Air fryer butternut squash cubes is a healthy side dish perfect for the holidays or for your family year round. Tender and flavorful cubes of YUM made in a Ninja Foodi, Cosori or Airwave.
Air fryer butternut squash cubes are great! Roasted and seasoned to perfection every bite comes out perfectly tender. One of many easy air fryer recipes we have here on The Typical Mom blog. (affiliate links present)
Cubed Butternut Squash Recipe
You may have tried to bake these in your oven before. Let me tell you that air fryer vegetables are out of this world. Not only is it quick to make but the texture is amazing overall.
Whether youโre looking for a vegetarian dish or easy side dishes for the holidays, even my kiddos love this one. Serve as is with dinner or with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar for a healthy dessert idea in Cosori or as Ninja foodi recipes.
It is really quite simple to prepare this one. Ok, it is a bit more labor intensive than our sliced mushrooms, zucchini and yellow squash mixture we call air fryer vegetables. BUT we will help you understand how itโs done.
This orange vegetable looks kindaโ similar to a pumpkin when you slice it open. Of course with those we donโt throw out the middle goodness, instead we make air fryer pumpkin seeds.
I mean I guess you could do the same with these but there arenโt enough really to bother if you ask me. Just use a spoon and scoop out the yuck and throw it away, then youโre ready to slice it up.
How to cube butternut squash
Get a cutting board and a sharp knife out so youโre ready for these steps: Lay the gourd on itโs side and cut the bulb off. Meaning that round end thatโs kinda weird. Once you do it will be straight on the thin end like you see here above.
Do I need to peel butternut squash before roasting?
- Yes. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin on the outside so itโs nice and smooth, you donโt want to eat that.
- If it is tough to do this you can microwave it for 30 seconds and then try again.
- Then slice it in half lengthwise, like you see above.
- Scoop out the seeds and a bit of the strings inside the middle, discard.
- Put the flat end down on your cutting board and cut it into 1-1.5โณ strips.
Then put a few of those strips together and dice into cubes. Keeping them squares about the same width and length are good.
Now you will season these babies however you like. Olive oil is needed to keep each piece moist and have your seasonings stick too. Iโd add at least salt and pepper. Toss all of that together so each piece is nicely coated.
I always like to preheat my air fryer for 5 minutes at the recommended temperature. This will ensure your food is cooking at the same temp. throughout the duration of the time.
If you forget donโt freak out, it will still be fine but you might need to add a few more minutes. Cook time will vary slightly for this anyway because if you cube them larger than this it will take longer. Just remove once fork tender.
Once your squash pieces are nice and tender taste them and add additional seasonings before serving right out of your air fryer basket. If you wanted a bit of sweetness, sprinkle with brown sugar! Before you jump to the recipe and instructions below this is what youโll need to get started making air fryer roasted squash.
Ingredients
- Butternut squash peeled
- Olive oil will keep the outsides moist
- Salt and pepper are basic seasonings
Garlic salt and/or powder might be a nice addition too if you love those flavors on your summer squash recipes in general.
How to cook butternut squash in air fryer
Below we have exact measurements needed and instructions. Here are brief step by steps though so you can see;
Time needed: 15 minutes
Air Fryer Butternut Squash Recipe
- Prepare
Slice top of it off and then peel the outside skin using a vegetable peeler. Scoop out middle and discard insides. Slice or cube into equal size pieces.
- Preheat
Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F for 5 minutes. Toss veggies with a drizzle of olive oil and any seasonings youโd like.
- Cook
Pour into air fryer basket for 15 minutes shaking the basket halfway. Test by poking with a fork. Spray with olive oil if you want a more golden brown roasted crisp to the outsides.
If you then want to make this into a homemade butternut squash soup, you can! Follow our recipe here, blend and enjoy. Gluten free, healthy and cheap too it is one of those foods you can enjoy year round.
Think of how you like your sweet potato in air fryer or what you sprinkle on sweet potato cubes oven roasted style. I kindaโ go with that along with a savory touch. You could add oregano, sage, basil, cumin, the list goes on and on. Chili powder will add just a tad of heat if you want.
Serve this with some sliced air fryer frozen chicken breast for a really good for you meal.
Want to try another air fryer vegetable recipe? Our air fryer spaghetti squash and air fryer acorn squash is like nothing else youโve made. Guarantee youโll never bake it in the oven again.
Air Fryer Butternut Squash
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, skin removed, cut into equal size cubes
- parsley, optional to garnish
- olive oil spray
- salt and pepper, to taste, optional
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Slice bulb off top of squash. Peel the outside skin. Cut squash lengthwise, scoop out middle and remove skin. Cube squash into equal size pieces so they cook evenly.
- Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Put cubes in a bowl and drizzle on olive oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle with any seasonings you'd like now.
- Pour into air fryer basket and cook for approximately 15 minutes tossing halfway through. When tossing you can spray with olive oil spray at that time if they look a bit dry.
- Test after 15 minutes by poking with a fork to see if they are tender. Enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Help! Iโm wanting to purchase an air fryer, but am overwhelmed with the choices. Do I purchase just an air fryer or do I get a Ninja foodie? I already own an Instant Pot. Please share with me the pros/cons of each!
If you already have a pressure cooker you might just want a Cosori, I have the 5 qt and it is fine for the 4 of us.