We’re taking it all the way back to 2013. Yes, over 10 years ago, when I discovered an extra butternut squash lying around and decided to cook up some magic.
If you love my famous Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas, get ready for an incredible winter version. In a freaking skillet. OMG, yes.
Let’s discuss this magical concoction that jumped out of my mind, into the skillet, and onto my plate…or we could just stare at photos and drool? Each bite is filled with tender, slightly sweet butternut squash, delicious black beans, crave-able tortilla strips, and layers of melted cheese.
This vegetarian enchilada skillet is the perfect meal when you’re craving enchiladas but don’t feel like doing all that rolling. It’s SO easy to make in just one pan in about 30 minutes and might just become one of your new fav dinners (unless it has been for the past 10 years!)
Everything you’ll need to make this enchilada skillet
This recipe is one of those throw-everything-in-the-pan ones that just work. We’ve got veggies, protein, fiber, and plenty of warming spices. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Veggies: you’ll dice up about a 2lb butternut squash for this delicious skillet. I love the subtle sweetness it adds. You’ll also need an onion and a jalapeño, and you’ll cook them all down in a little olive oil.
- Herbs & spices: we’re adding flavor to the skillet with fresh garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, salt & pepper.
- Black beans: get that healthy dose of protein and fiber from a can of black beans! Pinto beans would also be delicious.
- Tortillas: I like to use yellow corn tortillas in this enchilada skillet. You’ll cut those into thick strips for layering.
- Enchilada sauce: feel free to use a can of enchilada sauce for ease, or try my Homemade Enchilada Sauce!
- Cheese: sprinkle on plenty of shredded Mexican cheese or Colby Jack for that cheesy goodness (and extra protein).
- For serving: I like to top my plate with fresh cilantro and a dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream. Oh, and my homemade guacamole and/or salsa would be next-level delicious.
Customize your enchilada skillet
Because it’s made with simple ingredients, this vegetarian enchilada skillet is easy to customize! Here’s what I can recommend:
- Choose your veggies: feel free to add in any veggies that are in season! Sweet potato would be a great swap for the squash, and zucchini, bell pepper, or corn would be great spring & summer options.
- Pick your tortillas: as I mentioned, you can absolutely use flour tortillas if you’d like. Using corn tortillas will keep this dish gluten-free.
- Add a boost of protein: looking for even more protein? Add 1-2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken, ground chicken, or ground turkey. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken or even a rotisserie chicken!
- Go dairy-free: easily swap the cheese for your favorite vegan/dairy-free cheese, or omit the cheese and drizzle the skillet with my Jalapeño Green Tahini Sauce.
How to prep your butternut squash
You’re going to want to peel and cube the butternut squash before adding it to this recipe, so get all of my tips & tricks for safely doing so here.
Vegetarian enchilada skillet in 3 steps
We’re stirring up oooey gooey enchilada love here. Here’s how to make it:
- Cook your veggies. Start by cooking down the onion, garlic & jalapeño in a large oven-proof skillet with olive oil for a few minutes. Add the cubed squash and spices, and cook until the squash is slightly tender.
- Add the enchilada ingredients. Stir in the black beans, corn tortilla strips, and enchilada sauce. Reduce the heat and stir in some cheese.
- Broil & serve. Add additional cheese and plate the skillet under your broiler to get it nice and melty. Then serve with cilantro, greek yogurt or sour cream, and guacamole if you’d like!
Tips for prepping it ahead of time
There are a couple of ways that you can save even more time when making this enchilada skillet so that it’s even more meal prep friendly:
- Feel free to cube your butternut squash, chop your onion, and dice your jalapeño 1-2 days beforehand. Store the onion and jalapeño together, and the squash separately, in airtight containers in the refrigerator. That way, you can pour them into your skillet and cook up the skillet quickly.
