The easy guide for how to cook a whole butternut squash in the Instant Pot for the best fuss-free squash you can make.
Did you know that you can cook a whole butternut squash right in the Instant Pot? It comes out tender and soft and ready to use however you’d like. You don’t have to cut it, you don’t have to peel it, and you don’t have to remove the seeds before cooking. Anyone who has taken the time to break down and cut up a whole butternut squash knows what a feat it can be to get a knife through that thick and hard vegetable.
Using the Instant Pot to make a whole squash saves me tons of hands-on time and effort and because it’s so easy to prepare the squash, I find myself making it more than I would otherwise. Healthy orange vegetables appearing on my table frequently is a great thing in my world.
New to butternut squash? I have all kinds of tips on how to serve squash cooked like this, what to serve it with, and more in the post. Keep reading friends – this cooking method is a game changer and one you’ll be sure to love as much as I do.
Tips and Tricks for Cooking Butternut Squash in the Instant Pot:
- When buying butternut squash, be sure to get squash that are firm and blemish-free (no nicks or bruises). They’ll store a few weeks (even months) so feel free to stock up when they go on sale and are in season (late summer-fall).
- All you need to do is wash off the outside of the squash and poke it a few times (for the steam to release). No messing with a knife, no need to cut in half, no scraping out the insides. So easy!
- If your squash is too big to fit in your pot, feel free to cut in in half (split the top skinny part from the bulby end) and place it as is in your Instant Pot. Reduce the cook time to 20 minutes.
How do you serve butternut squash cooked in the Instant Pot?
- I love butternut squash cooked like this and I’ll often slice the cooked squash in half, remove the seeds, then add a pat of butter in each hollow where the seeds were. I’ll add a sprinkle of salt and pepper or salt and cinnamon to the cut sides of the squash and serve the halves right in the skin. We pass the plate and scoop out the squash we like and spoon a little of the melted butter over our portion.
- I also like to treat the cooked squash like you would mashed potatoes and whip it up well with butter, warm milk, and salt. Mashed butternut squash is delicious.
- I also like to use it like you would pumpkin puree, potatoes, or sweet potatoes (it makes a great topping for Shepherd’s Pie, and you can add smashed squash to your favorite pumpkin waffle recipe in place of the pumpkin). You can also use it in your favorite chili recipes! I love pureed squash in our favorite Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili. So many options!
How to cook butternut squash in the Instant Pot
- Prep Time: 2 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 57 min
- Yield: 1 large squash 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
The easy guide for how to cook a whole butternut squash in the Instant Pot for the best fuss-free squash you can make.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2.5 pounds)
- 1 cup water
- steamer basket/trivet for your Instant Pot
Instructions
- Prepare your squash by washing off the outside well and breaking of the stem (if you can – the stem isn’t really going to hurt anything if you can’t get it off). Prick the outside 4-5 times with the tip of a knife or the tines of a fork.
- Place a steamer basket or trivet inside your Instant Pot and set the squash in or on the basket/trivet.
- Add one cup of water to your Instant Pot.
- Close your lid, set the valve to sealing, press manual (high pressure), and set your time for 25 minutes. Let your Instant Pot natural pressure release for 10 minutes after the cook time is up. Release the rest of the pressure and carefully open the lid.
- Let the squash cool enough to handle and then remove it from the Instant Pot and place on a cutting board.
- Cut the squash in half from stem top to blossom end. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and discard (or feed to your chickens or roast them up like you do pumpkin seeds).
- Use a spoon to scoop out the soft flesh from the skin and use as you like or eat it as it is with a little salt, pepper, and butter.
Notes
- I’d add an additional 5 minutes of cook time per additional 1/2 or pound of squash, if you have a bigger squash, it’s going to take longer to cook.
- When buying butternut squash, be sure to get squash that are firm and blemish-free (no nicks or bruises). They’ll store a few weeks (even months) so feel free to stock up when they go on sale and are in season (late summer-fall).
- All you need to do is wash off the outside of the squash and poke it a few times (for the steam to release). No messing with a knife, no need to cut in half, no scraping out the insides. So easy!
- If your squash is too big to fit in your pot, feel free to cut in in half (separate the top skinny part from the bulby end) and place it as in your Instant Pot. Reduce the cook time to 20 minutes.
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: instant pot butternut squash, how to cook butternut squash, easy butternut squash recipe, how to cook a whole butternut squash
Ready to Make Family Dinner EASY?
Get 60+ simple recipes sure to please even the pickiest eaters, plus 8-weeks of grocery shopping lists already planned for you. It’s time to breakup with the stress and guesswork of figuring out what’s for dinner!
Want To Save This Recipe?
Other butternut squash recipes that you might like:
- Homemade Butternut Squash Soup
- Simple Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
- How to Cook a Whole Butternut Squash in the Slow Cooker
- How to Roast Butternut Squash
- Simple Lentil Curry with Butternut Squash
What do you eat with butternut squash?
I serve squash with a favorite protein, a cold veggie (normally a salad of some kind) and a simple fruit. Here are a few of my favorite easy main dishes to serve alongside your cooked butternut squash.
- Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks with a Pretzel Coating
- The BEST Baked Chicken Breast
- 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Legs
- The Best Baked Chicken Legs
- Garlic and Herb Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot
I can’t wait for you to discover just how awesome it is for the Instant Pot to do all of the work when it comes to cooking a whole butternut squash. It’s a total game changer! Enjoy this simple tip and recipe from my home to yours.
located at the bottom of the comment area.
Could this recipe work with acorn squash?
Yes, it’ll work great with acorn squash!
I I would recommend that you add 5 minutes to this recipe at a minimum. I had a medium sized squash that fit easily into my 8 quart instant pot in the whole center of the squash with still very hard. I even poked the outer skin as described.
Did you happen to weigh yours? I’d definitely add 5 minutes per 1/2 pound of squash, I’ll make a note of that in the recipe.