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Home » Blog » Recipes » Roasted Kabocha Squash

Roasted Kabocha Squash

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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:

  • Vegetable peeler
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cutting board
  • Measuring spoons
  • Large bowl
  • Rimmed baking sheet
  • Parchment paper or aluminum foil
  • All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.

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 by Michelle Tam https://nomnompaleo.com
Print Recipe
4.76 from 49 votes

Roasted Kabocha Squash

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!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: gluten-free, paleo, Primal, Vegetarian, Whole30
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 142kcal
Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

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

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!
Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

Nutrition

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

Comments

  1. Jill says

    August 16, 2020 at 1:24 pm

    5 stars
    This is the best way to cook kabocha! The ghee adds a delightful nuttiness that goes perfectly with the pumpkin. Sometimes I use magic mushroom instead of salt. It’s delicious both ways.

    Reply
  2. kalman says

    September 12, 2020 at 2:51 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Jacqueline Shapiro says

    September 14, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    5 stars
    Easy and delish!!! I used Black Truffle salt….

    Reply
  4. Melissa says

    October 7, 2020 at 2:21 am

    5 stars
    Made it exactly as you said to and it was fantastic! I had to google squash images first to see what I had even bought, then just went for it with your recipe. So so so delish, I love the texture most of all!

    Reply
  5. amos garrett says

    October 23, 2020 at 6:03 pm

    best way to cut up big squashes (Kabochas, pumpkins)–1. drill a half inch hole in side of squash
    with hand drill. 2. Get a drywall handsaw. Stick tip of saw in hole and saw away. Like a hot knife through soft butter!–

    Reply
    • Iamnirt says

      November 7, 2021 at 10:57 pm

      What an awesome tip!!! Thanks Amos!!

      Reply
    • Nancy says

      November 6, 2022 at 3:48 am

      I bake it whole for 10 minutes @425 to soften the squash so it’s to cut.

      Reply
      • Jennifer Bigler says

        November 7, 2022 at 11:39 pm

        Sounds great Nancy!

        Reply
      • Rebecca Rabinowitz says

        November 14, 2022 at 6:59 pm

        5 stars
        great idea!

        Reply
  6. Alex Mottaz says

    October 24, 2020 at 6:50 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve *never* cooked anything with kabocha before, and after trying this recipe I’m just kicking myself over why I never tried anything as delicious as this (it really does taste like a combination of potatoes and chestnuts!). I’ll definitely be using this recipe for the rest of my life!

    Reply
  7. Soft says

    October 24, 2020 at 9:19 pm

    Mine didn’t come out crunchy?
    What could have I done wrong?
    They’re tasty, yet soft.

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      October 27, 2020 at 4:36 am

      They don’t come out crunchy. The outside is browned and there may be some crunch, but it’s more like a well-baked potato.

      Reply
    • Kimberly says

      December 9, 2020 at 8:31 am

      They won’t be super crunchy but should have a crunch when bitten. Perhaps you used too much fat ( too much oil, ghee etc) — or could be your oven temperature is not correct. Try calibrating the oven to see accurate temperature specific to your oven

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        June 16, 2021 at 12:52 am

        Do you eat the out side

        Reply
        • Laura says

          October 3, 2021 at 2:34 pm

          Yes – no need to peel!

          Reply
  8. Diana says

    November 7, 2020 at 4:36 am

    5 stars
    We had our first Kabocha squash tonight. We don’t have a microwave to soften it, so my husband cut it up for me. We kept the skin on. This was really good. I had to cook it a lot more than 30 minutes, though. I should have kept track of how much longer, but I didn’t. I hope I can find some more now.

    Reply
  9. Jan says

    December 14, 2020 at 2:17 am

    Great recipe! Just curious why you suggest to remove skin for autoimmune issues.

    Reply
  10. Bebe says

    January 24, 2021 at 8:39 pm

    Love this! I’ve made it this way and also baked and mashed. However, saying it’s easy to cut once the flesh is exposed is a bit of an overstatement—I’m cursing my knife, the cutting board and the squash right now, but it’s sooooo worth it. Having said that, I’d pay a premium to be able to buy this pre-prepped.
    Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      January 24, 2021 at 9:18 pm

      Japanese markets have hacked up kabocha squash for sale!

      Reply
    • j h says

      November 7, 2021 at 5:15 pm

      Best knife (not saw) for cutting squash? I’d appreciate recs.

      Reply
      • Emilie says

        November 29, 2021 at 11:22 am

        5 stars
        I use a cleaver-type knife I picked up in Thailand — all the Thai cooks I saw use it for every type of cutting, from garlic to pumpkin. It’s got the big blade and some heft, so cutting through the kabocha is no problem. You can probably pick one up at an Asian market.

        Reply
  11. Sun hae says

    February 23, 2021 at 2:51 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      February 23, 2021 at 3:41 am

      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.

      Reply
  12. Steve Carnes says

    May 27, 2021 at 6:19 pm

    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!

    Reply
  13. Abigail Lynch says

    June 2, 2021 at 1:23 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      June 2, 2021 at 1:45 am

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

      Reply
  14. Komorebi says

    August 25, 2021 at 11:05 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe, it was delicious!!

    Reply
  15. Kelly Richardson says

    November 18, 2021 at 5:02 pm

    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.

    Reply
  16. kermit says

    March 5, 2022 at 8:03 am

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

    Reply
  17. Jeanine Morgan says

    September 13, 2022 at 10:43 pm

    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.

    Reply
  18. Jeanine says

    September 14, 2022 at 12:52 am

    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.

    Reply

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