- If you want to go a step further, feel free to saute all of your veggies 1 day before (be sure not to overcook), let them cool, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. The next day, you can warm them in your skillet and continue with step 2 of the recipe.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Simply reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- To freeze: place any leftover enchilada skillet in a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, dump the frozen skillet directly into an oven-safe skillet, cover, and cook on low until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat from frozen at 350 degrees F in an oven-safe pan covered with foil for 30-40 minutes until heated through.
More vegetarian dinners to try
- Cozy Roasted Vegetable Butternut Squash Lasagna
- One Pot Butternut Squash Yellow Curry
- Mom’s Authentic Puerto Rican Rice and Beans
- Crispy Black Bean Tacos
- Vegan Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas with Jalapeño Cashew Crema
Get all of my vegetarian dinner recipes here!
I hope you love this butternut squash and black bean enchilada skillet! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
30-Minute Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 3 cups ½-inch-diced, peeled butternut squash (from about a 2-lb. squash)
- salt and pepper, to season
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ jalapeño, diced (and seeded if you want less spice)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 yellow corn tortillas, cut into thick strips
- 1 (15 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup shredded colby jack or mexican cheese (or whatever you prefer), divided
- cilantro and greek yogurt, for serving
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large oven-proof skillet and place over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook 3-5 minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add cubed squash, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is slightly tender, about 10 minutes or so. Sometimes it helps if you cover the pan with a lid to create condensation, which will help to speed up the cooking time. You want the squash to be fork tender, but not so tender that it starts to fall apart and become mush.
- Next, add the black beans, corn tortilla pieces, and the can of enchilada sauce and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle in 1/2 cup of cheese. Stir again and simmer for a few minutes. Turn on your oven broiler to high. Sprinkle an additional 1/2 cup of cheese (or more if you'd like!) over the top of the enchilada mixture and place in oven under broiler for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Feel free to add in cilantro. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, or hot sauce if you'd like! Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on January 4th, 2013, republished with new photos on February 17th, 2023, and republished on January 7th, 2026.
This was absolutely delicious. Other than transferring to an oven safe casserole dish, followed recipe and used ground chicken. Had avocado, canned serranos and cilantro for garnish. It was a hit and a recipe on the keeper list. loved loved loved, thank you for a simple, healthy, delicious meal!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
This was so easy and delicious. I made it with homemade enchilada sauce. Putting a lid and a splash of water in with the squash definitely helped it cook faster. I will be making again!
Amazing! Glad you enjoyed!
The whole family (including my toddler) loved this recipe! I added ground beef. Thank for for this delicious, quick, weeknight dinner 🙂
So happy to hear that!
THIS IS SO GOOD. I used to make this all the time when I was broke in college and it is a great meal prep. Reheating these for breakfast the next day with an egg on top hits so hard.
YES I love those leftovers for breakfast!
Wow this was utterly fabulous and easy!!! Thanks for another delicious and nutritious recipe. I might try it with sweet potatoes next!
I’m so glad you loved it 🙂
Monique, another homerun! I had a butternut squash and wasn’t sure what to make with it. I came upon this recipe and just knew it would be a winner. And it was. Perfect for meatless Mondays or any day of the week. I will definitely be making this again and again. I just love your recipes, have made so many of them and have never been disappointed. Thank you for making my life so much easier when it comes to cooking.
Thank you for trusting me with dinner, Karen! So glad you loved this one 🙂
Can I use frozen squash?
I would recommend fresh over frozen. Once frozen cooks it down it might turn a bit mushy, unfortunately!
This was delicious! I followed the recipe, except using a homemade enchilada sauce and dairy-free cheese. I used 2 Cassavaberry Gluten-free & Grain-free tortillas. The chopped cilantro on top was amazing! I used plain Cocoyo yogurt as our sour cream.
Sounds absolutely delicious!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I swapped out the canned enchilada sauce for your homemade enchilada sauce. I think that put it over the top. Thank you for another yummy nutritious meal!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I roasted the butternut squash first. Easy to make and so good!
