Simple Air Fryer Delicata Squash Slices
Tender, delicious — and so simple. This recipe for air fryer delicata squash couldn’t be easier to make at home using just four easy ingredients. It’s a simple vegetable side dish that’s ready in just 25 minutes! No peeling required.
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, you get more tasty recipes every week!
Using the air fryer for cooking delicata squash or air fryer acorn squash slices proves that you can easily cook tender and juicy squash without worrying about drying it out. Plus – if you are making this for the holidays, this easy delicata squash recipe frees up the space in your oven!
The only hard part about this air fryer recipe is that you’re going to snack on it before serving, which means you might as well prep and plan to double (or triple!) the recipe!
What Makes This Recipe Great
If you’ve never had baked delicata squash, it really is quite a treat. The flavor is light and sweet sort of like a squashy sweet potato. And since you can eat the skin the edges of the delicata squash roast up crisp. I promise this recipe will have everyone coming back for more.
Using minimal ingredients to get maximum flavor is one of my favorite parts of this dish. The less time that I have to spend in the kitchen stressing over recipes, the better!
I can promise you that this recipe is about as simple of an air-fryer vegetable side dish as you can make!
Ingredients And Substitutions
- Delicata Squash – You can get this at the store sometimes but it is more likely found at a farmers market. Typically, you’ll pay per pound for the squash. Make sure to clean it well when you get it home since you’re not going to be peeling it.
- Olive oil – I use extra virgin olive oil, but any mild cooking oil will work, or even melted butter.
- Salt and pepper – To taste. Feel free to add other seasonings to the squash, like Everything Bagel Seasoning, or even a fun flavored seasoning that you have in your pantry.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375° F
- Wash the delicata squash and slice it end to end. Remove the seeds and then slice across into 1 1/2″ slices.
- In a large bowl, toss the sliced squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Air Fry for 15 minutes on a non-stick or lined baking sheet. Serve warm or cold.
What does delicata squash taste like?
The flavor of this squash recipe is what keeps me coming back for more. It’s slightly sweet but overpowering. You could easily add cinnamon to the top to make it more of a dessert flavor if you’d like! It is almost like a sweet potato but milder.
Some say it is tastes like a blend of sweet potato, corn and air fryer butternut squash cubes making it one of my favorite easy side dish recipes.
Can The Sking Be Eaten?
You bet! As long as you clean it really well, it’s super yummy to eat. It is a softer skin, so there isn’t a lot of chew to have to worry about.
How can you tell if a delicata squash is ripe?
You have to figure out if the squash is ripe visually. For a delicata squash to be ripe, it needs to have a bright yellow color to it, with brightly visible green streaks or stripes going down the side.
How do you know when The Squash is Cooked
If you’re worried that the squash isn’t done cooking after time has passed, use a fork and press the tongs into the meat of the squash.
If it’s fork tender and soft, the squash is done cooking and ready to serve. Make sure that you let the squash cool down a little bit, as it’s going to be really hot coming straight from the air fryer.
What is another name for delicata squash?
While the most popular name for this squash is delicata squash, it can also be known as a peanut squash and a sweet potato squash as well.
Ways to use delicata squash
Once you make this easy delicata squash recipe you can use and eat it in so many ways.
- Eat it air-fried or roasted
- Blend into a soup (peeled)
- Add to a salad
- Mashed (peeled)
- As a vegan taco filling
Storage
Squash will store well for a month or two if you keep in a cool, dry and dark place. Don’t peel or wash it just leave it. Make sure though cool is just cool and not cold.
Once the squash is cooked in the air fryer, you can easily store the leftovers for later. Be sure to let the squash cool down all the way, then store them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge.
Storing leftovers is as simple as keeping them cool for up to 3 days. You can reheat it in the microwave until it’s warmed all the way through the next time that you’re going to eat it.
Can squash be frozen?
Yes, squash can be frozen, but you do want to blanch it first before freezing it. Cut it into cubes while it’s raw, as you want to freeze the squash raw before cooking it.
To blanch it, boil it in hot water for 1 minute, let it cool and store it in an airtight freezer bag.
Once you thaw and are ready to use, it should have a good texture and not be mushy.
More squash recipes
Simple Air Fryer Delicata Squash Slices
Ingredients
- 2 delicata squash
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat an air-fryer to 375°F.
- Wash the outside of the squash well and then slice the ends off. Cut the squash in half top to bottom and then slice into 1 1/2" – 2" slices across.
- Toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper and place on the air fryer pan. Air Fry for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
