These Microwave Acorn Squash Halves are perfectly fork tender, sweet, buttery and the easiest way to cook a delicious fall side dish.
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Microwave Acorn Squash
We love healthy vegetable side dish recipes that is easy to prepare yet packed with flavor like this Air Fryer Butternut Squash, Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips or Sautéed Mushrooms.
This recipe is one of easiest side dishes to make using the microwave instead of oven and using just 3 ingredients. It cooks amazingly tender, flavorful and tasty.
ACORN SQUASH
It is a winter squash with bright orange flesh and buttery flavor. It is a nutritious vegetable with numerous health benefits like vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, antioxidants, high in fiber and low in calories.
Though it is a fall favorite, it is available year round in the grocery store and delicious made into soups, salads or muffins.
When selecting one from grocery store, look for one that feels heavy for its size and a dark green skin with orange patches from where it sat on the ground.
Why You'll Love These?
- Quick and Easy - Cooks in a fraction of the time compared to the oven.
- Customize - Make them sweet with brown sugar, savory or stuffed.
- Healthy - It is low in calories, packed with nutrition and a great vegetarian side dish.
How to Cut?
Using a sharp knife, cut vertically through the top centre to the bottom. For stability you can cut ¼ inch of the stem end and the base. This provides a solid base that won't slip and slide around your cutting board.
If you find it hard to cut a large squash especially large ones then pork a few holes all over with a fork (like baked sweet potato) and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. It should be much easier to cut.
Scoop out the seeds using a spoon and discard or rinsed and roasted to make a healthy snack. Check out this recipe for roasted seeds.
Cooking Time
Microwave cooking times will vary depending on the wattage and size of the vegetable. The advantage of this recipe is that you can easily test for doneness and adjust the timing. It is done cooking when a knife or fork can pierce the tender flesh and the vegetable feels soft to touch.
INGREDIENTS (Scroll down to the bottom of the post for complete recipe)
- Acorn Squash - Select a whole one that is dark on the outside, feels heavy for its size when picked up.
- Water - It creates steam when cooking, which helps in cooking the vegetable soft.
- Seasonings - This recipe is made sweet with a hint of savory notes from salt and pepper.
- Butter - Use salted or unsalted butter.
HELPFUL TIPS
- Cook in batches if needed - If you are cooking a bigger vegetable and it does not fit in your microwave, then cook one half at a time.
- Choose your tenderness - Cook as soft as you want, although we found it delicious when very soft to be scooped with a spoon.
VARIATIONS
It has a buttery flavor that pairs well with sweet and savory seasonings. Although these are simply yet amazingly delicious served according to the recipe or here are a few other suggestions to try:
- Other sweeteners - Use maple syrup or honey instead of brown sugar.
- Spicy - Add a dash of sriracha.
- Fall spices - Dash of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.
- Garlic - Garlic powder, black pepper and grated parmesan cheese.
How To Cook (Scroll down to the bottom of the post for complete recipe)
- Prep - Cut one in half vertically using a big sharp knife, scoop out the seeds using a large spoon and discard or roast.
- Microwave - Place them cut side down in a baking dish along with 3 tablespoons water. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender.
- Make seasoned butter - While the acorn squash is cooking, mix melted butter, brown sugar, salt and black pepper until combined in a small bowl.
- Finish cooking - Flip halves using tongs, spoon butter on the flesh side and spoon remaining butter into the cavity. Microwave for an additional 2 to 4 minutes or the flesh gets golden on color.
Serve hot on its own as a snack or a side dish with Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Burger or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders to make a kid friendly dinner.
How To Serve?
Serve for weeknight dinner with chicken dishes like baked chicken cutlets, chicken meatballs or lemon pepper wings.
Perfect for Thanksgiving feast with Air fryer roast chicken, no bake mini cheesecakes, almond flour biscuits, healthy mashed sweet potatoes, parmesan green beans or air fryer brussels sprouts.
These are amazing served as is, garnished with toasted pecans or stuffed with cooked quinoa, pumpkin seeds and cranberries, and feta for a delicious vegetarian dinner option.
LEFTOVERS?
- Fridge: Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. Scoop flesh and use it to make pasta dishes or omelet.
- Reheat: Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds or warmed through.
- Freeze: Freeze portions in zip lock bags for up to 4 months. Thaw before using.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, the skin is totally edible and microwaving makes the skin tender and easier to chew when compared to oven roasting or air frying. However with this recipe, we like to scoop out the flesh with a spoon and leave the skin as a bowl.
If you try this recipe or any other recipe from Kitchen At Hoskins, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took any pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram so I can share them on my stories.
More Easy Vegetable Recipes to Try:
Microwave Acorn Squash
These Microwave Acorn Squash Halves are perfectly fork tender, sweet, buttery and the easiest way to cook a delicious fall side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 Acorn squash ( 1 to 1 ½ pounds)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 to 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt ( use less if using salted butter)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Chopped toasted pecans to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the acorn squash in half vertically. Scoop out the seeds using a large spoon and discard or use for roasting.
- Add 3 tablespoons water into a microwave safe baking dish and place squash flesh side down.
- Microwave for 7 to 9 minutes or cooked through when pierced with a knife.
- While the squash is cooking, mix melted butter, brown sugar, salt and black pepper together in a small bowl.
- Flip the squash over ( use tongs or kitchen towel when flipping hot squash), evenly drizzle mixed butter on the flesh and pour remaining (along with the seasoning) into the cavity.
- Microwave for 2 to 4 minutes or until golden and tender. Sprinkle chopped toasted pecans before serving.
Notes
Cook in batches if needed - If you are cooking a bigger vegetable and it does not fit in your microwave, then cook one half at a time.
Choose your tenderness - Cook as soft as you want, although we found it delicious when very soft to be scooped with a spoon.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 201Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 273mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 5gSugar: 11gProtein: 1g
I am not a certified dietician or nutritionist. You are ultimately responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health. This information is provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is a product of online calculator such as Nutrifox.com.. Although Kitchen at Hoskins attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their fact sources and algorithms. Under no circumstances will Kitchen at Hoskins be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the nutritional information. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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