Chorizo Stuffed Acorn Squash

acorn squash stuffed with chorizo and vegetables with cilantro on top and on the sides with white background

The combination of savory chorizo and the sweetness from the acorn squash creates a great balance of flavors that will have you wanting more. Impress your friends and family with this exciting and delicious dish that is sure to become a fall favorite!

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chorizo stuffed acorn squash

Prep Time 55

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 511kcal

Author Jessi Holden, MS, RDN

Ingredients

2 whole acorn squash *for a family of four, each will get one half stuffed with the mixture
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha sauce Eliminate if you don't like spicy!
2 green onions
1 white onion
1 bell pepper
1 jalapeno chop whole for extra spice or omit the pulp and seeds
1 lb ground chorizo You can also use plain ground pork, turkey, or chicken.
Cilantro or Unsalted, crushed peanuts as optional toppings

Instructions

I recommend making a game plan for the acorn squash before you start this recipe. I have detailed below the various ways you can cook the squash (roast, airy fry, or slow cook) so that you can time out your cooking techniques and serve this meal hot. Details in note section below.
Prepare the vegetables by dicing the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Set aside.
Slice the green onion and set aside.
Sauté the meat in a pan with 2 tbsp of butter. Start by placing the butter in the pan and allowing it to start melting on a medium heat. Cook meat until no longer pink.
Add the diced white onion, bell pepper and jalapeño and sauté for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
In a small bowl mix together the sugar, soy sauce, sriracha, and green onion. Pour the sauce over the mixture and continue cooking until well mixed.
Crack the egg directly in the pan and gently scramble it into the entire mixture. If your squash isn't ready yet, turn off heat and cover to keep warm.
Once the squash is ready add a hearty scoop of the mixture into each half. Top with cilantro or crushed, unsalted peanuts if desired.

Notes

Variations of Cooking Acorn Squash

Roasting: Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Preheat the oven 425 degrees Farenhei and place all four squash halves (skin side down) on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. I recommend brushing on a bit of butter or oil and a sprinkle of salt on each half. Roast for 50-55 minutes and check that the thickest part of the squash is easy to pull away from the skin.
- If roasting, pre-heat the oven and twenty minutes into baking start preparing and cooking the chorizo/vegetable mixture.

Slow cooking: Squash can be cooked in a slow cooker whole without any water but make sure you can fit the lid on top. If the squash is too big, cover the cooker using tin foil. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2-3.
- This method works great to prep the squash a few hours before cooking, just set a timer to alert you to start preparing the stuffing so everything can be served together.

Air frying: Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place them open side down into the air fryer basket. Air fry at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Traditionally air fryers are not that big so you may end up needing to air fry in batches. To keep the other halves warm, set them in the oven at 150-200 degrees F while you finish preparing the meal.

Nutrition