Chicken Taco Spaghetti Squash Bake
Let’s gather together and enjoy the Southwest flavors of Chicken Taco Spaghetti Squash Bake. With the added hot sauce, it’s a kicking dinner that’s Paleo & Whole30 friendly.
I have a bit of a confession to make, ever since creating the recipe Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Spaghetti Squash Bake for Dana from Real Food with Dana, I want all things spaghetti squash! I was most certain that I didn’t like spaghetti squash…I had already dubbed butternut squash as my favorite so why change that? But after making it I have fallen in love with it. A subtle flavor with a lot of texture. Being able to scrape the baked spaghetti squash with a fork and have it be long strands like spaghetti noodles is a great way to make meals filling without having the empty carbs of say noodles.
So let’s talk about adding bacon to a taco dish. Best decision ever! Bacon kinda goes with everything, right? Adding the smoky flavors of bacon to the southwest spices going into the Chicken Taco Spaghetti Squash Bake add just enough to make it an extra flavorful meal. I like making the bacon a little extra crispy so when I chop it up, the bacon adds a crunchy texture to the softer spaghetti squash.
I may be a little selfish when it comes to this meal. As much as I love sharing meals with family and friends, this one I like keeping for myself! There I said it…I like keeping this meal just for me! I will make it for a lunch and then eat the leftovers for the rest of the week. Not even offering it to the family…it makes for another 4 lunches for myself! So delicious…especially with extra hot sauce added! I like it extra spicy!
Making Chicken Taco Spaghetti Squash Bake is a couple step process. First I bake the spaghetti squash and chicken. They take about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. While they are baking, I chop all the other ingredients so they’re ready and also prep a baking sheet with tin foil and line it with the bacon. When there’s about 15 minutes left to the chicken and squash, I add the bacon to the oven. Let it cook up without the splatter of cooking it on the stovetop. Next the chicken and bacon get chopped up and the squash gets scraped from the shells with a fork. In a big mixing bowl, I add everything…chicken, squash, bacon, seasonings, cilantro, mushrooms and scallions. Toss it all together and either spoon it back into the squash shells or in a baking dish. Bake it again for 15-20 minutes and then serve!
- 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise
- 2 chicken breasts
- 6-8 strips bacon, Whole30 compliant
- 3-4 scallions
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
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1
tsp
onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp chili powder
-
1
tsp
smoked paprika powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
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Frank's Red Hot Sauce
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a baking dish, place squash cut side down with a cup of water in the bottom of the baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes or until tender.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the chicken breast on top. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
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Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place bacon on the sheet and cover with another piece of tin foil. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until crispy enough to break apart.
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Once the squash is cooked, remove from oven and using a fork scrape the squash from the shell. Place in a large mixing bowl.
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Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from oven and chop into bite size pieces. Add to the mixing bowl.
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Once the bacon is cooked and desired crispiness is achieved, remove from oven and crumble. Add to the mixing bowl.
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Add the remaining ingredients except the hot sauce to the mixing bowl. Stir together. Return mixture to the squash shells or to a 9x13 baking dish. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
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Optional:
Top with hot sauce.
Store leftovers in a glass container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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