Frozen Butternut Squash in Air Fryer

Frozen butternut squash in air fryer is a great side dish prepared with simple and healthy ingredients. It is nutritious, delicious and so easy to make.

Butternut squash is a winter squash that can be used in so many recipes. Fresh butternut squash is available all year round, but its peak season is fall through winter. Roasted butternut squash makes a great Thanksgiving side dish or a delicious fall soup.

You can buy a whole butternut squash or frozen cubes of butternut at your local grocery store. For this recipe, you will need pre-cut frozen squash. You can freeze it by yourself or buy already frozen cubes.

Jump to:

• Why you will love this air fryer butternut squash recipe
• Ingredients
• How to cook frozen squash cubed in air fryer
• How to peel, cube, and freeze butternut squash
• Tips for success
• How to store it
• Serving suggestions
• Other optional flavors
• Can I bake frozen cubed butternut squash
• Other easy recipes in air fryer
• 📖 Recipe

Why you will love this air fryer butternut squash recipe

• no peeling or cutting is required when using frozen cubes of butternut squash.
• requires minimum cooking time (less than 20 minutes)
• frozen butternut squash in air fryer is an easy holiday side dish.
• the recipe does not require thawing.
• butternut squash is rich in dietary fiber, potassium, Vitamins A and C.

Ingredients

• Frozen Butternut Squash: I find cubed frozen organic butternut squash at the local grocery store or you can freeze your own squash for this and other recipes.
• Olive Oil: I love to use olive oil for air fryer vegetable recipes. You can also use avocado oil instead. Cooking spray will also work, but I recommend the oil in a bottle.
• Salt: this is a savory butternut squash recipe. I used a little bit of sea salt and no sweeteners. You can use less or more salt depending on your personal preferences.
• Spices and Herbs: dry basil, coriander, and nutmeg. I picked simple fall warm spices to go with these squash cubes.

See the recipe card for ingredients quantities.

How to cook frozen squash cubed in air fryer

Add Oil: in a large bowl,l add frozen butternut squash pieces, salt and olive oil. Mix with a spoon or spatula to coat each cube with oil.

Air Fry First 10 minutes: preheat your air fryer to 400° for 3 minutes. Add the frozen vegetable to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Do not overcrowd. I had to cook mine in two batches using Ninja air fryer. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes first.

Season: in a small bowl, add basil, coriander and nutmeg. Remove the basket and add the seasoning. Add only half of spices if cooking in two batches. Give it a shake and stir it with the silicone spatula.

Note: I add spices only for the last 5 minutes of cooking to prevent them from burning. Spices like nutmeg and coriander will lose their potency and aroma if cooked for too long, so it's better to add them at the very end.

Air Fry 5 Minutes: now, air fry for another 3-5 minutes with the spices until fork tender and slightly browned sides. Carefully remove the basket and transfer the cooked squash to a serving bowl. Enjoy immediately!

How to peel, cube, and freeze butternut squash

Next time, if you do not use the entire squash for cooking, try to cube it and freeze it. This way, it will be readily available for you to make a perfect side dish at any time.

• Peel: wash and cut the butternut squash in half using a sharp knife. Scrape out and discard the seeds. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the hard skin.
• Cube: cut each squash half into 1-inch slices. Cut each slice into 1-inch cubes.
• Flash Freeze: lay a sheet of parchment paper over the baking pan. Arrange the cubed squash on the parchment paper in one layer. Try to keep the pieces separate from each other. Place the pan in the freezer for about 2 hours.
• Store: when the cubes harden, place them in Ziploc bags, mark with the date and freeze for later use. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tips for success

• Do not over-crowd the air fryer basket
• arrange the frozen cubes in a single layer.
• add spices only for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Depending on your air fryer capacity, you may need to cook the squash in two batched.
• If using fresh squash, reduce time to 8-10 minutes.
• Different air fryers may need more or less amount of cooking time.

How to store it

If you have any leftovers, transfer cooked squash to the airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for about one minute or until hot.

Serving suggestions

• This air-fried butternut squash is great on its own, but a better way to serve it as a simple side dish for chicken, duck, or pork chops.
• Add the roasted squash cubed on top of a salad for extra flavor and nutrients.
• add it to cooked quinoa, rice, or buckwheat.

Other optional flavors

• Sweet Flavor: add some maple syrup or brown sugar during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Spicy Flavor: add ½ teaspoon of chili powder to the spice mix.
• Pumpkin Spice Flavor: skip the rest of the spiced and use ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix instead.

Can I bake frozen cubed butternut squash

If you do not have an air fryer, you can use your oven to make this recipe.

• Season: preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, add frozen cubed butternut squash, olive oil, salt and spices. Mix to coat well.
• Bake: lay a sheet of parchment paper over a large baking pan. Arrange the squash cubes in a single layer and bake for about 30 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes) or until fork tender.

Other easy recipes in air fryer

• Air fryer parsnip fries
• Air fryer potatoes and carrots
• Air fryer frozen wings
• Air Fryer portobello mushrooms

📖 Recipe