StewsMediumFree

Stuffed Chayote Squash

Name: Stuffed Chayote Squash
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 Chayote; 2 Tomato; 0.5 White onion; 2 Garlic clove; 150 g Manchego cheese rallado; 30 ml Vegetable oil; 1 to taste Salt and pepper; 300 g Minced pork

60 min (20 prep + 40 cook) Medium 4 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 11 Mar 2026 · Updated: 19 Mar 2026

Boiled chayotes stuffed with meat and vegetables, gratinéed with cheese.

About this recipe

Stuffed chayotes are a comforting homestyle dish from the Mexican kitchen. The squash is boiled and hollowed out, then filled with a mixture of its own flesh, ground pork or beef, tomato, onion, and spices, all gratinéed with melted cheese. This nutritious and affordable stew makes the most of chayote, one of the most versatile fruits of the milpa. Served piping hot from the oven alongside red rice or refried beans, it is a perfect recipe for cool weather and for those who want to add more vegetables to their diet without sacrificing flavor or tradition.

History & Origin

The chayote (Sechium edule) is a fruit native to Mesoamerica, cultivated by pre-Hispanic peoples since ancient times. Its name comes from the Nahuatl word chayohtli. The Aztecs considered it a sacred food and included it in offerings to rain gods. After the Conquest, chayote traveled to Europe, Asia, and Africa, adapting to tropical climates worldwide. In Mexico, stuffed chayotes originated as a resourceful dish in rural kitchens, where cooks filled the shells with whatever was available: meat, cheese, or simply the pulp with chile. Over time the recipe evolved into a refined stew found in fondas and households across the country. In Veracruz and Oaxaca, variants with mole or pasilla chile sauce are common, while in central Mexico the gratinéed version with manchego cheese prevails.

Estimated cost

£14.50

Total cost

£3.63

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

280

Calories

16g

Protein

24g

Carbohydrates

14g

Fat

Fibre

520mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cut the chayotes in half a it largo. Cook them in water with salt for 20-25 minutes until soft pero firmes. Leave them enfriar and with a spoon remove the pulpa leaving a layer of half centimetre in the peel.
💡 No the cuezas demasiado or desharán to the rellenar.
2
Chop the pulpa extraída and resérvala. Finely chop the tomato, the onion and the garlic.
3
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and the garlic until they are transparentes. Add the mince and cook desmoronando with a wooden spoon until browned, some 8 minutes.
4
Fold in the chopped tomato and the pulpa of chayote. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes more until the jugos evaporen.
5
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Fill the mitades of chayote with the mixture of meat. Place them in a bandeja for oven and cubre generously with cheese manchego grated.
6
Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese it is golden and burbujeante. Serve hots accompanied of rice red.