Tender and delicious Roasted Red Kuri Squash baked with an ancho chili powder-maple rub. A perfect fall and winter side dish. Easy to make with very little hands-on time. Vegan and Gluten-free.
Why You’ll Love This
Amazing flavor & texture: Red Kuri Squash has this glorious earthy, nutty flavor. Originating from Japan, Kuri actually translates to chestnut. The texture is tender yet firm, smooth and creamy.
Roasting is the best method for red kuri! It is so amazing roasted, bringing out all the sweetness and creaminess.
The perfect mix of spice and sweetness: Here we rub it with coconut oil, dried ancho chili powder, a little maple syrup, and salt. These flavors all marry perfectly creating an addicting side dish.
Quick to throw together! Cooks for about 30 minutes in a preheated oven.
Kuri Squash Ingredients
- Red kuri squash: Red kuri is deliciously earthy and nutty. You can always sub hokkaido pumpkin, delicata or kabocha squash in this recipe.
- Coconut oil: Ideal for high heat, plus it adds a subtle nutty, sweet flavor. You can also use extra virgin olive oil.
- Maple syrup: For rich sweetness that balances the spices.
- Ancho chili powder: Ancho chili powder is rich, smoky, and fruity, infusing the squash with a truly unique flavor profile. You can always sub regular chili powder.
- Coriander: Coriander has floral, citrusy notes that pair well with the richness of the ancho chili powder.
- Sea salt and black pepper: To enhance all of the flavors, while adding a little peppery kick.
How to Make Roasted Red Kuri Squash
Preheat oven to 425F.
Step one: Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Place the squash skin side up, flesh side down, on a cutting board and cut into 1-inch slices.
Step two: In a small bowl, mix together the coconut oil, maple syrup, ancho chili powder, coriander, salt, and pepper. This should form a paste.
Step three: Add the squash and the paste to a mixing bowl. Use your hands to combine everything together, coating the squash entirely.
Step four: Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan. Spread the squash out into a single layer.
Step five: Bake 25-30 minutes, until tender and slightly toasty.
Variations
- Squash: Try this with kabocha, honeynut, delicata, or acorn squash. You could make this with any type of winter squash, though roasting times may vary depending on the thickness of the cut.
- Spices: We love the combination of ancho chili powder and coriander with red kuri, but feel free to customize your own spice mix for this versatile squash!
- Sweetener: Maple syrup is great for caramelizing the squash, but you can try other sweet ingredients like agave, brown sugar, or cane sugar.
- Add more heat: Add chipotle powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, or Aleppo chili flakes to add some heat to the roasted squash.
- Add aromatic flavor: Add sliced onion and garlic cloves (peel on) to the pan for even more aromatic flavor.
Chef’s Tips
- Use a scrub brush to wash the squash. Roasted red kuri squash skin is edible and full of nutrients! Before slicing, I use a scrub brush to wash the skin to thoroughly clean it.
- Use your hands to mix the squash and paste. This ensures that the squash gets evenly coated in the seasonings and oil.
- Cut the squash into even slices. Doing so helps the squash bake evenly, ensuring every piece is done at the same time.
- Use up your leftovers. Toss them in a soup (like our Red Kuri Squash Soup) or curry, add them to a breakfast scramble, make a fall sandwich, add them to tacos, or serve in a Buddha bowl. There are so many wonderful uses for leftover roasted squash!
Storage
Store leftover Roasted Red Kuri Squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can also store in a bag and keep in the freezer for 6 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Roasted Red Kuri Squash makes a tasty and colorful Thanksgiving side dish. If preparing for Thanksgiving, be sure to check out our 65 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu Ideas and 55 Veggie-Forward Thanksgiving Side Dishes.
You could also serve Roasted Red Kuri Squash as a side dish with any seasonal main dish-particularly one that pairs well with the Ancho chili powder seasoning. A couple of our favorite pairings are Green Enchiladas or Chicken Mole.
Or serve Roasted Red Kuri Squash on top of a salad, bowl, polenta, or risotto. Try it with our Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, Warm Winter Salad, Lentil Salad with Apples, Spicy Mexican Oaxacan Bowl, Nourish Bowl, Creamy Polenta, or Instant Pot Risotto.
FAQs
Similar to Kabocha and delicata squash, the skin softens with cooking and is totally edible! This makes it so easy to prep and so nutritious as many vitamins are found in the skin. Be sure to wash the outside of the squash before slicing, using a scrub brush if needed.
You can use red kuri squash in any recipe that calls for winter squash. Here we show you how to roast it, which can be used with so many different recipes! Thanks to its bright orange color, red kuri squash is packed with vitamins A and C, potassium, and iron.
Red kuri squash has a sweet, nutty, and rich taste and its texture is tender, but smooth. It is deliciously creamy when roasted.
I hope you enjoy this Roasted Red Kuri Squash recipe! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
More recipes you may enjoy
Red Kuri Squash Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: side dish, vegan, fall recipes
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Tender and delicious red kuri Squash baked with an ancho chili powder -maple rub. A perfect fall and winter side dish. Easy to make with very little hands-on time. Vegan and Gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 red kuri squash or kabocha, cut into 3/4-inch slices ( 2–2 1/2 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened but not melted
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder (or sub regular chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2–1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Wash the outside of the squash before slicing, using a scrub brush if needed.
- With a sharp knife cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Lay the half on the cutting board with the skin side up and slice into roughly 1″ width strips.
- Mix together coconut oil, maple syrup, ancho powder, coriander, salt and pepper until a paste forms.
- Combine paste and squash in a bowl, using your hands rub evenly until the squash is covered.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet in one layer.
- Bake 25-30 minutes, until tender and looks slightly toasty.
Notes
Delicata or honeynut work great in this recipe as well. Adjust cooking time to the thickness of the squash.
For more spice, add a few pinches of chipotle powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes or Aleppo.
Toss any leftovers in soup, also makes a delicious addition to breakfast scrambles.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 82
- Sugar: 3.5 g
- Sodium: 224 mg
- Fat: 4.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.4 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
When fall hits here in New England most people I know start craving anything and everything pumpkin spice. Not this guy- when the temps start dropping I crave Red Kuri squash! Every year I look for new recipes when I stumbled across this one . It is out of this world good! The mix of coconut oil with maple and chile powder hits perfectly. Half way thru I added some shallots and apple slices mixed with same seasoning, because why not? It all came together deliciously! Def recommend trying this recipe – Red Kuri no matter how you cook it will not fail!
Love it Jeff! Your additions sound perfect. 🙂