Air Fried Butternut Squash

Why This is the Best Recipe

I love using my air fryer to make easy vegetable side dishes while I cook my main dish in the regular oven. I think this is the best air fried butternut squash recipe because:

1. Great Use for Pre-Chopped Butternut Squash: Slicing a butternut squash yourself can be a bit tricky, my recipe uses pre-chopped squash from the produce section of the grocery store to make the dish quickly.
2. Versatile Seasoning: This savory blend will pair with almost any main dish you want to serve the squash with. It's the same one I use on my crispy roasted sweet potatoes and so tasty.
3. Sweet and Spicy: The hint of spice from the red chiles pairs so well with the sweet butternut squash itself.

Ingredients

All you need to make this side dish is:

• Butternut Squash: You can chop your own or take the shortcut and just buy the tub of pre-cut squash.
• Olive Oil
• Garlic Salt
• Dried Thyme
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Season the Squash

If you're using the store-chopped squash, you may find that the cubes of butternut squash are a bit moist when you open the tub.

In order for them to get those crispy charred edges, the squash should be dry before you toss it in olive oil.

Use some paper towels to gently pat the cubes of squash first:

Add the chopped squash to a large mixing bowl.

Drizzle the olive oil over the top. Then add the garlic salt, dried thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes.

Toss to coat.

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. This gets the basket piping hot before you add the squash.

Pour the squash in and spread it out into an even layer.

Roast the butternut squash for 20 minutes, tossing it in the basket about halfway through.

You know the squash is done when you can easily prick it with a fork and it has slightly charred edges like this:

Make Ahead Tips

The roasted butternut squash tastes best fresh out of the air fryer but if you want to save time you can pre-chop the vegetable up to a week in advance and just store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Or you can buy the store chopped kind and just keep it in the fridge for around 5 days depending on how fresh it was when you bought it.

Serving Suggestions

The squash will be delicious just as is but when I served it to my family I ripped up some fresh sage leaves I had in the fridge and stirred them in.

It makes an excellent side dish for chicken or pork. You could serve it alongside baked chicken breasts, a roasted chicken, or my easy pork tenderloin recipe.

If you love butternut squash, you may also want to check out my roasted gnocchi recipe which includes the butternut squash, sage, and fresh parmesan.

Roasted Gnocchi

Easy Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

12 Easy Baked Chicken Breast Recipes

How to Cook Smithfield Pork Tenderloin {3 Easy Ways}

More Air Fryer Vegetables

An air fryer is a perfect way to cook roasted veggies on a busy night. Don't miss my air fryer asparagus, peppers, broccoli, and green beans, too:

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus {Air Fryer or Oven}

Roasted Mini Peppers {Oven or Air Fryer}

Roasted Broccoli and Carrots {Primavera Veggies}

Air Fryer Green Beans