Air Fryer Butternut Squash
Cook butternut squash in the air fryer just once and you will never go back to your oven again. Within only a few minutes, you will get delightfully tender squash with a naturally sweet flavor and crispy caramelized edges.
Air fryer butternut squash is an excellent side dish that you can pair with nearly anything. Serve it with rotisserie chicken, pork tenderloin, flank steak, or salmon — it will complement almost any dish and turn it into something amazing!
Does The Air Fryer Make Vegetables Crispy?
Yes, the air fryer makes vegetables crispy (or at least gives them a crispy outer shell). The air fryer gives a roasted taste to veggies without them actually having been roasted!
The air fryer is ideal for this type of recipe because you can have crispy veggies in no time. Within 20 minutes you will have an amazing texture and flavor — all without heating your kitchen with the oven!
How To Make Butternut Squash In An Air Fryer
Air fryer butternut squash is a cinch to make. You can either use a package of pre-cut butternut squash from the store or cut your own.
To make air fryer butternut squash from scratch, you will have to cut a squash in half by length. Remove the seeds and peel the squash, then cut the squash into cubes of the same size.
Follow these simple steps for the perfect air fryer butternut squash:
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Peel, deseed, and cut the butternut squash into ½-inch cubes — make sure the cubes are even in size.
- In a large bowl, toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil and seasonings of your choice.
- Place the squash in an air fryer basket — in a single layer if possible.
- Cook the squash for 8 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through air frying to prevent any sticking, then cook for another 10 minutes.
- Turn off the air fryer and let the butternut squash sit in the air fryer for another 5 minutes — this is an important step as it lets the squash finish cooking without burning!
How To Season Butternut Squash
Between the naturally sweet flavor, which intensifies after the air frying, and the caramelized flavor around the edges, butternut squash does not need anything special, besides the simple seasoning.
If you like to pack in more flavor, then you should know that butternut squash is easy to partner with an array of sweet or savory seasonings. These are my favorite seasoning combos:
- Simple Seasoning. A sprinkle of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder makes a versatile butternut squash you can pair with any meal.
- Savory Seasoning. This is like the simple seasoning, but has more flavor to it thanks to the ground cumin and smoked paprika that give a warm, smoky flavor to butternut squash.
- Sweet Seasoning. This is a combo of salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and maple syrup. This is the most delicious, savory-sweet version of butternut squash.
Air Fryer Butternut Squash
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 18 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb butternut squash
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon (or any other seasonings of your choice)
Instructions
1. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
2. Cut the squash in half. Remove seeds with a spoon or ice cream scoop.
3. Peel the squash and cut the flesh into ½-inch cubes.
4. Toss the squash with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any desired spice combination.
5. Add the squash to the air fryer basket in a single layer (you can cook additional batches as needed).
6. Air-fry the squash for 8 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through to prevent the squash from sticking together, then cook for another 8-10 minutes.
7. Turn off the air fryer, then let the squash stand for 5 minutes in the hot air fryer to finish cooking.
8. Serve butternut squash warm as desired.
Notes
- Cube the butternut squash into consistently sized cubes. Smaller cubes will cook faster than larger ones, so it is important to cut them the same size so that they cook evenly.
- Do not fill the air fryer more than halfway full — this is one of the main mistakes that people make with air fryers.
- Use dried herbs as these are far superior to fresh ones. Fresh herbs will just burn and ruin your meal.
Air Fryer Butternut Squash
Air fryer butternut squash is an excellent side dish that you can pair with nearly anything! Within a few minutes, you will get tender squash, with a naturally sweet flavor and crispy caramelized edges.
Ingredients
- 1 lb butternut squash
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon (or any other seasonings of your choice)
Instructions
1. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
2. Cut the squash in half. Remove seeds with a spoon or ice cream scoop.
3. Peel the squash and cut the flesh into ½-inch cubes.
4. Toss the squash with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any desired spice combination.
5. Add the squash to the air fryer basket in a single layer (you can cook additional batches as needed).
6. Air-fry the squash for 8 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through to prevent the squash from sticking together, then cook for another 8-10 minutes.
7. Turn off the air fryer, then let the squash stand for 5 minutes in the hot air fryer to finish cooking.
8. Serve butternut squash warm as desired.
Notes
- Cube the butternut squash into consistently sized cubes. Smaller cubes will cook faster than larger ones, so it is important to cut them the same size so that they cook evenly.
- Do not fill the air fryer more than halfway full — this is one of the main mistakes that people make with air fryers.
- Use dried herbs as these are far superior to fresh ones. Fresh herbs will just burn and ruin your meal.