The Instant Pot has become an indispensable tool to get meals on the table with ease and speed. But it can also be used to prepare ingredients like butternut squash for soups, salads, or purees with the same ease and speed.
I think that butternut squash is one of the most versatile and flavorful of the winter squashes. I love it roasted as a side dish, mashed with butter and brown sugar stirred in, mixed into macaroni and cheese, or turned into a lovely Butternut Squash Casserole. The options are endless, especially once you know how to quickly and easily cook it in the Instant Pot!
How Do I Cook Butternut Squash?
The cooking methods for this squash are also endless. Well, maybe there’s a finite number of methods, but still there’re quite a few.
We’ve explored several of them here like roasting a whole butternut squash, how to microwave a whole butternut squash and roasting diced butternut squash.
Then a thought came to me as I was washing my Instant Pot. Could you cook a whole butternut squash in the Instant Pot? The answer is, yes. And it’s so simple.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash
I set the trivet in the inner pot of the Instant Pot and poured in a cup of water. I pierced the squash a few times with a sharp knife. Then I set whole butternut squash on its side on the trivet. Note: if your squash doesn’t fit side to side, cut off a little off the top and bottom. Closed the lid, set the timer, and let the Instant Pot do the work.
When the timer went off, I manually released the steam and removed the lid. Important Note: I did let the squash cool a bit before I tried to lift it out. The skin releases really easily so be careful!
After I slipped the skin off, I removed the seeds and cut it into cubes to use in this salad. Have I mentioned how much I love my Instant Pot? Yeah, I probably have. ;)
More Instant Pot Basics To Learn
Below I’ve gathered up some links for you to some of my favorite Instant Pot recipes for making basic things, like this squash.
- Instant Pot Farro
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Plain White Rice
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash
- Instant Pot Collard Greens
- Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas
If you’d like to browse all of my Instant Pot recipes, head over here. Enjoy! -Christine xo
PrintInstant Pot Butternut Squash
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 1 squash 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
The Instant Pot has become an indispensable tool to get meals on the table with ease and speed. But it can also be used to prepare ingredients like butternut squash for soups, salads or purees with the same ease and speed.
Ingredients
- 1 (3-lb.) butternut squash, washed and patted dry
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Put the trivet in the inner pot of the Instant Pot and add the water.
- After piercing a few times with a sharp knife, place the butternut squash on its side on top of the trivet.
- Close and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release handle is in the sealed position.
- Select Pressure Cook and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
- Turn the steam release handle to the venting position and allow steam to escape.
- When the valve drops, unlock the lid and open carefully.
- Allow the butternut squash to cool until you can handle it easily.
- Remove from the Instant Pot. Remove the skin. It should slip off easily.
- Slice the squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and cut into cubes.