Once you’ve cooked butternut squash in the air fryer, you’ll never go back to the oven. In just a few minutes, you’ll have tender squash with a naturally sweet flavor and crispy caramelized edges. Air fryer butternut squash is a versatile side dish that goes well with almost anything. Serve it with rotisserie chicken, pork tenderloin, flank steak, or salmon — it will complement and elevate almost any dish!
Does The Air Fryer Make Vegetables Crispy?
The air fryer does indeed make vegetables crispy (or at least gives them a crispy outer shell). Without actually roasting the vegetables, the air fryer gives them a roasted flavor! For this kind of recipe, the air fryer works best because it quickly produces crispy vegetables. Without turning on the oven, you will have a delicious texture and flavor in just 20 minutes!
How To Make Butternut Squash In An Air Fryer
Making butternut squash in the air fryer is a breeze. You can either use a pre-cut butternut squash package from the store or cut your own. To make air fryer butternut squash from scratch, cut a squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and peel the squash before cutting it into equal-sized cubes. Follow these easy steps to make the best air fryer butternut squash:
Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel, deseed, and cut the butternut squash into 12-inch cubes that are evenly sized.
Toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil and seasonings of your choice in a large mixing bowl.
Place the squash in an air fryer basket, preferably in a single layer.
Cook for 8 minutes with the squash. Cook for another 10 minutes after shaking the basket halfway through air frying to prevent sticking.
Turn off the air fryer and leave the butternut squash in for 5 minutes — this is an important step because it allows the squash to finish cooking without burning!
How To Season Butternut Squash
Butternut squash does not require anything special, besides the straightforward seasoning, because of the naturally sweet flavor, which is accentuated after the air frying, and the caramelized flavor around the edges. You should be aware that butternut squash pairs well with a variety of sweet or savory seasonings if you like to add more flavor. My favorite spice combinations are as follows:
Basic Seasoning. A butternut squash that can be served with any meal is made versatile with a dash of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Sweet Seasoning The addition of ground cumin and smoked paprika, which give butternut squash a warm, smoky flavor, gives this seasoning more flavor than the simple seasoning. savory seasoning This mixture includes salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and maple syrup. The best, savory-sweet butternut squash recipe is this one.
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 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, remove the seeds.
3. Peel the squash and cut it into 12 inch cubes.
4. Toss the squash with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any spice mixture of choice.
5. Arrange the squash in a single layer in the air fryer basket (you can cook additional batches as needed).
6. Cook the squash for 8 minutes in the air fryer. Cook for another 8-10 minutes after shaking the basket halfway through to prevent the squash from sticking together.
7. Turn off the air fryer and leave the squash in the hot air fryer for 5 minutes to finish cooking.
8. If desired, serve the butternut squash warm.
Notes
Butternut squash should be cut into uniformly sized cubes. To ensure even cooking, cut the cubes at the same size because smaller cubes cook more quickly than larger ones.
One of the most common mistakes people make with air fryers is to fill the appliance more than halfway.
Use dried herbs instead of fresh ones because they are much better. Your meal will be ruined by the burning of fresh herbs.