Spaghetti Squash Taco Bowls

Spaghetti squash recipes are a great low carb pasta substitute because the cooked squash has spaghetti like strands and they complement a variety of dishes. These spaghetti squash taco bowls are a healthy twist on your typical taco that you’re going to love!

When I make these spaghetti squash taco boats I prepare the base of it and let my family choose from an assortment of toppings like tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and cheese.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we want chefs of all abilities to be able to recreate our recipes. To achieve that, we like to provide lots of helpful information in the post. Below you’ll find ingredient information, and detailed instructions on several different cooking methods. There’s also a section of recipe tips and tricks, as well as healthy eating plan and nutrition calculations.

If you’d like to skip past all that, you can simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find the easy to print Spaghetti Squash Taco Bowls recipe card.

Spaghetti Squash Taco Bowl Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Chicken thighs: you can swap the chicken out for ground turkey or ground beef, if you prefer.
• Onion
• Garlic
• Pepper
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Spaghetti squash: spaghetti squash is high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, betacarotene and fiber. It’s a low calorie and filling vegetable.
• Water
• Black beans: canned black beans work great for this recipe.
• Tomatoes: you can use fresh or canned diced tomatoes.
• Cilantro: using fresh cilantro really packs a flavor punch to this meal!
• Jalapeño: you can use fresh or pickled.
• Cheddar cheese

Instant Pot Instructions

Time needed: 30 – 40 minutes

1. Prepare your squash: Place your squash on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise from end to end. Scoop out the seeds and set aside.
2. Set up your pot: Turn the pot to sauté. When it’s hot, add the olive oil.
3. Sauté the chicken: Sauté the chicken thighs, onion, garlic, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and paprika together for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add water for pressure: Add the water to the Instant Pot. This helps it come to pressure.
5. Add squash: Place the trivet on top of the chicken and then place your spaghetti squash halves on top of the trivet. This will keep the squash and chicken separated while it all cooks.
6. Start cooking: Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
7. Remove the squash: Remove the lid. Using the handles on the trivet remove the spaghetti squash, and set it aside to let it cool.
8. Shred the chicken: Using tongs or a fork shred the chicken into chunks, it should fall apart easily.
9. Add the beans: Add the can of drained black beans to the meat mixture and stir. Close the lid of the pot while you scrape the spaghetti squash.
10. Scrape the squash out: Once cooled a bit, scrape the spaghetti squash halves with a fork. You will see the squash strands separate from the sides and look similar to spaghetti noddles. Leave the shredded squash in the squash shell and continue to the next step of assembly.
11. Assemble the bowls: Assemble the taco bowls by placing the chicken and beans in the center of the spaghetti squash and topping them with tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and cheese. Either eat as is or place the squash halves under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.

Crock Pot Instructions

1. Add the chicken, onions, and garlic to your slow cooker insert.
2. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and paprika over the chicken and give it a good stir. Pour the water over the chicken and mix it again.
3. Slice the spaghetti squash in half and lay the squash cut side down over the chicken. It should rest on top of the chicken.
4. Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 2-3 hour or low heat for 4-6 hours.
5. Add the black beans to the slow cooker about 30 minutes before you’ll eat.
6. When you’re ready to eat, remove the spaghetti squash halves from the slow cooker with tongs. Set them aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
7. Pull the chicken thighs out of the slow cooker and shred them, then add the chicken back in.
8. Shred the spaghetti squash with a fork until it resembles spaghetti noodles.
9. Assemble the taco boats by placing the chicken mixture in the center of the spaghetti squash and topping it with diced tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and top with cheese. Either eat as is or place the taco boats under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.

