Easy Air Fryer Acorn Squash Slices

Air fryer acorn squash is a healthy delicious side dish or snack that comes out tender and flavorful in no time at all. Use your Ninja Foodi or Cosori to make it this way, or microwave acorn squash for super tender.

Acorn Squash in Air Fryer

We first started with zucchini + yellow squash and shared those instructions in our air fryer vegetables recipe. That is a go to! So cheap, healthy and literally everyone (even my kids) eat every bite of those.

Then spaghetti squash in air fryer was next and came out amazing too. A great low carb way to enjoy “pasta” for sure. This baby was the next experiment and came out better than I would ever have imagined. You can make this sweet with brown sugar or savory like we did with butter and all the things.

Ninja Foodi Acorn Squash

If you are going to use this dual machine this one will need the lid that IS attached. You are going to hit the air crisp button to get it tender with a bit of crisp on the outer edges.

Acorn Squash in Air Fryer

In other singular pots that use hot air to cook food such as an AirWave or Cosori you just follow the directions below. It is important to preheat this so it cooks at the same heat the whole time thru.

What does acorn squash taste like?

If you tried our air fryer butternut squash recipe it does taste kinda’ similar. The biggest difference would be what you add to it. I mean garlic salt is great, or some just opt for salt and pepper. Add heat with some chili powder.

Do you peel acorn squash before cooking?

No, it’s a lot easier to cook it first and then let it slide right off. If not you’ll lose a lot of the inside trying to cut it off with a knife. For our air fryer pumpkin slices I do slice them off at the beginning though. SO it is really up to you.

Ninja Foodi Acorn Squash

I’ve said it over and over again but I will repeat myself once again, you can use any brand for recipes in air fryer. Foodi is a larger pot that has the ability to pressure cook as well. That way you can try both methods and see which you like best.

I always like to make things super easy and prep it with very little effort. SO…just cut the acorn squash in to 1″ slices after it’s rinsed and dried. I mean you should preheat for 5 minutes at designated temp. for an even cook.

There is another way you could do it though. If you wanted to make it more like a bowl to scoop out the inners or add things inside and brown on the top once tender, you could slice squash in half lengthwise.

There are several best ways to cook squash really. Instant Pot was the first before we owned this machine. Under pressure really gets it done fast and keeps it nice and moist. Sliced small, air fryer squash and zucchini comes out great.

Acorn Squash Air Fryer

This way though will give you just a bit of crisp on the outer rims which is nice and seals in the seasonings well in the process. They are pretty darn pretty this way too though don’t you think?

I mean served up like this they almost look like little flowers on your plate, which is fun for kids. Will probably entice your non vegetable loving children to try it, and maybe learn to love them!

Slicing into bite size pieces though will yield a shorter cook time which you may need so just work with it according to your needs. The smaller the pieces, the quicker it will get done and you’ll get a bit more crisp on the edges. Totally up to you.

I have a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here is a quick step by step you can read real quick too. If you use other seasonings let me know so we can try that mixture next time.

Preheat air fryer to 350 F. Slice the acorn squash into disks, about 1″ thick. Remove any of the seeds and discard. Place into air fryer basket without overlapping and brush liberally with olive oil on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper or any seasonings you prefer.

Air fry for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. or as long as it takes to get as fork tender as you’d like. (time will vary depending on how thick they are, thinner pieces may take closer to 8 min. Garnish with diced parsley.

Acorn Squash Foodi

Some people like it sweet and instead spread butter brown sugar and cinnamon on the squash halves or slices. Either way it’s delish. And there you have it my friends!! Looks pretty darn delicious don’t you think?!!

How do you store cooked acorn squash?

Allow it to cool completely and then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out in the fridge. It will last a few days before needing to be reheated and eaten. You can throw it back into your Cosori to warm.

With preheating time it takes about 15 minutes total to make this roasted acorn squash, depending on thickness. Now jump to the recipe below and try it yourself. Let us know what you added to yours if it was something different.

Best Acorn Squash Recipe