Crispy and caramelized on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside, this tasty Air Fryer Butternut Squash will be your new favorite side dish! This dish is packed with fall flavors and is a great recipe for busy weeknights. It's also the perfect Thanksgiving side dish. Make it with just a handful of ingredients in less than 30 minutes- it doesn't get much easier than that!
Once fall comes around, that means it's squash season! I love seeing the bounty of colorful squash at the grocery stores this time of year- acorn, delicata, kabocha, sugar pumpkin, you name it!
But my favorite fall squash has to be butternut squash. With its naturally sweet, mild flavor, it's a versatile vegetable that pairs well with a wide variety of dishes. I make everything from creamy butternut squash soup to roasted butternut squash pasta and even butternut squash and turkey chili.
Now I'm excited to bring you this easy butternut squash air fryer recipe. Made with just a handful of simple ingredients, it's one of my favorite quick and easy recipes. It's also the perfect side dish for for your Thanksgiving turkey.
This Air Fryer Butternut Squash is also a great way to get your kids to eat veggies. Roasting vegetables at high temperature in the air fryer or oven caramelizes their sugars and brings out their natural sweetness. Read my post on how to make the perfect oven-roasted vegetables.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- Quick and easy- butternut squash cooks in the air fryer in less than 15 minutes!
- Simple ingredients- make this easy side dish with just a handful of ingredients
- Healthy- air frying is a healthy cooking technique that uses minimal oil; plus butternut squash is packed with nutrients!
- Kid-friendly- both kids and adults will love this tasty dish
- Customizable- season the squash with your favorite savory or sweet spices
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free
- Perfect side dish for the holidays
Doctor's Tips
- Butternut squash is a superfood! It is high in several vitamins and minerals such as Vitamins A, B-complex and C as well as potassium and magnesium. It's packed with beta carotene, which gets converted to Vitamin A in the body. One cup of cubed squash has 457% of the recommended daily allowance!
- Vitamin A is important for vision, immunity, growth and reproduction. Want to learn more? Read my post about the health benefits of butternut squash.
- Air frying is a healthy cooking technique that uses hot air to cook your food rather than oil. Air fryers also cook food in a fraction of the time it takes to cook in your oven. Did you know that you can convert pretty much any recipe that's cooked in the conventional oven to cook in your air fryer? Read my helpful Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Guide to get started!
Ingredients
- Butternut squash- I use a small to medium butternut squash (about 1.5-2 pounds) and cut it up; you can also buy pre-cut butternut squash from the grocery store to save time
- Olive oil- can use avocado oil or other high smoke point oil
- Dried spices- I use a simple spice mixture of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika; I like the combination of the sweet butternut squash with the savory spices and paprika also adds nice color. However, you can substitute other spices like cumin, chili powder or cinnamon. See "Chef's Tips" section below for ideas.
How To Cut a Butternut Squash
- Step 1- Wash the butternut squash and pat it dry, Cut the stem and the base off the squash with a sharp knife. Then, peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler.
- Step 2- Cut the long, narrow neck off the base of the squash.
- Step 3- Cut the base of the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. The seeds can be roasted and eaten like pumpkin seeds.
- Step 4- Dice the squash into pieces. I cut mine into ¾-inch cubes.
How To Cook Butternut Squash In The Air Fryer
See recipe card below for full recipe instructions.
Step 1- Toss the butternut squash cubes with the olive oil and dried spices in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Put the diced butternut squash in the basket of your air fryer in a single layer. Cook 12-14 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking to toss the squash. The squash is done when it's golden brown on the outside and fork tender.
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the squash in batches. I used a Ninja 5.5 quart air fryer and cooked my squash in two batches.
The final cooking time for this air fryer butternut squash will vary depending on the model of your air fryer and the size of your butternut squash cubes.
Chef's Tips
- You can play around with the spices in this air fryer butternut squash and use your favorite combination. Here are some ideas:
- Spicy/smoky- chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper
- Sweet- cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar or maple syrup
- Spicy and sweet- chili powder, cayenne, and brown sugar
- Classic holiday spices- thyme, rosemary and/or sage
- Italian- basil, oregano, and/or Italian seasoning; top the squash off with grated parmesan cheese
Frozen Butternut Squash In The Air Fryer
You can cook pre-packaged frozen butternut squash cubes in the air fryer. It's a nice, healthy convenience product to have in your freezer when you need a quick weeknight dinner.
However, keep in mind that with frozen butternut squash, it will not crisp up as nicely as fresh butternut squash. In general, it's difficult to get frozen vegetables to crisp up as well as fresh vegetables because as they thaw, they release a lot of moisture.
However, the air fryer is actually pretty good at combating this. The air fryer cooks by circulating hot air around your food. This creates an environment that helps develop a crisp exterior on the squash.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when cooking frozen butternut squash in the air fryer:
- Make sure you preheat your air fryer for a few minutes before cooking.
- You don't need to defrost the squash first. Toss the frozen squash with olive oil and desired spices and then place in the air fryer.
- Spread the cubed squash out in a single layer so that it cooks evenly. Don't overcrowd the basket.
- Cook at 375 degrees F for 10-16 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. The total cook time will vary depending on the size of the butternut squash cubes. Different brands of squash vary greatly in size.
Recipe FAQs
It takes 12-14 minutes to roast butternut squash cubes in an air fryer at 375°F. The final cooking time will vary depending on the model of your air fryer and how large you cut your squash.
Yes. Butternut squash skin is thick so you need to peel it before cooking. You can buy pre-cut butternut squash from the store that's already been peeled and cut.
Yes. One cup of butternut squash has 63 calories, 16.4 grams of carbohydrates, and 2.8 grams of fiber.
Yes, you can cook this butternut squash in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the butternut squash with the oil and spices on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven until squash is browned and tender, about 20 minutes.
You can store leftover squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. It will soften with time. To reheat, crisp it up in the air fryer at 375 degrees F for a few minutes. You can use leftover butternut squash in dishes like pasta, tacos or salads.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Butternut Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium butternut squash (1.5-2 lbs), cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 4 cups cubed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Optional garnishes: flaky sea salt, chopped chives or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Toss the butternut squash cubes with the olive oil and dried spices in a large mixing bowl.
- Put the diced squash in the basket of your air fryer in a single layer Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the squash in batches.
- Cook the squash 12-14 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking. The squash is done when it's golden brown on the outside and fork tender.
- Garnish with optional garnishes like sea salt and chopped chives or parsley.
Notes
-
- Spicy/smoky- chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper
- Sweet- cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar or maple syrup
- Spicy and sweet- chili powder, cayenne, and brown sugar
- Classic holiday spices- thyme, rosemary and/or sage
- Italian- basil, oregano, and/or Italian seasoning; top the squash off with grated parmesan cheese
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