Great way to save some time! Such a great dinner 🙂
“130 thumbs up!” according to my five-year-old. 🙂 I made this almost exactly to the recipe, adding some cooked chicken for extra protein, and it was fabulous!
Aww I love that! Glad it was a hit!
I just made this tonight for my family, everyone loved it. I thought it would be nice to have my sister try it since the squash came from her garden. I just didn’t use jalapeños, bc I didn’t think her kids would eat spicy, so I used a can of mild green chills and added chicken. I will say we have zero leftovers, so thank you for this recipe, I’ll be making this again.
Amazing! Great idea to use squash straight from the garden 🙂 Glad everyone enjoyed!
This recipe is so. Good. I don’t usually comment on things like this but I can’t believe how awesome this turned out when it was so easy. I had to leave out a few things that I didn’t have (cilantro, sour cream etc.) but it still tastes incredible. You’ve got to try this!! I would also recommend strips of tortilla about 3-4 inches long so they’re bit sized
Easy fool proof recipe! I used pre-cubed butternut squash to save time. Leftovers are delicious!
YES even easier! Glad you enjoyed!
Absolutely delicious! I’ll make this recipe again.
Great tasting recipe but the cook time is way off. It took nearly 40 minutes for the squash to soften enough to be edible. Flavor was great but be prepared for this take significantly longer than the recipe calls for.
So strange! Were your squash pieces 1/2 inch? Glad it tasted great!
Such a good recipe! Not big squash eaters here but this was so, so good! I did add chicken, and skipped the tortilla strips for crunchy chips on the side. Grated a frozen jalapeño into the onions, and made your enchilada sauce too from last year’s frozen tomatoes! I appreciate you!
Love that! Glad you enjoyed!
I love cooking, but don’t love rolling enchiladas, so when I saw this recipe I had to try it. I did make my own enchilada sauce, which was its own adventure. I also ended up substituting sweet potatoes for the butternut squash because the one I had ended up being past its prime once I cut it open. I was honestly skeptical about mixing in the cut up corn tortillas, but I followed the recipe and it really was quite delicious and fairly simple to make! My husband even said I could make it again (high praise from him). I also made it in an enamel coated cast iron dutch oven (instead of a pan) and that worked out well. I’m trying to eat more plant based meals and am always so appreciative when I find one that is so satisfying…thank you!
So happy to hear that! Perfect dinner 🙂
Great flavor and easy and quick to make by using already prepped squash. 5 star recipe!
Delicious! Could make this all the time so yummy and easy
So glad you loved it!
This dish was perfect for my family of six, it was very simple to make as well. I added shredded chicken and it took it up a notch! I made the mistake of doubling the recipe and it was well over enough!
Amazing! Glad it was a hit!
Hi! What is the best way to reheat this? Thanks!
Michaela
Hi! I typically just reheat portions in the microwave, but you could do so in the oven, too.
This is delicious!! Made this twice in one week. The second time I added ground turkey (cooked before in the pot, then removed it and added it back in with the black beans), which was also delicious! The squash took longer then 10 minutes both times to soften properly (more like 15-20 mins) but it was worth it! Thanks for the recipe!!
So glad you loved it! Great idea to add ground turkey!
Great recipe. Quick and easy to make and bonus that is a one pot meal.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Would tortilla chips work if I don’t have corn tortillas?
I’d suggest making the skillet without the corn tortillas and then scooping it up with tortilla chips instead! The chips might be prone to breaking and getting a bit soggy if you mix them into the skillet mixture.
5 Stars….Yum!!! Followed the recipe and topped with cilantro, sour cream and taco sauce. It was just as good reheated the next day. Thank you for sharing this one.
So happy to hear that!
