Make this Air Fryer Acorn Squash as a simple side dish or for using mashed acorn squash in another recipe.
I just bought myself a brand new air fryer using some of my Amazon affiliate money. I consider it my first real housewarming gift that I have bought for myself since my move. It’s much larger than the air fryer I used to develop my previous recipes. So now I have visions of air fried whole chickens and bone-in turkey breasts dancing in my head (just in time for the holidays).
Since whole squash of all varieties are appearing in my grocery now I decided to do a trial run of my new air fryer with an acorn squash. I was so pleased with the results! The flesh of the cut squash browned nicely on the outside but was soft and tender on the inside. The air fryer truly does all the work for this simple side dish. Stay tuned for what I turned the rest of the puree into!
Why is Acorn Squash Good for You?
According to this Healthline article, acorn squash is low in calories but packed with nutrients. Acorn squash is packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C. It promotes digestive health because it is high in fiber. And it may help in preventing heart disease by combating high levels of LDL (the bad cholesterol) and lowering the risk of high blood pressure.
Kitchen Tips for Air Fryer Acorn Squash:
- This is the air fryer I used for this recipe.
- Use a very sharp and heavy kitchen knife for slicing the acorn squash in half, similar to this one.
- I used a dinner spoon to scoop out the seeds from the center of the acorn squash.
- Do not use cooking spray (like Pam) as it can damage the coating of the air fryer basket. Instead, lightly oil the squash surface with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
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Air Fryer Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 1 whole acorn squash
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Wash the acorn squash.
- With a sharp knife, cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise from top of stem to the bottom.
- Use a dinner spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds.
- Lightly oil the outsides of the cut squash with the vegetable oil.
- Place the two halves of the acorn cut side down into the basket of the air fryer.
- Air fry at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes.
- Remove the squash and butter the insides of the squash and sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Place the squash halves, cut side up, back into the air fryer basket.
- Air fryer at 400 degrees F for about 10 - 15 minutes more, or until the cut surface is browned and the inside of the squash is fork tender.
- Drizzle with pure maple syrup and serve.
ROSE A KIDD says
Very Good
I put a sliced apple inside the last 10 minutes
foodtasticmom says
Love the addition of a sliced apple. Thank you for taking the time to rate and comment.
Rebecca Nowlan says
Great recipe! My 9 year old and I loved it. The maple syrup added a nice flavor. Thank you!
foodtasticmom says
Great, glad you enjoyed the squash!
Tracy says
I love this! I hadn’t heard of cooking it cut side down first. That really helped with liquid accumulation.
foodtasticmom says
Oh good, glad to hear this was a good tip for you. Thanks for taking the time to rate and comment!
Hoovet says
It was awesome I added brown sugar also while baking with the butter and salt
Mary says
This is my third time I should’ve commented after the first! It is amazing and I am going to do the Apple in the center tonight cooking it right now in my air fryer! Thank you so much great recipe appreciate you doing this for us God bless
foodtasticmom says
So happy to hear this Mary. Thank you so much!
Phyllis says
Excellent, I filled it with wld rice and some hot honey.
foodtasticmom says
Oh, that sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing!!
Anne says
This air fryer has changed my life! I have made your squash recipe twice now, and it is absolutely delish! Thank you so much! We had guests for dinner, and they loved it also.
foodtasticmom says
My air fryer has changed my life too. Love this! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment. I appreciate it!
Curt Daniels says
I added a splash of pure vanilla extract with the butter. Also a pinch of cinnamon and brown sugar. After cooking, I added a couple tablespoons of apple sauce and mixed it all together. Yummy Yum Yum!!!
foodtasticmom says
Wow! I am loving all these flavorful additions. I will have to try your suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to comment and review!
Karli Siscoe says
This was my 1st time baking my acorn squash in the air fryer but it won’t be my last. I loved how caramelized the edges got. It was nice not heating up the whole kitchen too. This recipe was easy and delicious.
foodtasticmom says
I’m happy you had a positive experience with my recipe for acorn squash in the air fryer. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a positive comment and 5-star review!
Bill Jamison says
I’ve eaten Acorn squash baked with pork or Italian sausage for years. Grew up with it. Tonight I was late starting supper, so I did a quick search, got an idea of time and temps. Hustled to the Kitchen and got it in the air fryer. 20 min air fry at 325 degrees, turned over when they had 3 min left. Theh added 2 Italian sausage patty’s on aluminum foil and set it for 10 min at 400.
At 5 minutes left the squash was done so I removed it, turned the patty’s and let them finish.
Those squash peeled the easiest of any I had ever cooked. Tender, tasty, low prep time, quicker I think than the oven. We had a wonderful supper in about 40 minutes. My wife was happy as there was only a minor spray of Canola oil on the squash. The flavor and texture was perfect. This IS the way I will cook my squash from now on. Many thanks!
foodtasticmom says
I’m so glad you shared your experience with this recipe! Air fryers definitely vary as far as how hot they run. My recommended times won’t always be exactly correct depending on your brand of air fryer. So I’m glad you mentioned this. Love the addition of sausage to make the squash a complete meal. Thanks for taking the time to leave your comment!!