How to Cook Acorn Squash
For a perfectly cooked side dish, follow our steps for how to cook acorn squash in the oven, air fryer, microwave, or Instant Pot.
Equipment
- Microwave-Safe Dish
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash, 2 pounds
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
Instructions
Roasted Acorn Squash:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Pierce the outside with a fork and place it onto a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the squash face down on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Flip, and cook for another 20 minutes. Then, remove the squash from the oven and let it cool before serving.
Air Fryer Acorn Squash:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C). Pierce the outside with a fork and place the squash into the air fryer inside facing up. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; cook for 10 minutes.
- Flip so the insides are face down and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven and let it cool before serving.
Microwave Acorn Squash:
- Add water to a microwave-safe dish. Pierce the outside of the squash with a fork. Flip and drizzle the squash with olive oil and, season with salt and pepper. Place the halved acorn squash into the dish.
- Microwave for 7 minutes and check for doneness. Carefully remove the squash from the microwave and let it cool before serving.
Instant Pot Acorn Squash:
- Add a trivet and one cup of water to an Instant Pot. Pierce the outside of the acorn squash with a fork. Drizzle the insides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set the two halves onto the trivet facedown.
- Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 5 minutes with a quick release. Carefully remove the squash from the Instant Pot and allow it to cool before serving.
Notes
How to Choose an Acorn Squash:
- Select a squash with lighter green skin and some orange coloring; this lets you know the squash is ready to cook. Too much orange indicates that the squash is overripe.
- Choose a squash that's between 2-3 pounds. A lighter squash can suggest a loss of moisture.
- Acorn squash should be firm and without soft spots.
- If you can't cut through the squash, bake it for 15 minutes at 400°F (204°C). Then, you should have no problem cutting it in half.
- If you want to add more than one acorn squash to the Instant Pot, there is no need to adjust the cooking time.
- When cooking acorn squash in the microwave, the cooking time will depend on the size of your squash and the strength of your microwave. Follow our microwave directions, and if the squash is not tender, cook in 2 minutes increments until it reaches desired consistency.
- For the flavor to penetrate, you can also score the flesh of the squash before adding the olive oil and spices.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 188 kcal | Carbohydrates: 33 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g | Sodium: 489 mg | Potassium: 999 mg | Fiber: 10 g | Vitamin A: 20 IU | Vitamin C: 41 mg | Calcium: 10 mg | Iron: 12 mg
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