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.
This was delicious! I made for a dear friend. I couldn’t find pearl onions so used sliced red onion. Also didn’t have sage so used a little Poultry seasoning from Azure. Instead of maple syrup I used Petimezi (grape must syrup) from our Greece trip. Used a bit more than called for. I had only 1 delicata so used some acorn squash and another mystery squash…will definitely make again…maybe even tomorrow!
Hi Dana, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was delicious! I didn’t have kale or pearl onions so had to use spinach and a white onion but it was still superb! Will be making this on repeat and add to our Thanksgiving menu.
Hi Tricia, I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
I decided to try a new vegetable, delicata squash, and naturally turned to Love and Lemons for a recipe. This is fantastic, I’ll make it regularly from now on. So delicious.
Hi Debbie, I’m so glad you loved it!
What a lovely recipe. Very tasty, easy to prep. I subbed sliced red onion for the pearl onions, as I didn’t have these. I think this would be fabulous at Thanksgiving (here in Canada it is in early October). I will definitely make this again.
Hi Michele, so glad you loved the recipe!
This was my first time cooking delicata squash. I’d only seen it on cooking shows. This recipe was fabulous. I substituted baby spinach for the kale and just used a regular onion. It was perfect.
I used acorn squash and onions cut up instead of pearl and added some honey to the dressing. Absolutely exceeded my expectations. Also love that it can be put together ahead of time and then just a quick warming up in the oven. Delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I included yams, omitted the onion, and replaced the syrup with honey and it was absolutely great! Tasted like autumn!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely loved! I had to make a few substitutes, I didn’t have Kale (I used spinach) and added shaved carrots. Turned out delicious !
I’m so glad you loved it!
I would like to go with olive oil
Then brushing with maple syrup
And dusting with cinnamon and walnuts
Anyone else weigh in…
I want to make this recipe but wonder about the maple syrup in the dressing…is it seriously only 1/8 of a teaspoon? I will look thru comments to see if anyone else has asked, and if so I’m sorry to repeat.
Hi Jeanine, just made this recipe with my first delicata of the season. My husband was not too fond of the kale. Could I substitute baby spinach? Really love everything else.
Hi Susan, I would just skip the kale altogehter.
Excellent recipe. The flavours from the combination of ingredients tasted great. I had to sub dried thyme and sage which I sprinkled on the squash and onions prior to baking. I would highly recommend the ‘Love and Lemons’ cookbook.
Goodbye acorn, Hello Delicata. Best squash recipe ever. Had to sub kale with green mix… needed more. Timing is perfect.
Delicious and versatile. Easy to prepare and the dressing packs a powerful flavor punch. Will definitely make again.
I should note that the larder was a bit bare so I didn’t have kale so I left out. I used regular onion instead of pearl. Dried herbs instead of fresh. But that’s the beauty of this recipe. It’s flexible and still healthy and flavorful.
Honestly I only searched for a recipe that could remind me of the cooking time of delicata squash. That being said, I think I am have been cooking it too low. It was crispy on the outsides and creamy on the inside. Yum!
I’m so glad you loved the squash!
Wonderful recipe! I made this for friends and everyone loved it. Great combination of flavors…. squash, apple, kale, toasted pepitas and the flavorful dressing. It all goes together marvelously. Thank you.
I’m so glad you loved it!
It was very tasty I roasted it
Faultless instructions and ingredient balance. We made every dish we attempted so well this year but this side was the star of the show.
Fantastic! So easy and wonderfully flavourful. I will definitely make again. Good for either a full meal or side dish
Amazing! I made it. I am going to eat it with turkey meatballs. Thank you!