Spaghetti squash chicken parm is an easy recipe for baked chicken parmesan with roasted spaghetti squash and a cheesy, crispy topping.
This recipe for spaghetti squash chicken parm avoids all the dredging and frying of regular chicken parmesan. It also offers a healthy lower-carb alternative to pasta by serving crispy, cheesy spaghetti squash on the side.
Even so, I'm not saying that this dish is completely virtuous...the chicken breasts are smothered in a generous amount of melted parmesan, mozzarella, panko and marinara. It's cheesy, crispy around the edges and is 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 Instant Pot chicken parmesan pasta!
Ingredients
- Chicken breast - boneless, skinless
- Spaghetti squash - 1 large squash should be enough for 4 to 6 servings, but you can cook 2 if you want.
- Marinara - Use your favorite jarred marinara. Or, you can use a 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, but use a slotted spoon to take the whole tomatoes out of the can, leaving behind all of the juice. The juice will make the dish too watery. Place the tomatoes in the 9x13 baking pan then slice each canned tomato in half crosswise, letting the liquid spill out. Then add the chicken and olive oil.
- 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
- Roast or steam spaghetti squash and spread strands out in a baking dish
- Mix together parmesan, mozzarella, panko, garlic and Italian seasoning
- Combine marinara, chicken breasts and olive oil in a baking pan
- Sprinkle cheese and panko mixture over the chicken and the squash
5. Bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees, until the cheese is warm and bubbly in both dishes and crispy around the edges
6. Slice the chicken and serve with the marinara sauce, spooned onto the squash. Top with fresh basil.
And finally, 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
For all of these methods, carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds first. 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 35 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 10 to 12 minutes, with an instant release.
Microwave: Put halves in a microwave-safe dish, cut side down, with 1-inch of water. Pierce the skin several times with a fork. Microwave for about 20 minutes, until tender.
Additional side dishes
Pasta: If you have family members who don't love squash, this baked chicken parm can also be served over pasta.
Polenta: Buy a log of pre-cooked polenta. Slice it into rounds and lightly brown the polenta in butter or olive oil before serving
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More chicken dinners
Spaghetti Squash Chicken Parm Recipe
Spaghetti squash chicken parm is an easy recipe for baked chicken parmesan with roasted spaghetti squash 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 2021
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 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
Step 1: 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 35 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of the squash) at 450 degrees until tender and nicely browned.
Step 2: Bake the Spaghetti Squash and Chicken with Marinara, Cheese & Panko
- Heat oven to 425 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.
- I like to slice the chicken, then add it back to the pan of marinara. Serve by spooning the chicken and marinara over a big spoonful 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. Or, you can use a 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, but use a slotted spoon to take the whole tomatoes out of the can, leaving behind all of the juice. The juice will make the dish too watery. Place the tomatoes in the 9x13 baking pan then slice each canned tomato in half crosswise, letting the liquid spill out. Then add the chicken and olive oil.
Use Pasta Instead: If you have family members who don't love spaghetti squash, this baked chicken parm can also be served over pasta.
Keywords: Spaghetti squash chicken parm, baked chicken parm, easy chicken parmesan, spaghetti squash, baked spaghetti squash with cheese
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