Name: Air-Fryer Maple-Glazed Acorn Squash
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; Salt and pepper; Pinch cayenne pepper; 1 acorn squash (1½ pounds), halved pole to pole and seeded; 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Why This Recipe Works

To add to its appeal, the squash doesn't need to be peeled—its dark-green skin is edible and provides a visually stunning contrast to its bright orange flesh—and it slices easily into attractive uniform wedges. The squash takes well to roasting, and in the air fryer it became tender and caramelized. To dress it up, we turned to another winning combination: a glaze of maple syrup and butter, which complemented the drier, savory flesh of the squash. We brushed the mixture, spiced with black pepper and cayenne, on squash wedges before roasting them in the air fryer flesh side up to capture the glaze. Because they overlapped slightly, we rotated the wedges halfway through cooking to ensure evenly browned flesh, then brushed on additional glaze before serving. The wedges were done in just over half an hour, ready to complement a variety of main courses.

Instructions

Microwave maple syrup, butter, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cayenne in bowl at 50 percent power until butter is melted, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Cut each squash half into 4 wedges. Brush flesh of squash wedges with half of syrup mixture. Arrange squash flesh side up in air-fryer basket (squash may overlap slightly). Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook squash until deep golden brown and tender, 19 to 24 minutes, rotating wedges halfway through cooking.

Transfer squash to serving platter, drizzle with remaining syrup mixture, and sprinkle with thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.