Air Fryer Butternut Squash

Air fryer butternut squash cubes are silky smooth on the inside with caramelized edges. This cozy side dish is so easy to make. In fact, you can make it in half the amount of time it would take to cook in the oven. Plus it's gluten free, dairy free, paleo and vegan.

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• Ingredients
• How To Make Air Fryer Butternut Squash
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash From Frozen
• Serving Suggestions
• Download My Free Vegan Grocery List
• Recipe

I love butternut squash! While it's known as a winter vegetable, you can use it for so many things year round. For instance, have you tried my vegan mac and cheese? It gets it's cheesy flavor from...you guessed it...butternut squash!

Not only is it versatile and delicious, butternut squash is know as a winter superfood. It's packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

And, now you can enjoy the sweet roasted flavor of this healthy root veg in half the amount of time it would take to cook in your oven. All you need is an air fryer and a few spices.

Let's dig in!

Ingredients

• Butternut Squash: Choose a butternut squash that's pale beige in color with no obvious puncture wounds. I've also given instructions for making frozen butternut squash cubes in your air fryer below. You'll need a 1 pound bag of butternut squash if you want to use frozen squash cubes.
• Olive Oil: As always, I recommend using the best quality olive you can afford. The flavor of a great olive oil really makes a difference.
• Garlic Powder: We'll be using garlic powder in this recipe, not fresh. Fresh garlic tends to burn and turn bitter in the air fryer.
• Onion Powder: Sharp, and a little sweet, onion powder is the perfect compliment to butternut squash.
• Smoked Paprika: I used smoked paprika because I thing the smoky flavor complements the sweetness of the squash, but if you want to spice it up a bit you could use hot paprika powder.
• Salt & Pepper: Salt and pepper are key ingredients in my 5 spice combo! Don't skimp on either.

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How To Make Air Fryer Butternut Squash

• If your air fryer requires preheating, preheat it to 380° F (195° C). Lightly grease your insert.
• Using a sharp peeler, peel the butternut squash.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the butternut squash in half lengthways. Scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh into ½ inch cubes.
• In a large mixing boil combine the oil and spices.
• Add the butternut squash to the bowl and toss until it's evenly coated in the oil and spice mixture.
• Spread your butternut squash in an even layer (not overlapping) in the air fryer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in two batches. Cook for 20 minutes, shaking the air fryer to turn the pieces over at the halfway point. If you cut your cubes smaller than ½ inch, you'll need to adjust the cooking time to 10-15 minutes.

Air Fryer Butternut Squash From Frozen

You can use a 1 pound bag of frozen butternut squash instead of fresh if you want to. You don't need to defrost it. Simply follow these steps:

• Preheat your air fryer to 380° F (195° C). Lightly grease the insert.
• Combine the olive oil and spices in a large mixing bowl. Dump the bag of frozen butternut squash cubes into the bowl, and turn everything over with a spoon to ensure it's coated in the oil and spice mixture.
• Spread an even layer of frozen butternut squash in the basket of your air fryer. Be careful not to overlap. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches.
• Air fry the frozen butternut squash cubes for 20 minutes, giving the basket a good shake at the halfway point.

*Please note that cooking times will vary depending on how big the cubes of butternut squash are. Smaller cube will require a shorter cooking time, and larger cubes a bit longer.

Serving Suggestions

Air fryer butternut squash makes a a great side dish, or a vegan main. Here's a few suggestions:

• Serve as a side dish with my popular lentil loaf.
• Toss it with some rice cooker Puy lentils for a tasty vegan main.
• Use air fryer butternut squash as a filling in a Just Egg Omelette.
• Let it cool and toss it into a sweet potato salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Chinese Salt And Pepper Chips - Oven and Air Fryer Method

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Recipe