Air Fryer Acorn Squash - Must Try Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is squash good in the air fryer? ›

Butternut squash gets tender with slightly crispy edges when it's cooked in the air fryer. The simple seasonings here complement the subtle sweetness from the squash. Serve this quick and easy side dish with just about anything, from roast chicken to pork.

Place 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup in the cavity of each squash. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle the squash with 3 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the squash, until tender when pierced with a small knife.

Good news: you don't need to peel acorn squash. Its hard, grooved skin softens significantly as it cooks, and it's edible, too. If you do want to remove the skin, wait until after you cook it, at which point it will peel right off.

Though certain foods become crispy and juicy in an air fryer, others can get messy or dry. Pros recommended using an air fryer when preparing frozen food, cookies, and bacon. Avoid putting overseasoned food, wet batters, and cheese in your air fryer — they can make a mess.

Yes, You Can Eat the Skin of Acorn Squash and Other Winter Squashes—Here's How. Some varieties, like acorn squash and honeynut, have tender, tasty skin. Others, not so much.

Acorn Squash: Whether cut into slices or stuffed and baked whole, acorn squash skin is totally tasty. When roasted, the skin becomes soft enough to eat by the forkful, For those who prefer it skin-free, the meat separates from the peel easily after cooking.

In a large bowl mix the cubed squash, garlic cloves and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mix. Season with salt and pepper and scatter in a single layer in a roasting tray. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until tender all the way through.

Skip eating most hard-skinned squash raw. "Hard skinned squash is difficult to eat raw," Marz says. "They are usually much larger in size, have a harder flesh, and are much more fibrous." Examples of hard-skinned squash that should not be eaten raw include: pumpkins, delicate, butternut, Hubbard, and acorn.

This squash has a lot of antioxidants, which can boost your immunity and help your body to fight off certain diseases. Acorn squash contains antioxidants like vitamin C that help strengthen bones and blood vessels. It also has vitamin A, which helps improve the health of your lungs, heart and other vital organs.

What season is acorn squash? ›

Acorn squash is a delicious type of winter squash, alongside other gourds like pumpkin, butternut squash, and spaghetti squash. As with other fall favorites, their peak season is October to March, but it's available year-round.

Acorn squash is packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber. Though they have different functions in your body, both play important roles in digestive health. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stools while soluble fiber softens them, preventing constipation and supporting regular bowel movements ( 13 ).

Acorn squash is rich in antioxidants, which can neutralize potentially harmful molecules called free radicals. These antioxidants can help to protect people against health issues like arthritis, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.

Acorn Squash Storage

Winter squash will last up to a month in a cool (50 to 55 F) dark cellar or storage area, but only about two weeks in the refrigerator. Ideally, only cut or cooked acorn squash should be refrigerated; they will suffer chill damage at temperatures below 50 F.

First, it's quick and easy. These air fryer veggies cook in half the time it takes to make roasted vegetables in the oven! Second, it's delicious. The air fryer vegetables are perfectly tender, with crisp, caramelized edges.

Veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms & onions, and cauliflower all turn out incredible in the air fryer. You can also make your main dish IN the air fryer. It works magic with proteins like tofu, chicken drumsticks, meatballs, pork chops, fried chicken… even steak.

Air-fried vegetables are also just as healthy as cooking them on the stovetop, oven, or microwave. With only a tiny amount of oil needed to provide an outer crisp, there is nothing unhealthy about it! This low-calorie food will fit perfectly into any paleo, keto, or low-carb eating plan.

Nutrient-dense foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, fatty fish and lean meats are generally just as nutritious in the air fryer as in the oven.