Oven Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place your squash on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise from end to end. Scoop out the seeds and set aside.
3. Line a baking dish or sheet with parchment paper and place the spaghetti squash halves upside down on the baking sheet.
4. Cook the spaghetti squash in the oven for 50-60 minutes.
5. While the spaghetti squash is in the oven, cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on high heat.
6. Sauté the chicken, onions, garlic, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and paprika for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is browned.
7. Add the black beans to the skillet. If mixture seems a bit dry, add 1/2 cup of water to the skillet.
8. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat. Cook for additional 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
9. Remove the chicken from the heat and shred the chicken.
10. Once the baked spaghetti squash is cooked, remove it from the oven and let cool.
11. When the squash has cooled, gently shred the squash with a fork, leaving it in the shell.
12. Assemble the taco boats by placing the chicken and beans in the center of the spaghetti squash and topping it with tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and cheese. Either eat as is or place the taco boats under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to melt and toast the cheese.

Recipe Tips

• If you’re having trouble cutting through your spaghetti squash, poke a few holes with a fork and microwave the entire squash for 3-4 minutes.
• The seasonings in this recipe make a homemade taco seasoning. If you’d rather use your own taco meat seasonings you can!
• Delicious additions to these taco spaghetti squash bowls that haven’t been added to the nutrition information are sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, salsa, and hot sauce.
• You can check out this post for more tips on how to cut and cook spaghetti squash.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

• Spaghetti Squash can vary SO much in size. I’d look at yours and double check the counts.
• Containers for this entire recipe: 5 Green Containers, 4 Red Containers, 2 Yellow Containers
• Containers per serving: 1 Green Container, 1 Red Container, 1 Yellow Container, 1/2 Blue Container

2B Mindset

These spaghetti squash taco bowls are great for lunch or for dinner. They’re already veggies most so you don’t have to add a lot of extra veggies. It’s a nice and easy recipe that you can prep ahead of time as well!

Weight Watchers

One serving of this recipe is 5 Blue Plan Points | 8 Green Plan Points | 5 Purple Plan Points

For the new 2023 Plan, this is 1 point per serving if you use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs.

Trim Healthy Mama:

This is a Crossover Recipe for THM. You’ll need to use MCT or coconut oil in place of olive oil. If you’re looking to make this an E or S recipe:

• You can eliminate the beans to reduce the carbs
• You can use chicken breasts to reduce the fat content

More Healthy Mexican Recipes

• Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
• Spicy Mexican Corn Dip
• Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Recipe
• Spicy Mexican Meatloaf
• Copycat Chipotle Chicken Marinade
• Healthy Pork Carnitas
• Carne Asada Street Tacos

4.88 from 8 ratings

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Spaghetti Squash Taco Bowls

Created by: Becca Ludlum

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Approximate Serving Size: 1/4 of the squash

Servings 4 servings

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Spaghetti squash is a versatile vegetable that's packed full of nutrients. These Spaghetti Squash Taco Bowls are a healthy dinner idea, and the leftovers are perfect for meal prep lunches!

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Sealing Rings
• Kitchen Knife

Ingredients 

• ▢ 1 tsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 lb chicken thighs
• ▢ 1/2 onion chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1/2 tsp pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp chili powder
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika
• ▢ 1/2 cup water
• ▢ 1 spaghetti squash cut in half and cleaned of seeds
• ▢ 1 14 oz can black beans drained
• ▢ 1/2 cup tomatoes diced for toppings
• ▢ 1/4 cilantro chopped for toppings
• ▢ 1 jalapeno sliced for toppings
• ▢ 2/3 cup cheddar cheese shredded for toppings

Instructions

Instant Pot

• Turn the Instant Pot to sauté. When the Instant Pot is hot, add the olive oil.1 tsp olive oil
• Sauté the chicken, onions, garlic, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and paprika together for 3-5 minutes.1 lb chicken thighs, 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika
• Add the water to the Instant Pot.1/2 cup water
• Place the trivet on top of the chicken and then place your spaghetti squash halves on top of the trivet. This will keep the squash and chicken separated while it cooks. 1 spaghetti squash
• Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure using the manual setting for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
• Remove the lid on the Instant Pot. Using the handles on the trivet, remove the spaghetti squash. Set it aside to let it cool.
• Using tongs or a fork shred the chicken into chunks, it should fall apart easily.
• Add the can of drained black beans along with the chicken back to the pot. Close the lid of the pot and allow the beans to heat while you scrape the spaghetti squash. 1 14 oz can black beans
• Once cooled a bit, scrape the spaghetti squash halves with a fork. You will see the squash strands separate from the sides and look similar to spaghetti noddles. Leave the shredded squash in the bowls and continue to the next step of assembly.
• Assemble the taco boats by placing the chicken and beans in the center of the spaghetti squash and topping it with tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and cheese. Either eat as is, or place the taco boats under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to melt and brown the cheese. 1/2 cup tomatoes , 1/4 cilantro, 1 jalapeno, 2/3 cup cheddar cheese

