Air Fryer Acorn Squash

Delicious and perfectly cooked air fryer acorn squash. If you have not had acorn squash in the air fryer yet, let me introduce you to both a savoury and sweet recipe that you will want to eat every time acorn is in season.

Whether you are team sweet or team savoury this acorn squash air fryer recipe is one of the easiest fall recipes you will ever make.  

Acorn Squash Air Fryer

I remember it like it was yesterday, I was been interviewed on a podcast about paleo and healthy eating and we had just made the decision to leave Portugal and move back to England.

I mentioned to the podcast host that I was super excited to get to eat all the foods that I couldn’t get in Portugal.

It was recorded around Halloween time, and she mentioned she had just picked up a pumpkin and hated the fact that pumpkin was only around in the UK around Halloween only.

Yet, I was used to getting pumpkin in Portugal all year around, with it being the main ingredient in Portuguese soups and stews and salads.

I was gutted but was determined to make the most of it. And that was 9 months before we moved back to England. Then for our first Halloween a year later, I went pumpkin picking and made purchases off farmers to get every winter squash I could think of, that I couldn’t get in Portugal.

One of those AMAZING finds was acorn squash and I mentioned to the farmers that I was going to take it home and air fry and to put me on the list to buy more next year.

After falling in love with this acorn squash air fryer recipe, I am here to share it with you, and I now look forward to it as my annual air fryer treat.

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Can You Air Fry Squash?

Yes, you can air fry squash and you will fall in love with squash in the air fryer.

In the summer you can air fry zucchini, such as air fryer zucchini fritters, or air fryer zucchini burgers.

Then in the winter months you can make air fryer butternut squash fries, air fryer butternut squash cubes, air fryer pumpkin pie and so many others.

Plus, other winter squashes such as air fryer acorn squash is also AMAZING.  

Is Squash Good In The Air Fryer?

Yes, it is. The air fryer is good for squash in many ways. For example, squash often carries a lot of water, and this water goes to the bottom of the air fryer, and you don’t end up with watery squash.

Another great reason is that it can make your squash crispy with little oil, such as pumpkin fries or butternut squash fries.

Do You Eat The Skin Of Acorn Squash?

Yes, you can eat the skin on acorn squash, but personally I HATE the texture of it. I find it rather hard and a thick skin.

Whilst I love the skin on other winter squashes and I also love it on sweet potatoes, but its just not the same on acorn squash.

So what I do is eat acorn squash like I do with the summer melon and kind of have it like a melon boat and eat it in the skin and then just leave the skin on my plate.

What Is The Easiest Way To Cut Acorn Squash?

When preparing acorn squash for the air fryer, I find that there is a really easy way to chop the squash first.

• Start by cutting the end off the squash as this makes it level and easier to slice.

• Then slice the squash in half lengthways so that it is like a melon.

• Then use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.

You then have your acorn sliced and ready for air frying.

Acorn Squash Air Fryer Ingredients

Squash – You will need some acorn squash for air frying. Note they are small and you can easily fit two in the air fryer at once. I prefer to buy them in bulk and do 3-4 acorn squash at once.

Flavour – Then choose between sweet or savoury (more on this below) and whether you want a sweet flavour or savoury. I am team sweet with acorn squash in the air fryer.

Oil – Whether you want a savoury acorn squash recipe (or sweet) you will still need some extra virgin olive oil to make the acorn crispy and to stop it going dry.

Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in this acorn squash air fryer recipe it has just been our Cosori air fryer. We have this one and its wonderful for many types of air fryer recipes.

Plus, we recommend you head over to our air fryer recipes category as we have more than 500 tried and tested air fryer recipes and have been air frying for 10 years.

How To Cook Acorn Squash In Air Fryer?

• Chop. Start by chopping the end off your acorn squash, then slicing them in half lengthways. Then remove the seeds with a spoon.
• Season. Next spray with extra virgin olive oil, season and then your acorn squash is ready for air frying.
• Cook. Load into the air fryer and air fry acorn squash for 15 minutes at 180c/360f.

And I am sure you can see now how easy it is cooking air fried acorn squash and why you should be doing it too!

How Long To Cook Acorn Squash In Air Fryer?

When you air fry acorn squash, I love that the cook time is the same for both sweet and savoury varieties.

It takes JUST 15 minutes to cook acorn squash in the air fryer, which is fantastic for a quick healthy air fryer snack.

Seasoning Acorn Squash

Are you team sweet acorn squash, or team savoury acorn squash?

I have tried both and must admit I prefer sweet acorn squash with honey and cinnamon. Which makes a fantastic paleo acorn squash recipe.

For sweet acorn squash I recommend after your extra virgin olive oil spray that you add nutmeg and cinnamon. Then for the last 5 minutes of cook time add some honey and more cinnamon. Its so good that I must have another!

For a savoury acorn squash recipe, I recommend after the spraying of extra virgin olive oil, that you add salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.

Is My Air Fried Acorn Squash Cooked?

The easiest way to check if squash in the air fryer is cooked, is to do the fork test. If the squash is fork tender, then it is cooked.

This rule applies to a lot of different squash in the air fryer and then after this, if you want crispy, you can increase the temperature to 200c/400f, add a little extra oil and then you can make it crispy.

Listen To Air Fryer Acorn Squash

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Can You Freeze Cooked Acorn Squash?

Yes, you can freeze cooked acorn squash and I am angry with myself now, because I didn’t buy more acorn squash and freeze it.

Acorn squash in the UK, is very hard to source compared to the US and the season is so short, that freezing it once air fried would be ideal.

Air Fryer Squash Recipes

• Air Fryer Pumpkin Muffins
• Air Fryer Pumpkin
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash Cubes
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash Fries

Your recipe for acorn squash in air fryer is below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.

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