Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash

Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash is a delicious and different way to eat buffalo chicken. Served by itself, it is a great low carb or keto friendly meal. Or you could pair this with fresh bread, rice, quinoa, or cous cous and you have a well rounded, traditional meal.

Buffalo Chicken

Whether you love spicy food or can’t handle it, we can agree that we all have heard of buffalo chicken, right? Do you know when buffalo chicken originated or how we got to this era where we (to quote Frank’s Hot Sauce), “put that sh%t on everything!” ? Gather around kids. It all started back in 1964 when Teressa Belissimo used her own special sauce to cover chicken wings at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. The wings were served with blue cheese and celery because that was available, when they were first served. Now, blue cheese is an absolute must when eating buffalo chicken. They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly!

Over the years, buffalo chicken wings gained popularity and more and more people ventured out with buffalo chicken recipes and started making buffalo chicken tenders, then putting the tenders on pizzas, in macaroni and cheese, as appetizer dips (who doesn’t love a good buffalo chicken dip?!), and so much more!

So with all the innovative ways of eating buffalo chicken, why not eat it with spaghetti squash, right? Skip the starch and go directly to the meat with buffalo chicken spaghetti squash!

Squash – Fruit or Vegetable?

If you haven’t tried spaghetti squash or haven’t heard about, it’s a pretty interesting food. While most people think of squash as being a vegetable, did you know that it is actually a fruit? I, for one, did not realize this! It’s true though.

Squash are classified as winter and summer squash. The winter varieties include butternut, acorn, pumpkin, and spaghetti squashes. While the summer squashes consist of zucchini and yellow squash. Regardless of their seasonality, they are all brightly colored, like fruit, but have mild and savory tastes, like vegetables. Therefore, it’s confusing to figure out where squash falls; fruit or vegetable?

Since fruits contain seeds and grow from flowers, and all types of squash grow from flowers, they are considered a fruit. Weird, I know!

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is a small, watermelon-shaped (fruit!) which can range from 2 to 5 pounds on average. It is a yellow color and consists of a very mild, nut-like flavor. When squash is cooked, the inner flesh breaks down and resembles spaghetti noodles. Making spaghetti squash a great low carbohydrate substitute for pasta.

As previously mentioned, spaghetti squash is a winter vegetable that is high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Because of its low calorie, high fiber content, many believe it can assist with weight loss and aids digestion.

Ingredients Needed

Now that I’ve convinced you that this is a must-try dish, here is what you will need to make this addictive, yet healthy meal:

• 1 Spaghetti Squash
• 2 Celery Stalks chopped
• 1 Orange Pepper chopped
• 1 Red Pepper chopped
• 4 Green Onions chopped
• 1 pkg Ranch Dressing dry
• 1 cup Ranch Dressing low fat, salad dressing
• 3/4 cup Buffalo Sauce or more, if preferred
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Making This Masterpiece

Before you look at the instructions, I’m going to warn you that it looks like a lot. However, you need to trust me, I am not a fan of complicated recipes. This is not complicated and everything can be prepped and cooked at the same time. It’s an efficient recipe so to speak : )

Here is what you will need to do (and believe me, it’s SO worth it!):

• Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Wash and dry spaghetti squash.
• Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise.
• Remove the seeds and the stringy parts of the flesh. Best scooped out with a spoon.
• Drizzle half of the olive oil all over the 2 halves and season the inside with salt and pepper.
• Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 35 – 40 minutes. Poke it with a knife to check if the flesh is tender.

Buffalo Chicken

• While the spaghetti squash is cooking, dice up the celery, peppers and green onions.
• Next, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add chicken and season generously (both sides) with salt and pepper and some of the ranch packet . Cook until no longer pink, 10 minutes per side.
• Transfer chicken to a plate.
• While the spaghetti squash is cooling (at least 5 minutes), cut up the chicken in to bite size pieces, then mix together chicken, peppers, celery, and onions.
• Add in the remaining ranch packet and stir well.
• Turn the squash around and with a fork, gently pull the squash flesh from the skin so that it starts to look like spaghetti strands.
• Spoon spaghetti strands into the chicken, peppers, and green onion mixture and gently mix together.
• Next, add in the ranch salad dressing and mix well.
• Add in the buffalo sauce and mix well.
• Place filling mixture back into the spaqhetti squash shells.
• Top with bleu cheese crumbles.
• Place back in oven and cook for 10 minutes.

Low Carb

Spaghetti squash is low in calories, yet is high in fiber. Thus, making it a great food for a well rounded weight loss diet. With only 42 calories per cup, eating spaghetti squash as a low-calorie alternative in recipes like pasta, rice, or potato dishes can help promote weight loss. After all, one cup of cooked spaghetti noodles has about 200 calories and 40 grams carbohydrates.

Conversely, one cup of cooked spaghetti squash has just 40 calories and 10 grams carbohydrates. Not to mention, spaghetti squash has 2 grams of fiber per one-cup serving and has the added benefits of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and niacin.

Because spaghetti squash is a nutritious squash and is high in fiber, it is a popular low carb, low-fat, gluten-free, and vegan alternative to spaghetti noodles. Of course, it doesn’t taste exactly the same as traditional pasta, but it’s a really good compromise considering the health benefits. And with the right sauce or flavoring, you might not notice the difference at all!

More Recipes To Love

I’m sure you will love this buffalo chicken spaghetti squash. I have many other recipes that you might like. They might not all be the same taste, but they all taste great! In addition to the yummy flavor, you will be sure to love some additional healthy options.

Here are a few meals you should try: