
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
Pour 1 cup water into the Instant Pot. Set the spaghetti squash halves cut side down on the steamer rack trivet that comes with the Instant Pot. To fit both halves, you’ll probably have to tilt or stack one of the halves so it isn’t lying flat. Cook on high pressure for 10 to 12 minutes, with instant release.
Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Brush the halves with oil or butter and lay cut side down on a sheet pan. Roast 45 to 60 minutes at 450 F, until tender and nicely browned.
Spaghetti Squash Tacos
- Use a fork to pull and scrape the strands of cooked spaghetti squash apart.
- Heat oven to 425 F
- Spray a 9x13 pan with oil. In the pan, combine the strands of spaghetti squash with cumin, chili powder, salt, cheese, black beans and green chiles. Mix well and smooth out evenly in the pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and the squash is lightly browned on top.
- Top the warm spaghetti squash with green onion.
- Serve with shredded cabbage, cilantro, lime, sour cream, salsa and all your other favorite toppings for tacos.
- These spaghetti squash tacos can be eaten with corn or flour tortillas, or skip the tortilla and serve the spaghetti squash as a taco bowl.
Notes
Add meat: I usually serve this as a vegetarian taco filling, but it's also delicious served with ground beef taco meat. Cook the meat separately, then serve it with the baked spaghetti squash.
More cheese! Don't hesitate to add another cup of grated cheese to the spaghetti squash. The cheesier the better!
This spaghetti squash filling is also delicious in quesadillas. After you've finished baking the spaghetti squash taco filling, spread the spaghetti squash out in a tortilla, add more cheese, and fry in a pan.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Tacos
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: spaghetti squash, spaghetti squash tacos, vegetarian tacos
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