The quintessential fall and winter meal is here! Air Fryer Acorn Squash with Sausage, Quinoa, and Apple tastes like Thanksgiving and is perfect for meal prep. This recipe is air fryer friendly which cuts the cook time in half, but you can also use your oven! This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with.
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage, Quinoa, and Apple
I know I’ve said it before, but guys…I’ve found my new favorite stuffed squash recipe: sausage, quinoa, apple, plus some sweet dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and a sprinkle of Parmesan. It’s like everything cozy about fall and winter in one dish! Acorn squash is usually a bit time consuming to make, so it may not be at the top of your dinner list, BUT now you can use the air fryer and it’s baked to perfection in under half an hour. The air fryer is actually magic, I’m convinced. What can’t it do?
This recipe is also totally customizable so feel free to play around with the flavors and ingredients. It’s also a great meal prep option. If you prep the stuffing ahead of time, and cut your squash, you can make a quick dinner without any fuss.
Ingredients for Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage, Quinoa, and Apple
The perfect blend of seasonal flavors to create the best fall comfort food!
- acorn squash – Two large, cut in half. If you have a smaller air fryer, you might want to purchase smaller squash, but I can fit 4 nice size halves in mine!
- cooking spray – I love using olive, avocado, or coconut spray.
- butter – We use vegan butter, but you can use regular or sub olive oil.
- salt – Just a pinch – there is salt in the sausage and the parm, but if you aren’t using them, you can add a bit more salt.
- spicy Italian sausage – Can’t find this in your store? Check out my How to Make Homemade Italian Sausage with Ground Chicken or Turkey tutorial!
- onion – I use white or yellow, but you could sub red if that’s what you have.
- celery – About 2 stalks, thinly diced.
- garlic – Two cloves, but feel free to add more.
- quinoa – Cooked ahead of time.
- apple – I like the sweetness of a nice honey crisp or gala apple, but you could go tart with a granny smith as well.
- dried cranberries and chopped pecans – These add the best sweetness and crunch to this recipe!
- shredded Parmesan cheese – As an optional topping – if you are dairy free, you can leave this out.
How To Make Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage, Quinoa, and Apple
With the help of your airfryer this recipe is ready to grace the dinner table in under half an hour!
- First up, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut each squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
3. Spray each squash half with cooking spray, then sprinkle them with salt. Air fry for about 16-18 minutes, until the squash is softened on the inside and crispy on the edges.
3. Meanwhile, saute the sausage until browned, then add 1 tsp butter, onions and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Add in the apples and garlic and cook until the apples start to caramelize.
4. Stir in the remaining butter, cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans. Turn off heat and let the flavors meld for a few minutes.
5. Once your squash is finished cooking, divide the sausage and quinoa mixture equally into the squash halves and top with Parmesan cheese.
6. Put the squash halves back into the air fryer and cook until the filling and cheese is crispy.
What If I Don’t Have An Air Fryer?
No air fryer, no worries! You can still make this delicious squash recipe in your oven. Just be aware the cooking time does changes a bit drastically. If using the oven, heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the plain, raw acorn squash for about 40 minutes. Add in your filling and pop back in the oven for a few minutes to let the filling and cheese warm and melt. If you’d like the cheese to get crispy, broil for about 1-2 minutes.
How Long Will Stuffed Acorn Squash Stay Fresh?
You can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container! To reheat, simply warm in the air fryer or microwave until heated through.
More Sinfully Delicious Squash Recipes:
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage, Spinach, and Feta
Roasted Acorn Squash with Sweet Whipped Ricotta
Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash | Cookie and Kate
Air Fryer Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage, Quinoa & Apple
Ingredients
- 2 large acorn squash cut in half
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 2 teaspoons butter or olive oil divided
- Salt
- ½ pound spicy Italian chicken or turkey sausage casing removed
- ½ onion diced up small
- ½ cup thinly diced celery about 2 stalks
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 apple diced
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup shredded parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400F.*
- Cut each squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
- Spray each squash half with olive or avocado oil cooking spray, then sprinkle with salt. Air fry for 16-18 minutes, until softened and crispy on the edges.
- Meanwhile, saute sausage until browned, then add 1 tsp butter, onions and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Add in apples and garlic and cook until apples start to caramelize.
- Stir in remaining butter, quinoa, cranberries, and nuts. Turn off heat and let flavors meld for a few minutes.
- When squash is finished cooking, divide sausage and quinoa mixture equally into squash halves and top with Parmesan cheese.
- Put the squash halves back in the air fryer and cook until the filling and cheese is crispy.
Jess says
Can I do this with let’s say a butternut squash? Can’t get my hands on acorn squash where I am. Thank you!
Nancylynn says
The only trick might be fitting the butternut squash in the air fryer! If it’s small enough, give it a try. Try the same timing, but you may need to add a couple minutes to the first cook time. The butternut squash should be fork tender before filling. Let us know how it goes for you!
Jill says
This is one of my favorite recipes! It is such a delicious, fall meal. The flavours are so good together and the pecan gives it a tiny bit of crunch. It is so good.
Nancylynn says
Thank you for this comment and 5 star rating, Jill! It means so much! 💓
Ashlie says
Ok so when I ate this leftover I had out of the squash shell and on a plate. I drizzled a smidge of maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt on top and it tasted like the worlds best faux stuffing! Like a mix between sweet potato pie and stuffing but healthier! I want to make it in casserole form for thanksgiving! Any tips?