Roasted Kabocha Squash is the best way to cook my favorite winter squash!

A collage of the cooking steps for roasted kabocha 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.

A closeup shot of Roasted Kabocha Squash on a white platter

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:

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.)

A side shot of a green kabocha squash on a kitchen counter.

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…

An overhead shot of a raw kabocha squash with the stem removed

…’cause once the flesh is exposed, cutting it in half is a breeze.

A raw kabocha squash is cut in half, exposing the seeds in the center

Scoop out the seeds…

Two halves of a kabocha squash have the seeds removed with a spoon.

…and cut the squash into thin wedges.

The kabocha squash is cut into wedges.

Next, toss the squash with your fat of choice and sprinkle the slices with salt and pepper.

The wedges of kabocha squash are tossed with melted fat and seasoning

Place the squash in a single layer on a foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking tray…

The seasoned kabocha squash wedges are placed on a baking sheet in a single layer.

…and pop it in the oven.

A tray of Roasted Kabocha Squash is baking 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).


 PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Roasted Kabocha Squash

4.70 from 60 votes
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Roasted kabocha squash is my favorite way to cook this winter squash! Japanese pumpkin cooked in the manner has the taste and texture of roasted chestnuts!

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 medium kabocha squash
  • 2 tablespoons ghee olive oil, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
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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

Got leftover roasted kabocha squash? Throw it into a quick and easy Whole30-friendly Thai Chicken Curry!

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Fiber: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

About Michelle Tam

Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.

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Recipe Rating




33 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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?

    1. 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.

  2. 5 stars
    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!

  3. 5 stars
    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!

    1. Kabocha squash does have a drier texture than other winter squash. Some people steam it if they want it to be moister!

  4. 5 stars
    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.

  5. 5 stars
    thanks for the clear instructions with photos. made this and it turned out well. kabocha squash is so good!

  6. 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.

  7. 5 stars
    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.

  8. 3 stars
    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.

  9. 5 stars
    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!