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Learn how to cook Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags in an air fryer! This Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags air fryer recipe is the BEST way to make roasted butternut squash. You’ll love this easy air fryer recipe that works as a side dish, snack, or appetizer. You can even use air fryer butternut squash zig zags as a vegan and gluten free substitute for pasta or fries!
Trader Joes butternut squash zig zags are crinkle-cut butternut squash fries located in fresh produce section. They are raw and ready to cook. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s in your area, Whole Foods and Nature’s Pantry brand are two other options.
I love the butternut squash zig zags Trader Joe’s carries because they make for an easy and fast meal prep. You don’t have to peel, seed, or cut butternut squash with this product.
I mean, sure, you could grab a crinkle cutter and cut your own squash zig zags. That’s quite a bit of work, though. Butternut squash tends to be a bit of a pain to peel and cut.
The biggest downside of the butternut squash zig zags is that they are only available seasonally. So, you should try to grab a package or two when you can. I make sure they make it into my shopping cart every autumn and winter!
What do Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags cost?
At the time of writing, the price of a 12-ounce bag of Trader Joes butternut squash zig zags is $2.99. Prices may vary by store location.
⭐ Benefits of Making Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Zig Zags in Air Fryer
Why make Trader Joe’s butternut zig zags in the air fryer? Here are some nutritional benefits (and other advantages) of this air fryer recipe:
- Low calorie: Because these are not fried, these butternut squash zig zags are relatively low calorie. They’re a great option for weight watchers and others who want to lose weight. Plain butternut squash only has 40 calories per 100 grams.
- Lower carb than potatoes: Though butternut squash is a starchy veggie, it’s a low carb option compared to potatoes. Potatoes have 15 grams net carbs per 100 grams while butternut squash has only 7 grams net carbs per 100 grams.
- Provitamin A: Butternut squash is also extremely high in vitamin A carotenoids. You get 223% DV for vitamin A per 100 grams of butternut squash. It’s an excellent source of this essential vitamin.
- Fiber: Since butternut squash zig zags are a whole food vegetable, they provide fiber. You get 3 grams of fiber per 100 grams of butternut squash. Fiber is beneficial for a healthy heart, optimizing your blood cholesterol levels, and keep your digestion comfortable.
- Easy: Air frying is the best way to cook trader joe’s butternut squash zig zags. It only takes 18-20 minutes, clean-up is easy, and air frying is very hands off. With precut butternut squash zig zags, you don’t even need to chop or peel butternut squash.
- Versatile: You can use butternut squash zig zags as a side, snack, or appetizer. They work as a substitute for pasta or as a substitute for fries.
- Delicious: Butternut zig zags are a vegetable kids love (and adults too). I can (and have) eaten an entire package of these in one sitting. I love how they get a bit crisp on the outside and tender inside in the air fryer.
🥘 Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Zig Zags Ingredients
Here’s your shopping list for my butternut squash zig zags air fryer recipe:
- 12-ounce container of Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Zig Zags
- Olive oil (or another oil for cooking)
- Salt and pepper
We’re keeping things super simple. You can have these plain (I seriously eat them cooked right off the tray) or dress them up however you’d like. I have some tips on how to serve butternut squash zig zags below.
The only major piece of kitchen equipment you need for these is an air fryer. I use a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. You may use your Ninja Foodi, Philips, Nuwave, Pampered Chef, Actifry, Instant Pot Vortex, Cosori, Breville, or another air fryer instead.
However, keep in mind that some air fryers cook faster than others; there’s less consistency than with regular ovens. Always check the food early and oven the first time you try a new air fryer recipe. This is the best way to prevent food from burning.
🔪 How to Make Air Fryer Butternut Squash Zig Zags
It’s time to talk about how to cook butternut squash zag zags! Put the squash in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Spread the squash zig zags out in your air fryer basket or air fryer tray. I used one air fryer tray for this recipe. If you have an air fryer oven, put the tray in the top rack position.
️⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long to cook Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags in air fryer? What temperature to air fry Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags? Air fry Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags for a total of 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190C).
After the first 10 minutes of cooking, stir and flip the squash zig zags. Air fry for the final 8-10 minutes, or until done to your liking.
If you’re making more than one batch of squash zig zags, the second (and third) batch may need a shorter cooking time. This is because you’ve effectively preheated your air fryer when you cooked the first batch.
🌡️ Leftovers
You can keep leftover cooked butternut squash zig zags in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the squash in the microwave on high for about one minute. You can also freeze butternut squash, but it will lose any crispy edges it has.
😋 What to Do with Butternut Squash Zig Zags
How to serve Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags? You can eat them plain or use them for Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags pasta or butternut squash zig zag fries. You could also chop them up and add them to a soup, salad, or a casserole.
The ideas for butternut squash zig zag recipes are truly endless. Season them with cinnamon sugar, Parmesan cheese, or Everything Bagel seasoning.
Or how about squash crinkles with butter and brown sugar and bacon? So much yum!
Here are some sauce ideas for butternut squash zig zag pasta:
- Marinara sauce
- Alfredo sauce
- Keto pesto sauce
- Keto cheese sauce
And here are some dips for butternut squash zig zag fries:
- Ranch
- Ketchup
- BBQ sauce
- Cilantro Chimichurri
📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
How many calories in Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags? One serving of Air Fryer Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Zig Zags has 137 calories, 16.6 grams net carbs, and 1.7 grams protein. Half the container of plain butternut squash zig zags (no oil) has 77 calories.
