Cider-Maple Braised Butternut Squash
By Steve DunnPublished on October 24, 2025
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You will need a skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Peel the squash until it is completely orange with no white fibrous flesh remaining, roughly ⅛ inch deep. You can start with 2 pounds of pre-peeled squash halves and cut it yourself. We don’t recommend using pre-diced squash; the piece sizes can vary too much.
Instructions
- Whisk ¾ cup apple cider, ¾ cup water, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon baking soda together in medium bowl and set aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1 large shallot, halved lengthwise and sliced thin, and ⅛ teaspoon table salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened and starting to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 7 cups butternut squash cut into 1-inch pieces. Add cider mixture, increase heat to high, and bring to vigorous simmer. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low; and continue to simmer vigorously until paring knife meets no resistance when slipped into center of squash and sauce is reduced and has consistency of heavy cream, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring in ¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped, halfway through cooking. (If at end of cooking, squash is tender but sauce has not thickened, continue to cook, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes longer.)
- Off heat, stir in 2 teaspoons cider vinegar and ½ teaspoon minced rosemary. Season with salt and vinegar to taste. Transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with 2 tablespoons chives, cut into 1-inch lengths, and serve.
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Braising has always been the answer to transforming tough cuts of meat into succulent tenderness, and it’s also great for vegetables—particularly hard winter squash such as butternut. Peeling the squash down to the orange flesh and cutting it into bite-size chunks ensured that it cooked quickly and evenly, and simmering it in flavorful liquid (here, a Thanksgiving-inspired, apple cider–based brew spiked with maple syrup and Dijon mustard) rendered it velvety and well seasoned. The braising liquid reduced to a glossy, concentrated glaze as the squash cooked, and complementary seasonings such as dried cranberries, cider vinegar, and rosemary enhanced its complexity and appeal.
Before You Begin
You will need a skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Peel the squash until it is completely orange with no white fibrous flesh remaining, roughly ⅛ inch deep. You can start with 2 pounds of pre-peeled squash halves and cut it yourself. We don’t recommend using pre-diced squash; the piece sizes can vary too much.
Instructions
- Whisk ¾ cup apple cider, ¾ cup water, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon baking soda together in medium bowl and set aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1 large shallot, halved lengthwise and sliced thin, and ⅛ teaspoon table salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened and starting to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 7 cups butternut squash cut into 1-inch pieces. Add cider mixture, increase heat to high, and bring to vigorous simmer. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low; and continue to simmer vigorously until paring knife meets no resistance when slipped into center of squash and sauce is reduced and has consistency of heavy cream, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring in ¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped, halfway through cooking. (If at end of cooking, squash is tender but sauce has not thickened, continue to cook, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes longer.)
- Off heat, stir in 2 teaspoons cider vinegar and ½ teaspoon minced rosemary. Season with salt and vinegar to taste. Transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with 2 tablespoons chives, cut into 1-inch lengths, and serve.
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