We love the sweet, buttery flavors of squash crisped up and caramelized in the air fryer! Whether it's butternut, delicata, or acorn...this is one of our favorite easy and healthy side dishes. Bonus points for not requiring any stove or oven space. You'll love this easy air fryer squash recipe for any day of the week!
Air fryer squash is one of the simplest and most irresistible ways to transform basic winter squash into a sweet, roasty, caramelized veggie side dish for any meal! We even use it as the base for bowl recipes packed with other veggies, protein, and whatever delicious sauce we can whip up (like homemade parsley pesto or a drizzle of basil vinaigrette).
Some of our favorite squashes to air fry are delicata, butternut, and acorn squash, and you'll see delicata & butternut featured here. If you don't have an air fryer, don't worry! Roasting squash in your oven at a high heat will yield equally delicious results, so I'll share instructions for that as well.
Ingredients
- Delicata or butternut squash - Acorn squash will work, too! You can leave the skin on for any of these types of squash, though I peel my butternut squash.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Substitutions & Variations
Below are some ways you can modify this air fryer squash recipe to make it work for your taste buds!
- Squash - As mentioned, you can use butternut, acorn, or delicata squash in this recipe! Use the same amount as recommended by the recipe or your air fryer size for any type of squash.
- Spices - I stuck to salt and pepper here, but you can have fun with spice and flavor variations. Use infused olive oils, garlic powder + oregano (Italian), Asian five spice, curry powder, cumin + chili powder, cumin + coriander, cayenne... all will be delicious!
- Butter + brown sugar - Okay, so sweetening this squash totally tastes like dessert... but it definitely still counts toward your veggie servings for the day. Once the squash is done air frying, take it out while still hot and place into a bowl. Then place a ½-1 tablespoon of pat of butter into the bowl of squash and stir to coat. Once the butter has melted and coated the squash, sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar onto the squash (maybe 1 tablespoon or less), and serve!
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees and prepare your squash. Optionally peel your squash using a vegetable peeler. Usually I peel butternut squash, but I don't peel delicata. Slice off each end of the squash and discard. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out any seeds.
Step 2: Cut squash into slices about ¼ in./1 cm. thick. Then cut each slice into chunks. I love using half moons for delicata squash (pictured below) and 1-inch pieces for butternut. Transfer squash pieces to a bowl and toss well with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Transfer the squash to your air fryer in an even layer. Air fry the squash at 390 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring or flipping the squash halfway through.
Behold your final product! Perfectly browned, sweet squash. YUMMY.
Important Note on Air Fryer Size: I tested and regularly use a 5-quart Ninja Foodi air fryer for this squash recipe with about 2 pounds of squash. If you have a smaller or larger air fryer, you may need to air fry the squash in smaller batches.
Storage
Store leftover squash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. You can serve leftovers cold in salads, or reheat in your air fryer if you prefer the leftovers to be warm and re-crisped.
If you want to freeze batches of squash for later, first allow it to cool completely. Then, place it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months, and thaw in the fridge when you're ready to eat. You can reheat it in the air fryer, oven, or even blend it up into soups (like my Thai-spiced butternut squash bisque!).
Top tip
For evenly cooked and crisped squash, keep the total amount of squash small enough so that enough air can circulate in your air fryer, and all of the squash pieces can get cooked. For my 5-quart Ninja Foodi air fryer, that's about a 2-pound squash. Also, stir ingredients or gently shake the air fryer basket halfway through to even out the surface area exposure of all the pieces.
Air Fryer Squash FAQs
Air fryer type and size could cause results to vary, so there are a few sensory clues you should use to ensure success. Ensure that the amount of squash being used allows for enough air circulation around each piece. This means squash pieces can be touching, but there shouldn't be several layers of squash piled high. Additionally, check the squash about halfway through, and again as needed. Squash pieces that are lightly browned and easily pierced with a fork, and that taste caramelized and delicious, are ready to be eaten.
You sure can! Oven instructions are included in the recipe card below, plus I have a whole post where you can learn how to make roasted delicata squash.
Did you make this air fryer squash recipe? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!
PrintRecipe
Easy Air Fryer Squash
Sweet, buttery squash crisped up and caramelized in the air fryer! Whether it's butternut, delicata, or acorn, this is a delicious, easy, and healthy side dish that goes with any meal. No stove or oven space required!
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Air fry
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of squash (butternut, delicata, or acorn), halved and sliced ~1 centimeter thick
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer. Preheat your air fryer at 390 degrees for 2-3 minutes while you prepare the squash.
- Prep squash. Place squash slices in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
- Air fry squash. Place the squash in your air fryer in an even layer. Air fry the squash for 20 minutes at 390 degrees, stirring or flipping halfway through to evenly cook all the pieces. The number of batches you need to do will depend on your air fryer (see notes). The squash is done when the edges are browned, and the thickest pieces can be easily pierced by a fork. Once done, remove from the air fryer and serve!
Notes
- Air fryer. We use a 5-quart Ninja Foodi, which is perfect for air frying approximately 2 pounds of squash at once. If you have a smaller or larger air fryer, you may need to adjust the amount of squash and cook time accordingly. The best way to achieve great results is to check halfway through to see how quickly the squash is cooking!
- Oven fry. You don't need an air fryer for this recipe! To oven fry the squash, preheat your oven to 425 degrees and roast squash for 25-30 minutes (depends on your oven; check for doneness by seeing if squash can be easily pierced with a fork and starting to brown on edges). Just like with the air fryer, stir the squash halfway through to get an even heat exposure.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 162
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 299.8 mg
- Fat: 7.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.6 g
- Fiber: 4.6 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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