Servings: 8 Prep: 10 mins Cook: 30 mins Total: 40 mins
Kabocha Squash are AWESOME! While they’re not super easily found, they CAN be found! There’s an Asian market in Seattle where I can always find them. I’ve also spotted them at a variety of Farmer’s Markets. While this Cambodian squash is largely considered a winter squash, they can be found year round.
Kabocha are a super discovery for a few reasons:
- They’re on the sweet side, even sweeter than a butternut squash, but with significantly less carbs. With the seeds removed and cut into cubes, a full cup has 7 carbs and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of only 6 net carbs!
- The flavor is spectacular. Imagine a smooth and creamy cross between a pumpkin, sweet potato and a russet potato. It’s like some kind of gift from the low-carb gods!
- They’re a manageable size and the rind is completely edible! It’s not like a pumpkin or butternut squash, where the peel must be removed. These are totally edible! (that said, I do peel them, from time to time)
The kabocha in this recipe is cut in half, the seeds were scooped out, then I cut wedges. From there, I tossed the wedges in bacon fat, erythritol, bacon bits and spices. These have a dense and smoky taste, with a bit of sweet and some complex spice.
Perfect.
Note: This method can be applied to many winter squash, but the carb counts will likely go up and the rind may not be edible, but for those with higher tolerances to carbs … go for it!
Nutrition Note: Kabocha info is based off of 4 cups of kabocha cubes, for 1/2 cup per person. Nutrition info is not in USDA database. It is an educated guess, but one which is close and honorably presented.
Roasted Kabocha Squash
Print RateIngredients
- 1 small (2 to 3 lb.) kabocha squash (substitution = acorn buttercup, delicata, pumpkin)
- 1/2 cup real bacon bits
- 1/4 cup bacon fat butter or ghee, melted
- 1/4 cup erythritol granular
- 1 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ground
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg ground
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
- Wash your kabocha well. It's been sitting in the dirt and has been handled by a variety of random people. You're going to be eating the rind, so you want a nice clean squash.
- Cut the squash in half, by cutting through the top of the stem. Then, cut the two stem halves out. With a metal spoon, scrape out the seeds. Now cut each half into half, and then half again. When you're done, you should have 8 nice wedges.
- In a large bowl, combine warm bacon fat, melted butter or ghee, with your spices, sweetener and bacon bits. Add your kabocha wedges with a nice dusting of salt and pepper. Mix well, so that the squash is evenly coated with the spices.
- Place the squash on a baking tray. If you can, stand them up so that they each form a small bowl in the middle. Accumulate any extra spiced bacon bits in the bowl of the squash. This will bake and render out a bit more fat, which will bake deep into the center of the squash, for an even more decadent yum.
- Bake at 400 F for about 25 to 30 minutes. The squash will brown on the edges, but stay incredible soft and smooth in the center. Serve!
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That looks like the type of pumpkin we get all year round here in Australia. We call the Kent or Jap Pumpkin and it is easily my favourite kind of pumpkin. It’s sweet and it roasts so well, skin or no skin (I prefer to eat it with the skin). It’s also very nice once roasted to toss it through a spinach salad with bacon and feta cheese. Yummm!
Glenys, that sounds about right. I believe "Kabocha" just means "squash" in Japanese! They are AWESOME! I just wish they were more easily found (at least in the US and Mexico … not sure about other countries). Thanks for the thoughts! 🙂
Can the seeds be roasted and eaten like seeds in other squash?
Is the Asian market in Seattle Uwajimaya?
Hi Unknown, I don’t know about the seeds. I suspect you could, but I haven’t tried it. Give it a shot! Also, if you’re a local to Seattle … Yes. I’ve been able to buy Kabocha at Uwajimaya, year round. Currently, because it’s winter, I’m able to find them most anywhere. Lately, at the Metropolitan Markets, but I just picked up two LOVELY Kabochas at Red Apple! 🙂
Very good recipe. I had leftovers so froze them for future meals.
Jan, I typically roast two of these at a time and freeze them. I defrost them in the fridge and they tend to hold their shape pretty well. They do soften, somewhat, but they’re still quite good. I do this often and LOVE it! 🙂
Another Aussie "jap pumpkin" lover here 🙂 I like to roast extra and eat it cold the next day… So sweet. I do a salad with mixed leaves, feta, lamb and roasted cold pumpkin – yum! (they are very easy to grow too.)
I must say, Mellie … those flavors, combined, made me salivate. Sounds AMAZING! Thank you for sharing the idea!
Hmm amazing!
Kabocha squash is delicious – I’ve had it several times and lucky enough to live near a store that always has it in stock. It’s by far the tastiest of the winter squashes. Learning it’s lower carb than the others is such a bonus!
—Reply posted by lisa on 11/15/2015
LOL! No – Is it nice there?? 🙂 I find these at a discount grocer near me (in northern rhode island) – the store carries a TON of fruits and veggies I don’t see at my regular grocer. Not much organic stuff (hence the discount) – they seem to cater to Spanish ethnicities. Lots of tropical type of fruits (star fruit/papaya/aloe/actual yams/yucca/etc). Funny, I was looking for Kabocha at the regular store a few weeks ago and they didn’t have it, so I bought an acorn squash. It was disappointing. I took a trip to the “alternative” store and sure enough they had it, and I bought two. Now I’m online looking to see how to harvest the seeds so I can put them in my garden….They really are that good!! Thanks for the wonderful recipes! Just came across another of yours on facebook for b?arnaise sauce – I make mayo all the time. How I never considered b?arnaise or hollandaise is beyond me – thanks!!
—Reply posted by DJ on 11/15/2015
Awesome! I LOOOVE those! You don’t happen to live near Uwajimiya, do you? 😉