Air Fryer Butternut Squash Fries

Who doesn't love french fries? A classic side of fries is hard to beat! But, if you're looking for an alternative to potatoes, or maybe just want to try something different, allow me to introduce you to butternut squash fries!

I gave up potatoes a few years ago and have been missing fries ever since. I have been experimenting with potato alternatives... there's the obvious sweet potato, green beans masquerading as fries, and even a local place that makes amazing avocado fries... but I keep coming back to these butternut squash fries because they're just that good. They are a little labor intensive, but they reheat really well so if you make a big batch, they do well as leftovers. You won't get quite the same crispness you can get with a potato, but they're still really tasty.

For this recipe you will need:

-1 butternut squash

-corn starch

-olive oil

-seasoning

-air fryer

When making these fries, you can decide how big of a squash you want to work with. I tend to stay with smaller squashes because the rest of my family eats potato fries, but if you're serving several people, you may want a larger squash.

The first step is to peel the squash. A potato peeler works great for this step.

Once the squash is peeled, cut the top and bottom off. Separate the top from the bell of the squash. Cut the bell in half and scoop out the membranes and the seeds. I find a melon baller really helpful with this step!

Cut the bell into wedges and the top part of the squash into 1/2 inch thick wedges. Cut those wedges into fry shapes. The longer the top part of your squash, the longer your "fries" will be. This is a pretty small squash so I have stubby little fries. Once all your fries are cut up, put them into a large bowl.

Next we will add corn starch. The corn starch gives your squash a bit of a coating. I just sprinkle some into the bowl and add more as needed. Total I would estime you use a few tablespoons. Rub the cornstarch into the squash. You don't need to add any additional liquids at this time, just rub it on and toss the coated pieces into a strainer. Shake off any excess cornstarch and discard any left over in the bottom of the bowl.

Once you shake all the excess cornstarch off, dump the fries back into the bowl and add some olive oil. I don't measure how much olive oil, as it will depend on how big the squash is, but I add a few tablespoons of oil then add more if needed. Shake in your seasonings at this point as well. I like to use McCormick Vegetable seasoning on literally everything, but pick whatever flavors you like best. Toss the squash to coat with the olive oil. Add more oil if needed, making sure there aren't a lot of dry spots of cornstarch left.

Now we are ready to air fry! Preheat the airfryer to 400 degrees. Once preheated, add your squash and preheat for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Shake every 5 minutes. Make sure to not overcrowd the air fryer basket. For a small squash, I usually break it up into two batches so it allows for plenty of room around the squash.

The fries are done when they're starting to look browned. I like to serve them up with ketchup, but you could try ranch or maybe even honey mustard. To reheat, I like to throw them back in the airfryer when it is cold and hit preheat to 400 degrees. By the time it is done preheating, they are nice and hot again!

These are a great potato alternative! I hope you'll give them a try!