How to Cut and Peel a Butternut Squash (New method!)

In the next week, I’ll be sending two new butternut squash recipes and a big recipe roundup your way. So now is the perfect time to revisit how to peel and cut a butternut squash. Nearly a year ago, I posted this tutorial demonstrating how I cut and peel a butternut squash using a vegetable peeler. While this is a great method, I’ve found that using the vegetable peeler is a bit time consuming because it takes a couple rounds of peeling to free the squash of its fibrous peel.

Great news! I’ve found a quicker and easier way to do it, which I’m going to show you today. One caveat. For this method, you need a good, sharp chefs knife and you need to be comfortable using it! If you meet those 2 requirements, you’ll be ready to transform that butternut squash into something amazing in a couple minutes. Here we go!

What you will need:

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 chefs knife
• 1 ice cream scoop or large spoon

Step 1: Chop off the top of the butternut squash.

Step 2: Cut the squash into two pieces, making the cut where the squash starts to swell.

Step 3: Grab the longer piece of squash. Hold the squash firm with one hand. Using the other hand, cut off the peel in long, thin slices all around the squash.

Step 4: Peel the plumper piece of squash. Hold the squash firm with one hand. Using the other hand, carefully cut off the peel in thin slices all around the squash. This time, make sure your slices follow the rounded, bulging shape of the squash. If you have a hard time making those rounded cuts, work your way around the squash, only slicing off the peel until you reach the bulge. Then, flip it over and work your way around again, slicing off the bottom half of the peel.

Step 5: Slice off the bottom of the squash. (Note: I would have done this in Step 1, but I totally forgot!)

Step 6: Cut the plumper piece of squash in half lengthwise.

Step 7: Grab an ice cream scoop or large spoon and scrape out the strings and seeds inside.

Done! Your squash is now ready for further slicing or cooking!