Want to hear the most exciting thing that happened to me this weekend? Finding pre-cut organic butternut squash while doing my grocery shopping. It was so exciting, that I instagrammed it.
Is that totally pathetic? Or would you be just as excited as me?
I think I’m at this awkward age/stage in life where I have no idea what I’m “supposed” to be excited about. Butternut Squash? Partying all night? Both? Neither?
Is it wrong that these days squash makes me happier than wine?
That last question was rhetorical. Yes, it’s wrong. But if loving squash over wine is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
Um. While I contemplate my daily life choices, you should contemplate making this spicy ground beef and butternut squash dish. It’s an easy-to-make weeknight dish that’s perfect for this season. It’s kind of like a “dry chili” or a “dry curry” – if you know what I mean. If you don’t know what I mean, then make this and you’ll understand. Promise.
“This was surprisingly delicious! It’s not a combination I would have tried, but your recipes have never disappointed me and I had some squash ends to use up, so I gave it a try. So glad I did! We will definitely eat this again.”
Cyndi
I really love the flavor and heat that freshly ground black pepper adds to a dish, but if you’re not a fan of spicy food, then just halve the amount of black pepper that the recipe calls for. You can also leave out the serrano pepper, or just remove the rib when mincing it. Or just send your serrano peppers to me. We love them here – I always have a minimum of 5 serrano peppers in my fridge. When I get low, it’s time to head to the store.
Once this dish it’s fully cooked, add plenty of freshly minced sage on top – to give it extra fall feel. Yes, fall feel is a thing.
If you’re not a fan of butternut squash (whaat?), you can use a different type of squash or even sweet potatoes instead. I actually have a Sweet Potato and Ground Beef Curry on the blog if you want to go that route.
But personally, I think you should enjoy all things butternut squash while we’re in the prime of squash/pumpkin season.
Spicy Ground Beef and Butternut Squash
Spicy Ground Beef and Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 Serrano pepper minced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Big pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound peeled cubes of butternut squash* see notes
- Small handful of fresh sage minced
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and Serrano pepper and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown.
- Add garlic, spices and ground beef and mix well.
- Once the beef begins to brown, add the butternut squash and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid for 10 minutes, or until the butternut squash is cooked through.
- Remove the lid, add fresh sage and mix well.
- Serve.
Notes
Della Lou says
Love this!! But I have a question!!! If I don’t have a squash can you substitute sweet potato???!!!🤔
Martha Rodarte says
It tasted amazing. Will add this to dinner rotation. Thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad to hear that 🙂
April says
This was delicious. The flavors are interesting and mingle well. We had a little rice with it. I’ll make this again. Thank you for sharing.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad to hear that 🙂
Sarah Eden says
Looks great Ashley, but how many servings does this make? I’m guessing 4, but can you confirm please? Thx
Deb W says
This was really EASY and FLAVORFUL. I’ve never cooked with butternut squash before and I am now a huge fan! Thanks for the easy, tasty, low mess recipe!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Deb, I’m so glad to hear that 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you.
Pat says
I amazed at how tasty this is! Great recipe, thank you.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Pat, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Hailey says
I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count. It’s a crowd pleaser and reheats well.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hailey, that’s so nice to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this 🙂
Cyndi says
This was surprisingly delicious! It’s not a combination I would have tried, but your recipes have never disappointed me and I had some squash ends to use up, so I gave it a try. So glad I did! We will definitely eat this again.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Cyndi! Glad you tried it and enjoyed it 🙂
Anastasia says
I’ve made this multiple times, it’s a family favorite! Thank you for sharing it.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Anastasia, that’s so great to hear 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Bethany says
Did you make this with regular 80/20? I don’t see that the grease is drained. Will there be too much?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Bethany, you can use whatever ground beef you prefer – if you don’t like too much fat, feel free to use leaner ground beef. Hope that helps! Let me know if you try this 🙂
Steve says
Very tasty recipe. Now a regular meal with us. Cannot buy Serrano pepper in my UK village so use any red chilli pepper I get on click and collect. ….sometimes too hot for my wife. Also use dried sage which is fine.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Steve, glad to hear that you like this, thanks for sharing. 🙂
Kasey says
So delicious! Have made this tons of times and the whole family enjoys 🙂 I usually leave out the nutmeg and serrano pepper so not too spicy, don’t always have fresh sage, and have subbed in other types of squash- always delicious. Thanks Ashley!
