You are going to love this Grilled Acorn Squash recipe! It is the perfect side dish for any dinner, but it is also great if you are looking for a vegetarian option for a light lunch or dinner. The seasoning on the squash combined with the flame-grilled flavor of the grill makes this recipe a major league hit all the way around!
If you need some ideas for spectacular side dishes, you need to take a look at this Million Dollar Smoked Mac and Cheese recipe; it is simply amazing! For an elegant side dish idea, you should make this Duchess Potatoes recipe. It is a recipe fit for royalty!
Can you eat the skin of an acorn squash?
The answer is absolutely, yes! You don’t have to peel the acorn squash before you grill it. Once it is cooked, the skin becomes soft and is wonderfully delicious!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare
- Healthy vegetarian recipe
- Super flavorful
- Looks amazing
Helpful Items for This Recipe
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What do You need to make this grilled acorn squash?
This simple recipe only requires a handful of ingredients. Using good quality ingredients makes all the difference when cooking.
INGREDIENTS
- Acorn squash – This healthy vegetable is sometimes underrated but is great to serve from the grill.
- Olive oil – You should use a good quality extra virgin olive oil; it has a deep, rich flavor.
- Brown sugar – Adds a sweet caramel flavor to the squash.
- Kosher salt – Don’t use table salt; Kosher salt is the best choice for cooking.
- Garlic powder – You can also use granulated garlic if you don’t have garlic powder.
- Fresh ground pepper – Always try to use fresh ground pepper. The flavor is much better than pre-ground pepper.
- Cayenne pepper – Adds just a hint of heat to the squash.
- Liquid honey – For drizzling just before serving. The honey adds a beautiful sweetness to the grilled acorn squash.
- Sea salt flakes – Use sea salt flakes as a finishing seasoning for that delicate taste.
How to grill Acorn Squash
Start by preheating your grill to high heat for 10 minutes.
While your grill is preheating you can prepare your acorn squash. Cut your acorn squash in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut each half into 3 equal-sized pieces. You will have 12 pieces in total.
Place the squash on a foil-lined baking sheet; this makes for easy clean-up. Brush the olive oil all over the pieces of squash using a pastry brush. Then, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, fresh ground pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Sprinkle the spice mixture over the olive oil-covered squash pieces. Use your fingers to gently rub it onto each piece of squash.
Turn one side of your grill to off or move the coals to one side of the grill. Reduce the heat to medium.
Place the squash on the hot side of the grill and roast them for about 5 – 6 minutes on the skin side toward the heat. Then turn the squash pieces to grill the flesh, about 2 minutes per side. Be careful; the sugar will burn quickly. You want nice grill marks but don’t burn the sugar.
Once you have nice grill marks on all sides, move the pieces to the cool side of the grill. Close the lid and allow the squash to cook for 7 – 12 minutes. You want them fork tender. The time will depend upon how big your squash is.
Remove to a serving platter and drizzle with the liquid honey. Sprinkle each piece with a pinch of sea salt flakes and enjoy!
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Grilled Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 Acorn squash
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/16 tsp cayenne pepper tiny pinch
- ¼ cup liquid honey
- Sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Turn your grill to high heat for 10 minutes.
- While your grill is heating up, cut your acorn squash in half, remove the seeds with a spoon and cut each half into 3 pieces. You will have 6 pieces per squash, 12 pieces total.
- Place your squash on a baking sheet covered in foil for easy clean up. Using a pastry brush, brush the olive oil over the squash pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over all the squash pieces and rub with your fingers.
- Turn one side of your grill off to use for indirect cooking and reduce the temperature of the flame side to medium.
- Place the squash pieces over the flame side and first roast for about 5-6 minutes on the skin side down and then 2-3 minutes per open (flesh) side. The sugar will burn easily, so don’t over-grill them, but let them get nice grill marks.
- Move the squash to the off side of the grill and grill for about 7-12 minutes, until fork tender.
- Remove to a serving plate and drizzle with honey and sea salt flakes.
Notes
See the post for more information, photos and tips.
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