Roasted Butternut Squash

How To Peel & Cut Butternut Squash Easily

While you can roast butternut squash halves or even a whole one, I prefer to peel and cut it into cubes, because it cooks faster and you get that flavorful caramelization on the edges. Here’s how I cut and peel butternut squash easily:

1. Slice the squash in half. I cut off the top and bottom first (including the hard stem). Then, place the squash uprint and slice in half vertically.

TIP: For easier cutting and peeling, soften the skin in the microwave.

To do this, poke the outside of the squash with a paring knife and microwave whole for 2-3 minutes. The holes are important to allow steam to escape. I find it much easier to peel after this!

2. Peel the skin. If using a vegetable peeler, I find it’s easiest to hold the squash upright on a cutting board, using the flat bottom for leverage, and peel downward. Then, flip over and go downward again for the parts still unpeeled. You can even do this before slicing in half, like I did below.

3. Remove the seeds and slice. Scoop seeds out with a spoon. then slice into half moon shapes.
4. Cut crosswise to make cubes. At this point, you can prepare my roasted butternut squash recipe below, cook it any other way you like, or freeze the cubes for later.

How To Cook Butternut Squash

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Season the cubes. In a large bowl, toss the squash, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and any other seasonings you like. I just added garlic powder this time, but have other seasoning ideas below.
2. Spread the seasoned cubes on a large sheet pan. I recommend an unlined pan (but you can spray it with cooking spray) for the best browning, but foil also works. I find that parchment paper gets me less caramelization.

3. Cook butternut squash in the oven, flipping halfway through, until fork tender and caramelized on the edges.
4. Optional for extra browning: Place the pan under the broiler for a couple of minutes. In the final picture below, I garnished my roasted butternut squash with fresh parsley.

Seasoning Variations

One of my favorite things about this roasted butternut squash recipe is that can be simple, sweet, or savory. If you want to level up the basic version, here are some variations I’ve enjoyed:

• Sweet – Toss cubes with brown sugar (I use Besti brown sugar substitute) or maple syrup (I use my natural zero sugar syrup) before roasting. These make the squash brown a little quicker, so check on it toward the end to avoid burning.
• Fall spices – A sprinkle of cinnamon or even pumpkin pie spice gives baked butternut squash extra fall vibes. You could add these at the end, but I prefer to do so at the same time as the other seasonings.
• Herbs – Rosemary, thyme, sage, or even Italian seasoning goes well here. I recommend 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, or 1 teaspoon of dried, as they’re more concentrated.

Serving Ideas

Roasted butternut squash goes with just about any fall dish! Aside from the other recipes I mentioned at the beginning of this post, here are my favorite proteins to serve with it:

• Chicken – My French onion chicken, baked chicken breast, and chicken legs can all share oven space while roasting butternut squash, or make chicken Florentine on the stovetop while the squash is in the oven.
• Beef or pork – This fall side goes very well with hearty meat dishes, like my Crock Pot pork tenderloin, garlic butter steak bites, smothered pork chops, or simple air fryer steak.
• Holiday meals – I love adding this simple side dish to the table for special occasions! Try it with my turkey in a bag, spatchcock chicken, crab legs, or reverse sear steak.