My Heart Beets says
Kasey, I’m so happy to hear that you’ve made this so many times and that your family likes it so much! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Joy says
Love this recipe! I make it once a week!
My Heart Beets says
Joy, that’s so great to hear 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how much you like this dish!
Ladyjorns says
Flavorful, caramelized bits of spicy ground beef and a sweet, starchy veggie. Really, what more do you need?
My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad you like this dish so much! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Mari H says
Made this tonight in my instant pot- the squash basically dissolved so it was more of a stew. I also added extra minced garlic along with some pomegranate molasses to give it more of a middle eastern flavor. It was amazing! Husband inhaled it. Will keep this recipe for future use.
My Heart Beets says
Your subs sound great! I’ll have to try the pomegrante molasses in this some time, thanks!
Sheila Getty says
Where do you find pomegranate molasses and how much did you add? I followed the recipe, it was delicious, but felt it needed some little extra element.
Rose Martine says
Thank you so much for wonderful recipes! What I love about your website most of all is that you post not only great recipes and descriptions but also stunning photos of food! Have a nice day!
My Heart Beets says
Rose, thank you so much for the kind words! I’m always working on my photography so that means a lot. I really appreciate it 🙂
Maddy Chatterjee says
This was an instant family favorite! I followed the recipe exactly as written but needed more cooking time because my butternut squash pieces were not very small.
Will repeat with adding more vegetables- maybe bell peppers- and mushrooms.
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Maddy, I’m so happy to hear that you liked this dish! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Alli says
This recipe is amazing. I had signed up for Misfit Markets and got several butternut squashes, and didn’t know what to do with them. My husband and I are not generally fans of squash, but we both (and my son) love this recipe. They have asked that I add some cheese, which I will do next time, so well see how that works. 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Alli, thank you!! I’m so glad you and your family liked this dish so much! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you guys 🙂
Shelly says
This was absolutely yummy!! I didn’t put the peppers in…but I did put crushed red pepper flakes. Also sprinkled nutritional yeast on top. My husband loaded butter on it. Even my super picky son cleaned his plate!
Definitely a keeper!
My Heart Beets says
Shelly, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you and your family 🙂
Deb says
Delicious! I didn’t have a hot pepper on hand so I substituted siracha sauce. We ate ours on a bed of fresh spinach. So good!
My Heart Beets says
Deb, that’s great to hear! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Angela says
I made this for dinner tonight! It was awesome!
My Heart Beets says
Angela, so happy to hear that!!
Tawnia says
Delicious and quick to prepare, even cutting up my own squash from the garden. Definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
My Heart Beets says
Tawnia, that’s awesome! I’m so glad you like the recipe 🙂
Robin says
This was delicious! My husband and I don’t like hot spice, so I left out the serrano pepper. I didn’t have fresh sage and had to use dried, otherwise I followed the recipe and we loved it! We will definitely be having this again. Thank you.
My Heart Beets says
Robin, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you both 🙂
Michelle says
I used boneless chicken breast instead of ground beef & it was very delicious!!
My Heart Beets says
Michelle, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Theda says
This was so amazing!!!! I can’t have meat at the moment, so I used the vegan meatless Smart Ground. We we’re super impressed.
Spicy, but kept you going for the next bite.
My Heart Beets says
Theda, I’m so glad you liked it!! 🙂 Great to know about the vegan sub!
Theda says
This was so amazing!!!!
My Heart Beets says
So happy to hear that!!
Tara says
Do you roast the squash before you add it to the skillet? I’m so excited to try out this recipe!
My Heart Beets says
nope, add the raw cubes in and they will cook in the skillet 🙂 let me know what you think Tara!
Joyce says
I’ve never heard of a Serrano pepper. Avocado oil not really available in this rural small town I used green pepper, red pepper, olive oil. 4 cloves of garlic seemed like too much. Husband doesn’t like butternut squash.
I kept thinking this needs something I got a little shredded cheddar cheese. That made a big difference. Husband ate it, Next time put the extra garlic in he liked it.
The parts of this I didn’t like were things I did wrong. It didn’t take long to make I didn’t buy squash I picked one out of my garden. So I had a little extra prep time.
