If you've never roasted delicata squash, get ready to fall in love! It's a breeze to prepare, and it has a rich, creamy texture and delicious sweet flavor.
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If you’ve never roasted delicata squash before, get ready to fall in love! When winter squash appears at farmers markets and grocery stores each year, I’m excited to get my hands on all of it: acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and more. But delicata squash is my favorite by far. Nicknamed the “sweet potato squash,” it has a sweet, velvety flesh that caramelizes beautifully when it’s roasted in the oven.
But that’s not all. Thanks to its small size and thin, edible skin, it’s super easy to prepare. That’s right—you don’t have to peel it! In fact, the combination of the creamy flesh and the chewy skin is so good that I think it’s better with the peel on.
Delicata squash is at its best in early-mid fall, so now is the perfect time to cook it. Below, you’ll find my go-to method for roasting it, as well as some of my favorite ways to serve it. It truly is the easiest squash to cook, so if you’ve never tried any delicata squash recipes before, you have to make this one this season. I hope you love it as much as I do!
How to Cook Delicata Squash
My favorite method for how to cook delicata squash is to roast it. The hot oven intensifies its natural sweetness, helping it caramelize around the edges as it becomes soft and creamy. It takes under 30 minutes total, with just a few minutes of active prep. Here’s how it goes:
First, cut the squash. Because you can eat the skin, there’s no need to peel the squash before you chop it. Place the squash on a cutting board and slice it in half lengthwise. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and the stringy flesh. Finally, cut the seeded squash halves into 1/2-inch-thick slices. They’ll have pretty half-moon shapes like this:
Next, season the squash. Drizzle the chopped squash with olive oil, and season it with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, and spread it in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Finally, bake! Transfer the sheet pan to a 425°F oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the roasted squash is completely tender and browned underneath.
That’s it! Season to taste and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Medium squash are best, about 1 pound each. If they’re too small, they’ll be very seedy on the inside, without much flesh. On the other hand, large squash will have tougher skin and a less sweet flavor.
- The hot pan helps it brown. I typically don’t flip delicata squash when I roast it, so it gets deeply browned underneath, where it makes contact with the pan, but stays golden on top. If you’d like it to brown on both sides, flip the squash after the bottom has browned, 20 to 25 minutes into the bake time. It will only take about 5 more minutes to get some browning on the second side.
- Spice it up. There are so many different ways to season this squash! Toss it with a little garlic powder or smoked paprika for a savory twist, or sprinkle it with cayenne pepper for a spicy kick. I love garnishing it with fresh herbs like parsley and thyme before serving too. That said, the squash is so good on its own that you can’t go wrong with this simple olive oil, salt, and pepper combination.
What to Serve with Roasted Delicata Squash
This roasted delicata squash recipe is a delicious fall side dish. Serve it with a simply cooked protein for a weeknight dinner or a comforting fall main like this creamy gnocchi soup or vegetarian chili.
It’s also a great candidate for a special occasion meal or Thanksgiving feast. It pairs wonderfully with other autumn side dishes like green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and roasted Brussels sprouts.
More Delicata Squash Recipes
I also love using the roasted squash as a starting point for larger dishes. Try it in any of these delicata squash recipes:
More Favorite Roasted Vegetables
If you love this recipe, try one of these easy roasted vegetables next:
- How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Roasted Beets
- Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
Roasted Delicata Squash
Ingredients
- 2 medium delicata squash
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the squash in half lengthwise, then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Place each half cut side down and slice it into ½-inch-thick slices.
- Place the squash on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread evenly on the baking sheet.
- Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender and browned underneath. Season to taste and serve.
Just made this and it was AMAZING!!! Trying the Delicata squash for the first time and it was so yummy, this recipe is so flavorful and healthy. I added some lentils on the side for some protein. Definitely will be making this again!
