Barbecue chicken stuffed spaghetti squash boats are so easy to make, especially if you cook the shredded chicken in the slow cooker! It is a delicious light and hearty gluten-free spaghetti squash recipe you can feel lean about eating!
Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash recipes are among one of the easiest and healthiest no-carb dishes and a great way to get everyone eating their vegetables!
Stuffed spaghetti squash is one of my FAVORITE things to eat! I probably eat it at least once or twice a week. Usually for lunch with a dash of salt, pepper and olive oil mixed in or for dinners like this baked spaghetti squash pepperoni pizza casserole and spaghetti squash pasta with butternut squash sauce.
The squash can easily be roasted ahead of time and "fluffed" into spaghetti noodles, reheated and stuffed right before you are about to make your boats!
How To Make Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats:
First make the chicken in the crock pot and roast the spaghetti squash. I have a great post on how to cook spaghetti squash with the full details. But I like the roasting method best for this recipe. You can do the roasting ahead of time or about 1 hour before you are ready to assemble your stuffed spaghetti squash.
Make the shredded chicken in the slow cooker in the morning and it is ready in the evening! Or cook the chicken in advance and have the stuffed spaghetti squash easy - well, to stuff!
Layer the squash by fluffing the noodles after it is cooked, then add a layer of your favorite cheese such as shredded mozzarella or even dairy-free cheese. Then add the barbecue chicken, colorful peppers, purple onion and extra barbecue sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese and crisp the top slightly.
5 Barbecue Chicken Ideas:
Some store bought barbecue sauce recipes have gluten in it. You can get a gluten-free BBQ sauce or try this homemade smoky gluten free bbq sauce - which is AWESOME! I made a couple of batches for the barbecue sauce recipe post so my fridge was full of extra sauce just begging to be used up.
- Slow Cooker: Add two chicken breasts to the slow cooker and pour the barbecue sauce on top. Cover and let the chicken cook on low for about 6 hours. Once it is done it is easy to shred pulling apart with two forks!
- Baked Chicken: Marinate the chicken in a baking dish with the barbecue sauce for 1 hour or overnight. When you are ready to cook it, bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until it cooked inside. Then slice and shred it with extra sauce on top.
- Sheet Pan Chicken: Love this method too! It is so easy and can be added to the pan when you cook the spaghetti squash. Just take it out of the oven after about 20 minutes (or until done depending on the thickness). When it is done, shred or dice the chicken and mix it with the barbecue sauce. You can marinate the chicken first or simply shred it or dice it and mix it with barbecue sauce after it is cooked.
- Grilled Chicken: Have any leftover grilled chicken? Use it in this stuffed squash recipe by adding some barbecue sauce to it then dicing it!
- Rotisserie Chicken: Grab a pre-made rotisserie chicken, shred it and mix it with the barbecue sauce!
PIN IT! Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Recipe
You can also take the squash out of the boats first and make the layers in a casserole dish to serve to the family;-) Just layer the same starting with the spaghetti squash noodles, cheese, barbecue chicken, onion, peppers and extra sauce. Bake for a few minutes and enjoy!
If you like spaghetti squash as much as we do, check out these ideas to cook and stuff spaghetti squash:
- Zesty Low Carb Mexican Mushroom Baked Spaghetti Squash
- Baked Spaghetti Squash Pepperoni Pizza Casserole
- How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
- Ways to Stuff Spaghetti Squash by Peas and Crayons!
📖 Recipe
Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 ¼ cup barbecue sauce separated (or my smoky gluten free bbq sauce recipe)
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup cheese shredded (optional to use shredded dairy-free cheese)
- ¼ cup red onions sliced or diced
- ¼ cup orange bell peppers diced
- ¼ cup cilantro fresh, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker with 1 cup of barbecue sauce on top. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 2-4 hours. Shred the chicken using two forks.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds in the center with a spoon. Add a drizzle of olive oil and flip the halves upside down on a baking pan. Add a splash of water to the bottom of the pan. Bake for 45 or until it is soft when poked with a fork. When it is finished cooking, let it cool enough to handle. Scrape the sides with a fork to fluff the noodles.
- Add ¼ cup of cheese to each boat, then divide the shredded chicken to each boat. Sprinkle 1 cup of barbecue sauce on top followed by the cheese, onions, peppers.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes to cook the onions and crisp the top slightly. Garnish with the remaining ¼ cup barbecue sauce and cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
The carbs, sugar and sodium are mainly due to the sauce, you can add less if you would like.
Eileen says
This was very tasty! I had a huge spaghetti squash, so I cut the halves in two after final baking. So leftovers! Yay! Easy to reheat in the microwave. And it was even better because the barbecue sauce flavor penetrated into the squash. Thanks for a great recipe!
Danielle | Delightful Mom Food says
Eileen, I am so glad you enjoyed this spaghetti squash recipe! Thank you for commenting and rating the recipe, I really appreciate it:-). Enjoy the rest of your weekend and those leftovers!