Jen says
My husband and I LOVE this recipe so much! We are having a baby in August so I’m desperately trying to freeze meals, I’m wondering if you’ve tried freezing and reheating this? Maybe not cooking it fully, then defrosting and heating up in a covered pan? Would love to be able to add it to the stash! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
My Heart Beets says
Jen, that’s so great to hear! Congrats!! I haven’t tried freezing this recipe but I think it’d be good! You could also leave the butternut squash out and then just add it or another veggie in once you thaw it – that way there’s no chance of the squash getting mushy.
Melody Severud says
This was so yummy! This was so easy to make. I loved it the way it was but had to add some volume. I added a can of organic diced tomatoes, a red pepper. Both were great.
My Heart Beets says
Melody, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Sarah says
This recipe is so crazy good! I roasted the squash while doing the rest of the prep because I was hungry and impatient. Used the whole Serrano and a pinch of hot paprika in addition to the sweet. I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow! Thank you! This is going on my regular rotation. PS – don’t skip the sage!
My Heart Beets says
Sarah, so happy to hear that!! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Bobbie says
Can you prepare this in an instant pot? If so on what setting and for how long? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Bobbie, I haven’t tested it this way but my guess is that the butternut might get too soft. You can try browning the beef then pressure cooking for just a minute to cook the squash? Let me know if you try it!
Trish says
I have made this several times and absolutely love it!! Very easy to make. The last few times I made it, I added spinach during the last minute and let it wilt. Just trying to get in some extra veggies 😉. Adding the spinach did not take away from the delicious flavors. Thank you for this great recipe!
My Heart Beets says
Trish, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 And great tip about the spinach! I’ll definitely try that next time I make this!
Ally says
This was so easy and delicious! Came together quickly for an awesome mid-week meal. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and also added 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper to the spices. I anticipated this serving my partner & I for dinner & each having leftovers for lunch, but he went back for THIRDS! Can’t wait to try another recipe of yours!
My Heart Beets says
Ally, wow thirds! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you both 🙂
Von says
Have you tried it with ground turkey? I’m not a fan of ground beef… BUT LOVE SQUASH!
My Heart Beets says
I haven’t but I’m sure it’ll be great with ground turkey 🙂
Christie says
I made this tonight since it came up in my real meal planner and we loved it! My 4 year old ate it all! I did leave out the hot pepper but that was the only change. I knew she would complain about that lol. This didn’t use a lot of kitchen utensils to prep either. Overall it was a pleasure to make and eat!
My Heart Beets says
Christie, I’m so glad you all liked it so much! Especially your 4-year-old! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 Just curious – is this a meal plan program? Sounds neat 🙂
Amy says
Made this tonight. Delicious! Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Amy, that’s great to hear! I’m so happy that you liked it 🙂
Kim says
I’m wondering if you could use this with brown rice lasagna pasta? I also would use ground turkey. Serve with a salad. Call it a complete meal? Gotta try this!
My Heart Beets says
That sounds delicious, let me know how it goes!
Jessica Castorena (via Google Docs) says
I’ve made it twice now! I love the flavors together.
My Heart Beets says
Jessica, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Michelle says
Loved this dish! Made it with ground turkey in my cast iron skillet, it was a perfect Fall dish~
Thank you for the recipe!
My Heart Beets says
Michelle, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Tani says
So, I’m assuming you eat this as is because its delicious and a great recipe (thanks for sharing). Yet, I come from a background that usually serves meals with a ton of side dishes and such. What are some other things that would go well with this dish? Is that a weird question? I don’t know.
It is really good though and I plan to make more this season!
My Heart Beets says
Tani, I think this would be great with some type of rice (or cauli-rice) pilaf! You can also serve it with a salad or I bet roasted veggies would also be delicious!
Sue says
Butternut squash and spicy beef was delicious!!!! I had to substitute all spice for the cloves and nutmeg ( didn’t know i was out) and i used a farm fresh squash so i added about a 1/4 cup of water to help steam. I will be making this again!!!
My Heart Beets says
Sue, that is so great to hear!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Daniel R. S. says
Great recipe. Made it for my wife and it was a hit! Going to pair the leftovers with a fried egg on top for brunch tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing!
