Butternut squash has to be one of my favourite veggies. Hearty and full of flavour, it adds a mellow warmth to so many of my weekly meals. But for a long time, I ignored it in the supermarket because I just didn’t know quite what to do with it. Then I discovered that butternut squash can easily be roasted in the air fryer. Now, I add satisfying, golden bite-sized chunks of butternut squash to a host of different dishes from warm salads to curries.

Roasted butternut also makes a great side dish for roast meat or a super starting point for lots of vegan stews and bowls. You can even blitz the roasted squash with vegetable stock to create a warming soup.
Why cook air fryer butternut squash?
When roasted in the air fryer, butternut squash takes a wonderful golden-brown colour with slightly charred edges that contrast beautifully with the sweet, soft flesh within. And when you air fry roasted squash, you need only a teeny bit of oil so your seasonings can really shine. Of course, cooking butternut squash in the air fryer takes a fraction of the time of a conventional oven. Just 15 minutes cooking time!
Today, I’m sharing my easy way to roast butternut squash in an air fryer. It’s so easy and uses just four ingredients. The preparation is super-easy, just a little peeling and chopping. Then you can just let the air fryer turn your cubes of squash into beautifully caramelized golden-brown nuggets of loveliness.
Top Tip: For this recipe, I cut butternut squash into bite-sized chunks. It’s important to keep them roughly the same size so that they roast evenly in your air fryer.
Once cooked, you can serve these butternut squash bites as a side dish or toss them into a warm salad. I love combining them with cubes of avocado, olives and rocket.
How to cut butternut squash
Preparing a butternut squash is a lot easier than I once imagined. I like to peel it before chopping (although you can keep the skin on if you prefer).

To begin peel down the length of the squash. I find it easiest to peel from the top to the bottom, towards myself. With a good quality peeler, you’ll find the thin strips of skin peel away effortlessly. Don't worry if a little skin remains at the very top and bottom, as you can just slice these off...

...like so!

Next, chop the squash in half, lengthways and scoop out the seeds using a spoon.
Then chop the squash into slices, widthways.

Finally, cut the butternut squash slices into evenly sized bite-sized chunks and it’s ready to roast.
How to roast butternut squash in air fryer
Roasting butternut squash in an air fryer is so easy. This is my foolproof method. The only thing to be careful with is the cooking time because the delicate cubes can go from just right to overcooked in a matter of minutes. The trick is to check them regularly and shake at least twice during the cooking time.

Take cubed butternut squash and place it directly into the air fryer basket. Make sure you just have one layer so that the squash can crisp nicely, rather than going soggy. If you have a lot to cook, it's better to do it in batches.

Then spritz on a little cooking spray. You can use any oil that’s safe to use in an air fryer but avoid extra-virgin olive oil as the smoke point of this is too low.
Next it’s time to season. I like to use salt, pepper and oregano but there are lots of different flavours and herbs that go well with butternut squash. If you’re using the squash in curries, a sprinkle of curry powder would be great. For chillies or Mexican-inspired dishes, chilli powder or paprika are a good choice. Garlic powder, ginger, cinnamon, rosemary all work really well too.
Give everything a good shake to make sure the butternut squash is nicely coated in the seasoning.
Air fry for 15 minutes at 190°C (370°F), shaking every 5 minutes. As you get towards the end of the air frying time, check again to ensure that the squash doesn’t burn. The butternut squash is ready when it’s golden brown and totally soft within.
How to use air fryer butternut squash
Here are some of my favourite butternut squash recipes and suggestions:

- Combine roasted butternut squash with salad leaves, olives, avocado and a dressing for a warm salad
- Toss through cooked rice or grains with a can of mixed beans and a salad dressing for a quick and healthy lunch
- Add to vegan chillies, along with roasted sweet potatoes and roasted bell peppers
- Add to curries – my favourite vegan curry combination is butternut squash and chickpea
- Blitz with vegetable stock, roasted garlic and a dollop of crème fraiche to make a creamy, warming soup
- Serve as a side dish with Sunday roasts

Air Fryer Roasted Butternut Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut Squash
- 1 teaspoon Unrefined olive oil
- 1 pinch Salt and Pepper
- Dried herbs or spices e.g. oregano, rosemary, paprika
Instructions
- Peel your butternut squash, remove the seeds and chop into bite-sized pieces (see above for how to easily chop a butternut squash).
- Place the butternut squash pieces into your air fryer basket, in a single layer and add a drizzle or spritz of your chosen oil.
- Sprinkle over the salt, pepper and dried herbs and give everything a good shake.
- Air fry at 190°C (370°F) for 15 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes. As you get towards the end of the air frying time, check again to ensure that the squash doesn’t burn. The butternut squash is ready when it’s golden brown and totally soft within.
Notes
Nutrition
Butternut squash is an incredibly healthy ingredient so a perfect option for anyone looking to add more healthy air fryer recipes and dishes to the weekly meal rotation. It contains vitamins and minerals, plus fibre and beta-carotene which all contribute towards good health. A portion of butternut squash also counts as one of your five-a-day.
Technically, butternut squash is a fruit but it’s eaten like a vegetable, mainly in savoury dishes, although it can be used in sweet dishes too and is said to pair with maple syrup (although I've yet to try that). It’s a variety of winter squash that grows on a vine. It has a distinctive long and rounded shape that’s wider at the bottom than the top. On the outside it has a pale-yellow outer skin which hides the vibrant orange flesh within.
I like to peel butternut squash before cooking it in the air fryer because I prefer the texture without the peel, but you can cook it with the skin on if you prefer.
Is it best to roast or steam butternut squash?
I prefer to roast butternut squash in the air fryer as this gives the caramelization and crispy edges that I adore in a butternut dish.
A whole, unpeeled butternut squash keeps happily for a few weeks in a cool, dark place (providing it hasn’t been cut into). Once cut, you should store it in a sealed container in the fridge where it will keep well for up to a week. Once cooked, you can refrigerate the butternut squash for 3-5 days and use it as you need to.
Yes! If you’ve cooked butternut squash in advance, you can easily reheat it in your air fryer. Just place the squash in the basket and reheat at 190°C (370°F) for around 3-5 minutes or until hot.
Yes, butternut squash is gluten-free.
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