This air fryer butternut squash recipe is easy to follow and very quick to make. It’s a great side dish on my list of healthy recipes.
When you need something to add to your weeknight family dinner or a Thanksgiving side dish that the whole family will enjoy, try air frying or roasting some butternut squash.

This delightful side goes with a variety of main dishes.
Roasted Butternut Squash – Nutritious Side Dish
Air frying butternut squash is more like roasting it than frying it. You’ll love the way cooking it this way brings out the flavor. It’s also super healthy cooked this way.
Butternut squash is packed with nutrients, so you can feel good about serving it to your family. You can serve it a variety of ways, including on top of a salad, stuffed inside chicken, or all by itself. We like it as a side dish with these grilled pork chops.
If you’ve never had butternut squash (also known as butter squash), it’s time to try it. The flavor is similar to sweet potatoes, and it’s just as easy to cook.

In addition to air fryer butternut squash, I like to make a variety of healthy side dishes. Here are more of my favorites:
Air Fryer Carrots – Another easy vegetable that takes very little time to prepare.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts – Colorful and delicious addition to your dinner table.
Garlic Zucchini Parmesan – Packed with flavor and loaded with nutrients.
Creamed Spinach – One of the best ways to get your kids to eat their veggies.
Broccoli Slaw – My favorite way of adding crunch to any meal.
All of these easy side dishes take very little effort but have a big payoff in flavor. If you have a list of easy recipes, the idea of cooking dinner every single night won’t seem so daunting.
Ingredients for Butternut Squash in an Air Fryer
There are several reasons that this is one of my favorite recipes. First and most importantly, it tastes good.

Second, it’s one of the easiest ways to add nutrition to any meal with a few simple ingredients that I typically have on hand. Third, the cooking time is very short, so it fits in with most meals.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Butternut squash cut into cubes – fresh or frozen.
- Olive oil – you can also use avocado oil or whatever type of oil you have on hand.
- Ground cinnamon (optional)
- Seasoned salt to taste
For exact measurements of each ingredient and full directions, go to the recipe card at the bottom of the page. You can even print out the card by using the “print” button.
Other ingredients you can use are brown sugar, avocado oil, cayenne pepper, and parmesan cheese. If you can think of something else that sounds good to you, give it a try. I like to test new flavors in small amounts before serving it to others.
How to Make Air Fried Butternut Squash
First, pour the cubed butternut squash onto a paper towel and pat it dry. This keeps it from being soggy.
Now pour all of the squash into a medium-size bowl. Or if you’re making a larger amount, use a large mixing bowl.
Next, drizzle olive oil over the squash. Mix with a spoon to coat all of the pieces. You can use a little olive oil spray if you prefer to spritz them instead of drizzling. Either way is fine.

Now, pour all of the squash into your air fryer basket. Spread it out into a single layer.
If you have enough squash to need a large bowl, you might need to make this in batches.
Sprinkle the seasoned salt and cinnamon (if you choose to use it) evenly over the squash pieces.

Put the air fryer basket in the machine and cook on 385 degrees F for 10 minutes.
Remove the basket and flip the squash.

Now put the basket back into the machine and cook for an additional 10 minutes. It’s a good idea to check after 7 or 8 minutes because cooking time varies among the different air fryers.
As I already mentioned, if you’re cooking more than enough squash to have a single layer, you can cook it in batches. You can also do this if you have a smaller air fryer.
Best Air Fryer
Most air fryer brands work well. I have a 6-quart Instant Vortex air fryer, which is made by the same company that makes the Instant Pot. Since I’m cooking for just the two of us, I could have used a smaller one, but my personal preference is to have the capacity to cook an entire meal in one device.
The size of your air fryer only matters if you plan to cook a lot of food. I usually recommend getting the biggest one that fits on your counter top.
The total cook time is approximately 20 minutes. Serve these little nuggets of goodness hot.
If you want to garnish the butternut squash before serving it, sprinkle a little chopped fresh parsley over the top.
Fresh vs. Frozen Butternut Squash
I’ve used whole butternut squash in the past. But when I discovered them in the freezer section at the grocery store, I started using those.
One is just as good as the other, but I’m all about saving time in the kitchen. I like to save money too, and I didn’t see a noticeable difference. Unless you have a very sharp chef’s knife, it’s difficult to cut butternut squash when it’s raw.
If you grow your own squash, you’ll naturally want to use a whole squash. And that’s fine. I highly recommend doing advance meal prep by cubing the entire squash once you get it home and freezing it. Just sayin’ …
If you like butternut squash, try this delicious butternut squash soup. Don’t forget to include a couple of sides for a complete meal!

More Delicious Side Dishes
Everyday dinners can be quite a challenge, even when you know what the main dish will be. Holiday meals are even more stressful because you want the experience to help maintain a positive lasting memory.
I’ve put together some side dish recipes that take the pressure off. All of them are easy to make, delicious, and crowd-pleasing.
Here are some of our favorites:
Classic Baked Mac and Cheese – This comfort food is an all-time favorite among many.
Easy Potato Salad – My mother’s recipe is always the first thing to disappear from any buffet or holiday table.
Deviled Eggs – These little ovals of deliciousness are always popular.
Cornbread Dressing – This is so good you need to serve it often. Don’t wait for the holidays.
Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes – Make this in either the oven or your air fryer. They’re good no matter how you cook them.
Southern Fried Apples – Yes, please! This yummy side dish from Southern Bite is sure to make everyone happy.
Buttermilk Garlic Mashed Potatoes – Infused with a boatload of flavor, they’ll have everyone at the table asking for seconds.
Air Fryer Butternut Squash Recipe

This air fryer butternut squash is easy to make, delicious, and nutritious.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of cubed butternut squash (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- Seasoned salt to taste
Instructions
- Spread the butternut squash out over several layers of paper towels. Pat them dry to prevent them from being soggy when they're done.
- Pour the butternut squash into a medium-size bowl.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the squash. Mix well to coat all of the pieces.
- Pour the oil-coated squash into your air fryer basket.
- Sprinkle the seasoned salt evenly over the squash. If you’re using cinnamon, add it now as well.
- Cook on 385˚ F for 10 minutes. Remove the basket and flip the squash. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the squash.
- Cook for an additional 10 minutes for a total of 20 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Other ingredients you can use to season your butternut squash are brown sugar, avocado oil, cayenne pepper, and parmesan cheese. If you can think of something else that sounds good to you, give it a try. I like to test new flavors in small amounts before serving it to others.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 73Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 99mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 4gSugar 2gProtein 1g
The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.