Air Fryer Butternut Squash Fajita Salad
Air Fryers aren’t limited to just reheating fried foods. In fact, it’s one of our favorite appliances to cook quick vegetables. Our air fryer butternut squash fajita salad recipe is one dish that we love eating for lunch or as a side dish for dinner. The flavors of each tender squash bite is addicting.
Why Make Butternut Squash Fajitas by Air Frying ?
We thought about this because we’re always leaning on our tried and true regular oven for roasting vegetables. Then one day we decided to air fry butternut squash instead of using the conventional oven method. We’re obsessed with it now and here’s why:
- Quick cooking: Because the countertop air fryer cavity is smaller, it doesn’t take long to heat up and start cooking. So for a batch of squash that is air fried, it takes much less time to cook because there’s no need to wait long for pre-heating the large conventional oven.
- Smaller batch: Now if you’re cooking for a big party then using the conventional oven is the way to go. You can easily cook enough squash for 12 people that way. But if you’re just cooking for two or need a small quick side dish, air frying the butternut squash is so much more practical and faster.
- Crispy edges: What we love about the hot circulating air is that it gets the edges of the squash crispy. And if we air fry for longer or hotter, it gets even more crispy. We love the char that the squash gets in the air fryer.
- Easy cleaning: like we mentioned before about cooking for two. It’s so easy to whip up a batch and clean-up is simple in the air fryer.
Video: Air Fryer Butternut Squash Fajitas
Air Fryer Butternut Squash Fajita Salad
Air fryers will vary depending on the model, size and heat levels. Use our base air frying time, stir the mixture then check for doneness. Air fry for additional 1-3 minutes if needed. We love the crispy charred edges that the air fryer gives.
Ingredients
For the Air Fryer Butternut Squash Fajitas
- 1 small butternut squash , peeled and cubed into 1/2" pieces (about 1.25 pounds)
- 1 small sweet bell pepper , sliced thick
- 1 small onion , sliced thick
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil or olive oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic , or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) paprika
For the Salad
- 2 cups (40 g) chopped lettuce, arugula, and/or baby spinach , or 2 cups chopped cabbage slaw
- 1/2 cup (130 g) salsa or pico de gallo
- 1/2 cup (75 g) crumbled cotija or any cheese
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) hot sauce or sliced chilies like serranos or jalapeños
- 1 lime sliced into wedges
Instructions
Air Fry the Butternut Squash Fajitas
- Whisk together 2 Tablespoons (30ml) oil, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon (5ml) salt, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon (5ml) chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) cumin all in a large bowl. Add the cubed butternut squash, sliced bell peppers, and sliced onions. Toss to coat all vegetables in the marinade.
- Pour the marinated vegetables to air fryer basket/tray (if you have a small air fryer, cook in batches). Spread out the vegetables evenly in a single layer as best as possible.
- Air Fry at 380°F (193°C) for 20 minutes, then shake and turn the squash.
- Continue Air Frying the squash at 380°F (193°C) for 5-15 minutes or until the squash is tender and has crispy edges. Cooking time will vary depending on the size that you cut the butternut squash. Remove from air fryer and allow to cool slightly.
- Assemble the salad. In a bowl or plate add lettuce (and/or arugula, baby spinach, cabbage slaw), the cooked butternut squash fajita mix and all your favorite toppings like cheese, salsa, hot sauce and lime.
- You can also serve the butternut squash in soft tortillas or taco shells. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 470kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 2515mg, Potassium: 1915mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 42447IU, Vitamin C: 154mg, Calcium: 443mg, Iron: 5mg
Ways to Serve Butternut Squash Fajitas Beyond the Tortilla
We’re fans of serving the squash in tortillas like the way traditional fajitas would typically be served. But there’s so many other ways to enjoy this fantastic vegetable:
- Healthy side dish: This is the perfect side dish to what ever you’re eating. From grilled meats to pasta dishes, a side of this flavorful squash is great.
- Low carb green salad. Our favorite way to eat the air fried butternut squash fajitas is to serve it on a salad. It’s a lower carb option than serving with tortillas and honestly, the squash is so flavorful that you don’t really even need any dressing. So less calories already with no dressing.
- Mash it up and make a spread out of it. If you use a fork, just mash everything to a nice chunky texture and use it as a spread for crackers, toast or even as a dip.
- Whole grain bowls are great with squash fajitas!
- Topping for a soup. If you have a simple soup that needs a little extra something, then add a spoonful or two of the squash on top.
Can you use frozen butternut squash for air frying?
Just know that frozen butternut squash cooks faster than fresh. So if you want to cook the frozen squash first without the onions and peppers, it might be best. That way the squash doesn’t get too soft by the time the onions and peppers get cooked. Or you can cut the onions and peppers smaller so that they cook faster. Also, air frying frozen squash can result in slightly mushy textures. There’s quite a bit of moisture releasing from frozen squash so they might not be as crispy on the edges.
Butternut Squash Recipes that are Simple:
- Quick and Easy Vegetarian Chili
- Butternut squash galette with bacon and parmesan
- Creamy truffle butternut squash soup (or without the truffle oil)
- Cauliflower and butternut squash curry
- Dairy Free butternut squash and pear soup
- Here’s a great list of different varieties of butternut squash
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