Follow this quick and easy guide for how to cook butternut squash in the oven to get the very best flavor and delicious consistency!

This recipes is SO easy because don’t have to peel the squash! That’s the hardest part about preparing a butternut squash and this is baked with the skin on.

Baked Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is one of those things that I come back to again and again when I want to feed my family healthy food. It’s sweet, simple to prepare, my kids love it, and it’s good for you! Have you seen the color of it?! If you are trying to “eat the rainbow” a little more, this beautiful, bright orange vegetable is a great place to start.

I normally grow and store butternut squash from my garden. This year I ended up with a million spaghetti squash and only a handful of butternuts so I stocked up when they were on sale at the grocery store and keep them in my cold storage just like I do my home-grown squash.

Here’s how I prepare butternut squash:

Prepare butternut squash by cutting in it half, removing the seeds, and keeping the skin on.

This method lends to very creamy butternut squash that is ready to be scooped out of the skin and mashed. I serve the smashed squash like mashed potatoes as a side dish most often but you can also use it in place of pumpkin puree, potatoes, or sweet potatoes in most recipes. I often add it to soup and chilis, too, to thicken them.

So many things to love about roasted butternut squash. It’s simple, quick, and one of our favorite side dishes.

What does butternut squash taste like?

Butternut squash is fairly similar in flavor to sweet potato, but a bit more tender when roasted. It’s slightly nutty and has also been compared to pumpkin, carrot, and turnip flavors with a bit more sweetness to it.

What foods go well with butternut squash?

Mild or slightly sweet meats like chicken and pork go really well with butternut squash. You can also add it to soups, stews, or chilis, or mix it with a little butter and herbs or butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar for a different approach. It’s extremely versatile and flexible!

How do you pick butternut squash?

Look for squash that is firm and blemish-free (no nicks or bruises anywhere). If you pick them when they’re ripe, they’ll store for several weeks, up to a couple of months, so stock up when they’re in season or on sale!

Steps for baking butternut squash:

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Rinse the outside of your squash and then cut it in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds.
Drizzle the inside of both pieces of squash with olive oil and give it a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Place the squash on the prepared pan, cut side down, and add the water to the bottom of the pan. (Just pour it around the squash). Place in the hot oven.
Roast for 40-50 minutes until the squash is easily pierced with a fork or the tip of a knife.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then scoop flesh from the skin.
Serve the squash as is, scooped straight from the skin with a little salt to taste. You can add it to a bowl and mash it with a little butter and a bit of brown sugar, or you can use it like you would any potato, sweet potato, or pumpkin in recipes.

If you are looking for cubed and roasted butternut squash, here’s my favorite maple roasted butternut squash.

Roasted Butternut Squash

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 3 to 3 1/2 cups 1x

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Description

Quick and easy guide on how to cook butternut squash in the oven. This is an easy butternut squash recipe that looks great and tastes even better!

Scale

Ingredients

1 medium to large butternut squash
3–4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Generous sprinkle of salt and pepper
About ¼ cup water

Instructions

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Rinse off the outside of your squash and then cut it in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds.
Drizzle the inside of both pieces of squash with olive oil and give it a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Place the squash on the prepared pan, cut side down, and add the water to the bottom of the pan. (Just pour it around the squash). Place in the hot oven.
Roast for 40-50 minutes until the squash is easily pierced with a fork or the tip of a knife.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then scoop flesh from the skin.
You can serve the squash as is, scooped straight from the skin with a little salt to taste. You can add it to a bowl and mash it with a little butter and a bit of brown sugar, or you can use it like you would any potato, sweet potato, or pumpkin in recipes.

Notes

Parchment paper makes cleaning this up a breeze. I highly recommend it. Or you could use a nonstick baking mat, though you’ll have a little more scrubbing to do.

Category: Side Dish
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information: YIELD: 1 SERVING SIZE: 3.5 Cups

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 183 Fat: 14.1g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 8mg Carbohydrates: 16.4g Sugars: 3.1g Protein: 1.4g Vitamin A: 744.8µg Vitamin C: 29.4mg

Keywords: how to roast butternut squash, easy butternut squash recipe, butternut squash recipes, homemade butternut squash, Thanksgiving side dish recipe, Healthy thanksgiving recipe

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This post was originally published in 2018 and has been updated in July 2019.