Instant pot acorn squash is a sweet and savory vegetable side dish that is easy to make and ready in only 12 minutes! The squash is cut into halves, placed into the instant pot for hands-off cooking, then brushed with a sweet honey sauce. This simple side dish has all of the fall flavors that your family will love!
Easy Instant Pot Acorn Squash
Acorn squash is a sweet and nutty winter squash that can easily be seasoned and served as either sweet or savory! This veggie side dish recipe is quick and simple to make and practically hands-off!
The sweet honey sauce brings the acorn squash to the next level! Make this squash when you are looking to add some variety to your vegetable side dishes.
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🥘 Instant Pot Acorn Squash Ingredients
You should be able to find acorn squash at any local grocery store year round. When searching for a good squash to use, make sure that there are no soft spots, and that the skin is smooth and dull.
- Water - 1 ½ cups water.
- Acorn Squash - 1 medium acorn squash (cut in half and de-seeded).
- Butter - 2 tablespoons of butter (melted).
- Honey - 2 tablespoons of honey.
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of each, salt & pepper.
- Cinnamon - ½ tsp ground cinnamon.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Instant Pot Acorn Squash
Acorn squash cooked in an Instant Pot is incredibly easy and mostly hands-off aside from light prep work! All you will need is an Instant Pot (or pressure cooker), a mixing bowl, and a basting brush.
This recipe will make about 2 servings. You can always add additional squash if needed!
- Prep. Add 1 ½ cups of water to the inner pot of your Instant Pot, then insert a trivet or steamer basket. Place the 1 medium acorn squash halves in the basket or on your trivet with the cut-side-up, and skin-side-down.
- Cook. Close and seal the lid to your Instant Pot. Set to pressure cook on high for 7 minutes.
- Release pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes. Once the NPR is complete, do a quick release of any remaining pressure. Remove the lid and use tongs to carefully lift the acorn squash out of the basket.
- Serve. In a small mixing bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of honey, ¼ teaspoon of each salt & pepper, and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Pierce your squash with a fork so that the sauce can soak into the meat of the acorn squash. Brush the sauce over your acorn squash before serving. You can also air fry the squash with the sauce so that it roasts into the meat (*see notes).
Instant pot acorn squash is a tasty side that goes great with any main course! Try it with my air fryer pork steaks and easy yellow mashed potatoes for a full meal. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- You can pressure cook any edible winter squash with this recipe such as spaghetti squash, butternut squash, buttercup squash, or kabocha.
- Use a fork to pierce the flesh and let the sauce soak into the meat of the acorn squash.
- If desired, you may air fry your acorn squash with the sauce for 2 minutes to roast it into the meat.
- You may make an alternative sauce for your acorn squash by combining 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg. Brush the acorn squash with the sauce before serving.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Place any leftover Instant Pot acorn squash into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Wrap acorn squash in plastic wrap then place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 10 months.
Reheating Instant Pot Acorn Squash
Place your leftover acorn squash in an oven-safe baking dish then warm in your oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated through.
❓ Recipe FAQs
The exterior of acorn squash is pretty hard so be careful when you go to cut. I like to cut off the stem first and the bottom so that it can stand on its own. Then you can cut down the middle with a sharp knife!
Yes! Acorn squash skin is very tasty and becomes tender when cooked. If you don't want to eat the skin, it can easily be removed once the squash is cooked.
You can dress up acorn squash in many different ways whether you are wanting it to be sweet or savory! For a more savory side dish, you can season the squash with sage, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, cinnamon, or nutmeg. You can also add brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey for a sweeter approach!
😋 Best Squash Recipes
- Grilled Yellow Squash- Grilled yellow squash is so easy to make and will taste wonderful with any main course bbq meat.
- Honey Roasted Acorn Squash- A delicious vegetable side dish perfect for making during the fall and holidays!
- Grilled Acorn Squash- These delicious grilled squash slices are ready to serve in only 15 minutes!
- Roasted Butternut Squash- The perfect squash dish to make with roast chicken, roast turkey, ham, or prime rib!
- Sauteed Yellow Squash- Sweet and mild summer squash side dish that pairs well with everything!
- Microwave Acorn Squash- A quick and comforting acorn squash recipe that only requires 4 ingredients!
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📖 Recipe Card
Instant Pot Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 medium acorn squash (cut in half and de-seeded)
- 2 tablespoon butter (melted)
- 2 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Add water to the inner pot of your Instant Pot, then insert a trivet or steamer basket. Place the acorn squash halves in the basket with the cut-side-up, and skin-side-down.
- Close and seal the lid to your Instant Pot. Set to pressure cook on high for 7 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes. Once the NPR is complete, do a quick release of any remaining pressure. Remove the lid and use tongs to carefully lift the acorn squash out of the basket.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, honey, salt & pepper, and cinnamon. Brush the sauce over your acorn squash before serving (*see note).
Notes
- You can pressure cook any edible winter squash with this recipe such as spaghetti squash. butternut squash, buttercup squash, or kabocha.
- Use a fork to pierce the flesh and let the sauce soak into the meat of the acorn squash.
- If desired, you may air fry your acorn squash with the sauce for 2 minutes to roast it into the meat.
- You may make an alternative sauce for your acorn squash by combining 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg. Brush the acorn squash with the sauce before serving.
- To store: Place any leftover Instant Pot acorn squash in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Wrap acorn squash in plastic wrap then place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 10 months.
- To reheat: Put acorn squash into the oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated through.
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