Air Fryer Butternut Squash Halves (Easy Ingredients)
Want to know how to air fry butternut squash halves? Use this easy air fryer butternut squash recipe as the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, or a great way to cook fresh butternut squash to use in soup or to mash!
There’s quite a bit of oil needed for proper roasting. I love to use my air fryer to cook my butternut squash with a little less oil! The air fryer cooks the squash by circulating hot air around it, making it perfectly golden brown. I love using the air fryer because it gives crispy edges, much better than oven roasting!
As an added bonus you can get your squash cooked in a fraction of the time.
This easy air fryer recipe makes a great side dish for Thanksgiving! Winter squash season and Thanksgiving coincide, so it makes sense to feature your favorite squash on your holiday menus!
This healthy side dish is absolutely beautiful, has tons of fall flavors and frees up your oven for all of those beloved casseroles.
This air-fried butternut squash recipe is designed for whole squash! Please note, this is NOT the right recipe is you have pre-cut butternut squash pieces! I’d recommend using this recipe instead. Just reduce the cooking time by 2-3 minutes for the squash cubes instead of the sweet potato cubes.
Adapting this Recipe:
You can use a variety of halved winter squashes for this easy side dish recipe! I’ve used it to make air fryer spaghetti squash, air fryer honeynut squash, and air fryer acorn squash.
How to use Leftover Air Fryer Squash:
Use the leftovers for butternut squash soup
Mash it and add cayenne pepper or hot sauce. Serve with your favorite protein.
Dice and add to the top of rice or quinoa bowls
Serving Suggestions:
This air fried squash is a delicious side dish for the holiday season! And, it’s beautiful to boot.
You can also use this butternut squash as the base for your main dish! Stuff the cavity with cubed Maple Dijon Chicken, Candied Pecans and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic Vinegar. Or, double up on the veggie goodness by making Air Fryer Broccolini.
Storing Leftovers:
Store leftover roasted butternut squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Leftover squash is great made into Butternut Squash Soup.
If you love this recipe, check out the other easy air fryer recipes on my site!
Air Fryer Butternut Squash
Want to know how to air fry butternut squash halves? It's the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, or use it to make soup or mashed squash!
Ingredients
- 1 whole butternut squash (3-5 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- 4-6 tablespoons salted butter, sliced
- fresh thyme, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
- Generously wash the outside of the butternut squash skin with hot water to remove bacteria that can transfer to the inside of the squash when you cut it.
- Place the squash on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to carefully slight the squash in half lengthwise.
- Scoop out and discard the seeds.
- Spray your air fryer basket with non-stick spray. Place the squash cut side up in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Brush olive oil over the cut side of the squash halves, then sprinkle them generously with salt, pepper and chili powder (optional).
- Air fry for 15 minutes, then place the butter on top of the squash in slices.
- Air fry for an additional 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.
- Serve immediately with fresh thyme and additional butter if desired.
Notes
For a sweet flavor, brush on 2 teaspoons of maple syrup for the last 2-3 minutes of cook time. Don't apply it earlier, the sugar burns pretty easily. You can also sprinkle on brown sugar.
I used a 5.6 quart air fryer for this recipe.
