Easy Air Fryer Butternut Squash with Thyme

Air fryer butternut squash – a basic yet flavourful dish to cook with 6 ingredients. A vegan, gluten free and easy butternut squash recipe to make with little effort. A fabulous side dish to go with a main meal.

roast butternut squash rings placed on a leaf plate.

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 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 that even the picky eaters eat it with no fuss. 

Why you will love it?

Easy and straightforward process

Prepared with basic ingredients

Gets ready quickly

Ingredients

butternut squash, oil and seasoning placed on a wooden table.
  • 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.

Find the quantities and a short video in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

How to roast butternut squash in air fryer?

seasoned butternut squash slices in a grey bowl.

Place the cut butternut squash slices in a bowl.

Add the oil, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. Mix well until the cut squash is well coated with oil and seasoning.

Spray or apply oil to the air fryer basket.

butternut squash slices in the air fryer with thyme on top.

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 squash slices with a tong, put the 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. 

roasted butternut squash in air fryer basket.

Enjoy delicious air fryer butternut squash with your favourite dip or as a side dish with any main meal. 

Check butternut squash black eyed peas salad recipe on the blog.

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 compliments 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 caramalised 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 them 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

Is it essential to peel the skin?

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. 

Can I dice squash into cubes?

Of course, you can. But, you may have to adjust the air frying time depending on the size of the butternut squash cubes. 

Can I use frozen butternut squash?

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.

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.

KEEP IN TOUCH

Do let me know if you make this easy air fryer butternut squash. 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?

roasted butternut squash in air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Butternut Squash

Air fryer butternut squash – a basic yet flavorful dish to cook with 6 ingredients. A vegan, gluten free and easy butternut squash recipe to make with little effort. Roasting the butternut squash is an excellent method to bring out its nutty and slightly sweet flavour.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate Start Cooking
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: universal
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 108kcal
Author: Geetha
YouTube video

Equipment

Ingredients

1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml

  • 309 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 cut butternut squash slices in a bowl.  
    309 gms Butternut Squash
  • Add the oil, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. 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

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 sizes 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 determines how long you need to roast them. The thinner the size, the quicker they roast, thick squash takes 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.
 
   

Nutrition

Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 16447IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Leave your feedback and RATE THE RECIPE!
Enjoy recipe video?Check out my YouTube channel FLAVOURS TREAT for more videos!

Looking for other air fryer recipes like this? Try these:

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

Sharing is caring!

Similar Posts

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.