Forgot to add my rating – 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you can’t find delicata squash, what other squash would be a good replcement
Hi Sueja, I’d make it with roasted sweet potatoes – cut them into about 1-inch cubes and the baking time should be about the same. Or you could use acorn squash, but depending on the squash, it’s skin can be tougher and less desirable to eat. Hope that helps!
I really enjoy delicata squash, yet this was better than any other recipe I’ve tried. I also used red onion, mixed in some quinoa and topped with craisins, making it into a meal.
Delicious and flavorful!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe! I love the idea of adding quinoa to this to make it a meal – yum!
Looks delicious. Where is that copper serving pan from?
Thanks! I got it on Etsy really cheap (a no-name brand), I think I just searched “copper pans” or “french cookware.” Hope that helps!
It’s that time of year when squash fills our CSA box and I’m scrambling to find dinner recipes to use them! I’m so pleased I gave this one a shot – I added a lot more kale, used roasted red onion, combined pepitas with pine nuts. It was insanely delicious with a nice bite and came together so easily. The real test for me was how it would taste reheated and eaten for lunch the next day — I heated it up on the stove with a nonstick skillet and topped it with two fried & runny eggs. Amazing. Can’t wait to
Hi Jen! I’m so thrilled this was a it! Ooh, I love that egg idea 🙂
This was outrageously good! I made it for Thanksgiving this year and everyone adored it. The dressing is perfect and the pepitas are icing on the cake. Absolutely wonderful – thank you!
Hi Coco! I’m so incredibly happy to hear that everyone enjoyed it!!
This is a delicious side dish. I had never had delicata squash before but happened to see it at Trader Joe’s right before this recipe was posted. It felt like an omen when I saw the recipe so next time grocery shopping, I bought all the ingredients. I served it at a dinner party last evening and everybody really liked it. Even one person who said he normally doesn’t care much for any kind of squash. None of us had tried delicata squash before. Very yummy! I just saw you have another recipe that includes farro and chickpeas -two of my favorites – so next I will try that.
Hi Annika,
I’m so glad the recipe was a hit with everyone! Thanks for coming back to let me know! I hope you love the recipe with the chickpeas and farro 🙂
I just made this and it is perfect. I thought there might not be sufficient dressing but it is just right. I will be making this all winter unless delicate squash runs out at my grocery store. Has anyone ever microwaved left overs?
Sorry – delicata. Good old spell check.
Hi Maureen, so glad you enjoyed it!
I LOVE sweet potatoes!
Made this tonight and it was Amazing! I will definitely be adding this to our Thanksgiving menu. Thank you!!
interesting source of inspiration for this recipe and the tweak you made to it, must have been interesting visiting the Wolf factory in Madison, thank you for sharing all of this, i love the side dishes too!
I have never heard of a Delicata squash. You have gotten me curious to experiment should I be able to find one in my Virginia grocery store. Is the flavor more like a sweet winter squash or a savory summer squash?
I’ve been making a version of this for awhile now and it gets repeatedly made until the squash disappears from the stores. I use Roasted red onion instead. I also season the delicata with tumeric and cumin and a dash of all spice. Sometimes some roasted chickpeas are added to make it even more substantial. Roasting whole cloves of garlic and adding those gives it a nice edge, too.
SO stunning — it’s literally asking to be the star of the Thanksgiving spread!
This looks absolutely delicious!
I am looking forward to trying this, especially since the last time I fed my husband kale, he didn’t offer his usual complaints.
I was looking for those instructions too, I don’t see them.
It’s in the notes section under the regular recipe instructions.
Amazing! I had delicate squash for the first time recently – it’s sweetness and deliciousness was divine. Thanks for sharing!
Elisabeth
Looks terrific! Definitely an ‘add’ to our holiday table. I don’t see the reheating instructions…..
just fixed – thank you for pointing that out! I hope you enjoy the squash 🙂
Thanks Jeanine! 🙂
Thank you!
This sounds amazing! I have a sage plant so I’m gonna make this over the weekend.