My Heart Beets says
Daniel, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you both 🙂
Kat says
Okay. Going to try this tonight. My husband can’t have onions, black pepper or garlic. So will sub onions and garlic for leeks ( yes he can have that 😊 ) and Cayanne pepper for the black pepper, pretty standard for this house by he can’t have a lot if things.
Always on the hunt for something full of flavor, so I’m excited to try this. Thank you for the recipe.
Denise Grey says
Made this tonight and it was delicious!! My husband asked me To keep it In the rotation.. it was that good… thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Wow, that’s great to hear! Glad you guys liked it 🙂
Rosanna says
Oh my gosh! I just reread it and I found my answer! I’m so embarrassed! Thank you!!
Rosanna says
I have never made anything with butternut squash before. Are you supposed to cook the squash in anyway before you add it or does it cook with the beef?
Kristy says
Ooh, this sounds great! I’ve had a butternut squash lying around for a while – now I know what I’m doing with it! (Unfortunately I’ll have to prep it since it’s not all pre-peeled and cut like yours).
My Heart Beets says
Hope you love it!
Tracey says
I’m a BIG fan of easy, delicious meals, so I’m looking forward to trying this tonight. One question I have is, do you have a suggestion to get rid of the grease from the ground beef before combining it with all the other ingredients? I don’t want the butternut squash sitting in all that grease.
My Heart Beets says
Tracey, I can’t wait to hear what you think of it! I use grassfed beef which is pretty lean but you can remove grease if you’d like.
Rena says
Any thoughts on a good side dish to this? I was thinking salad and mashed cauliflower?
My Heart Beets says
Those sound like great sides to me 🙂
Natalie says
My family loves this dish! I made it tonight while my husband is away, and he was so bummed to have missed it. Even my 3-year-old daughter loves it! And it is so easy and quick! Such a wonderful recipe! Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Natalie, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much y’all like it 🙂
Katie says
This was delicious and super easy to make! Will definitely make it again- thanks!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that!
Kim says
This is one of the best dishes I have ever made. Definitely a keeper!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
Carolyn says
Mmmm…..So glad I found this recipe! I love butternut squash but wanted to make something other than soup and roasted. This was delicious and I will be making it again for sure. I didn’t have any serrano peppers or sage on hand so I substituted chili powder and omitted sage and it worked out deliciously.
My Heart Beets says
I’m happy that you found it too! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Zoevina says
I was planning to make this for dinner tonight but do not have nutmeg. Will it turn out with out the nutmeg and can I substitute fresh sage for fresh basil?
Kathy Murphy says
I want to make this a day ahead and reheat it in the oven on thanksgiving morning to serve with dinner,
So my question is at what temperature and for how long do I reheat this dish in the oven to get it hot all throughout again????
Please help!!!!
Sharon says
Squash is my favorite. My guy loves beef. We both were happy. All gone. Great combo. Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Happy to hear that!! 🙂
Colleen Wilkins says
How many servings is this recipe. I’m eating Paleo so I need to adjust serving sizes as I go
My Heart Beets says
Hi Colleen, I don’t list serving sizes often because I’m not very good at judging how many people recipes will feed… it’s a pound of beef and a pound of butternut squash. I think it should make four meals? Sorry this isn’t more helpful…
Marcia says
Thank you, we loved this! You are so generous to have shared this
My Heart Beets says
Happy to hear that you loved the recipe!! 🙂
Stephanie says
Ok so I made this for dinner tonight. The only tweaks I made were using smoked paprika and adding half a teaspoon of cayenne. (I add it literally wherever I think I can get away with it)…. This was seriously amazing. AMAZING. We also bought the pre-cut butternut squash from Costco. That’s how I even found this recipe. Hoping this becomes a staple here. Sooooo good! I need your opinion though. Do you think making it (doubling the recipe) would keep and reheat in a crockpot the next day? My work is having a potluck and I super want to make this.
My Heart Beets says
Stephanie, I’m so glad you liked it!! 🙂 Yes, you can double it and keep it on your slow cooker’s warm mode. If you keep it on “low”, I would just be careful not to cook it for too long so the squash doesn’t become soft/mushy! Let me know how this turns out/what your coworkers think of the recipe!!
Bonnie says
I just made this for a house full of people including babies. Everyone loved it, though Im not sure they loved it as much as I did. For the babies sake I left out the peppers and added some turmeric for my tummies sake. I also cooked some jasmine rice with the same spices and it was SO yummy! You are my new favorite person. Next ill try your tandoori salmon.
