I like acorn squash. I do not like to peel acorn squash. The grooves make these tiny squash almost impossible to peel, especially considering how small they are and how little flesh they actually yield. Many people bake or steam acorn squash halves exactly for this reason, leading me to see if I could get an acorn squash ready to eat within 20 minutes of cutting it in half. The Instant Pot works its magic as usual using only a half a cup of water to cook the squash. The quick 5 minute cooking window yields a squash that still has some texture and bite to it left, yet you could always cook it for a couple minutes longer, or let the pressure release naturally (instead of the quick release method) if you want a softer acorn squash for a mash or puree.

What you need:

• 1 or 2 small to medium acorn or winter squash, cut in half and seeds removed
• 1/2 cup water
• Sea Salt

Equipment:

• Instant Pot pressure cooker
• Steamer basket
• Large kitchen knife
• Ice cream scoop or large spoon

How you make it:

1. Carefully cut your squash in half down the middle.
2. Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to remove the seeds from your squash halves.
3. Place steamer basket into your Instant Pot along with your 1/2 cup of water.
4. Add your squash halves to your Instant Pot and lightly sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Close lid, set pressure valve to sealing, set to manual (high pressure) for 5 minutes.
6. Perform a quick release of the pressure immediately after the cooking program finishes.
7. Use a fork to pull out your cooked squash from it’s shell, or allow to cool and remove meat by hand and enjoy!
8. Note: For firmer squash, reduce cooking time to 4 minutes. For softer, delay your quick release time by a few minutes.

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Summary

Recipe Name

Super Fast Instant Pot Acorn Squash

Published On

2016-10-15

Preparation Time

2M

Cook Time

15M

Total Time

20M

Average Rating

2.5 Based on 17 Review(s)

Print Recipe

Super Fast Instant Pot Acorn Squash

How to cook an acorn squash in your instant pot. Under 20 minutes flat.

Course

Side Dish

Prep Time

2 minutes

Cook Time

5 minutes

Passive Time

12 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 Whole acorn squash cut in half and seeds removed
• 0.5 Cups water
• 0.5 tsp sea salt to taste

Course Side Dish Prep Time 2 minutes Cook Time 5 minutes Passive Time 12 minutes Servings people Ingredients 1 to 2 Whole acorn squash cut in half and seeds removed 0.5 Cups water 0.5 tsp sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. Carefully cut your squash in half down the middle.
2. Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to remove the seeds from your squash halves.
3. Place steamer basket into your Instant Pot along with your 1/2 cup of water.
4. Add your squash halves to your Instant Pot and lightly sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Close lid, set pressure valve to sealing, set to manual (high pressure) for 5 minutes.
6. Perform a quick release of the pressure immediately after the cooking program finishes.
7. Use a fork to pull out your cooked squash from it's shell, or allow to cool and remove meat by hand and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

For firmer squash, reduce cooking time to 4 minutes. For softer, delay your quick release time by a few minutes.

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