Grilled Butternut Squash with Browned Butter and Sage
On November 18, 2020 (Updated April 16, 2022)
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This Grilled Butternut Squash with browned butter and sage is a gorgeous fall side that tastes just as good during the weekday as it does on your holiday table. Browned butter adds a sweet and savory flavor to the squash with a slightly caramel aroma that will have your taste buds singing.
Can You Grill Butternut Squash?
The short answer to this question is an unequivocal yes!
Butternut squash tastes delicious when grilled. When prepped correctly, butternut squash tastes amazing cooked on the grill. Like other veggies, the flavor from the grill just can’t be beat. Also, grilling vegetables retains the nutrients in the veggies that would be otherwise lost by steaming or boiling.
Grilled Butternut Squash
The best way I’ve found to grill butternut squash is to peel, de-seed, and slice prior to grilling. Cooking them sliced means a much quicker cook time and more surface area for flavor from the grill and from the seasoning.
This grilled butternut squash is soft on the inside, and crisp and slightly charred from the grill on the outside. Butternut squash is naturally sweet, and pairing it with the nutty butter and earth sage makes everything meld together.
Ingredients for Grilled Butternut Squash
I’m always game for trying recipes with only a few ingredients. This squash is one of those that preps easily and cooks quickly. Here’s what you’ll need to assemble prior to tossing these squash slices on the grill:
- 1 2-pound butternut squash. Look for a butternut squash that is all one color. The squash should be beige without any large cuts or deep bruising.
- 8 Tablespoons salted butter. No substitutions here.
- 2 Tablespoons fresh sage leaves. I recommend these be fresh, whole leaves.
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Squash can often be a little bland, and the red pepper flakes add a bit of punchy heat to this recipe.
- 1/4 cup brown sugar. Dark or light, either works fine.
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese. I honestly believe freshly shaved Parmesan is the way to go. You can’t beat the flavor!
How to Grill Butternut Squash
Once quick tip before you begin: Stabilize your cutting board! Use a cutting board with rubber edges or place a slightly moist paper towel flat under your cutting board to keep it from sliding around while you are splitting your squash.
- Peel and cut the squash. Use a vegetable peeler to take off the hardest outer shell and then give the squash a second pass with the peeler to get the white layer in between the skin and the flesh. Next, use a sharp chef’s knife to trim the top stem and the bottom off of the squash. Then slice the squash in half lengthwise. Once it is split in half, use a spoon to scrape out the strings and seeds. Lay the cut and scraped side of the squash down flat on the cutting board and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices.
- Brown the butter. Browning the butter gives you this amazing, rich nuttiness that provides the perfect flavor boost to the squash.
- Butter and grill the squash. Get your charcoal or gas grill preheated to 450 degrees F. Brush the butternut squash liberally with the browned butter mixture and grill the squash for about 10 minutes. You’ll know the squash is done when you have nice char on the outside and the squash pierces relatively easily with a fork.
- Serve hot. I like to finish this squash with an extra drizzle of the browned butter and sage mixture and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately!
More Grilled Vegetable Recipes
Pretty much any vegetable tastes great when cooked on the grill. If you’re looking for more veggies to grill up this season, check out a few favorites from Hey Grill Hey below!
- Grilled Carrots with a Balsamic Glaze
- Garlic Parmesan Grilled Broccoli
- Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Aioli
Grilled Butternut Squash Recipe
Grilled Butternut Squash with Browned Butter and Sage
Ingredients
- 1 2-pound butternut squash
- 8 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons fresh sage leaves whole
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the grill. Preheat your preferred grill to 450 degrees F. I cooked these on my Weber gas grill, but any grill you have available that can get up to 450 degrees F will work fine.
- Cut the squash. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully peel off the skin of the butternut squash. Slice the squash in half lengthwise with a very sharp knife and scoop out any seeds or strings from the hollow part of the squash. Lay the cut squash, flat side down, onto a cutting board and slice the squash into 1/4 inch thick slices. Spread them out into a single layer on the cutting board.
- Make the browned butter. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is totally melted, reduce the heat to medium low. Swirl the butter in the pan every 2 minutes until the milk solids near the bottom of the pan start to turn lightly brown and smell nutty, about 8-10 minutes total. Add the sage leaves and red pepper flakes to the browned butter, stir for 1 more minute and remove from the heat.
- Butter the squash. Use a pastry brush to evenly paint the butternut squash with the clear butter in the top of your saucepan. Sprinkle the buttered squash with half of the brown sugar and then flip over and repeat on the opposite side. Reserve the remainder of the browned butter and sage mixture for topping the squash after grilling.
- Grill the butternut squash. Transfer your buttered squash to the grill grates and cook, flipping every 5 minutes, until the squash is browned and crispy on the outside and tender when bent slightly. Remove the grilled squash to your serving platter.
- Garnish the squash and serve hot. Drizzle the remaining browned butter and sage mixture over the grilled butternut squash and then top with the shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fresh sage out of the garden and red pepper flakes were a great touch!
My husband never liked squash till he tasted this , So delicious !
I made this exactly as the recipe said and it was delicious. I really loved how all the flavors come together with the grill flavors added….Thanks so Much.
Tried this out fell in love! I did not have salted butter on hand and no fresh sage. Used non salted butter and ground dried sage and it still was a great side dish! Will be making again for sure!