There’s just one food on our mind these days — pumpkin. Whether it’s pumpkin pie or a pumpkin spice latte, it’s officially squash season. But pumpkin isn’t just limited to amazing desserts. You can use this seasonal ingredient for savory entrees, too. And this pumpkin and chorizo taco is just what you need to bring out the fall vibes.
Pumpkin season generally begins in mid-September and lasts throughout October and November. So now is the perfect time to go to your local farmers market, pick up a pumpkin and start cooking. You can stuff your pumpkin into empanadas or roast it and serve it with meat sauce, but let’s be honest: it’s hard to beat a taco.
Spicy chorizo and sweet pumpkin roasted with cinnamon and cumin make for a phenomenal seasonal contrast, which is amplified by other autumnal ingredients like shredded red cabbage, toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro, which add a little crunch and a little freshness to this hearty hybrid taco. Serve with some homemade salsa, a little guacamole and margaritas for a festive weeknight dinner.
Not feeling pumpkin this fall? You can easily swap it out for another sweet fall squash like delicata, kabocha or butternut and saute that with the chorizo. Need a vegetarian option? Keep the pumpkin but substitute chorizo for a veggie or plant-based protein source like soyrizo or spicy black beans. And you don’t always have to use the filling in this recipe to make tacos, try it out in burritos, sopes, empanadas or in a rice bowl. But if you’re feeling tacos, make this and more of our best taco recipes for any day of the week.
Pumpkin Tacos With Chorizo and Chipotle
Ingredients:
1 pie or sugar pumpkin (about 2 pounds), peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound Mexican chorizo
1 to 2 chipotles en adobo, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
Handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
12 corn tortillas, warmed
Directions:
Step 1: Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat the oven to 400F.
Step 2: In a large bowl, toss pumpkin cubes (from 1 pie or sugar pumpkin that’s been peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes) with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1 teaspoon salt. Place on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the oven; cook for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Using tongs or a spatula, flip the pumpkin pieces. Return to the oven. Continue flipping pumpkin pieces every 10 minutes until they are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes total. (To roast pumpkin in larger pieces, quarter the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil; season with spices and salt. Roast until fork tender and unevenly browned, about 30 minutes. Scrape cooked pumpkin from skin using a large spoon; carefully break apart into 3/4-inch pieces.)
Step 4: Meanwhile, pour remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add 1 pound Mexican chorizo and use a wooden spoon to break the sausage apart. Cook until chorizo is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
Step 5: Add 1 to 2 chopped chipotles en adobo and 2 minced garlic cloves. Stir well and cook until very fragrant. Add roasted pumpkin to the skillet with chorizo; stir until the pieces are evenly coated with the chorizo.
Step 6: Serve pumpkin and chorizo filling in 12 warmed corn tortillas, topped with a sprinkle of shredded red cabbage, 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds and a handful of fresh chopped cilantro.
By Diamond Bridges
