How To Peel Butternut Squash

From butternut and acorn to kabocha and delicata, winter squash bring sweet and nutty flavors to soups, pastas, salads, and more. Prepping the squash before cooking can be a daunting task — in addition to being wobbly and likely to roll around on your cutting board, winter squash tend to have a thick, hard, shell-like peel. But with a few simple tips, it’s easy to peel a butternut squash (or any other winter squash) like a pro. Here’s how to do it. 

How to peel a butternut squash

Using a large, sharp chef’s knife, cut ¼ inch off the bottom end of the squash. Butternut squash is rather dense and can be hard to cut into, so it’s easiest to insert the tip of your knife into the squash, then pull it down like a lever. Rotate the squash on your work surface and cut ¼ inch off the stem end. 

Lay the butternut squash on its side and hold it securely with one hand. Starting at the tapered end and working towards the bulb end, use a vegetable peeler to peel off the outer layer of the squash in long smooth strokes to reveal the orange flesh beneath. We prefer a Y-shaped peeler, which allows you to comfortably hold the squash and peel it in swift motions.

To make the squash even easier to cut, you can microwave the whole squash for 3–5 minutes on a microwave-safe plate before peeling. 

How to cook butternut squash

The most common way to cook butternut squash is roasting. From there, the roasted squash can simply be served as a side dish, puréed into a soup, mashed into a sweeter version of mashed potatoes, or transformed into fluffy and nutty gnocchi. 

To roast butternut squash, preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel the squash, scoop out and discard the seeds, and cut into ¾-inch cubes. Toss cubes with one tablespoon olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and any other desired seasonings. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until squash cubes are tender, about 35 minutes. 

If you’re planning to purée the roasted squash, save yourself some time and skip peeling. Cut the whole squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds; then lightly oil and season the cut sides of the squash. Place squash halves, cut-side down, on a rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400°F until tender, about 50 minutes. Flip the squash halves over with tongs and let cool slightly before scooping out the tender flesh.  

Do all squash need to be peeled?

Summer squash like zucchini and yellow squash have a thin, tender skin and therefore don’t require peeling before eating or cooking. Though most winter squash have a tough outer peel, you don’t always need to remove it before cooking. If you’re roasting winter squash in wedges or stuffing a whole squash for recipes like our French Onion Stuffed Butternut Squash, it’s best to leave the peel on to help the squash hold its shape. Simply scoop out the flesh or cut the tender squash away from the peel with a knife when you’re eating it. While the peel is completely edible, it can be quite tough, even after cooking, and isn’t always pleasant to eat.