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!
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 spaghetti squash cut in half and cleaned of seeds
- 1/2 cup water
- 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.
- Sauté the chicken, onions, garlic, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and paprika together for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the water to the Instant Pot.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- Sauté the chicken, onions, garlic, and pepper, chili powder, cumin, and paprika for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is browned.
- Add the black beans to the skillet. If the mixture seems dry, add 1/2 cup of water to the skillet.
- 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.
Slow cooker
- Add the chicken, onions, garlic, and black beans to your slow cooker insert.
- 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.
- Lay the spaghetti squash face side down over the chicken. It should rest on top of the chicken.
- 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.
- 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.
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 ContainersContainers per serving: 1 Green Container, 1 Red Container, 1 Yellow Container, 1/2 Blue Container2B 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 PointsTrim 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
