Butternut Squash with Sage (Grilled or Baked)

Butternut Squash with Sage is a delicious side dish and this foil-wrapped squash can be cooked on the grill or in the oven. Butternut Squash does have some carbs but it’s high in fiber, so check the net carbs to see if this is too much of a carb splurge for you!

PIN Butternut Squash with Sage to try it later!

If you’re a fan of Butternut Squash, I hope you’ll hurry and make this Butternut Squash with Sage on the before it gets too cold to cook outside. But if you don’t get to this recipe while it’s grilling season, just make this in the oven. And if you like butternut squash and enjoy the slightly-smoky flavor of sage you’re going to love this way to cook butternut squash!

This recipe has been back in the archives with a photo that definitely wasn’t showing off its best qualities, and when I made it recently with Jake and Kara to update the photos, we absolutely devoured it. And there were some leftovers, which I happily ate for lunch the next day!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• butternut squash cubes
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• large sage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, or use Dried Sage (affiliate link)
• Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), or use another all-purpose seasoning of your choice
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• butter
• Sea Salt or salt to taste

More About Butternut Squash:

Butternut squash is grown in many parts of the world, but in Australia, Europe, and some parts of Asia it’s called pumpkin or Butternut Pumpkin. Butternut is a winter squash, a name which refers to squash that’s harvested when the skin has turned into a hard rind and which can be stored through the winter. Winter Squash are ranked as some of the world’s healthiest foods, with phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and this versatile vegetable can be used in many dishes.

How to Cut Up a Butternut Squash:

Of course you can make this with those butternut squash cubes that show up in stores every fall, but it’s tastier and much less expensive if you start with a whole butternut squash. You might want to read How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash before you make this.

What other types of winter squash could you use for this recipe?

Back in the days when I had a big garden, one of the plants I really loved was a variety of butternut called Really Big Squash, and  I made this foil-wrapped grilled butternut squash with sage the first time with Really Big Squash But it’s going to be just as delicious with any type of winter squash from the store such as Acorn, Hubbard, Kabocha, Buttercup, and more. 

Still Hungry for Butternut Squash?

Check out my favorite Roasted Butternut Squash Recipes to see more butternut squash side dish and main dish recipes, or use use Winter Squash to see all the butternut squash recipes on the blog. And don’t miss Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary, Pecans, and Gorgonzola if you’re a fan of Gorgonzola cheese!

How to Make Butternut Squash with Sage:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Preheat grill to medium-high or preheat oven to 450F/230C.
2. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise, and cut off the ends. If it’s squash from the garden, wash it first before you start cutting!
3. Use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel the squash. Sometimes you might need to go over it more than once in a few spots to remove the green strips of peel.
4. Scrape out seeds and stringy stuff around the seeds with a sharp spoon.
5. Cut the squash into cubes about 1 1/2 inches square. It’s important to try to get the pieces all close to the same size.
6. Toss cubed squash with olive oil, thinly sliced fresh sage leaves, coarse ground black pepper and Spike Seasoning.
7. Put about two cups of the squash cubes into each foil packet. Even if you have heavy-duty foil, I recommend wrapping them twice. You can just wrap the inside pieces of foil, but on the outside piece you want to fold over edges of the foil tightly several times.
8. Grill packets about 25 minutes, turning often; or cook them a few minutes longer if you’re using the oven.
9. You’ll probably have to open one to check for doneness, and be careful not to get burned with the steam.
10. Serve hot, with butter and sea salt to season it at the very end.

More Tasty Butternut Squash:

• Slow Cooker Butternut Squash
• Turkey Soup with Kale, Mushrooms, and Butternut Squash
• Butternut Squash and Kale Soup

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Yield: 6 servings

Butternut Squash with Sage (Grilled or Baked)

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

This Butternut Squash with Sage is an amazing side dish that can be cooked on the grill or in the oven.

Ingredients

• 6 cups butternut squash cubes (see notes)
• 2 T olive oil
• 30 large sage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise (Or use another herb like rosemary or thyme if you prefer. You could also use dried herbs with good results.)
• 2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional, but highly recommended)
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 3 T butter to season at the end (to taste, this is also good without butter if you prefer)
• Sea Salt or salt to taste, to season at the end

Instructions

1. Preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high or preheat oven to 450F/230C.
2. Wash sage leaves if needed, pat or spin dry, then cut into very thin strips.
3. Wash squash if needed, cut off stem and blossom ends, and cut squash in half lengthwise.
4. Peel squash with a sharp vegetable peeler, scrape out seeds and strings with a sharp spoon, and then cut squash into cubes 1 1/2 inches square.
5. Put squash into large bowl and toss with olive oil, sage, Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) if using, and black pepper. Stir until squash is well-coated with oil.
6. Tear foil into 4 pieces about 15-18 inches long. Stack up two foil pieces on top of each other and spray the inside of top pieces of foil with nonstick spray or mist with olive oil.
7. Put half the squash cubes into each top pieces of foil and arrange in flat layer. Pull foil edges up and fold over the top piece of foil to make a seam on top side of the foil packet, then fold in ends. Repeat with the other piece of foil, folding over the ends tightly several times on the outside piece.
8. Put foil packets onto hot grill or in the oven and cook, turning every five minutes for grill or every 10 minutes for oven. Check one packet on the grill after 20 minutes to see how done they are getting; check squash in the oven after 25 minutes. (Be careful when you open the packets so you don't get burned with the hot steam.)
9. I cooked my squash on the grill just about 25 minutes, but they will probably need a few minutes longer in the oven. The squash is done when it's soft and getting slightly browned on the edges.
10. Toss squash with butter if desired, and season with sea salt. Serve hot.
11. This will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and can be reheated in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.

Notes

If you're cutting up fresh Butternut Squash you'll need 1 very large or 2 regular size butternut squash for this recipe.

Recipe created by Kalyn, with inspiration from many recipes combining butternut squash with sage.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 175Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4.3gUnsaturated Fat: 5.6gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 658mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 7gSugar: 4.1gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Butternut Squash with Sage is a good side dish for the original South Beach Diet or other low-glycemic diets. Butternut Squash isn’t low in carbs but it does have fiber check the net carbs if you’re following a low-carb diet plan and see if this works for you.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Check out Butternut Squash Recipes for more ideas using my favorite winter squash! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for foil-wrapped butternut squash cooked with sage was first posted in 2007! The photos were updated in 2018 and the recipe was updated again with more information in 2023.

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