Graphic of Sauteed Yellow Squash and Onions Macros
Yellow squash sautéed in butter is a tasty keto vegetarian side dish for your ketogenic meal. These slightly caramelized vegetables melt in your mouth! If you’re looking for ways to use yellow squash, this humble little easy yellow squash side dish will surprise you! #ketoyellowsquash #keenforketo

Do you have a food that you never experienced until you were an adult? My mom did all the cooking for us and is an amazing cook, but even I have a list of foods that I never ate till I was an adult.

I’m sure there are others, but off the top of my head, here are a few: avocados (I know!), cilantro, sushi, and yellow squash.

Growing up, we had zucchini straight from the garden coming out of our ears, but for some reason we just never grew or bought its sister, yellow summer squash.

Try these keto squash recipes, too!

We ate zucchini bread, zucchini brownies, even mock apple pie made with zucchini instead of apples, but not once do I remember having yellow squash.

While zucchini has a special place in my heart (yes, it does), I was oblivious of the existence of poor yellow squash.

I’ve got some making up to do.

Find more Keto Sides here! And save this list for Keto Easter Sides!

Keto Yellow Squash and Onions cooking in cast iron pan

Sautéed Yellow Squash and Onion in Butter

When I ate this for me the first time, I didn’t expect much from the humble yellow squash. It’s squash. They even snub it in children’s movies (remember Ratatouille?). My expectations were blown out of the water.

The slightly caramelized onions and squash melt in your mouth. I double it to make as a full meal or put it alongside a steak or some yummy chicken for a heartier meal.

Do you know how to trim leeks for cooking? Find out!

Be sure to choose yellow squash that are small and tender for this recipe. The larger squash grow, the woodier and tougher their skin gets.

Believe me, I’ve tried to salvage an overgrown squash before thinking, “I’ll just sauté the toughness out.”

Huge nope. You can save those tough squash for a different recipe. Definitely don’t toss them out!

Try these Steamed Keto Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan!

Ideas for Keto Yellow Squash

If you need an idea, try baked zucchini boats (subbing in yellow squash, of course), or shred up the meat of the squash, steam it in the microwave, mix with cheese and an egg and bake to make a squash pizza crust.

If you know someone with a baby, squash can always be steamed and pureed to make a healthy baby food, too.

One word of caution with this vegetable side dish. It’s a side dish. If you notice the macronutrient count, there is very little protein in this dish.

It’s not meant to hit the all-day overall macronutrient counts for keto.  

It makes a great companion to a carbless main dish, like chicken or a buttery steak. It would be awesome with Greek Tuna Cakes! Click here to find recipe.

Overhead shot of keto yellow squash and onions on white plate with white tablecloth with 2 whole yellow squash nearby and slices of yellow squash and white lilacs decorating the table

Looking for more recipes for veggies? Try this 3-Ingredient Veggie Dip!

This is also a very flexible dish. If you happen to have a zucchini, you can slice it as you would the yellow squash and add it in.

Or if you only have one yellow squash and tons of onions, use a couple onions with the yellow squash and it will still be yummy.

Really, you can’t go wrong with sautéed vegetables!

(This last paragraph is one reason why your macros may be different from what is suggested at the top of this post. We generally end up using about 2 cups of sliced yellow squash, but it really just depends on what’s left in the fridge or what we get from the garden. You’ll have to use your own calculator to adjust if you’re being strict with macro count.) 

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And don’t forget to contact me with your keto recipe ideas to give me a challenge!

Sauteed Yellow Squash and Onion in Butter

Sauteed Yellow Squash and Onion in Butter

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Sauteed onions and yellow squash in butter with garlic and salt and pepper. The perfect keto side dish for your keto dinner!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place skillet over medium heat. Add butter and melt.
  2. Add onion and stir once to coat with butter. Saute for ten minutes, stirring halfway. Do not stir continually.
  3. Add squash and garlic, if using, and stir to coat with butter. Continue sauteing until onions are transparent and begin to be golden around the edges. Gently flip and stir every 5-10 minutes, taking care not to mash the squash as it becomes tender. If the vegetables start to stick to the pan, deglaze by adding a splash of water and scraping the bottom of the pan. The delicious fond morsels that come up from scraping will add to the flavor of the squash. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently.

