This Lemon Chicken Spaghetti Squash recipe can be pre-baked and stored in the fridge for an easy meal prep dinner. When you’re ready for a delicious, gluten-free, low carb dinner, throw it all together and bake it up!
It’s our first post in September, and I couldn’t be happier! This summer was a BLAST, so jam packed with fun family activities, not to mention moving to our dream house.
But it was also a little exhausting at times, and extremely hot (for some reason the heat has been really bothering me this pregnancy!), and I am ready to move onto fall…and fall produce.
It’s about time that I share a spaghetti squash recipe with you, don’t you think?
And I am super excited about today’s recipe because it is oh-so-comforting, but guilt free, thank-you spaghetti squash! Let’s check out this lemon chicken spaghetti squash recipe, shall we?
I think I’m going to have to add spaghetti squash to my meal prep routine more often, because it. is. so. simple.
All you need to do is scoop your squash out and bake it for 45 or so minutes. That’s why we don’t normally eat it for dinner…because who has time to pre-bake a squash for 45 minutes on a weeknight? Not me.
But it is super easy to do this step ahead, cool, and store in the fridge. Your spaghetti squash will be good for up to 5 days afterwards, and you have just saved yourself 45 minutes in the kitchen!
While you’re baking your spaghetti squash, you might as well also bake up some chicken breasts. I normally bake mine at 425 but since this squash bakes at 350, I put the chicken in with it at 350 and increased the cook time to about 30 minutes (for 7 oz breasts).
Aaaand. While you’ve got the oven working for you, you can get to work on your lemon cream sauce!
Are you ready for this? Because there’s butter and heavy cream involved. But fear not, because one portion of this Lemon Chicken Spaghetti Squash recipe still only clocks in at 295 calories. Woo hoo!
For the lemon cream sauce, you’re going to cook some onions and garlic in butter. Prepare for your kitchen to smell like heaven.
Next: chicken stock, then some heavy cream and fresh lemon juice. Cook until heated through and completely combined, then store in a container in the fridge until you’re ready to cook everything up. This sauce will separate in the fridge, but pouring it back into a pan and heating through gently will bring it back together.
When you’re ready to bake up, shred the spaghetti squash into ‘noodle-y’ strands (let’s pretend ‘noodle-y’ is a word, OK?), scatter the chicken, pour the sauce over and mix it all up.
You’re going to bake it all right in the spaghetti squash!
I had originally intended these to be eaten right out of the spaghetti squash boats, but they were waaaay too much for one person to eat.
So you can get 2 portions per spaghetti squash, and if you still need a few carbs in your life (ahem…hungry pregnant lady speaking here!), 1 oz whole wheat spaghetti per person is a great supplement, while still keeping things light and even under 400 calories.
Tips for perfect lemon chicken spaghetti squash:
- I baked my squash in my favorite 9×13 pyrex baking dish, which perfectly fit two halves of a large spaghetti squash
- this recipe is also great with 2 cups of chopped kale mixed into the lemon cream sauce (the kale gets crispy while baking! But the kale also absorbs some of the sauce)
- the storage containers you see above are from this set of glass storage containers
- looking for more low carb dinner recipes? Try this Ground Turkey Pasta in Romesco Sauce, this Spiralized Pasta with Eggs & Asparagus, or these 24 Creative Spiralizer Recipes
Lemon Chicken Spaghetti Squash (Prep Ahead)
Ingredients
- one 3 lb spaghetti squash
- 2 large chicken breasts 14 oz
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt & pepper
Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
- 1/4 cup onion chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/8 teaspoon salt optional; to taste
Other
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese I used mozzarella
Instructions
- Squash & ChickenHeat oven to 350°F.
- Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place face-down in a 9x13 inch baking dish and add ½ cup of water to the base of the dish.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 45-50 minutes, until soft on the inside and a knife inserts into the flesh of the squash easily.
- While squash is baking, prep the chicken. Toss in olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool before cutting into cubes.
- Lemon Garlic Cream SauceWhile squash and chicken are baking, prep the sauce.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the stock and cook for 3-4 minutes, until reduced by about half.
- Stir in the lemon juice and heavy cream, and heat until just bubbling. Taste and add salt if needed
- Remove from heat.
- Spaghetti Squash BoatsOnce squash is cooked through, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before shredding into spaghettti-like strands using two forks. Add the chicken, toss to coat. Pour ½ cup of lemon garlic cream sauce over each half of the squash.
- Return to the oven for 10-15 more minutes.
- Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 5 more minutes, until melted.
Patty
I’m on WW – Blue – and there is a recipe on their site which they microwave their spaghetti squash for like 10 min – cut in half – scoop out seeds – put on a microwave safe dish (upside down of course) and microwave – can if remember if 10 min was the time but until the fork easily went through the skin – so this will cut down on that back time quite a bit
Denise
Thanks for the tip, Patty!
Arlene
Can this recipe be frozen? I don’t mind eating left-overs, but the same meal for 4-5 days is toooooo boring (no matter how good it is). I usually cook my spaghetti squash in the microwave. Works great.
Denise
Hi Arlene! I have had success in freezing spaghetti squash (you’ll want to under cook it slightly if possible), but the cream sauce in this recipe won’t freeze/thaw well.
Katie
Thank you for this recipe! We enjoyed it for dinner and for leftovers the next day. This was only my second time making spaghetti squash and I was amazed at the volume! It was pretty filling, too. I think I would like to try mixing the squash, chicken, and sauce in a dish next time so that the sauce is more evenly distributed/proportional. Also, you recommend prepping the day before, but did not provide reheating instructions for the cold assembled dish, that would be helpful! I think I did 30 minutes at 350 before adding the cheese on top. Really tasty and thank you for inspiring us to try something new!
Denise
Hi Katie, thank you so much for the feedback. I will put this recipe on my list to revise/clarify. So happy you enjoyed it!
Corina Stadler
This definitely went better the second time I made it, haha! I didn’t forget about the sauce on the stove and didn’t have to cook the chicken again because it wasn’t done enough. Certainly tastes better this way! I’m glad I tried it again after being discouraged the first time.
Denise
Oh no! Glad it worked out for you the second time around!
Sara
Really good! Next trine I think I’ll try to sauté and cook cubed chicke on the stove. Mozzarella was good but shredded parm would be great too!
Denise
So happy you enjoyed, Sara! Thanks so much for your review!
Simone
This was absolutely amazing!! My daughter made it last week and I’m tripling it today with 3 spaghetti squash, and giving some to a sick friend and keeping 4 boats for us.
Denise
So happy to hear this! Thanks so much for your review, Simone!
Samantha
This was delicious!!!!
I cannot wait to make it again!
Denise
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Samantha. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to leave a review 🙂
Jennifer
Made the lemon chicken spaghetti squash it was so good and super filling too and my husband is picky but he liked it, so a yay. Thank you
Denise
Hi Jennifer, I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for taking time out of your day to leave a review 🙂
hannah
since im still in school, is it omay to microwave the boat? whenever everything is pre cooked?
Denise
You could do that, but you might want to scrape the squash out of the boat and mix everything in a container for portability 🙂
Tammy
Hannah, You can put it in a crock pot on low for 5 or6 hours. Turn it off and remove the lid. Let it cool some so you can handle it. Your shell will be totally done. The veg spaghetti will be fully cooked. You would then put it all together in a casserole dish. Don’t bake it long. You don’t want mush.