Spaghetti squash chicken parm is a delicious meal that's similar to traditional chicken parmesan. It's made with roasted spaghetti squash, chicken breasts with marinara and a cheesy, crispy topping.
Featured Review
"This was delicious! Even my picky hubby liked it." - BK
This recipe for spaghetti squash chicken parm avoids all the dredging and frying of regular chicken parmesan.
It's easier, a little bit lighter and a really satisfying dinner. I love to make it once or twice when spaghetti squash comes into season during the fall and winter months.
The baked chicken breasts are smothered in marinara sauce with a generous amount of melted parmesan, mozzarella and panko with Italian seasonings.
The spaghetti squash is baked separately with cheese and panko, then the cooked squash and chicken are combined into a dish that's cheesy, crispy around the edges and guaranteed to satisfy! Lots of garlic and fresh basil add even more Italian flavor to this cozy fall and winter dinner.
If you love chicken parm, you'll also want to try easy Instant Pot chicken parmesan pasta.
Looking for more winter squash recipes? Try sautéed delicata squash.
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Ingredients
- Chicken breast - Buy boneless, skinless breasts. They need to be 8 ounces or less to cook fully. If the chicken breasts are large, you can slice them in half.
- Spaghetti squash - 1 large squash should be enough for 4 to 6 servings, but you can cook 2 if you want extra on the side.
- Marinara - Use your favorite jarred marinara.
- Low Moisture Mozzarella - Either pre-grated, or grate your own.
- Parmesan - You can grate the cheese yourself or buy pre-grated. I've even used canned grated parmesan with good results.
- Panko breadcrumbs - Panko works better than finely ground breadcrumb.
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Italian seasoning and fresh basil
Step-by-Step Instructions
These step-by-step photos walk you through the process of making spaghetti squash chicken parmesan. For detailed instructions and ingredient amounts refer to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1: Roast or steam the spaghetti squash. Instructions for both methods are in the section below. Pull out the strands of cooked squash into a baking dish.
Step 2: Mix together parmesan, mozzarella, panko, garlic and Italian seasoning.
Step 3: Combine marinara, chicken breasts and olive oil in a second baking pan.
Step 4: Sprinkle the cheese and panko mixture over the baking dish with chicken and over the baking dish with squash.
Step 5: Bake for 25 minutes at 425F degrees, until the cheese in both baking pans is warm and bubbly and crispy around the edges.
Step 6: Slice the chicken breast and serve it with the marinara sauce, spooned onto the squash. Top with fresh basil.
Step 7: Sit down with your glass of wine and a plate of Italian comfort food. It's not traditional chicken parm, but it's delicious nonetheless!
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Before spaghetti squash is cooked, it needs to be carefully cut in half lengthwise and the seeds need to be scooped out. This video will show you how to slice spaghetti squash.
You can choose to bake the squash or steam it in an Instant Pot.
After the squash is cooked, use a fork to pull the strands apart, forming long spaghetti-like "noodles."
Roasting: Roast halves brushed with oil or butter, cut side down on a sheet pan for 45 to 60 minutes at 450 F, until tender and nicely browned. How long you need to roast it depends on the size of the squash.
Instant Pot: Pour 1 cup water in the Instant Pot. Put in the steam rack and set the squash halves on the rack, cut side down. Pierce the skin several times with a fork. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, with an instant release.
Serving Suggestions
Spaghetti squash chicken parm is a filling meal that doesn't necessarily need side dishes. You can serve a green salad on the side if you like.
If you want to make the dinner more filling, consider pasta or polenta.
Pasta: If you have family members who don't love squash, this baked chicken parm can also be served over pasta. Any noodle shape will do just fine.
Polenta: Buy a log of pre-cooked polenta. Slice it into rounds and lightly brown the polenta in butter or olive oil before serving with the chicken and spaghetti squash.
More Chicken Dinners
📖 Recipe
Spaghetti Squash Chicken Parm Recipe
Spaghetti squash chicken parm is a delicious meal that's similar to traditional chicken parmesan. It's made with roasted spaghetti squash, chicken breasts with marinara and a cheesy, crispy topping.
Note that the first step of this recipe is cooking the spaghetti squash. You can either roast it in the oven (35 to 60 minutes) or steam it in a pressure cooker (about 20 minutes total).
This spaghetti squash recipe is adapted from Ali Slagle's Baked Spaghetti Squash
This recipe was first published in November 2020 and updated in October 2023.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian American
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese or a parmesan/romano blend
- 16 ounces/4.5 cups grated low moisture mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup panko
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or dried thyme or oregano)
- One 24-ounce jar marinara/pasta sauce
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
- Fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
Bake or Steam the Spaghetti Squash
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
Pour 1 cup water into the Instant Pot. Set the spaghetti squash halves cut side down on the steamer rack trivet that comes with the Instant Pot. To fit both halves, you’ll probably have to tilt or stack one of the halves so it isn’t lying flat. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, with a quick release of pressure immediately when the cooking time is complete.
Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Brush a sheet-pan with oil or line with parchment. Brush the cut halves of the spaghetti squash with oil and lay cut side down on the sheet pan. Roast 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of the squash) at 450 degrees until tender and nicely browned.
- After the spaghetti squash is cooked, preheat the heat oven to 425F degrees
- In a large bowl, mix together the parmesan, mozzarella, panko, garlic and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
- Use a fork to scrape strands of the cooked spaghetti squash into an 8x8 (or slightly larger) baking pan. Lightly season with salt.
- In a separate 9x11 baking pan, spread out the marinara sauce.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then nestle the chicken breasts in the pan with the marinara sauce. Spoon some of the marinara over the chicken.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the chicken breasts.
- Mix 2 cups of the cheese & panko mixture into the spaghetti squash strands.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese and panko mixture over the chicken and marinara.
- Put both pans into the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Take the pan of spaghetti squash out of the oven. Check the temperature of the chicken breasts with a digital thermometer to make sure the chicken has reached 165 degrees. If the chicken is done, remove the pan from the oven.
- Top both pans with fresh basil.
- Slice the chicken then add it back to the pan of marinara.
- Serve the entire dish by spooning the chicken and marinara over servings of spaghetti squash.
Notes
Spaghetti Squash: Watch this video to learn how to easily cut and seed the squash
Parmesan: You can grate the cheese yourself or buy pre-grated. I've even used canned grated parmesan with good results.
Tomato Sauce: Use your favorite jarred marinara.
If you have family members who don't love spaghetti squash, this baked chicken parm can also be served over pasta.
Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. The easiest way to reheat the dish is in the microwave. You can also reheat in the oven using a baking dish covered with foil at 375F.
Molly
How can chicken breasts be cooked through after 25 mins at 325? This took more than twice as long as stated to bake and I had to slice up the chicken halfway through.
Jenny
Hi, The recipe instructions say to cook the dish at 425F, not 325, so that was probably the issue. Also, sometimes chicken breasts can be really large and take longer to cook than expected. Either way, I'm sorry to hear you had trouble with this recipe and hope that it ended up turning out okay.
BK Warren
This was delicious! Even my picky hubby liked it.