Order my latest cookbook today! 
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy.
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 often 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.
🛒 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
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or another cooking oil)
- Salt and pepper
Get a printable recipe card below!
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.
Keep in mind that some air fryers cook faster than others; there is 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 Butternut Squash Zig Zags in the Air Fryer
It’s time to talk about how to cook butternut squash zig zags! Put the squash in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Dump the squash zig zags into the air fryer basket. Place them in a single, non-touching layer if you want them crispy. (You may need to cook them in batches to achieve this.) If you have an air fryer oven, place the tray in the top rack position.
Air fry Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags for a total of 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190C). Flip the fries or shake the basket after the first 10 minutes of cooking time.
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
You can eat Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags plain or use them for 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 potential 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 delicious!
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
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 butternut squash in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Dump the squash zig zags into the air fryer basket. Place them in a single, non-touching layer if you want them crispy. (You may need to cook them in batches to achieve this.) If you have an air fryer oven, place 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 makes a healthy side with minimal oil. Add lean protein and another veggie to turn it into a light meal. Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken or Air Fryer Frozen Tilapia pair perfectly. For a richer option, toss the squash with browned butter, sage, and Parmesan. See my Air Fryer Butternut Squash recipe for details. Nutrition highlights:- Low calorie: Only 40 calories per 100 grams, butternut squash is often a smart choice for weight management.
- Lower carb than potatoes: Butternut squash has 7 grams net carbs per 100 grams compared to 15 grams net carbs in potatoes.
- Provitamin A: Packed with carotenoids, butternut squash provides 223% DV vitamin A per 100 grams.
- Fiber: Butternut squash provides 3 grams fiber per 100 grams, supporting heart health, cholesterol, and digestion.
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
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
FAQs
Are Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags vegan?
Yes, Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags are vegan, 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
Here are some other Trader Joe’s air fryer recipes to try:
Join our community! Subscribe for all of the latest and greatest recipes, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!
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 🙂