Air fryer acorn squash is an easy Fall side dish. See how to cook acorn squash in air fryer with step by step recipe instructions. Let’s air fry!
Why this is the best air fryer acorn squash dish
- Faster than a traditional baked acorn squash recipe.
- Acorn squash has a pretty short air fryer cook time of ~30 minutes.
- You can get creative and play with the flavors by using different herbs (try thyme or rosemary).
- Includes a video for beginners (scroll to bottom of page).
Also see this dish for crock pot sweet potatoes.
Also see how to smoke acorn squash…
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make acorn squash in the air fryer machine.
- Acorn squash
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Salt
- Chipotle powder
- Sage (or thyme or another fresh herb)
- A little maple syrup, pure
How to cook acorn squash in air fryer
Now I’ll walk you through cooking acorn squash in an air fryer. It’s so simple!
- Preheat the air fryer to 325 degrees F. Carefully slice acorn squash in half with a sharp knife. You want to cut the acorn squash from point to stem. Then use a large metal spoon for scooping out and removing the seeds (discard them).
- Brush the acorn squash halves all over with olive oil. Add both halves of the acorn squash to the air fryer basket, with the insides facing down.
- Air fry acorn squash at 325°F for 20 minutes.
- Remove the partially air fried acorn squash from the air fryer with tongs. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Brush the insides of the acorn squash with most of the butter (about ⅔), sprinkle with salt and chipotle powder if desired. Add sage leaves or fresh herbs on top and drizzle / brush with the rest of the butter so the herbs stick.
- Add the seasoned acorn squash back to the air fryer basket (insides facing up) and air fry at 400 degrees F for 5-15 minutes, until the inside edges are brown and roasted, and the thickest part of the inside squash “meat” is easily pierced with a fork.
- Transfer to dishes or a serving platter, drizzle with maple syrup and enjoy when it’s cool enough to eat.
Making this for the holidays? See other modern Thanksgiving dishes like air fryer broccoli and smoked turkey.
FAQs
Serve air fryer acorn squash as a simple side dish as the recipe recommends. Or use this recipe to make mashed acorn squash. It would be superb (with a little ricotta) as a filling for ravioli or another homemade pasta. Another idea: before plating, you can add rice, quinoa, or anything else you’d like inside the hollow part of the cooked squash. That would turn this into a stuffed acorn squash.
Yes, a little salt, butter, and brown sugar (instead of maple syrup) can be used to season this dish. You can decide how sweet to make this dish. Start with a sprinkle, about 1 tbsp between the two squash halves and go from there.
Air Fryer Recommendations
Air Fryer Machine: In my Sip Bite Go recipe tutorials, you’ll see either my black Philips Airfryer XXL or my spaceship-looking self-cleaning air fryer by Fritaire (partner).
Try a new Air Fryer Recipe…
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Hey home chefs, hope that answers all your questions about roasting acorn squash in air fryer. You’re going to love this recipe.
See how to make smoked butternut squash…
Coming soon is a tasty spaghetti squash air fryer recipe. For now, see my guides to tasty air fryer broccoli and air fryer onions.
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The Best Air Fryer Acorn Squash Recipe | Sip Bite Go
Video
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 whole acorn squash outside washed
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp chipotle powder dried (optional, to spice it up)
- 10 leaves sage fresh (optional, or thyme or another fresh herb)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup pure
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 325 degrees F. Carefully slice acorn squash in half with a sharp knife. You want to cut the acorn squash from point to stem. Then use a large metal spoon for scooping out and removing the seeds (discard them).
- Brush the acorn squash halves all over with olive oil. Add both halves of the acorn squash to the air fryer basket, with the insides facing down.
- Air fry acorn squash at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes.
- Remove the partially air fried acorn squash from the air fryer with tongs. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Brush the insides of the acorn squash with most of the butter (about ⅔), sprinkle with salt and chipotle powder if desired. Add sage leaves or fresh herbs on top and drizzle / brush with the rest of the butter so the herbs stick.
- Add the seasoned acorn squash back to the air fryer basket (insides facing up) and air fry at 400 degrees F for 5-15 minutes, until the inside edges are brown and roasted, and the thickest part of the inside squash “meat” is easily pierced with a fork.
- Transfer to dishes or a serving platter, drizzle with maple syrup and enjoy when it’s cool enough to eat.
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