Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
Join me in devouring one of my favorite healthy recipes out there. This delicious combination of roasted spaghetti squash, chicken, cheese and marinara sauce will leave you and your best Italian friends begging for more.
I have always loved Chicken Parmesan….but not always loved the calories it packs on. And after the Holidays I certainly don’t need any extra calories. The New Year always has me trying to think of ways to make my dishes healthier without losing the great taste that makes me love that dish. Well, I can honestly say that I would prefer this over a bowl full of pasta any day…..diet or no diet.
We have been experimenting with spaghetti squash lately because it is so healthy for you and tastes absolutely delicious. Plus, if you are on Weight Watchers remember that spaghetti squash is 0 points as opposed to pasta which is —– well, a lot of points! SCORE. Save your points for some sea salt dark chocolate at the end of your day 🙂
I was intimidated at first because I have not cooked much with spaghetti squash. It is so easy. It looks gourmet but it is a super easy recipe that is low calorie, low carb, packed with vitamins and more importantly, DELISH! So, go get your spaghetti squash right now so you can try this amazing recipe. It makes for great leftovers as well. Sometimes it’s nice to come home on a cold night and just snuggle up to the fire. I always make sure I have leftovers when I make this. Trust me, you will love it and on a cold night it will warm you right up.
Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
Join me in devouring one of my favorite healthy recipes out there. This delicious combination of roasted spaghetti squash, chicken, cheese and marinara sauce will leave you and your best Italian friends begging for more.

Ingredients:
- 2 large spaghetti squash
- 1 lb thin sliced chicken breast, cut into strips
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
For the spice mixture:
- 1 tablespoon salt (it won’t taste salty)
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (may sub. regular)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
For the squash:
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Italian seasoning
- Vegetable Oil for frying
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- With a sharp knife, slice the squash in half. If the squash is too tough – puncture in several places forming a dotted line around the squash. Microwave for 3-5 minutes to soften. Allow to cool before cutting in half – following the dotted line.
- Scoop out the seeds – brush with oil, salt, and pepper, – and roast face down in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until a fork can easily pierce the skin.
- Meanwhile, slice the chicken breasts into strips.
- Mix Spices together in a small sealable bag. Add 1 tablespoon of the spices, flour, cornmeal, and bread crumbs to a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Store remaining spices.
- Transfer beaten eggs to a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Coat each chicken strip with the flour mixture, then egg, and then back in the flour mixture.
- Pour enough vegetable oil in to a medium-large skillet so that it is 1/4-inch deep and heat over medium high heat. Fry the chicken strips (in batches if necessary) until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Set aside on paper towels to drain oil.
- Once the squash is out of the oven, let cool for about 10 mins. Flip over and shred the inside of each squash so that the spaghetti strands are loosened. Be careful not to poke a hole in the skin of the squash.
- In each spaghetti squash half: pour 1/2 cup marinara sauce over shredded squash. Top with chicken strips, then 1/2 cup more marinara, and finish with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and a pinch of Italian seasoning. Return to the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted. Enjoy!
Sounds nice. Thank you and have a great weekend
You too! 🙂
Just made this for supper.. big hit with kids and husband.
So happy to hear!!
I made this last night since I’m trying to eat right and lose weight! Delicious!!! Thank you
So happy to hear you liked it!!
Just made this following the recipe to the T. It is AWESOME!!! I have a very happy husband as well
Yay!! So happy to hear 🙂
Do you know the nutritional information for this recipe?
I do not but you can use this tool to figure it out: http://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
Hope that helps! 🙂
Did you have any luck? I got some really high numbers when i put the ingredients into MyFitnessPal and want to verify if I did this correctly. Over 1,000 calories per half, about 70g carbs, 60ish protein, and 50-something fat? I feel like that cant be right!
I just calculated about 600 calories per squash half. If you wanted to cut out more calories/fat you could leave off the cheese too!
Love this dish! Ever since discovering it, my husband and I have been making it about once a week! After the first time, I have just been using non-breaded baked chicken to make it even healthier and it’s just as good! Thanks for this recipe I never tried spaghetti squash until this!
So happy to hear!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
How large is a “large” spaghetti squash?
I would say about 8-10 inches, I just look for one of the bigger spaghetti squash of the selection at the grocery store!
This was my first use of spaghetti squash, and this recipe will now be my favorite way to cook chicken parmesan! I cooked it as written, with slightly smaller squash and it was perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Yay! So happy to hear! 🙂
This is so yummy! I am in Western Australia and spaghetti squash are not common at all here, I’d never seen one except in American cook books, until a lady in my town grew some from seeds she bought online. I used one of them to make this recipe for my boyfriend and I, and we absolutely loved it! So yummy and it didn’t feel too naughty on the waistline! Thanks 🙂
Awesome! So happy you liked it!