My Heart Beets says
That’s awesome!! So happy everyone liked it so much 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of my salmon recipe!
Jen says
I came searching for an eggplant recipe, and ended up making this. This is a simple amazing recipe packed with flavor! I don’t mind the ground beef like this at all. Wondering, will removing the peppers change the flavor a lot? I’d like to make it more child friendly.
My Heart Beets says
hey Jen! I’m glad you found my website 🙂 You can definitely remove the serrano pepper – just add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes to your bowl if you prefer it spicy. Hope that helps!
Nicole says
Made this tonight and it turned out really well! Do you have any recommendations of vegetables/legumes we could add to pack in a little more nutrition without messing with the flavor?
I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
My Heart Beets says
I’m sure you can add other veggies to this and it’d still turn out tasty. If it’s not as flavorful, just add more spices/salt. Glad you liked it!
Theresa says
I added riced cauliflower. I didn’t have the Serrano pepper I literally found your recipe trying to figure out what to do with butternut and ground beef, and I’m so glad I found it. This was really good . Thank you so much
My Heart Beets says
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Sherri says
That’s how I found the recipe too. My husband and I both loved it!!
kathi says
I was just looking for something to do with ground beef and butternut squash and I’m so happy I found this.
It is beyond delicious. I didn’t have the pepper either so I substituted some Chipotle and I was lucky enough to have some fresh paprika and cumin from Morocco that my daughter just brought me. Thank you for such an easy, fantastic dish. Serving mine with salad and rice.
My Heart Beets says
Kathi, I’m so happy to hear that!!
Cristin says
Diddo, I usually have a lot on hand of everything but don’t like to make the same thing twice. My husband has been on Keto for a year now and I love to surprise him with NEW every night but
This is now my second time trying this and going to try in the instant pot tonight wish me luck.
My Heart Beets says
Let us know how it goes in the instant pot! 🙂
Lisa Pope says
I added a bunch of kale! I strip the stems and cut them up too, cooking them with onions to soften, then adding the leaves at the end. Instead of just fresh sage, I browned it in butter before adding, yum… plus sprinkled with parm! Amazing! and my bf that won’t usually eat squash and kale, loved it too!
Rena says
I plan to make this over a bed of hummus tonight, which will add that extra protein
My Heart Beets says
Love that idea! 🙂
Emily says
My fiancé and I are OBSESSED with your recipes! Thank you! This was DELISH!
My Heart Beets says
Emily, hooray! Happy to hear that 🙂 And I’m glad you liked this dish!
Beth says
This is amazing! I can’t have nightshades so I left out the paprika and Serrano peppers, but even then the flavor was incredible. I knew I had a busy evening, so cooked the meat and onion/garlic on the stove, then added it along with everything else to the slow cooker and cooked on high for a couple hours. We got home and the house smelled warm and inviting. This is another one of your recipes going in my recipe book. I will probably try sees potatoes next time because I always have them on hand. Thanks for making the healthy life sooo much tastier!
My Heart Beets says
So happy to hear that, Beth!! Love the slow cooker tip! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Daisy says
You do realise that potatoes are nightshades?
Natosha says
Do you realize that sweet potatoes are not nightshades?
Beth says
As a matter of fact, yes I do. Pretty sure anyone with a nightshade allergy would know that. Sweet potatoes are not nightshades.
Sarah says
Hi Beth!
Did you add any liquid to the Crock-Pot?
Thank you!
Kat says
I’ve tried a bunch of your recipes now and I am so glad to have found your site. Made this for dinner tonight and absolutely loved it. The hubby who claims to hate all forms of squash, utterly devoured it too. I didn’t have the Serrano pepper so I subbed cayenne powder in a pinch and seemed to blend with the dish beautifully. Can’t wait to try it again with the Serrano. Thanks Ashley! 😀
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Kat!! So happy to hear that you and your hubby loved the dish!! 🙂
Monique Vigil-fields says
Made this tonight for dinner and it was fabulous! So tasty and not too spicy. I recommend adding an additional Serrano pepper if you like your food with a kick. Served this ontop of some Jasmin rice and it was fantastic. The hubby said it’s definitely a do over dish!
My Heart Beets says
Monique, I’m so happy to hear that!! Glad you and your hubby liked this dish 🙂