FAQs
Are Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags vegan?
Yes, this is vegan Trader Joe’s butternut squash, as the only ingredient is the squash. This is a great recipe for plant-based, vegetarian, and vegan diets, as well as anyone trying to eat more veggies.
Are Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags keto, gluten free, Whole30, or Paleo?
This Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags recipe is gluten free, Whole30, and Paleo. It can also fit relaxed low carb diets. Butternut squash is considered a starchy veggie, and isn’t the best fit for keto diets. This recipe has 16.6 grams of net carbs per serving.
How to make a crispy butternut squash fries air fryer recipe?
Are your squash zig zags not crispy enough? To make air fryer butternut squash fries crispy, try dusting with cornstarch before adding oil and cooking at a higher temperature. Make sure the fries are spread out in the air fryer basket so they crisp up evenly on all sides. Be sure to watch them closely so they don’t burn!
How to make baked Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags?
There are directions on the butternut squash zig zag package for microwaving, boiling, steaming, sauteing, but not baking! To oven bake Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags, toss with oil and bake for 15-20 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet in an oven preheated to 400F (200C). Flip and stir the zig zags, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until done to your liking.
👩🏻🍳 Other Trader Joe’s Healthy Air Fryer Recipes
What can I air fry from Trader Joe’s? Here are some other Trader Joe’s air fryer recipes to try:
Watch How to Make It!
Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Zig Zags Air Fryer Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Trader Joe's butternut squash zig zags (340 grams)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Put the Trader Joe's squash zig zags in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Spread the squash zig zags out in your air fryer basket or air fryer tray. If you have an air fryer oven, put the tray in the top rack position.
- Air fry for 10 minutes at 375°F (190°C), then stir and flip the squash zig zags. Air fry for 8-10 minutes more, or until done to your liking.
Equipment
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). This air fried butternut squash zig zag recipe is a healthy veggie side dish with minimal oil. You can easily make this into a low-calorie meal by adding some lean protein and another veggie or two. Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken and Air Fryer Frozen Tilapia go well with butternut squash zig zags. For a higher calorie side dish, you can toss the butternut squash zig zags with browned butter and sage and sprinkle with Parm. Check out my Air Fryer Butternut Squash recipe to see how it’s done. Be sure to double (or triple) this recipe if your family has more than two people. You’ll need to cook the squash in multiple batches, but I promise it’s worth the wait! Nutrition information is for one serving of the recipe.
nutrition info disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x
Nutrition
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Hello! I’m Summer, a registered dietitian and home chef who loves to cook, eat, and create recipes for you! Every recipe on this site has been tested by me to help ensure your success in the kitchen. All eaters are welcome here 🙂
I always scratch my head when people describe air frying on a pan and flipping the food midway, etc. Isn’t the whole point of air frying circulating the air to touch all parts of the food at once? Why the pan? What’s the flipping about? In a conventional oven sure, so why even have an air fryer?
Somewhere along the line I learned to preheat the air fryer for 2-5 minutes so that it fries food instead of steaming it, to put the food in the basket up high with the pan way down below, (i.e. not touching one another, allowing the air to circulate) so the pan catches drips and crumbs. Let the air do its frying job.
The pan is to catch what falls from the basket, or to use as a regular pan when cooking using the conventional oven function. (Clarification to include I use a Cuisinart oven that does multiple functions).
Am I missing something? Why are people trying to cook conventionally while using the air fryer function? I get that it “goes faster” due to the air blowing, (which is convection cooking btw) but there’s so much more to air frying than that.
Hi Pam, these are great questions, and I’ll try to answer them as best as I can as the owner of an air fryer oven, regular air fryer, and a Ninja Foodi with a tender crisp lid. Air fryers don’t necessarily cook all parts of the food evenly without flipping the food, and the food on the edges of the tray may cook faster as well. Often, the side of the food that is closest to the heat source (in the case of all my air fryers, this is the top) cooks faster than the underside, even though air ideally reaches all sides.
Since the air fryer uses dry air, it won’t steam your food, even if you skip preheating. An exception to this may be if you cook something in water, or a food with a lot of moisture. I often prefer to skip preheating because it saves time without impacting most recipes. Most regular air fryers don’t have positions to move the basket and drip pan. Many air fryer ovens do, and it’s the top rack position that comes closest to cooking like a regular air fryer.
I’ve found that many people want to experiment with cooking conventional stovetop and oven recipes in an air fryer. That’s why there are so many recipes out there for making air fryer eggs in little pans and air fryer muffins in small muffin tins, items where using a drip pan wouldn’t work as well. I’ve even got an air fryer stew recipe here! It’s fun; it kind of gives Easy Bake Oven vibes if you grew up in that era (as a lot of my audience did).
I know you said you have a Cuisinart oven, but if you have friends or family with a regular air fryer you can borrow, I recommend giving it a whirl! Doing some hands on testing will answer any additional questions you have, and you may just find yourself joining us in trying to make everything in the air fryer too 🙂 I can tell you as the owner of three air fryers that they all cook differently, and as a result, air fryer cooking times are at best estimates, unlike with oven recipes. Seeing how they work differently and experimenting with all the possibilities is the best way to learn. (And pretty fun!) I hope that helped 🙂