Stuffed Delicata Squash with Ground Beef

Stuffed Delicata Squash with Ground Beef, cranberries, pecans and green onion is a healthy, filling clean dinner recipe perfect for those looking for a nutritious meal! This easy recipe comes together quickly and is a great clean eating option.

Stuffed vegetables. Forever the rage!

I recently had a revelation that I could likely eat stuffed squash for dinner every single night during the fall and winter months and never get tired of it.

Just think of all the combinations and permutations one can come up with to create so many different meals out of stuffed squash! 

For starters, there are many varieties of winter squash, in addition to all sorts of proteins, grains, legumes, fruit, vegetables, herbs, leafy greens, cheese, nuts, seeds and more! 

So many possibilities!

For this easy recipe, I’ve carefully selected these toppings to give you an excellent balance of contrasting flavors and textures.

You’ve got juicy, well-seasoned ground beef mixing with crunchy pecans, sharp dried cranberries and fresh green onion to balance our hero ingredient. And that’s the buttery delicata squash!

The Inspiration For This Recipe:

I’ve had delicata squash recipes on the brain since I posted my Maple Cinnamon Roasted Delicata Squash a few weeks ago. To me, it tastes like pure sugar mixed with adrenaline. 

Delicata squash is a naturally sweet winter squash that has a marvelously creamy texture.

It is full of fiber, potassium, and complex carbohydrates, making it an amazing vegetable to balance out a high-protein meal. 

…Which is exactly what we’re doing here!

This stuffed delicata squash recipe includes ground beef mixed sautéed up with onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, pecans and cranberries for a super simple, complete meal. 

Ingredients for Stuffed Delicata Squash with Ground Beef

Delicata Squash: We’d struggle to make this dish without it! The delicata variety is a winter squash with a tender, edible skin. So, we’ll cook and eat the whole thing. It’s sweet, buttery, and caramelizes beautifully when cooked.

Avocado Oil: We’ll use this to both bake our squash and sauté our filling. I use avocado oil for its neutral, mild flavor and healthy helpings of vitamins and monounsaturated fats.

Ground Beef: It essentially absorbs the flavors of whatever it’s cooked with. Fantastic for this multifaceted dish (plus, it’s super juicy!).

Yellow Onion: Sautéed yellow onion adds gentle acidity and rounds out the filling for our stuffed delicata squash.

Garlic: Minced garlic will dissolve into our stuffing, bringing a smooth, savory tang to the party.

Chicken Broth: The savory base of our meat mixture that oozes hearty goodness.

Italian Seasoning: This perfect mix of oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary, and sage elevates our stuffing mix from simply tasty to utterly mouthwatering!

Raw Pecans: With a tender, gentle crunch and a mellow, buttery taste, chopped raw pecans deliver wonderful flavor and texture.

Green Onion: We’re only using the stalks here, as we’re after that slightly milder sharpness.

Sea Salt: To taste.

How to Make Stuffed Delicata Squash with Ground Beef:

Begin by roasting the delicata squash. To do so, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and trim the ends off each squash. Cut the squash in half length-wise.

Use a sturdy spoon to scoop out the seeds.

Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Place the squash on a baking sheet cut-side down, then bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash is nice and tender. You want to be able to scoop the flesh easily.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the ground beef stuffing mixture.

Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. 

Place the ground beef on the hot skillet. Allow it to brown for 3 to 4 minutes before flipping it to the other side and browning for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Use a spatula to break up the meat into smaller pieces and mix it in with the onion. Add the garlic, sea salt and Italian seasoning and cook another 2 minutes.

Add the broth (or water) and cook at a full boil until much of the liquid burns off but the meat is still moist.

Stir in the pecans, dried cranberries and green onion.

Stuff the delicata squash with desired amount of round beef mixture and serve!

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How Many People Does This Recipe Feed?:

If you follow it as written, the recipe serves 4. You can easily double the recipe to feed more individuals, or make more food for leftovers. I tend to err on the protein-rich side, so if you’re a big meat eater, consider doubling the amount of meat.

Recipe Adaptations:

• Make this an AIP recipe by omitting the pecans.
• Use water instead of broth.
• Feel free to make your own seasoning mix if there are different flavors you prefer. You could even incorporate some chili powder if you want a bit of heat!
• Use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef. If using a leaner meat, consider adding an additional 1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil.
• Make this a Low-FODMAP recipe by omitting the onion and garlic and replacing with 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar 

More Stuffed Squash Recipes:

• Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Beef
• Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls
• Turkey Stuffed Butternut Squash
• Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats
• Ground Turkey Stuffed Delicata Squash 
• Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa, Pears, and Pecans

May all thy squash be stuffed 😉

Stuffed Delicata Squash with Ground Beef

4.92 from 12 votes

By Julia

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

SaveSaved Pin Print

Stuffed Delicata Squash with Ground Beef, cranberries, pecans, and green onion – paleo, whole30, yummy!

Save this recipe!

Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Email Post Post

Save

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 large delicata squash
• ▢ 2 Tbsp avocado oil
• ▢ 1 lb ground beef
• ▢ 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1/3 cup chicken broth, or water
• ▢ 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• ▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste
• ▢ 1/2 cup raw pecans, chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• ▢ 4 stalks green onion, chopped

Instructions 

• Begin by roasting the delicata squash. To do so, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and trim the ends off each squash. Cut them in half length-wise, and use a sturdy spoon to scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the squash on a baking sheet cut-side down, then bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash is nice and tender. You want to be able to scoop the flesh easily.
• While the squash is roasting, prepare the ground beef stuffing mixture. Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Place the ground beef on the hot skillet. Allow it to brown for 3 to 4 minutes before flipping it to the other side and browning for another 3 to 4 minutes. Use a spatula to break up the meat into smaller pieces and mix it in with the onion.
• Add the garlic, sea salt and Italian seasoning and cook another 2 minutes. Add the broth (or water) and cook at a full boil until much of the liquid burns off but the meat is still moist. Stir in the pecans, dried cranberries and green onion.
• Stuff the delicata squash with desired amount of round beef mixture and serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4, Calories: 506kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 30g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!