Oven

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the spaghetti squash halves upside down the baking sheet. 1 spaghetti squash
• Cook the spaghetti squash in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• While the spaghetti squash is in the oven, cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on high heat. 1 lb chicken thighs
• Sauté the chicken, onions, garlic, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and paprika for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is browned. 1 lb chicken thighs, 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika
• Add the black beans to the skillet. If the mixture seems dry, add 1/2 cup of water to the skillet. 1 14 oz can black beans, 1/2 cup water
• Cover the skillet and reduce the heat. Cook for additional 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove the chicken from the heat and shred the chicken.
• Gently shred the spaghetti squash with a fork, leaving it in the shell.
• Assemble the taco boats by placing the chicken and beans in the center of the spaghetti squash and topping it with tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and cheese. Either eat as is, or place the taco boats under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to melt and brown the cheese. 1/2 cup tomatoes , 1 jalapeno, 1/4 cilantro, 2/3 cup cheddar cheese

Slow cooker

• Add the chicken, onions, garlic, and black beans to your slow cooker insert. 1 lb chicken thighs, 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 14 oz can black beans
• Sprinkle the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and paprika over the chicken and give it a good stir. Pour the water over the chicken and mix it again. 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp paprika
• Lay the spaghetti squash face side down over the chicken. It should rest on top of the chicken. 1 spaghetti squash
• Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 2-3 hour or low heat for 4-6 hours.
• Add the black beans (drained) to the slow cooker about 30 minutes before you'll eat. 1 14 oz can black beans
• When you're ready to eat, remove the spaghetti squash from the slow cooker with tongs. Set them aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Pull the chicken thighs out of the slow cooker and shred them, then add the chicken back in.
• Shred the spaghetti squash with a fork. It's easier to eat this way!
• Assemble the taco boats by placing the chicken and beans in the center of the spaghetti squash and topping it with tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and cheese. Either eat as is, or place the taco boats under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to melt and toast the cheese. 1/2 cup tomatoes , 1 jalapeno, 1/4 cilantro, 2/3 cup cheddar cheese

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips:

• If you’re having trouble cutting through your spaghetti squash, poke a few holes with a fork and microwave the entire squash for 3-4 minutes.
• The seasonings in this recipe make a homemade taco seasoning. If you’d rather use your own taco meat seasonings you can!
• Delicious additions to these taco spaghetti squash boats that haven’t been added to the nutrition information are sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, salsa, and hot sauce.

21 Day Fix:

Containers for this entire recipe: 5 Green Containers, 4 Red Containers, 2 Yellow Containers

Containers per serving: 1 Green Container, 1 Red Container, 1 Yellow Container, 1/2 Blue Container

2B Mindset:

These are great for lunch or for dinner. They’re already veggies most so you don’t have to add a lot of extra veggies. It’s a nice and easy recipe that you can prep ahead of time as well!

Weight Watchers:

One serving of this recipe is 5 Blue Plan Points | 8 Green Plan Points | 5 Purple Plan Points

For the new 2023 Plan, this is 1 point per serving if you use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs.

Trim Healthy Mama:

This is a Crossover Recipe for THM. You’ll need to use MCT or coconut oil in place of olive oil. If you’re looking to make this an E or S recipe:

• You can eliminate the beans to reduce the carbs
• You can use chicken breasts to reduce the fat content

Nutrition

Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 261mg | Potassium: 611mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1243IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 2mg

Make This Recipe?

Make sure to follow on Pinterest @bludlum and on Instagram @beccaludlum