Air fried butternut squash is a great addition to salads, grain bowls, soups, wraps, and more. It’s also delicious served plain on it’s own as a side dish! Using a bag of pre-chopped squash makes this even easier, and the air fryer is my favorite way to cook these. They get browned and a little crisp on the outside and tender and sweet on the inside. These are lightly seasoned and take just minutes to cook! If you’d like to cook a large batch in the oven, follow this recipe for Oven Roasted Butternut Squash, with a very similar flavor profile.
Ingredients and Equipment Needed
- Air Fryer – I love cooking this recipe in the air fryer (this is my favorite air fryer), especially for a small amount, but you could easily roast these in the oven at 425 on a parchment-lined baking sheet until golden brown as well.
- Butternut Squash – You can chop up a fresh squash from the produce section (or your garden!) or use pre-chopped bagged squash like I’m doing here for an easy shortcut.
- Olive Oil – Use olive oil, or any other cooking oil of your choice. Avocado or vegetable oil would work as well.
- Smoked paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Place peeled and chopped butternut squash in a medium mixing bowl.
- Drizzle squash with oil and sprinkle with spices and toss to coat.
- Place in an air fryer basket.
- Air Fry at 400°F, shaking half way through cooking. Cook time will depend on the size of your chopped pieces, the small pre-chopped bags I buy take about 10-15 minutes. I shake them when they look like the photo below-left, and take them out when they appear like below-right. Note: with moisture loss, notice how the volume shrinks!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftover squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3-5 days for best results.
- I like to keep roasted butternut squash in the fridge and add it (cold) to salads, grain bowls, soup, wraps, etc.
- The salad below contains a base of finely chopped kale and cabbage, grilled chicken, air fried butternut squash, pepitas, feta cheese, golden raisins, and chopped apple. Topped with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a cranberry pear white balsamic vinegar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! I prep air fried butternut squash all the time just to keep in my fridge and use on lunch salads and bowls throughout the week. Of course when they are cold, the texture changes a bit and they soften, but I like them still!
Because air fryers work by the circulation of hot air, you don’t want to overcrowd it too much. I cook as many as two 16-oz packages butternut squash at one time in my 6qt air fryer. Note that the more you cook, the longer the cook time will be.
Air Fried Roasted Butternut Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces butternut squash peeled, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil I do 2, but you can cut to 1.5 if you like
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Air Fryer
- Preheat air fryer to 400℉.
- Place squash in a medium mixing bowl and add all spices, toss to coat.
- Transfer squash to basket of air fryer, shake to evenly distribute.
- Cook for 8 minutes, shake basket to toss squash, return to cook for 5-10 minutes longer, or until squash is browned and toasty on the sides. Cook time will vary depending on the size and ripeness of your squash.
- Remove from air fryer and either serve warm or let cool and store in fridge.
Oven
- Preheat oven to 425℉, line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread out your seasoned butternut squash cubes on the sheet in a single layer and roast until golden brown. Timing depends on size, usually about 20-ish minutes, keep an eye on them! Feel free to toss mid-way through.
- If you have a convection setting on your oven, that helps to brown all the sides, just watch to make sure the tops aren't getting overdone as it will cook faster.
Notes
- Depending on your style of air fryer and the size of your chopped squash, you may want to use a liner. Some smaller pieces fall through the holes in my tray, but I just collect them all after!
- Store leftover squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3-5 days for best results.
- I like to keep roasted butternut squash in the fridge and add it (cold) to salads, grain bowls, soup, wraps, etc.
Questions & Reviews
These are delicious! I love adding them to my salads or on the side of a quick lunch!