Can You Eat Squash Skin? Our Test Kitchen Shares the Best and Worst Types to Eat
Plus the #1 way to prepare 8 of the most popular types of squash.
Regardless of whether it’s acorn or zucchini or if it’s snowing or so sunny that we need shades, we love to savor squash. It’s always “go time” for gourds, if you ask Team BHG.
While we adore all kinds of winter and summer squash, we don’t love every single ounce of them. Those stringy insides, for instance, we could do without. And the potential injury risk involved with cutting butternut squash? Talk about stressful.
Readers tell us that another prominent feature that all gourds share often trips them up: Can you eat squash skin? We tapped Sarah Brekke, M.S., Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen culinary specialist, to peel back the layers on this tricky topic. Read on as she ranks the squash skins from best to worst to eat. Then discover the best ways to prepare each of the eight most common types of squash we feature in the pages of BHG (and we hear from you that you cook at home).
Can You Eat Squash Skin?
All squash skin is technically edible. However, similar to a banana peel or kiwi skin, there are many individuals who don’t find the texture of all types of squash to be appealing. Some varieties of squash rock a thin, tender, and delicious peel. Others are surrounded by a sturdy, tough, chewy, and stringy shell that’s not quite so appetizing (even after cooking).
“Smaller squash tend to have naturally more tender and thinner skins,” Brekke says.
Listed from most to least enjoyable to eat the skins, we’re ranking the most common types of squash:
Summer (including yellow squash, zucchini, and patty pan)
Delicata
Acorn
Honeynut
Kabocha
Pumpkin
Butternut
Spaghetti
“Delicata, summer, acorn, and honeynut are all varieties of squash with skins that become nicely tender after cooking,” Brekke explains. “We’d recommend peeling butternut, spaghetti, and classic pumpkins. We can go either way with kabocha, depending on the size of the squash and the cooking method.”
So the answer to can you eat squash skin? is technically yes, although you might want to peel some kinds before or after cooking. (Read on for the best ways to cook each of the aforementioned styles of squash.)
Rather than tossing your squash skins, wash the entire vegetable well before cutting. Then consider the following uses for squash peels:
Use them to flavor stock or broth
Follow the lead of our friends at Allrecipes an make Crispy Squash Chips
The Best Ways to Cook Squash
If Brekke was forced to only choose one cooking method to rule them all regarding squash—winter and summer, peeled or unpeeled—she’d advise you to preheat your oven and round up a sheet pan.
“All of these varieties do really well when roasted,” she says.
Summer: roasted or sautéed
Delicata: roasted
Acorn: roasted
Honeynut: roasted
Kabocha: roasted
Pumpkin: roasted
Butternut: roasted
Spaghetti: roasted or microwaved
RELATED: How to Always Roast Vegetables to Tender Perfection
“Spaghetti squash can also quickly be prepared in a microwave,” Brekke adds. “We also like preparing summer squash by slicing and sautéing.”
Those are two of many ways to prep your zucchini, yellow, and patty pan squash, in fact. Don’t miss our guide for the 9 best ways to cook summer squash.
Brekke coaches us through how to prepare all of these winter squash styles below.
To roast acorn, butternut, or honeynut squash:
Wash the exterior, then use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise.
Using a large spoon, scoop out all seeds and stringy membranes.
Place the squash, cut-side up, on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Roast at 400° F for 45 minutes to 1 hour (acorn and butternut) or about 30 minutes (honeynut).
Test Kitchen Tip: The butternut squash can be peeled before roasting if desired but this isn’t necessary depending on how you intend to use the cooked squash. (Our Baked Butternut Squash with Thyme is a fan-favorite example of a roasted butternut squash recipe that doesn’t involve peeling.) Acorn and kabocha are A-OK to eat whole (see our Roasted Acorn Squash and Beet Salad for one delicious example), unless you prefer to scoop out the flesh and reserve the skins for another use.
To roast spaghetti squash or sugar pumpkins:
Wash the exterior, then use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise.
Using a sharp paring knife, slice slits into the skin to allow steam to escape.
Using a large spoon, scoop out all seeds and stringy membranes.
Drizzle the flesh of the squash with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Place the squash, cut-side down, on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Roast at 400° F for about 30 to 60 minutes, or until the flesh is tender.
Test Kitchen Tip: Spaghetti squash can be roasted on the shorter side of that time frame for more “al dente” strands.
To roast delicata or kabocha squash:
Wash the exterior, then use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise.
Using a large spoon, scoop out all seeds and stringy membranes.
Employ your chef’s knife again to slice the squash into 1-inch wide half-moons or wedges.
Toss the squash slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Place the squash on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing space between each piece to promote even cooking.
Roast at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender, turning once.
Test Kitchen Tip: When roasted in wedge or half-moon form, a la our Crispy Delicata Rings with Herbed Buttermilk Dip, we find delicata and kabocha squash skin to be quite pleasant. Peel before roasting if desired.
Whether you plan to eat or eliminate the skin from your menu, you can also consider cooking any of these types of squash stuffed. If that sounds apeeling (sorry!), add Buckwheat and Cheddar Stuffed Acorn, Sausage-Stuffed Honeynut Squash, Bulgur-Stuffed Acorn Squash, or Sausage-Stuffed Delicata Squash to your meal plan this week.
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