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These Air Fryer butternut squash cubes are crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside and have a great balance of salty, savory and sweet flavors. This healthy side packs in all those delicious fall flavors that you have been craving, and takes just 5 minutes of prep time!
Plus, they’re incredibly versatile too! Team them up with some Air Fryer turkey legs or toss them into a bowl of salad to bulk it up.
Butternut squash is an underrated veggie if you ask me. There’s SO much more that you can do with it than just make a soup, and I realized this when I tried this recipe.
These crispy cubes have a great balance of sweet and savory flavors- just like my Air Fryer sweet potato fries, and are a great gluten-free, low-calorie and healthy side dish you can make to go with your favorite holiday mains.
Quick Look At This Recipe
✨ Flavor: Crispy and garlicky.
⏱️ Prep time: 5 minutes.
🔥 Cook time: 16 minutes.
⏲️ Total time: 21 minutes.
👥 Servings: 4 servings.
🥄 Tools: Air Fryer.
❄️ Freezer friendly: No.
👩🏻🍳 Tip: To lend the dish a more rustic flavor and texture, cube the butternut squash with the skin on.
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- With almost no meal prep time, this is a fast and healthy way to cook your favorite fall veggie.
- They are incredibly versatile and super easy to make. You’ll just need 5 minutes of prep time to put these together.
- They’re the perfect Thanksgiving side- just like my crispy Air Fryer carrots.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butternut squash: Peeled, sliced in half, and then cut into bite sized cubes.
- Oil: Ideally extra virgin– I use Bertolli’s. You can also use melted better if you want to.
- Garlic: Fresh minced. Use garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic.
- Seasonings: Just some salt and pepper. I like to use a bit of my DIY poultry seasoning too.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- To bring a bit of heat, add a pinch of cayenne or paprika into the mix.
- For a sweeter flavor, skip the garlic and seasonings and use my homemade cinnamon sugar with a bit of pumpkin pie spice instead.
How to Make Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Peel and slice the butternut squash, and then cut into cubes about the size 1-inch in size. Transfer to a large bowl, add olive oil and seasonings and toss.
- Transfer the seasoned butternut squash cubes into your Air Fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air fry at 400 F for 16 to 18 minutes, until they are crispy on the outside and fork tender on the inside.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Air fried butternut squash work great as a side dish with mains like Air Fryer duck, my favorite Air Fryer lamb chops, and even my Air Fryer whole chicken.
Leftovers work wonderfully as an addition to your salad bowls, wraps and soup bowls. You can also serve it as a healthy side along with your breakfast scrambled eggs or a savory granola bowl.
I personally enjoy serving them with my Air Fryer turkey breast and some Air Fryer Brussels sprouts and bacon as a nice holiday meal.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the kind of Air Fryer you’re using. Check the basket at the 15 minute mark and air fry for a few more minutes if required.
- Make sure you chop the butternut squash into cubes that are roughly the same size, so that they crisp up nicely.
- Shake the Air Fryer basket at least once during the cooking time to get the cubes evenly crispy. I did this when I made my Air Fryer sweet potato cubes and they had that perfect golden brown caramelization on the outside.
- To make things quicker, you can also use packaged, pre-cubed butternut squash.
Recipe FAQs
If you have leftovers, allow them to cool down completely and store in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat, return leftover squash to the Air Fryer for 3-5 minutes until warm and crispy.
When buying a butternut squash, check its surface for any soft spots, dark patches or discoloration. The squash should be firm, feel heavy and have a hollow sound when tapped.
Yes, you can. Simply let the frozen squash cubes defrost, wipe them to remove any excess moisture and toss them in the oil and seasonings. You may need to add a couple of extra minutes of cooking time too.
More Air Fryer Squash Recipes
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Acorn Squash
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Squash
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Zucchini
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Air Fryer Butternut Squash
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- To make this easy air fryer recipe, use a sharp vegetable peeler and peel the butternut squash skin. Use a sharp chef knife, and cut squash halves, lengthwise, and then remove all seeds.
- Cut the squash into cubes about the size of dice. I try to do 1-inch cubes. You can skip the steps if you use pre-cut butternut squash cubes.
- In a medium or large bowl, add the butternut squash cubes, and toss the squash with olive oil and seasonings.
- Once pieces of squash are well coated, in a single layer, pour seasoned squash pieces into the air fryer basket.
- Cook butternut squash on Air Fry, at 400 degrees F for 16 to 18 minutes cook time, until squash is crispy and tender to your liking. Shake the basket halfway during the cooking process.
- Season cooked squash with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- If you’re using a larger squash, work in batches to get the squash cubes nice and crispy on all sides.
- Because all Air Fryers are different, cooking times may vary slightly.
- Try to cut pieces into similar sizes to help ensure even cooking. If you’re cooking large pieces, you may need to add a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
