Air fryer butternut squash – a basic yet flavourful dish to cook with 6 ingredients, roasted until crispy edges and beautifully tender in the middle, this is a fuss free way to cook squash on weeknights. Vegan and gluten free dish to make with little effort, perfect with a main meal.
Naturally slightly sweet squash is a vegetable with antioxidant properties and rich in vitamins. We could use it in many dishes: soups, curries, side dishes, risotto, pasta are a few to name. Check out butternut squash chickpea curry and butternut squash black eyed peas salad recipes on the blog.
Roasting the butternut squash is an excellent method to bring out its nutty and slightly sweet flavour. The slightly caramelised, tender texture makes it a more interesting way to consume, so even the picky eaters eat it with no fuss.
Why You Will Love Air Fryer Squash?
Easy and straightforward process
Prepared with basic ingredients
Gets ready quickly
Notes On Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Butternut Squash: Fresh butternut squash is used here to get the best results.
- Oil: I’ve used olive oil as it infuses lovely flavour.
- Seasoning: Freshly cracked black pepper, salt, fresh thyme and garlic granules are used here.
How To Roast Butternut Squash In Air Fryer?
As always, I recommend watching the recipe video and checking out these step-by-step instructions first. Then you can find the full recipe with the exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Place the cut butternut squash slices in a bowl.
Step 2: Add the oil, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. Mix well until the cut squash is well coated with oil and seasoning.
Step 3: Spray or apply oil to the air fryer basket.
Step 4: Spread the seasoned squash in an air fryer basket in a single layer.
Step 5: Put the basket into the air fryer and set the temperature to 190C (375F) for 10 mins.
Step 6: Take the basket out of the air fryer after the air fryer beeps. Flip the squash slices with a tong, put the basket back in the air fryer and roast for another 5 minutes.
Step 7: Once the timer goes off, switch the air fryer off and take the basket out.
Enjoy delicious air fryer butternut squash with your favourite dip or as a side dish with any main meal.
How Long Does It Take To Air Fry Butternut Squash?
This recipe takes 15 minutes total – 10 mins, then flip, then another 5 mins. Exact timing depends on your air fryer settings and how thin you sliced the squash. Thinner slices need around 12 minutes and thick cuts or if the basket is full may need 2-4 minutes longer. The squash is done if its fork tender in the middle and golden at the edges.
Variations and Substitutions
You could use freshly minced garlic instead of granules. However, I would suggest adding the fresh garlic halfway through cooking. Adding it at the beginning might cause it to get burnt and mask the true flavours of the seasoned butternut squash.
Ground cumin adds a lovely flavour and complements the subtle sweetness of the squash.
A big pinch of garam masala and a dash of lemon juice add a fabulous Indian flavour.
A spoonful of brown sugar adds a nice caramelised taste and elevates the sweetness of the roast squash.
Serving Suggestions
Air fryer butternut squash slices are a great snack to nibble along with a dip such as yogurt herb dipping sauce, honey mustard sauce or with avocado greek yogurt dip.
Air fried butternut squash pairs well with simple weeknight meals such as zucchini boats, rasta pasta, pink sauce pasta or pumpkin pasta.
This easy air fryer squash goes well with lemon rice, quinoa, couscous and saffron rice.
It is perfect to pack in a lunch box with simple chickpea salad or corn cucumber tomato salad.
Make kids’ meals more interesting by serving air fryer butternut squash with chickpea vegetable patties or sweet potato patties for a meal.
Storage
Fridge: You could store Leftover butternut squash roast in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Allow the roasted butternut squash to cool to room temperature before you transfer it to an airtight container. Otherwise, the condensation results in soggy squash.
Reheat in the air fryer for 4-5 mins until piping hot.
Tips and Tricks
For proper roasting, spread squash into a single layer in the basket. Divide and cook butternut squash in batches rather than overfilling the basket.
It is essential to cut the butternut squash into equal slices for uniform roasting.
Do not forget to remove the basket and flip them halfway through the roasting to ensure that all sides are well roasted.
The thickness of the squash slices determines how long you need to roast them. The thinner the size, the quicker they roast, thick slices take a long time to roast.
Monitor the cooking time of subsequent batches, as they are likely to cook faster as the air fryer is already hot.
FAQ
Butternut squash skin is thin, and it’s not necessary to peel it. It’s a personal choice. I always take it off as my kids don’t like air fryer squash with skin on.
Of course, you can. But, you may have to adjust the air frying time depending on the size of the butternut squash cubes.
Of course, you can. You do not need to thaw frozen squash just season and roast in the air fryer. However, the air frying timings could vary, so keep an eye.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make this easy air fryer butternut squash recipe. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
Air Fryer Butternut Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 305 gms butternut squash peeled and cut into an inch thick slices.
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt as required
- black pepper as required
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic granules
Instructions
- Place the 305 gms butternut squash slices in a bowl.305 gms butternut squash
- Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, black pepper, 1 sprig fresh thyme and ½ teaspoon garlic granules. Mix well until the cut squash is well coated with oil and seasoning.2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, black pepper, 1 sprig fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon garlic granules
- Spray or apply oil to the air fryer basket.
- Spread the seasoned squash in an air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Put the basket into the air fryer and set the temperature to 190C (375F) for 10 mins.
- Take the basket out of the air fryer after the air fryer beeps. Flip the slices with tong, put itthe basket back in the air fryer and roast for another 5 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, switch the air fryer off and take the basket out.
- Enjoy delicious air fryer butternut squash with your favourite dip or as a side dish with any main meal.
Notes
Nutrition
More Roast Vegetable Recipes
Maple Roasted Carrot: Caramelised maple roasted carrots flavoured with thyme is a fabulous dish made with just a few pantry ingredients with absolutely no effort.
Baked Potato Wedges: Incredibly delicious and addictive crispy baked potato wedges are easy to prepare with only a few ingredients.
Roast Baby Potatoes with Rosemary: Crispy exterior, soft and fluffy inside potato dish is a great side dish that goes well with pretty much any meal.
Garlic Herb Roasted Root Vegetables: Root vegetables roasted with garlic and herb are a great side dish to have on the roast dinner menu.
Roasted Turnips: This easy turnip recipe is fairly simple to make with just 5 ingredients and minimal prep.
Related
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
