Chicken Pesto Spaghetti Squash (Paleo, Keto, Whole30)

Chicken Pesto Spaghetti Squash features delicious homemade pesto sauce and tender chicken for an easy, satisfying, nourishing dinner recipe that happens to be paleo, whole30, and! Make it for the whole family or as a meal prep recipe.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve made this chicken pesto spaghetti squash…

…I’d be cashing in early retirement in the Maldives.

It’s one of those meals that covers all the bases and is just so nice to cozy up to on a chilly evening.

The best part about this recipe is you can either prepare it in parts – roast the spaghetti squash and/or make the pesto sauce up to 5 days in advance, or make everything as the squash is roasting. 

Bonus: you can customize the recipe to your heart’s delight by changing up the pesto recipe or using different animal protein.

Craving additional veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, bell pepper, or carrot? Toss them in!

Let’s whip it out!

How to Make Chicken Pesto Spaghetti Squash:

Begin by roasting a medium to large-sized spaghetti squash. If you’ve never roasted a spaghetti squash, no sweat! I made a nifty little tutorial on How to Roast Spaghetti Squash, which you can follow!

Once the squash has finished roasting, allow it to cool.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the homemade pesto sauce.

To do so, add all ingredients except the oil to a food processor. Pulse a few times to chop the ingredients. Leave the food processor on and stream oil through the top. Continue processing until desired texture is reached.

Heat a skillet to medium-high and add 1 to 2 tablespoons avocado oil or coconut oil. Add the chopped chicken, sea salt, paprika, and garlic powder.

Brown the chicken without stirring for 3 minutes. Stir and continue browning without touching another 3 minutes.

Cover the skillet with a lid, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 2 to 5 minutes more.

Once the squash is cool enough to handle, transfer the “spaghetti” strands to a large mixing bowl.

Add in the pesto sauce and toss well. Stir in the chicken, including all of the liquid, and toss until everything is combined.

Taste for flavor, and add sea salt to taste.

Recipe Adaptations:

• Turn this into a casserole by following all the steps outlined in the recipe, then transfer everything to a casserole dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 375. If you aren’t dairy-free, be sure to give it a hefty shower of grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
• Use any type of homemade or store-bought pesto sauce. Just be sure you’re using 1 to 1.5 cups.
• Replace the chicken with shrimp or ground turkey.
• If you don’t follow a strict paleo or whole30 diet, add 1 cup grated parmesan cheese to the pesto sauce.

More Healthy Spaghetti Squash Recipes:

• Spaghetti Squash Egg Nests
• Spaghetti Squash Bolognese
• Red Curry Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash
• 40 of The Best Spaghetti Squash Recipes
• Creamy Tahini Spaghetti Squash with Kale
• Crispy Salmon Bowls with Pesto Spaghetti Squash
• Roasted Garlic and Kale Spaghetti Squash with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag me at @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

Chicken Pesto Spaghetti Squash

Pesto spaghetti squash with chicken – an easy paleo, keto, whole30 dinner recipe

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

6 servings

Ingredients

For the Spaghetti Squash:

• ▢ 1 large spaghetti squash, roasted
• ▢ 2 Tbsp avocado oil
• ▢ 1 pinch sea salt

For the Chicken:

• ▢ 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• ▢ 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, chopped
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1/4 tsp sea salt, to taste

Pesto:

• ▢ 2 cup fresh basil leaves
• ▢ 2/3 cup pumpkin seeds, see note
• ▢ 2/3 cup avocado oil
• ▢ 1 large clove garlic
• ▢ 1 cup parmesan, optional, omit for whole30

Instructions

• Roast the spaghetti squash according to these instructions.
• While the squash is roasting, prepare the homemade pesto sauce. To do so, add all ingredients except the oil to a food processor. Pulse a few times to chop the ingredients. Leave the food processor on and stream oil through the top. Continue processing until desired texture is reached.
• Heat a skillet to medium-high and add 1 to 2 tablespoons avocado oil or coconut oil. Add the chopped chicken, sea salt, paprika, and garlic powder. Brown the chicken without stirring for 3 minutes. Stir, then continue browning without touching another 3 minutes. Stir chicken well, cover, and cook until cooked through, about 2 to 5 minutes more.
• Once the squash is cool enough to handle, transfer the “spaghetti” strands to a large mixing bowl. Add in the pesto sauce and toss well. Add in the chicken, including all of the liquid, and toss until everything is combined. Taste for flavor, and add sea salt to taste.

Video

Notes

Replace the pumpkin seeds with pine nuts, almond, walnuts, or pecans

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving – Calories: 450kcal – Carbohydrates: 11g – Protein: 28g – Fat: 34g – Fiber: 3g – Sugar: 3g

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken pesto spaghetti squash, clean eating, healthy spaghetti squash recipes, keto dinner recipes, low-carb recipes, paleo dinner recipes, spaghetti squash recipes, whole30 dinner recipes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 450kcal

Author: Julia

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