Butternut Squash Pibil

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Before I begin let me just give credit where credit is due. This dish was inspired by the Yucatan, Mexico traditional “Pibil” with all the flavor but no animals. It may look intimidating but I promise if you take your time with this Butternut Squash Pibil you will not regret it.

What occasion is this dish perfect for?

I would say date night, Thanksgiving, Christmas or Valentines Day. But really if you feel like eating butternut squash in June then you go right ahead. Just remember if produce is not in season it tends to be more expensive. Personally I purchased organic butternut squash but you don’t have to if you won’t be eating the outer skin.

Things to remember before we begin

Remember to have your ingredients lined up and read the entire recipe before you begin so that you are not running around. I recommend you have a kitchen towel in case of spills. You will need some muscle to get into this squash safely as it tends to have a really hard outer skin. Shall we begin?

Butternut Squash Pibil

conflictedvegan

4 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 6

Equipment

• Stove
• Basting Brush
• Oven
• Serrated Knife
• Kitchen Twine
• Utility Tongs or Kitchen Towels
• Blender
• Instant Pot if you don't want to use your stove for the beans
• Frying Pan
• Foil or Parchment Paper optional but recommended to reduce cleanup time
• Baking Dish
• Griddle

Ingredients

  

Pibil Sauce

• 12 Ounces Orange Juice
• 500 Grams Achiote Paste
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon Clove
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

The Inner Filling

• 1 Cup Quinoa Trio Includes Red Quinoa and Millet Optional you can also use any kind of grain such as rice.
• 1 Cup Great Northern Beans Soaked Overnight Optional you can also use any kind of pulses that you have on hand such as pinto beans or chickpeas.
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1/4 Cup Minced Onions
• Salt to your preference

The Star of the Show

• 1 Whole Butternut Squash the bigger the better
• 1 Kitchen Twine around 3 feet worth
• 30 Tortillas Optional

Instructions

 

Prepare "The Inner Filling"

• If you have an instant pot I recommend you do the filling there with soaked beans and 1 to 2 cups of water if not you can also use a stove just remember it will take longer. I made mine in the instant pot with overnight soaked beans and they were ready in 20 minutes. You will not need too much water as this will be the filling and the last thing you want is for it to spill all over the place. I know the cooking time may be longer but remember we will be baking these inside the butternut squash so they will cook even more in the oven with the sauce.
  

Prepare "Pibil Sauce"

• Put all ingredients in a blender and mix well.
  
• Your sauce should be runny but we will be cooking half of it down with "The Inner Filling". It should make around 16 ounces
  

Back to "The Inner Filling"

• Mix half of the "Pibil Sauce" or 8 ounces with the beans in a frying pan and add your onions and garlic along with your grain of choice. Remember rice or quinoa take around 15 to 20 minutes to cook so you will be cooking the sauce down and the filling more here.
  
• Once you cook the beans and the grain with the "Pibil Sauce" the consistency should be like a thick oatmeal or rice pudding. Not runny and perfect for filling your butternut squash.
  

The Star of the Show

• Turn on your oven at 350 F and get your serrated knife
  
• Cut long ways so you can have more room for the filling.
  
• You got this!
  
• Remove Seeds and place with open side down on your baking dish lined with foil or parchment paper in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes to soften the inside
  
• Check your butternut squash at the 30 minute mark make sure it is not to soft we want it to be soft but not mushy. You should be able to cut cubes and scoop out the squash to make room for "The Inner Filling".
  
• Leave about 1 to 2 inches of core of the squash so you can tie it nice and tight with the kitchen twine. You will need to put salt on both halves of your squash.
  
• Fill the inner squash with the mix of beans and grains with the Pibil Sauce.
  
• Remember to fill both sides.
  
• Gently flip one half of the squash onto the other rapidly so that none of the filling falls out and tie with kitchen twine. Tie 3 times around every 3 to 4 inches and 1 time long ways.
  
• Baste the outer part of the squash and place in the oven for 60 minutes. I basted every 15 minutes to achieve the nice red outer layer. This is optional but recommended.
  
• This is the color you will want to see.
  

The Pickled Onions and Habanero Pepper

• Finely chop your onions and habanero pepper and squeeze most of the juice on the purple onion. The habanero is optional but recommended, use a fork so that you don't get habanero all over your hands.
  

The Grand Finale

• Carefully place your squash on a plate
  
• Heat your tortillas on an open flame, microwave, comal or griddle and garnish the squash with pickled onions on the side and cut as you desire.
  
• If you have children that do not tolerate spice you can place the onions and habanero peppers in a separate bowl.
  
• 

Notes

Have questions on this recipe? Feel free to email me at conflictedvegan@gmail.com questions are typically answered Monday thru Sunday between 12 and 2 pm central time. Sign up for my newsletter for new recipes every week.

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Keyword butternut, pibil, plantbased,, recipe, squash, vegan