Perfectly cooked Instant Pot Butternut Squash in under 20 minutes! In this post, we’re sharing how to cook butternut squash in the Instant Pot – 2 ways!
Don’t have an Instant Pot? Try roasting your butternut squash in the oven by following our tutorial on how to roast butternut squash!
Butternut Squash 101
If I had to choose between butternut squash and sweet potatoes, I would choose butternut squash every time. This is a controversial statement seeing that sweet potatoes are a favorite in the Fit Foodie kitchen.
Butternut squash is flavorful favorite ingredient during the holiday season. But guess what? You can use butternut squash all year long if it’s available to you!
And it’s such a versatile ingredient — you can mash it or blend it with an immersion blender; make it a sweet ingredient for recipes by adding maple syrup or cinnamon, use it in savory dishes with help from onions and spices like garlic, rosemary and thyme — the options truly are endless!
Just make homemade butternut squash puree and store it in batches yourself if you know you will have a hankering for butternut squash throughout the year.
Tips for Cutting Butternut Squash
Some people avoid butternut squash all together because it is so hard to cut. I’m here to tell you that there is a way to cut butternut squash without fear of cutting off your fingers. Here are some helpful tips + trips when cutting butternut squash.
- Flat Surface: Make sure you are cutting on a flat and secure surface. You want your cutting board to stay put as you’re cutting.
- Sharp Knife: Using a large and very sharp chefs knife will make cutting butternut squash a thousand times easier than using a dull knife. We love our Wusthof chefs’ knife.
- Peel: If you want to peel your butternut squash, use a vegetable peeler! Do not try and peel the butternut squash with a knife. Butternut squash is too uneven to do it safely.
- Make a Flat Side: Before cutting a butternut squash lengthwise, cut the top off the butternut squash and set that flush with the cutting board so you have a solid base to work with.
- Cubed/Halved: You can cut butternut squash any way you’d like but we prefer cubed or halved!
Is butternut squash healthy?
Yes, butternut squash is healthy! It all depends on how you prepare your butternut squash! Butternut squash is packed with vitamin A, potassium, and fiber!
Can I eat butternut squash seeds?
Yes, you can eat butternut squash seeds. All you have to do is dig them out of the butternut squash seeds and place them in a sieve. Rinse them with water and place them on a towel to dry.
Place them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350ºF or until they are golden brown.
Butternut Squash in the Instant Pot
There are many ways to cook a whole butternut squash, but our favorite way is in the Instant Pot!
You just can’t beat how easy it is to prepare butternut squash in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. Butternut squash can be ready to eat or ready to incorporate into any of your favorite butternut squash recipes in under 10 minutes. Can you believe it?
First things, first. You can cut your butternut squash two ways before placing it in the Instant Pot and it all depends on what you are using your butternut squash for.
Cubed
If you are planning to use the butternut squash as a side dish or in a meal prep recipe (like these butternut squash buddha bowls) then cubbing the butternut squash is the way to go.
To cube butternut squash, start by cutting both ends of the butternut squash off. Then, use a vegetable peeler to peel the rind off of the butternut squash.
Next, cut the butternut squash lengthwise and dig out the seeds and cut the butternut squash into cubes.
Option 1: If you want the butternut squash golden brown, use the sauté function to fry up the cubed butternut squash (about 3-4 minutes), remove, and then place the cubes into a microwave and oven safe bowl and place the bowl onto the trivet in the bottom of the instant pot.
Pour water into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Set pressure to high and cook for 1 minute.
Option 2: Feel free to skip the sauté step and then just place the butternut squash cubes into a bowl, place the bowl on the trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot and set to high pressure, close the lid and cook for 3 minutes. (don’t forget to add the water to the Instant Pot.
Remove from the Instant Pot and use in your favorite dishes!
Halved
The second option is to halve the butternut squash, rather then cutting it into cubes. You would do this if you are planning on making butternut squash puree, butternut squash soup, or if you want to keep it in your fridge for later.
To cook butternut squash halves, cut off one end of the butternut squash. Cut the squash lengthwise, and place onto a trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Pour water into the Instant Pot and cover.
Set pressure to high and cook for 8 minutes.
Remove from the Instant Pot and enjoy!
How to Use Butternut Squash
What recipes do we use butternut squash in? You can use the puree in baked goods, turn the butternut squash halves into soup, or use them in your next salad. The options are endless!
- Butternut Squash Buddha Bowls
- Butternut Squash Kale Salad with Farro and Goat Cheese
- Chocolate Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins (replace the pumpkin puree with butternut squash puree)
Instant Pot Butternut Squash
Ingredients
For Cubed Butternut Squash
- 1 butternut squash peeled, gutted and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup water
- Cooking Option 2 Only- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For Halved Butternut Squash
- 1 butternut squash halved lengthwise, gutted and quartered
- 1 cup water
Instructions
For Cubed Butternut Squash
Cooking Option 1- steamed
- First, put the Instant Pot trivet onto the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Next, pour water into the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Place a glass bowl (oven + microwave safe) on top of the trivet and add cubed butternut squash to the bowl.
- Cover the Instant Pot and turn the pressure valve to seal.
- Set Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 3 minutes.
- Quick release pressure and remove butternut squash from the Instant Pot.
Option 2- browned + steamed
- Turn on the Instant Pot saute function and add olive oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- When olive oil is fragrant, add butternut squash to the Instant Pot and let butternut squash cook for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Option to season with optional spices at this point.
- Remove from the Instant Pot.
- Next, pour water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and place the Instant Pot Trivet onto the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Place a glass bowl (oven + microwave safe) on top of the trivet and add cubed butternut squash to the bowl.
- Cover the Instant Pot and turn the pressure valve to seal.
- Set Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 1 minute.
- Quick release pressure and remove butternut squash from the Instant Pot.
For Halved Butternut Squash
- First, set the Instant Pot trivet onto the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Next, pour water onto the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Place butternut pieces onto the trivet.
- Cover the Instant Pot and turn the pressure valve to seal.
- Set Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 8 minutes.
- Quick release pressure and remove butternut squash from the Instant Pot.
These recipes are a treasure trove of culinary delights – every recipe is a winner and a crowd-pleaser!
I tried the cubed Instant Pot recipe tonight, and the flavor was great, however I had to more than double the cooking time. At 3 min, the cubes were still too hard to mash. I put them back in for another 4 min and did a 5 minute natual release. While it was better, I would increase the cooking time to a total of 8 minutes. Still, I’m grateful for the guidance and pictures you provided…you inspired me to give it a try, and that’s all I could ask for. Thank you!
Everyone’s Instant Pots are so different! But thank you so much for letting us know your cook time!
Hi there! Can’t wait to try this… but also want to make sure I don’t blow my Instant Pot up (I am new to this device!). In the pictures, the cubed squash is not in a bowl, but just resting on the trivet. In the instructions, it says to place the cubed squash in a bowl, and place the bowl on the trivet… which method would you recommend? Thank you!