Looking for the perfect recipe for this fall? Why not try acorn squash? It is a hearty and healthy meal that can be cooked within 30 minutes! And what makes this recipe better? It’s because we are going to use an air fryer!
An air fryer makes sure that your food is healthy and low-carb by avoiding using a lot of oil to cook your food. Aside from this, the preparation and cooking time is greatly cut down because you will not need a lot of cooking equipment. Just whip out your air fryer and you are good to go!
With that in mind, here is how you can make acorn squash in the air fryer!
Looking for more fall recipes to do in an air fryer? You can try this Air Fryer Butternut Squash recipe.
How to cook acorn squash in the air fryer
This air fryer acorn squash recipe is the perfect Fall food to serve to your family or to your guests! This easy recipe requires only about 5 ingredients and your air fryer and can be done in about 20 to 25 minutes!
Ingredients:
- 1 whole acorn squash
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Before cutting the squash, wash it first under running water to remove excess dirt.
Take a sharp knife and cut the squash in half. You will then notice the seeds inside. To remove the seeds, use a spoon and scoop out the seeds and strings around the seeds and discard them.
In a small bowl, add and mix in brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and brown sugar mixture to each squash halves.
Rub the brown sugar all over the flesh of the squash.
Place the squash in the air fryer basket and set the temperature to 375 degrees F and set the timer to 25 minutes or until the surface of the squash is fork-tender and golden brown.
Once done, remove the squash and serve. A way to eat the squash is to scrape the flesh out and plate it or serve the butternut squash in itself – inside the shell and eat everything from there.
More tips and notes for the best air fryer acorn squash recipe
This air fry acorn squash recipe is pretty easy to follow and do. But I have listed here more tips and notes on how you can make the best results for your air fryer acorn squash:
- Lightly oil the surface of the squash with vegetable oil to prevent any sticking.
- For more flavor, you can drizzle your finished acorn squash with maple syrup.
- You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you want more spice.
- You can eat the skin of the squash but it can be hard to eat.
- Another way of serving this acorn squash air fryer recipe is to slice it into cubes and serve it as a side dish.
- I recommend not peeling the skin of the acorn squash first. After it is done cooking in the air fryer, the skin of acorn squash softens and will be easier to remove.
How to use acorn squash as a side dish
This acorn squash is the perfect meal or dish for those looking for a quick meal with no time for cleanup since you can directly eat on the shell itself. You can easily it this by itself since it’s the perfect mix of sweet and savory but it is also considered a great Fall side dish to serve during Thanksgiving parties!
With that in mind, here are several ways how to serve your air-fried acorn squash:
- Add the acorn squash slices or cubes to a soup.
- Side dish served with roasted chicken or turkey for Thanksgiving.
- pair with air fried buffalo cauliflower
- Mix in a salad or Buddha bowl
- And more!
How to store leftover roasted acorn squash
If you have any acorn squash leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for up to three days.
To reheat the acorn squash, just put the squash into the air fryer and air fry at 350 degrees F for around three to five minutes until warm.
Why use an air fryer?
I love cooking acorn squash in the air fryer because your food remains healthy and low-carb by not using an unnecessary huge amount of oil just for your food to be cooked. This makes any food guilt-free. For example, you can fry french fries in the air fryer or make your own like this sweet potato air fryer recipe.
You can also make snack alternatives such as these air fry kale chips and air fry apple chips. From appetizers to snacks to meals to desserts, you can cook anything in this little machine!
You can try more of these air fryer recipes:
Air Fryer Acorn Squash Recipe
I love this recipe because it is a simple side dish using acorn squash in the air fryer. After all, I do not need to use a lot of cooking equipment and the food I use remains healthy since I will not be needing to use a lot of oil for my food to cook! This is the perfect meal or side dish to have for Fall!
Ingredients
- 1 whole acorn squash
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Before cutting the squash, wash it first under running water to remove excess dirt.
- Take a sharp knife and cut the squash in half. Use a spoon and scoop out the seeds and strings around the seeds and discard them.
- In a small bowl, add and mix in brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and brown sugar mixture to each squash half.
- Rub the brown sugar all over the flesh of the squash.
- Place the squash in the air fryer basket and set the temperature to 375 degrees F and set the timer to 25 minutes or until the surface of the squash is fork-tender and golden brown.
- Once done, remove the squash and serve. A way to eat the squash is to scrape the flesh out and plate it or serve the butternut squash in itself - inside the shell and eat everything from there.
I’m Anastasia and I’m a full-time blogger, online entrepreneur, and Pinterest marketing strategist. I help digital entrepreneurs and bloggers drive targeted traffic from Pinterest either through my online courses or through Pinterest consultancy.