Roasted Kabocha Squash is the best way to cook my favorite winter squash!
I’m just tickled pink when it’s autumn ‘cause I love me some winter squash, especially kabocha! When cooked, this Japanese pumpkin has the taste and texture of roasted chestnuts.
Even uber-picky Lil-O will swipe roasted slices off the communal plate and gobble them down. I normally keep the skin on when I roast them but if you’ve got autoimmune issues, peel them.
Time to make Roasted Kabocha Squash!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 medium kabocha squash
- 2 tablespoons ghee, olive oil, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Equipment:
- Vegetable peeler
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- Large bowl
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper or aluminum foil
- All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 F with the rack in the middle. Rinse the squash under running water, and dry it. (If you’re gonna peel it, do so now with a sharp vegetable peeler.)
Like all winter squash, kabocha takes a sharp knife and a bit of brute force to cut up. I’ve found that the best way to attack it is to cut off the top and the bottom…
…’cause once the flesh is exposed, cutting it in half is a breeze.
Scoop out the seeds…
…and cut the squash into thin wedges.
Next, toss the squash with your fat of choice and sprinkle the slices with salt and pepper.
Place the squash in a single layer on a foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking tray…
…and pop it in the oven.
Roast the squash for 30 minutes, flipping them over at the midpoint. The wedges are ready to eat when they’re slightly crunchy on the outside and fluffy and soft on the inside.
Got leftover roasted kabocha squash? Throw it into a quick and easy Whole30-friendly Thai Chicken Curry!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
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Roasted Kabocha Squash
Ingredients
- 1 medium kabocha squash
- 2 tablespoons ghee olive oil, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F with the rack in the middle. Rinse the squash under running water, and dry it. (If you’re gonna peel it, do so now with a sharp vegetable peeler.)
- Like all winter squash, kabocha takes a sharp knife and a bit of brute force to cut up. I’ve found that the best way to attack it is to cut off the top and the bottom, ’cause once the flesh is exposed, cutting it in half is a breeze.
- Scoop out the seeds and cut the squash into thin wedges. Toss the squash with your fat of choice and sprinkle the slices with salt and pepper.
- Place the squash in a single layer on a foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking tray and pop it in the oven.
- Roast the squash for 30 minutes, flipping them over at the midpoint. The wedges are ready to eat when they’re slightly crunchy on the outside and fluffy and soft on the inside.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love kabocha! I normally eat it steamed, skin on. This is how my korean mother always prepared it for us! But I wanted to try something different and when I roasted it, the outside got really rubbery and inside dried out. What could I have done wrong?
I don’t think you did anything wrong! Steamed kabocha is more tender and moist than roasted kabocha! Roasted kabocha has the texture of cooked chestnuts.
Absolutely wonderful! I think I cut the pieces a bit too thick to get the skin to crunch up properly, but, that’s my issue. 😉 My wife is an almost-vegan vegetarian. We *will* have this again!
Love this. Sometimes it’s dry. Next time I’ll try ghee but I used so much olive oil that I don’t think that’s the only problem. Any tips? Thanks!
Kabocha squash does have a drier texture than other winter squash. Some people steam it if they want it to be moister!
Thank you for the recipe, it was delicious!!
Flipped through a couple of recipe’s for this squash online, found this one. This is so simple and so delicious, easy to make. Goes with every meal really, great substitute for French Fries or Home fries.
thanks for the clear instructions with photos. made this and it turned out well. kabocha squash is so good!
I cut mine with a cleaver-type knife I bought at Meijer for $16. It was really quite easy. No cussing or sweating. I cut a thin slice off one side, then lopped off the top and bottom, cleaned out the seeds and strings, then happy slicing.
I went to toss the cubes after 20 minutes, but no need as it was cooked through and delicious! I personally am not concerned about crispy or anything else as the taste is so good, but should I try for it I’ll simply turn up the heat a little. It is my new favorite squash.
I like the concept of the wedges, so I tried it, but I thought the squash dried out too much. I’ll keep cooking my kabocha squash by cutting it in half and roasting it cut side down. Thanks for expanding my horizon, though.
I love this recipe and have made it several times! The tips for cutting the ends off the squash work very well for me. Keep in mind that the amount of fat needed will change depending on the squash size. I had a smallish one this last time, so started with only 1T of ghee but that was actually a bit too much to cover the surfaces of the cut wedges. Still delicious though! And it was very moist after roasting, not dried out at all. I could have eaten the whole thing in one sitting!