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Roasted Butternut Squash

Perfectly roasted butternut squash that’s tender, caramelized and full of flavor! Makes a great side dish and can be added to salads, pasta, soups and more.

Cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet.
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Simple Butternut Squash

Roasted butternut squash is one of my favorite sides, especially during fall. It’s almost always included in our offering of Thanksgiving side dishes, as well as instant pot mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potato casserole and slow cooker creamed corn.

If you’re looking for the perfect side dish for fall, this roasted butternut squash is it! I love roasting it in the oven because the squash gets perfectly caramelized and brings out all of the natural flavors so well. You really don’t even need to season it with much more than a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

I love that this recipe is healthy and so simple to make just like my recipe for roasted root vegetables. You could pick up some pre-cubed butternut squash for extra busy nights.

We love serving it as a side dish and sometimes add in extra veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots and brussels sprouts. It also tastes amazing mixed with risotto and on top of a fall salad or winter salad. You could even enjoy it as an afternoon snack. They are so good!

Peeling a butternut squash with a potato peeler.

Do you have to Peel a Butternut Squash before Roasting?

The skin on squash is super tough, so you’ll definitely want to peel the whole squash completely before roasting. Before peeling, I like to microwave it for 2-3 minutes so that the skin is a tad more tender. It makes the peeling process easier.

Then I’ll peel the whole squash using a potato peeler.

Cubed butternut squash on a cutting board.

How to Cook Butternut Squash in Oven

  1. Preheat the oven. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Peel and cut. Peel the squash, then slice the ends off. If it’s too hard to cut, pierce with a fork and then microwave for a few minutes. Scoop out the seeds and then slice down the middle. Slice in half again and cut into 1-inch cubes.
  3. Season and cook in oven. Place squash cubes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Then sprinkle with S&P and toss until combined. Roast for 20 minutes, then flip. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and caramelized (but not burnt).

To roast in halves: Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel and slice off ends of squash. Then scoop out seeds and slice down the middle. Brush oil on top of the cut sides of the squash, then season with S&P. Place cut-side down on a large baking sheet and cook for about 50 minutes, or until tender.

Oven roasted butternut squash on a baking sheet.

Ways to Season

Because the veggie is so flavorful on it’s own, it really doesn’t need much seasoning. I usually stick with a basic combination (oil, salt and pepper), however there are plenty of savory, sweet and spicy options.

Add any of the following to create super flavorful and delicious roasted butternut squash cubes:

Roasted butternut squash in a bowl.

More side dish recipes we love include this recipe for risotto, roasted zucchini and squash and roasted sweet potatoes.

More Roasted Veggies

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oven roasted butternut squash on baking sheet

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash

5 from 5 votes
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Author: Jamielyn Nye
Perfectly roasted butternut squash that's tender, caramelized and full of fall flavors! Makes a great side dish and can be added to salads, pasta, soups and more. 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 1 large butternut squash
  • 2-3 Tablespoons virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper , more to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Peel the butternut squash. Then slice the ends off. If it's too hard to cut, pierce with a fork and then microwave for a few minutes. Scoop out the seeds and then slice down the middle. Slice in half again and cut into 1-inch cubes.
  • Place the cubes on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until combined. Roast for 20 minutes, then flip. You want the edges to caramelize but not burn, so tossing will help this. Then bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.

Notes

To roast in halves: Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel and slice off ends of squash. Then scoop out seeds and slice down the middle. Brush oil on top of the cut sides of the squash, then season with S&P. Place cut-side down on a large baking sheet and cook for about 50 minutes, or until tender.
Different flavor combinations:
  1. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. 
  2. Oil and fresh rosemary and garlic. 
  3. Add 2 teaspoons butter with a sprinkle of brown sugar. 
  4. Oil and Paprika and cumin. 
  5. Oil and Italian seasoning

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 440mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 13288IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

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