This was delicious! My husband liked it too and said to add it to the regular meal rotation. I’m working toward a more plant-based diet and wanted to make a black bean dish. This had so much flavor that it didn’t even need cheese. I used flour tortillas because that’s what I already had at home and it was still delicious. I’m going to try this next time with green enchilada sauce to give it a different twist.
Amazing! So glad you both enjoyed!
I don’t gravitate towards vegetarian dishes, but was hosting a gathering that required the main dish to be vegetarian. Due to size of the group, I had to double+ the quantities and make it in two skillets. I considered adding shredded chicken to the second skillet but was so glad I didn’t because I thoroughly enjoyed the recipe without it. I didn’t use or offer cilantro or greek yogurt, but I did have sour cream and guacamole available. This was my first time cooking with Butternut Squash, I was grateful for the link to the tips and tricks on how to peel and cube the squash. I cut up the squash, onions, jalapenos and tortillas, as well as shred the cheese, the night before for a quicker cook time the day of the gathering. I have now shared this recipe with multiple people.
Amazing! So happy this was a hit with everyone!
Great recipe! This was delish and filling; for the first time, I liked butternut squash. Thank you! I followed the recipe except I substituted garbanzo beans for the black beans since my daughter and I do not love black beans. I loved how easy the recipe was to follow and how it only used one pan. So yummy! Will make again for sure.
One of our fav easy dinners! Glad it was a hit 🙂
I love butternut squash and this recipe delivers. My husband loved it as well. Thank you again for a delicious recipe.
This was an awesome recipe. Delicious! I did use sweet potatoes and didn’t have corn tortillas so I used organic frito style corn chips. Great substitution.
Ooo that sounds delicious!!
I make Skillet Cabbage Rolls and Skillet Stuffed Peppers. And now Skillet Enchiladas. This looks like a winner to me.
Love that! Enjoy!
This is very good however, I increased the cumin to 1 1/2 tsp and added a 1/2 tsp of paprika and a tsp of garlic powder. I also added a half cup of frozen corn. I will definitely make it again.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I making this right now so I can’t rate it yet. Can you freeze this?
thank you for your time,
Janice
Yes, absolutely! Hope you love it!
Oh my gosh! This was so delicious!! 100% recommend. In fact, I’ve already shared the recipe with 3 friends and am planning on bringing it to a get together in a week. I can’t wait! I added ground beef to it which was so good too. My husband ate his in tortillas and I ate mine like nachos. I will also say, I didn’t add in the strips of tortilla into the dish. That’s the one thing I left out. 10 out of 10 would absolutely recommend.
Amazing! Great idea to eat this as nachos or tacos!
Can I use frozen butternut squash that’s already cut? Thx. Cant wait to try.
Yes! I’d just recommend thawing it before using it in the recipe.
Inexpensive, healthy, DELICIOUS dinner!! Excellent recipe! Perfect for meatless Monday, or any day of the week. I made a homemade enchilada sauce and used a combination of Colby jack and pepper jack cheese, and added one can of corn.
One of my fav vegetarian meals ever! Glad you loved it!
This is soooo delicious!! I had half a roasted butternut squash and thought I’d try this recipe out to use it up. It is a super yummy recipe!!! I made a few changes — I ended up making enchilada sauce since the can I had on hand expired six months ago. Oops! Also, I had jarred jalapeños (not expired) and subbed these for fresh. It all came together beautifully. I will definitely make this again! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Amazing! Glad you loved this one!
Made this one as a healthier super bowl dinner! Super filling and satisfied that cheesy/dip feeling of a super bowl food without the upset stomach! I used mini sweet peppers instead of jalapeno because it’s what I had on hand, but then I accidentally overcompensated with cayenne pepper. Will follow the spices/measurements Monqiue listed next time 🙂
Love that idea! This one’s great for customizing (but yes, cayenne can be pretty powerful!)
So tasty! Will be adding to my meal rotation. Instead of tortillas, I added an extra can of beans. I served on taco shells with lettuce, sour cream, and avocado. So yummy!!