Notes

(Optional) When the squash and onions are done, and just before turning off the stove, splash the tablespoon of vinegar into the pan and gently stir. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 126
Looking for side dishes using yellow squash? I’ve got just the one! This easy squash side dish recipe with yellow squash and onions looks humble but is just the healthy comfort food you need. Try this low carb squash and onions side dish today! #keto #ketosidedish #vegetarianketo

Click here to get more Keto Recipe Ideas!

Yellow squash sautéed in butter is a tasty keto vegetarian side dish for your ketogenic meal. These slightly caramelized vegetables melt in your mouth! If you’re looking for ways to use yellow squash, this humble little easy yellow squash side dish will surprise you! #ketoyellowsquash #keenforketo

About the Author: Jenn

10 Comments

  1. Kelly January 28, 2020 at 2:13 pm - Reply

    Spell check is a good thing! The squash looks amazing though! Thank you!

    • Jenn February 2, 2020 at 6:06 pm - Reply

      Hm. I generally edit my writing 4-5 times (or more…I’m obsessive), but I did miss one “zucchini” that was accidentally capitalized and a “sautéed” that was missing an accent mark, but other than that, you may need to be more specific. I didn’t see actual spelling mistakes. I was an editor in a former life, but I’m human. Hope you like the squash, Kelly! It’s a favorite recipe. You’re so welcome!

  2. Martha Brightwell April 19, 2020 at 4:50 am - Reply

    Hello how did you get the squash and onion so brown? My Mother cooked squash this way but I have not learned how to cook it like this. Thank you for your help.

    • Jenn April 19, 2020 at 10:59 am - Reply

      I generally caramelize mine for a very long time. 30-40 minutes is my preference. Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by.

      • Nikki Krakauer March 23, 2021 at 11:30 am - Reply

        Just so you know, if you don’t want to “attend” caramelizing onions, etc., use your crockpot for a while. This recipe is even better with young true “crookneck” squash. Mostly found at farmer’s markets, since their vines are not nearly as prolific as zucchini & yellow zucchini.

        • Jenn March 23, 2021 at 12:46 pm - Reply

          Great advice! Thanks for sharing. I’ve never tried caramelizing onions in a crock pot before, but I will now!

  3. Linda Cavalier January 2, 2021 at 9:32 am - Reply

    I think Kelly is referring to the o that was omitted from “ stir nce to coat with butter”. Having said that, kudos to you for sharing and a raspberry to Kelly. Just think, if everyone was as perfect as Kelly, she would only be normal. I can’t wait to try this as I do love, love love yellow squash.

    • Jenn January 14, 2021 at 8:47 am - Reply

      Haha! Thanks for catching that for me! And for being appreciative of the free recipes I put out. You’ll love this one. I think the simple healthy recipes are my favorite.

  4. Cheryl June 30, 2021 at 12:37 pm - Reply

    What is the carb count and how much should you eat on Keto?

    • Jenn July 5, 2021 at 10:11 am - Reply

      It’s 5.4 carbs per serving. A serving is 1/4th of the amount cooked. How much you eat really depends on your macro goals. Everyone does keto a little differently, as each person’s body will react differently. A lot of people shoot for between 20-50g of carbs per day, which is a fairly wide range. One way to do it is allowing yourself 10g carbs per meal. If you did that, you could have the squash as your meal or as a side and add a protein option like chicken thighs or a bunless burger. I hope that helps!

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Hi! I’m Jenn and this is your safe place from the naysayers and keto police. My journey to the ketogenic diet has been an enormously healing one, and I hope yours can be, too! Read More Here