Air fryer butternut squash is a quick and easy recipe made with only 3 ingredients. Super delicious with crispy edges and soft and fluffy on the inside.
A healthier and low carb version of roasted potatoes with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor.
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A simple recipe that you can enjoy on its own or as a side dish, toss on top of salads or use it to make this heartwarming Butternut Squash Soup.
Made in 20 minutes this air fryer butternut squash recipe will be on rotation every week.
Why you'll love this recipe?
- Super easy to make with only 3 ingredients required
- Inexpensive and budget-friendly that can feed up to 8 people as a side dish.
- It's low carb so if you are concerned about your sugar intake this is a good option.
- Kids love this recipe because of the taste but also the bright yellow color.
- Great for meal prep and can be used in soups and salads.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Butternut Squash
Butternut squash in the air fryer only needs 3 ingredients with one optional ingredient.
- Butternut Squash: we used a medium-sized butternut squash for this recipe. This squash is similar to the flavors of a sweet potato but a bit softer and super creamy after air frying.
- Olive Oil: to coat the squash and give it slightly crispy edges.
- Salt: salt will bring out the nutty flavors in the squash.
- Nutmeg: this is an optional ingredient but adding a little nutmeg add a warm and nutty flavor to this recipe.
- Parsley flakes for garnish.
See the recipe card for quantities.
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Steps by step instructions
How to make Air Fryer Butternut Squash?
STEP 1: First you will want to preheat the air fryer to 400°F and then prepare the butternut squash cubes. First cut off both ends of the butternut squash and then cut in the middle width-wise.
You then want to scoop out the seeds and guts from the center of the bottom half. I used a spoon to scoop everything out including the stringy bits. You can save the seeds to roast them later.
I then use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin.
STEP 2: cut butternut squash into one-inch cubes and transfer them to a large bowl.
STEP 3: toss the cubes with the extra virgin olive oil, salt and the optional freshly ground nutmeg, then spray the basket with olive oil and transfer the butternut squash cubes to the air fryer basket. You may need to air fry in batches, only cook one layer of cubes at a time.
- STEP 4: Air fry at 400°F for about 9-10 minutes and then shake the basket and air fry for another 9-10 minutes. Garnish with parsley flakes.
Recipe tips
Top Tip: to avoid any accidents use a sharp knife to cut the butternut squash. See the video to see how I cut the squash into cubes.
Tip: only air fryer one layer of the cubed butternut squash at a time. You will likely have to make it in batches depending on the size of your air fryer basket and the size of your butternut squash.
- Serving: enjoy this air fryer recipe on its own, as a side dish to air fryer chicken or air fryer pork or use it on top of salads or in a soup.
- Storage: store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Recipe variations
The cubed butternut squash is an excellent way to make them in the air fryer. Here are a few variations on how to make them:
- Frozen Butternut Squash - use frozen butternut squash cubes from the grocery store instead.
- Roasted Butternut Squash - want to roast the butternut squash cubes in the oven. Simply transfer the cubes to a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven at 425°F for 20 minutes, toss and roast for another 10 minutes or until they are roasted to your liking.
- Spices and herbs - other flavors that go well with butternut squash are thyme, rosemary and sage.
Check out some of my other vegetarian recipes.
Equipment used to make air fryer butternut squash
I do love making butternut squash in the air fryer, I use it more often than in the oven. There are many air fryers on the market, here are just a few.
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Frequently asked questions
No, I suggest only air fryer one layer of cubes at a time so they cook evenly.
All foods can possibly be considered keto, it all depends on what else you eat and your daily macros. Butternut squash is low in carbs, containing 4g net carbs per serving in this recipe. Therefore, it can be a keto friendly squash and fit into keto diet.
Yes, you can enjoy butternut squash with a dip or sugar free ketchup.
No, they may look a little similar but spaghetti squash is often used in replace of spaghetti as it's very stringy on the inside and looks like spaghetti. See this Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash recipe.
Air Fryer Butternut Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- parsley flakes for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F
- Cut the butternut squash into cubes and toss in a large bowl with the olive oil, sald and nutmeg (optonal).1 medium butternut squash, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or cooking spray
- Transfer the cubed butternut squash to the air fyer basket. Cook at 400°F for about 18 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket halfway through.
- Garnish with parsley flakes.parsley flakes for garnish
Notes
This recipe card provides the basic details to make this recipe. For more information, questions or variations please review the content above the recipe card.
Updates and Revisions
If conflicting information between the video and recipe card, the recipe card will always have the most up to date information, ingredients and instructions.
Nutritional Information
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooked food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more food guidelines
megane
Simply delicious! Easy to follow and turned out great. Cheers
Amy Liu Dong
This dish is so easy and delicious, and I can't wait to try this at home.
Keri
I've been on the look out for great veggie air fryer recipes, and this came out perfectly!
Matej
I have to say I loved this recipe! Very easy to follow, simple to make and the finished squash tasted really great. Will make it again for sure.
Karen
This was incredible! I love having squash in the fall and love that this recipe is so much faster than roasting but still has that lovely caramelized flavor. Great recipe!