Chipotle Honey Lime Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash

A honey, fresh lime juice, cumin, and chipotle glaze gives my tender Chipotle Honey Lime Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash a sweet/spicy/savory combination of flavors that is irresistible! A side dish elegant enough for your holiday table, and easy enough for a weeknight dinner!

A gluten free vegetarian side dish perfect for your holiday table, chipotle Honey Lime Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash in an oval cast iron skillet with a copper spoon.

Tamara Talks

A pic of the author Tamara.

I love, love, love winter squash! I have always dreaded breaking them down. My husband and I joke about needing a huge meat cleaver or a brawny husband.  😯 Butternut squash defies the strength of this slightly built but muscular and fit 57 year-old woman…

I always feel like I’m fighting a battle, and I don’t always win. Enter delicata squash. This little winter squash packs all the sweet flavor of its cucurbita cousin, but this lovely squash yields to the knife – not requiring the cleaver or the hubbie – hence its name!

You can’t just eat good food. You’ve got to talk about it too. And you’ve got to talk about it to somebody who understands that kind of food.

~~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jailbird

Chipotle Honey Lime Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash is a side dish I created to pair with my Mexican Spiced Pork Chops With Salsa Verde and Cotija. I am on a quest to create healthy Mexican recipes given that I have lived on the border for the past 23 years, and so much of the Mexican food available is not very healthy.

I have also discovered it is not terribly representative of what Mexicans actually eat. This dish combines very typical Mexican ingredients – lime juice and zest, ground cumin, and chipotle powder – with honey to make a sweet/spicy/savory glaze for the roasted squash. A little chopped fresh cilantro finishes it off…

Making Chipotle Honey Lime Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash

This dish takes about 10 minutes to prep (and no kitchen battle), and about 20 to 25 minutes to roast to perfection! It’s a beautiful side dish, and its gluten free, dairy free (omit cotija garnish!), and vegetarian!

Ingredients

  • delicata squash
  • olive oil
  • honey
  • cumin
  • chipotle powder
  • garlic
  • juice and zest of 1 lime
  • fresh cilantro and cotija (garnish)
Ingredients for glazed roasted delicata squash: halved delicata squash, halved lime, cumin, honey, chipotle, and cilantro.

Process

  1. Make the glaze – Combine glaze ingredients – honey, spices, lime juice and zest – in the bowl of a small food processor. Pulse until smooth.
  2. Prep the delicata squash – Slice off the stem, cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds (see ingredients shot above for reference). Slice into half moons as shown above. Drizzle the sliced squash with olive oil. Toss to coat, then arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Roast the squash – Place squash in your preheated oven. After about 10 minutes brush with glaze. Repeat after another 10 minutes. Roast until edges begin to caramelize and delicata squash is tender (about 25-30 minutes).
  4. Garnish – Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and crumbled cotija as desired before serving.

Tips and Suggestions

  • This glaze is versatile. Try it on roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash, beets. What veggies do you love roasted?
  • Because the glaze has honey in it, it can’t spend as much time in a hot oven without burning. That is why you wait 10 minutes to start brushing it on. If you’re doing roasted vegetable(s) that require longer roasting times, wait until the last 20 minutes or so to add the glaze.
Signature in red and green with chiles and limes. Healthyish Latin cuisine.
Yield: 6 servings

Glazed Delicata Squash

Honey Chipotle Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash in a cast iron casserole with a copper spoon.

A honey, fresh lime juice, cumin, and chipotle glaze gives my tender Chipotle Honey Lime Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash a sweet/spicy/savory combination of flavors that is irresistible!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • About 2 pounds delicata squash
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (or chipotle in adobo)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • juice and zest of 2 lime s
  • a handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
  • crumbled cotija (optional garnish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (375 convection).
  2. Whisk the honey, cumin, chipotle powder, garlic, salt, lime juice and zest together. Set aside. (See notes)
  3. Remove the stem end of your delicata squash. Slice in half lengthwise.Scoop out the seeds. Slice in 1/4" to 1/2" thick slices.
  4. Drizzle the sliced squash with olive oil. Toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan.
  5. Place in the preheated oven.
  6. After about 10 minutes, brush with the glaze. Stir. Repeat after 20 minutes.
  7. Cook squash until caramelized and tender when pierced with a fork (25-30 minutes).
  8. Brush with any remaining glaze, and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes

I use both canned chipotle chiles in adobo and ground chipotle powder. If using canned, a food processor is necessary. If using powder, whisking should be sufficient.

Chipotle powder and chipotle in adobo bring smoky heat to this dish. If you are concerned about heat level, reduce the amount of chipotle powder or use just the adobo in the glaze. You can taste the glaze and add as desired!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 128Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 384mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 5gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g

This recipe is an approximation for reference purposes only! Your actual macros depend on the size of your squash and how much sauce you consume.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Recipes to Serve with Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash

Chipotle Honey Lime Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash
Chipotle Honey Lime Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash - Tender delicata squash requires no peeling, making it an easier alternative to butternut squash, with all the flavor!

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