We love this easy spaghetti squash with chicken, parmesan, and fresh lemon. Healthy, delicious, and one of our favorite spaghetti squash recipes!
Watch the Video
Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Parmesan and Lemon
I find spaghetti squash alone a bit dull since it doesn’t have the sweetness and flavor of many other winter squash. That being said, this baked spaghetti squash recipe is anything but dull. It’s amazing what butter cooked chicken, parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and plenty of lemon can do. What used to be boring turns into to something that’s almost impossible to stop eating.
This recipe is easy and absolutely delicious. It keeps well, too. Leftovers make a perfect lunch the next day.
Thanks to the hard shell, spaghetti squash can be tricky when it comes to cutting it, but don’t worry, with our tips you’ll be an expert in no time. You will need a heavy chef’s knife, a towel to keep it steady as you cut (as well as to protect your hand), and some muscle power.
Cut the squash from stem to end, but don’t try to cut through the stem (it’s too tough). When you’ve cut through the squash, just pull each half apart. The force will pull one half away from the stem. (You can see us do this in the video above.)
Once you’ve cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds. We won’t need the seeds in this recipe, but if you’re a fan of roasted pumpkin seeds, you can use these to make something very similar.
Cooking Spaghetti Squash
Before adding it to the chicken, we need to cook our spaghetti squash. I prefer to roast my squash since it caramelizes the flavor, but you can also microwave it. For more tips on cooking spaghetti squash (including how to cook it in the microwave, in an Instant Pot or using a Slow Cooker), see our Ultimate Guide for Cooking Spaghetti Squash.
To bake spaghetti squash in the oven, follow these easy steps:
- Rub the inside of the squash halves with olive oil (or use melted butter). I also like to season with salt and pepper. This is also a good time to sprinkle on your favorite spice blend.
- Place the squash halves cut-side-down onto a rimmed baking sheet. By baking the spaghetti squash halves cut-side-down, the edges caramelize and brown, which adds flavor. It also lets excess moisture fall away from the squash and onto the baking sheet. If you were to bake the squash halves cut-side-up, the liquid would pool in the middle of the halves.
- Bake until fork tender, but still a little firm. I like the strands to still have a bit of bite to them so we try not to over bake spaghetti squash, which produces a mushy result.
The Chicken, Cheese, and Lemon
We reach for chicken thighs for this recipe. Thighs cook just as quickly as chicken breast and are more forgiving when it comes to overcooking them. With that said, there is no reason you couldn’t swap thighs for chicken breast.
After cooking the chicken in some butter and olive oil we squeeze in the juice from half a lemon. This helps up scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. These browned bits have lots of flavor. After that, all we need to do is add the squash, cheese, and lots of fresh parsley.
And that’s it, incredibly delicious spaghetti squash with butter cooked chicken, parmesan cheese, and fresh lemon.
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- This 20-Minute Zucchini Pasta Recipe with garlic, tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese. A guilt-free meal.
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Parmesan Spaghetti Squash with Chicken
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Spaghetti squash alone can be a bit dull, but it’s amazing what butter seared chicken, parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and plenty of lemon can do. What used to be boring turns into to something that’s almost impossible to stop eating.
We use chicken thighs, but there’s no reason you couldn’t swap them for chicken breast.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 medium spaghetti squash (about 2 ½ pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for baking the squash
1 tablespoon butter
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lemon, halved
2 ounces grated parmesan, pecorino or a mixture (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Bake Squash
1Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet (or large baking dish) with parchment paper.
2Using a heavy chef’s knife cut squash in half lengthwise — see the notes section for how to do this safely. Remove the seeds and discard. Lightly drizzle the cut side of each squash half with olive oil, and then season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side-down onto the baking sheet and bake 40 to 50 minutes until it is soft and easily pierced with a knife. Optional: Tuck a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme underneath the squash halves so they infuse the squash with flavor as it roasts.
- Cook Chicken
1About 20 minutes before the squash has finished baking, cook the chicken. Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks, season with salt then let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
2Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and the butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter sizzles, add the chicken thighs and cook until nicely browned on one side, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook another 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the juice of one lemon half and cook for about 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- To Finish
1When the squash is done, flip them so that the cut-side is facing up and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
2Run a fork through the flesh to separate the “spaghettilike” strands, and place in the skillet with chicken. Stir in most of the cheese, parsley, and some fresh ground pepper. Serve with more cheese and an extra squeeze of lemon juice on top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- To safely cut the squash, you will need a heavy chef’s knife, a towel to keep it steady as you cut as well as to protect your hand, and some muscle power. Cut the squash from stem to end, but don’t try to cut through the stem (it’s too tough). When you’ve cut through the squash, just pull each half apart.
- If you are short on time, you can microwave the squash. To do this, cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and season the squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the squash halves cut-side-down in a microwave-safe baking dish. Fill the dish with water so that it is about 1-inch deep. Microwave for 5 minutes, check the squash and continue to microwave for 2 to 5 minutes until the squash is soft and easily pierced with a knife. Allow the squash to cool and then scoop out the flesh with a fork.
- How to Roast Spaghetti Squash Seeds: Remove pulp and fibrous threads from seeds. Simmer seeds in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Toss seeds with olive oil and lightly season with salt. Roast in a 325 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The seeds will not change much in color, but will crunch when done.
- Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Supertracker recipe calculator to calculate approximate values. We omitted salt from the calculations since you will need to add to your tastes.
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This was amazing we added more lemon,minced garlic is and we shallots. Even my dogs loved it mixed in with their kibble! Will definitely make this again.
I think this recipe is a great BASE. It’s lacking seasoning as it is. Based on other reviews, I added the following: sauteed onion, garlic, then added sliced mushrooms and cooked a bit. Instead of adding lemon, I put in a small jar of artichoke hearts (drained) PLUS a couple Tablespoons of capers (with some brine). Added a good dash of red pepper flake and cayanne. Also initially seasoned the chicken liberally with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. This added acid for brightness, but not too much. We sprinkled the romano/parmesean cheese on the top. It was delicious this way! The best way to cook spaghetti squash is roasting. The rosemary sprigs were a very nice touch but it’s not noted in the recipe (only in the video). The microwave method always makes it watery.
Thank you so much for sharing your adaptations! I love how you’ve built on the base recipe with the artichoke hearts, capers, and extra seasonings. It sounds absolutely delicious, and I agree about roasting the spaghetti squash – the best way for sure!
I loved this dish but I will say that I did add fresh garlic, onion, mushrooms and asparagus. I also added some rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning.
This was an absolutely DELICIOUS recipe. We so enjoyed it. I’d never cooked or had spaghetti squash before. Cooked as per the recipe. Wonderful. Will definitely make it again. Thank you.
Pretty good!