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Fire up the grill and make grilled butternut squash in a foil packet for a super simple side that’s perfect for fresh summer meals!
I love this recipe because you don’t have to heat up the oven in the summer to enjoy a squash that’s typically eaten more in the winter. Butternut squash is such a versatile and easy-to-make veggie with a sweet and nutty taste. The foil packet grilling method makes it absolutely fool-proof, and you’ll be able to essentially set it and forget it for the half-hour-or-so it cooks.
Plus, cleanup is a breeze! All you do is toss the foil. As someone who seriously appreciates a quick and easy meal from prep to kitchen tidying, this one covers all its bases and tastes incredible, too.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pantry Staples: The beauty of the this recipe is it’s simplicity. Super simple ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard come together to make something super delicious.
- Easy Clean-up: The best part of cooking in a foil packet is that there really is nothing to clean up when you’re done!
- Family Friendly: Squash is one of those foods that people say they don’t like but once you try it cooked a new way you discover that it’s actually delicious! I bet you’ll have a family of squash lovers after they try this recipe.
Ingredients
- Butternut Squash
- Melted Butter or Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Aluminum Foil
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Grilled Butternut Squash in a Foil Packet
Step #1. Place the squash in a medium bowl then drizzle with butter or olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the squash with clean hands or a large spoon.
Step #2. Layer two pieces of foil across each other to make a plus sign. Place the squash in the middle where they overlap. Fold up the two short sides and roll down then repeat with the two remaining sides. Grill for 30-40 minutes at medium low heat until the squash is tender.
Recipe FAQs
Butternut squash is a little bit sweet, not unlike sweet potatoes. Some people think it tastes similar to pumpkin, but slightly sweeter with a bit of nuttiness.
Butternut squash pairs really nicely with mild meats, like chicken or pork. Try grilling up some chicken thighs, marinated pork chops, or a pork tenderloin alongside your squash foil packets! You’ll be happy when it’s time to eat, and when it’s time to clean up.
A sour-tasting butternut squash actually tells a lot about the environment in which it was grown. Often, if squash encounter environmental stress, like varied temperature flux or irregular watering, a group of chemicals called cucubitacins are released, causing a sour or bitter taste. It’s okay to eat if you don’t mind the taste, but you may want to toss it. It takes a long time for unopened butternut squash to go bad (it can keep for several months), so a sour taste usually doesn’t mean it’s spoiled.
Butternut squash is an amazing source of fiber, potassium, and several other important nutrients! Its array of beneficial nutritional content makes it helpful for digestion, blood pressure, and healthy skin and hair.
Expert Tips
- For an extra easy prep hack, look for pre-peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash at your grocery store. Doing all that prep isn’t necessarily hard, but it does take some time, and the ready-to-go squash is just a couple bucks more for a whole lot of convenience!
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil is especially nice for packet cooking. You might consider buying a box just for all your summer grilling.
- This is a great recipe to experiment with some of your favorite herbs and spices – garlic, rosemary, sage, and even cinnamon can be really delicious with squash.
What to Serve with Grilled Butternut Squash in a Foil Packet
- Brown Sugar and Garlic Grilled Pork Tenderloin
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- Crispy Panko-Crusted Baked Chicken Legs
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- The BEST Baked Chicken Breast
- 8 Must-Make Recipes for Chicken Legs
- Garlic Herb Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin
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Grilled Butternut Squash in a Foil Packet
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 1-2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 pieces of foil, 18 inches long each
Instructions
- Place the cubed butternut squash (about 4 cups) in a medium bowl.
- Drizzle with melted butter or olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
- Use your hands or a spoon to stir well so that the squash get coated evenly with the butter/oil.
- Place the two pieces of foil on top of each other so that they are layered over one another. Place the butternut squash in the center.
- Pull the two short sides up together, and fold them down. Fold up the other two ends to seal the squash into a foil packet.
- Grill over medium-low to medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
- Serve with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil is really helpful for packet cooking. It’d be a great investment for all your summer grilling.
- Don’t discount the recipe just because it’s for squash – you might actually like squash when it’s cooked this way!
- This is a great, simple side dish that will go with so many delicious summer meals.
- Squash is packed with so many vitamins and minerals. Delicious and good for you too!
You found one of my favorites! Healthier than sweet potatoes – less carbohydrates. I bake the squash @ 425 for about 20 minutes, flip with a spatula and maybe another 10 minutes or until tender. Oh, yea, and I use abut a tablespoon of brown sugar when baking them. At the holidays I add raisins or cranberries. Holy moly are these great.
That sounds so good! I love the addition of raisins or cranberries, I’m totally going to try that next time I make them.