Easy Air Fryer Roasted Acorn Squash

ByNkechi Ajaeroh, MPH
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Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe in the Air Fryer Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! For dinner any night or even for the holidays, you’ll love this tasty, healthy, and speedy way to round out your meal. …

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Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery roasted air fryer acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe in the Air Fryer

Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! For dinner any night or even for the holidays, you’ll love this tasty, healthy, and speedy way to round out your meal. 

The best thing about this easy acorn squash recipe is that it comes through quickly in the air fryer! If you love using your air fryer like me, then you may also like my air fryer potato slices, air fryer Broccoli, and my succulent air fried garlic butter green beans.

Listen, you’ve got so much to do already, so let the air fryer handle this kitchen task. You’ll have a fantastic side dish on the table in no time. Did I mention it’s delicious? Oh, I did? Well, I have to say it again… it’s THAT good!

Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery air fryer roasted acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

What Is Acorn Squash?

What Is Acorn Squash? And Is Acorn Squash Healthy?

Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It’s low in calories but full of fiber, so it’s supremely hearty. You’ll get plenty of antioxidants and vitamin C when you eat it, and it’s a great way to promote a healthier heart. 

Should You Eat the Skin of Roasted Acorn Squash?

No harm will come to you if you eat the skin of a roasted acorn squash. However, the texture might not make you a fan. For this reason, I peel mine in this recipe. 

Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery air fryer roasted acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

Why You Will Love This Air Fryer Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe:

  • It tastes decadent, but it’s good for you.
  • You’ll have it on the table in about 20 minutes. 
  • Only 7 ingredients are required, while the rest are optional.
  • You won’t have to heat up the house with your oven because the air fryer cooks this perfectly well.
  • This recipe is great for a busy weeknight or for when guests come join you for dinner. 
  • It is easy to make!
  • Gluten-free and healthy side!
Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery roasted air fryer acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

Ingredients for Roasting Acorn Squash in the Air Fryer

  1. Acorn Squash
  2. Olive oil
  3. Onion powder 
  4. Garlic powder 
  5. Dry thyme (fresh is fine as well)
  6. Black pepper 
  7. Knorr Bouillon seasoning (optional)
  8. Salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)
  9. Parsley or Basil for garnishing (optional)
Fresh acorn squash, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and dry thyme

Optional ingredients for the drizzle finish:

How to Air Fry Acorn Squash Cubes (Step-by-Step)

Once you make acorn squash in the air fryer, you are never going back!

  1. Wash

    You’ll start by washing your acorn squash. Pat it dry with paper towels.

  2. Cut

    Once washed peel and cut the acorn squash using a sharp chef’s knife. You’ll then want to cut it into cubes.

  3. Season

    Put your acorn squash cubes into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings. Stir it together with a spatula to coat evenly. Put your acorn squash cubes into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings. Stir it together with a spatula to coat evenly.

  4. Preheat & Cook

    Preheat the air fryer to 375F, add seasoned acorn squash to the preheated air fryer, and air fry for 16 – 18 minutes until fork tender. ENSURE To shake/turn mid-cooking. Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery roasted air fryer acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

  5. Finish (final optional step)

    You don’t have to do this optional step, though I highly recommend it. Melt butter and add dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper; mix and drizzle on the air fryer roasted acorn squash after baking (when they come out of the air fryer). Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve as the perfect fall side dish!Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery roasted air fryer acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

How to Bake Your Acorn Squash in the Oven Instead

Would you rather make your acorn squash in the oven? No problem! Follow my steps above and then roast them on a lined baking sheet at 375F for 30 to 35 minutes until they’re fork tender. 

Recipe Notes/Tips

  • Use a sharp, strong chef’s knife.
  • Always preheat the air fryer. This ensures you cook the acorn squash evenly, and it starts cooking quickly.
  • Keep the cubes even. This is another way to ensure your pieces are all cooked to the same tenderness. 
  • It’s easy to double this recipe for the holidays too. Just remember that you’ll need to cook them in batches. 
  • The recipe calculation does not include optional ingredients. 
Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery roasted air fryer acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

Air Fryer Roasted Acorn Squash FAQs

If you have questions about acorn squash, you’ll find them here!

How do you cut acorn squash for roasting?

You’ll start by sawing off a small slice near the stem to keep it from rolling. Then cut down the center of the acorn squash. Remove the seeds and stringy bits; then, you can cut these halves into cubes. 

How long does it take to roast acorn squash in an air fryer?

In your air fryer at 375F, it will take 16 to 18 minutes to cook a batch of cubed acorn squash. 

How do you know when acorn squash is finished cooking? 

It should be a nice golden brown. Also, you can tell by piercing the cubes with a fork to check for tenderness.

What goes well with acorn squash? 

Lamb chops, pork, chicken, turkey, beef…oh, there are so many main dishes that will go so beautifully with this acorn squash. If you need inspiration for a full meal, check out the rest of my recipes. 

Is acorn squash good for weight loss?

Good news, if you eat more acorn squash, you will feel like you’re indulging while doing good things for your body. This squash is low in fat, and the fat it does contain is polyunsaturated. That’s the kind you need for weight loss. It also has less sugar than other varieties of squash, and it is the perfect fit for anyone watching carbs. All that fiber leaves you full and satisfied too!

Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery air fryer roasted acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

Variations/Substitutions

  • You can use whatever oil you have if you don’t have any olive oil.
  • Experiment with the seasonings. You could give it a sweet taste with a little monk fruit sweetener, maple syrup, or brown sugar, along with cinnamon.
  • Pumpkin spice seasoning will also work on this if you want a sweet-style side dish. 
  • Or go the opposite direction and do something spicy. Warming spices like cumin and chili powder will bring the heat, which is ideal for Asian-inspired meals.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT AIR FRYER ROASTED ACORN SQUASH:

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Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery roasted air fryer acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

Easy Air Fryer Roasted Acorn Squash

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  • Author: Nkechi Ajaeroh, MPH
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes
  • Total Time: 28 minutes
  • Yield: 4 – 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Air Fryer
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It’s low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery air fryer roasted acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Raw Acorn Squash or about 4 cups fresh raw acorn squash
  • 1 –  2 tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder 
  • ½ teaspoon of garlic powder 
  • ½ teaspoon of dry thyme 
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper 
  • Salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)
  • Parsley or Basil (optional for garnishing)
  • a dash of Knorr Bouillon seasoning (optional)

Optional ingredients:

Instructions

  1. Wash. You’ll start by washing your acorn squash. Pat it dry with paper towels.
  2.  Cut. Once washed peel and cut the acorn squash using a sharp chef’s knife. You’ll then want to cut it into cubes.
  3. Season. Put your acorn squash cubes into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings. Stir it together with a spatula to coat evenly. Put your acorn squash cubes into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings. Stir it together with a spatula to coat evenly.
  4. Preheat & Cook. Preheat the air fryer to 375F, add seasoned acorn squash to the preheated air fryer, and air fry for 16 – 18 minutes until fork tender. ENSURE To shake/turn mid-cooking. Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery roasted air fryer acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!   
  5. Finish (final optional step). You don’t have to do this optional step, though I highly recommend it. Melt butter and add dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper; mix and drizzle on the air fryer roasted acorn squash after baking (when they come out of the air fryer). Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve as the perfect fall side dish! Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery roasted air fryer acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays! 

Notes

Use a sharp, strong chef’s knife.

Always preheat the air fryer. This ensures you cook the acorn squash evenly, and it starts cooking quickly.

Keep the cubes even. This is another way to ensure your pieces are all cooked to the same tenderness. 

It’s easy to double this recipe for the holidays too. Just remember that you’ll need to cook them in batches. 

The recipe calculation does not include optional ingredients. 

This is my air fryer. I have had it for the last 2 years plus! 

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MORE AIR FRYER SIDES TO TRY:

Baked sweet potatoes. Delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make baked sweet potatoes have buttery inside with crispy edges. These make the perfect side dish with marinated turkey legs.

Delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make air fryer sweet potato cubes are the best side dish. In just 15 minutes, your air fryer renders these bite-sized sweet potato pieces into heavenly bits. They're crispy on the outside while having that soft and tender inside. Perfect with any meal or enjoyed as a snack. Easily seasoned with pantry spice for a savory flavor you'll love. Plus, sweet potatoes are healthy, and this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free!

Garlic Butter Green Beans. Air-fried garlic green beans are easy, quick, tender, crisp, deliciously delightful, and perfect with these turkey legs!

A simple and easy recipe for air fryer green beans with garlic butter sauce requires only a few ingredients; fresh green beans, onions powder, salt, pepper, avocado oil as well a drizzle of garlicky, buttery sauce! Air fried garlic green beans are easy, quick, tender, crisp, deliciously delightful, and perfect with any main dish. P.s. I love it with salmon! This air fryer fried green beans recipe cooks in less than 10 minutes in the air fryer (well, obviously)! But we don't stop there; I take it a little further with my garlic butter sauce. #airfryergreenbeans #greenbeans #garlicsauce #airfryerrecipe

Buttery Air Fryer Sweet Potato Slices. Crispy, buttery, and tender sweet potato slices are easy to make and satisfyingly delicious! They pair so well with garlic shrimp!

These buttery air fryer sweet potato slices are the best potato side dish and so worth it! Crispy, buttery, and tender sweet potato slices in air fryer are easy to make, come through very quickly, and are absolutely satisfyingly addictive! If you are a sweet potato lover, then you are in for a treat because these sliced air fried sweet potatoes are heaven. They are fantastic for any main dish, snack, or simply add some to salad bowls, lunches, or casserole and enjoy! #sweetpotatoslices #sweetpotatorounds #sweetpotatorecipe #sidedish #healthysidedish
This was so so good!😊

MORE AIR FRYER VEGETABLES TO TRY:

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Acorn squash is a winter squash variety that is loaded with nutrition. It's low in calories but full of fiber and deliciously hearty. This buttery air fryer roasted acorn squash recipe is flavorful, easy, and perfect for your holiday dinners. Need a quick and delicious side dish everyone will want to pile onto their plates? Air fryer roasted acorn squash is the answer you need! You can also bake fresh acorn squash in the oven if you do not have an air fryer! Baked acorn squash is the best fall side dish for the holidays!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! Stay well, safe and keep living your life to the fullest!

Nkechi Ajaeroh's blog nkechiajaeroh.com for healthy food recipes, and healthy living. tips.

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I'm Nkechi Ajaeroh, a 2x International Best Selling Author, Food Enthusiast, and Public Health expert with a Master's in Public Health. Originally from Nigeria, I now reside in the United States. My passion is crafting heart-healthy Nigerian meals with an American twist. My blog explores the joy of food and life, sharing my personal and professional journey and helping you navigate your healthy lifestyle. I am dedicated to impacting lives through storytelling and inspiring others to achieve their personal goals. LEARN MORE ABOUT ME

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2 Comments

  1. This dish was super tasty and easy to make! I will definitely make this recipe again. Thanks.



    Reply