3-Ingredient Air Fryer Roasted Butternut Squash (paleo, Whole30, vegan)
With healthy complex carbs, this quick 3-Ingredient Air Fryer Roasted Butternut Squash makes an easy side dish for any meal. It’s paleo, vegan, vegetarian, Whole30, and gut-friendly!
I honestly didn’t think I’d own an Air Fryer.
But then again, I didn’t think I’d be an Instant Pot owner either… and I have 2 of those and literally would rescue them if my house was on fire, so….
Still, I’ll take anything that makes life in the kitchen less complicated.
When Cosori contacted me and asked me if they could send me a 5.8 quart air fryer, I thought, “Sure! Why not?”
Then I polled my Instagram audience, and they definitely said YES to air fryer recipes — especially those that are suited to holidays and easy meal prep.
Well, this 3-Ingredient Air Fryer Roasted Butternut Squash is BOTH!
It’s just as easy to pair this Air Fryer Butternut Squash with Thanksgiving dinner as it is to whip out on Burger Night or to have alongside a roast.
Nothing complicated here; the hardest part is actually prepping the squash for roasting (and even that can’t be counted as “hard”, y’all).
This is officially my first Air Fryer recipe!
Yeah, I went with something easy. But don’t you think this is the only thing I’ve made in my Air Fryer!
In fact, our family has decided that we’ll never go back to oven-roasted potatoes. Like, ever. Because — although I don’t really save time with the Air Fryer (I have to do 2 batches) — the results are nothing short of AMAZING.
The potatoes are literally perfect — crispy and brown on the outside, moist and yummy on the inside.
I’ve also done buffalo wings, battered herring, and various roasted root vegetables.
Each time, my Air Fryer has produced fantastic results!
I won’t be abandoning my Instant Pots, for sure, but I’ll certainly be giving my air fryer a workout and posting more recipes with it in the future!
How to Prep Butternut Squash for the Air Fryer
Lay the squash on a cutting board and slice off the ends.
Then, cut the neck of the squash off the bulb end. Slice the neck in half length-wise and slice into 1/8″-thick half circles.
Next, cut the bulb end in half, exposing the seeds.
Using a spoon, scoop out all the seeds and stringy pulp. You can compost this, feed it to your chickens, or trash it.
Once all your squash is in a bowl, add salt, freshly chopped rosemary (or thyme), and avocado oil.
I get the best price on organic avocado oil from Thrive Market. Click here to save 25% on your first order!
Use a spoon to toss the butternut squash, making sure each piece is coated in seasoning and oil.
This will ensure evenness in flavor and texture once it roasts in the Air Fryer.
If you’ll notice, I didn’t peel the squash. Butternut squash peel is very thin and full of nutrients. There’s no need to peel it when roasting it in the Air Fryer!
Once tossed and coated in the oil, salt, and fresh herbs, it’s time to go into the Air Fryer!
Depending on the size of your Air Fryer, you may have to roast the butternut squash in batches. I have the 5.8-quart Cosori Air Fryer, and I did 2 batches (using 2 small butternut squash).
How to Cook Air Fryer Butternut Squash
First, preheat your Air Fryer to warm it up. On the Cosori Air Fryer, there is an actual Preheat function. By pressing the “Preheat” button, then the “Play” button, the Air Fryer will heat to 400 degrees in 5 minutes.
Once it’s preheated, immediately add some (or all) of your butternut squash half-rounds, spreading the squash in an even layer. It’s ok for some of the squash to overlap, just don’t have layers and layers of squash if you want it slightly crisp and evenly cooked.
Press the Vegetable button and adjust the temperature to 380 degrees. Then adjust the time to 12 minutes.
Half-way through cooking (6 minutes) open the Air Fryer and give the squash a shake or use a spatula to turn the squash over.
Continue cooking until the Air Fryer cycle is complete. Serve immediately!
Here’s the whole recipe!
3-Ingredient Air Fryer Roasted Butternut Squash
With healthy complex carbs, this quick 3-Ingredient Air Fryer Roasted Butternut Squash makes an easy side dish for any meal. It's paleo, vegan, vegetarian, Whole30, and gut-friendly!
Ingredients
- 2small-mediumbutternut squash
- 2tablespoonsavocado oil
- 2tablespoonschopped fresh rosemaryor thyme
- 1teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Preheat the Cosori Air Fryer by pressing the Preheat button.
Prep the squash. Slice the ends off, then slice the neck away from the bulbous end. Slice the neck in half long-ways, then slice into 1/8"-thick half circles. Cut the bulbous end in half and use a spoon to scrape the seeds out. Then cut into 1/8"-thick moons.
Put the squash into a large bowl and toss with avocado oil, freshly chopped herbs, and salt.
Put the squash in an even layer into the preheated Air Fryer. Press the Vegetable button, then adjust the temperature to 380 degrees and the time to 12 minutes.
Half-way through cooking, open the Air Fryer and shake or toss the squash to turn it over.
Continue cooking until the Air Fryer beeps and goes off.
Serve immediately.
More Nourishing & Delicious Fall & Winter Recipes You’ll Love…
- Easy Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies (paleo, vegan, gluten-free)
- Paleo Butternut Squash Curly Fries
- Instant Pot Apple Cider Sourdough Bread Pudding (with salted caramel-apple sauce!)
- Real Food Copycat Starbuck’s Caramel Apple Spice (Instant Pot & stovetop directions)
- Paleo Instant Pot Apple-Pecan Crumble (grain-free, dairy-free, vegan)
- Best Cassava Flour Pumpkin Bread (nut-free, dairy-free, grain-free)
- Keto Instant Pot Chai Hot Chocolate (dairy-free & stevia-sweetened)
- Keto Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden copycat)
- Everything Seasoning Roasted Sweet Potatoes (paleo, vegan, Whole30)
Do you have an Air Fryer yet? What’s your favorite veggie to roast in it?
