Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Published October 23, 2024 • Updated March 7, 2026
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Shredded chicken tossed in creamy buffalo sauce, piled into roasted squash halves. It's low carb, high protein, and I wash one baking sheet when dinner's done.
Buffalo chicken stuffed spaghetti squash started as a fall experiment. I already had a stuffed avocado version for quick lunches, but I wanted something warmer that could stand alone as dinner. Once I roasted the squash and scraped those strands out with a fork, the whole idea clicked. The strands pick up sauce the way noodles do, but a whole half has about 7 grams of net carbs. Regular pasta runs around 40 grams per cup, so the math sold me before the flavor did.
I toss shredded chicken in a mix of Greek yogurt, hot sauce, and a few spices, then pile it right into the halves. The tangy filling plays off the natural sweetness of the squash, and I noticed that on the second batch I made. It’s one of those flavor pairings I wouldn’t have predicted, but now it’s the whole reason this recipe works for me.
The cleanup is the other reason I keep making this. You eat straight out of the squash, no extra bowls or plating. Stuff it, bake for another 5-10 minutes with blue cheese on top, and bring it to the table. My kids think it’s fun (they call it ‘squash boat night’), and I love that there’s basically one baking sheet to wash. For a recipe that looks like it took effort, the reality is closer to 15 minutes of active work.
Reader Denise mentioned straining the Greek yogurt through a coffee filter for an hour before mixing, and her sauce came out noticeably thicker with no watery pooling in the shell. I tried her method on my next batch and it’s now part of my process. If your filling has ever gotten soupy at the bottom, the strained yogurt fixes it. I used to think the pooling was from the squash releasing moisture, but it was the yogurt thinning out under heat. Straining removes that extra whey before it becomes a problem.
Fall is when I make this the most because squash is everywhere at the store alongside pumpkins. You can find it year-round, but there’s something about a cool night that makes a warm, stuffed squash hit different. If you want more keto chicken dinners on one pan, my keto chicken casserole is another easy option, and low carb Tuscan chicken pasta has that same creamy comfort.
Or pair the leftover filling with my keto spaghetti the next day for a completely different meal. Sasha brought a double batch to game day and it went faster than anything else on the table, so this scales up well when you’re feeding more than just your own family.
Explore 684+ keto recipe videos with step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to make keto easy.
Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash -
1 cup plain Greek or low-carb yogurt
-
2 tablespoons red hot sauce
-
1 tablespoon lemon juice
-
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
-
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
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1/2 tablespoon onion powder
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1 teaspoon dried dill
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1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
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2 cups cooked & shredded chicken
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1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare the squash
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Place it on a baking sheet skin side up, and bake for 40-50 minutes until softened.
- 1 large spaghetti squash
Make the filling
During the last 10 minutes of the squash roasting, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, add Greek yogurt, hot sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, dill and chive. Mix until combined.
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped parlsey
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped chives
Add the protein
Stir in shredded chicken and mix until chicken is fully coated.
- 2 cups cooked chicken
Shred squash
Once the spaghetti squash is done baking, carefully flip it over to show the inside. Using two small forks, lightly shred the inside of the squash to form the “spaghetti.”
Stuff it
Fill each ½ baked squash with the chicken mixture and top with 2 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese on each side. Place back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes until heated on top and warmed through. Garnish with fresh chopped green onions or chopped fresh chives.
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different cheese instead of blue cheese?
I get it, blue cheese is polarizing. I've made this with shredded mozzarella, sharp cheddar, and pepper jack, and they all work. Mozzarella gives you that melty stretch, cheddar adds sharpness, and pepper jack brings extra heat if you want to lean into the buffalo flavor. My go-to swap is sharp cheddar because it melts well and my kids prefer it. I'd use about 1/4 cup per squash half, same as the blue cheese.
Can I use cream cheese instead of Greek yogurt?
I've tested both. Cream cheese makes the filling richer and thicker, almost like a warm dip consistency. Greek yogurt gives you a tangier, lighter sauce that clings to the chicken without weighing it down. I prefer the yogurt version because the tang plays off the hot sauce better, but if cream cheese is what you have, use about 4 ounces softened and mix it with the hot sauce the same way. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten it up since cream cheese can flatten the overall flavor.
How do I cut spaghetti squash safely?
I microwave the whole squash for 3-4 minutes first. This softens the skin just enough that my knife doesn't slip. Then I cut it lengthwise, scoop the seeds with a spoon, and it's ready to roast. Before I started doing the microwave trick, I nearly lost a battle with a raw squash, so now I always soften it first.
Can I meal prep this ahead of time?
I do this all the time. I roast the squash halves and make the buffalo chicken filling separately, then store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. When I'm ready to eat, I shred the squash, pile in the filling, add the cheese, and bake for 10 minutes. It cuts the active cooking time down to almost nothing on a busy night.
How do I pick the right squash at the store?
I look for one that feels heavy for its size with a hard, matte skin and no soft spots. A large squash (3-4 pounds) gives you two generous dinner-sized halves. Smaller ones (under 2 pounds) work better as side portions. I've bought ones that looked fine on the outside but were mushy inside, and the weight test catches that most of the time. If you press your thumbnail into the skin and it dents easily, skip it.
Can I make this in the Instant Pot?
I've done it and it cuts the squash cook time roughly in half. I place the halves cut-side up on the trivet with a cup of water, pressure cook on high for 7 minutes, then quick release. The strands come out a little softer than oven-roasted, so they won't have that slight firmness I prefer. I still roast mine most of the time, but the Instant Pot is what I reach for when I don't want to wait 45 minutes. For another fast dinner, my sheet pan fajitas come together in about the same time.
How spicy is this and how do I tone it down?
With 2 tablespoons of Frank's RedHot, it's a mild-medium heat. My kids eat it without complaining, so it's not aggressive. If you want it milder, I'd cut the hot sauce to 1 tablespoon and add an extra tablespoon of Greek yogurt to keep the sauce volume the same. For more heat, I add a few dashes of cayenne or use a hotter sauce like Cholula Chili Garlic. I've gone as high as 3 tablespoons of Frank's and it was still comfortable for me.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
This is exactly what I do when I'm short on time. I grab a rotisserie chicken from the store, shred it up, and the filling comes together in about 5 minutes. Reader Julie Beck mentioned she does the same thing, and I use this shortcut constantly when I'm testing other recipes and need dinner handled. My salsa chicken uses the same shred-and-mix approach if you want another quick option.
Good weeknight dinner but I'd double the hot sauce next time. Two tablespoons barely registered against all that yogurt, came out more tangy than spicy. Worth making again once I figure out the ratio.
Yeah 2 tablespoons is pretty mild against a full cup of yogurt. I'd go 3-4 next time, or drizzle extra Frank's on top right before eating so it stays sharp instead of cooking down into the sauce.
Strained the Greek yogurt through a coffee filter for an hour before mixing and the sauce came out noticeably thicker. No watery pooling in the shell, which makes the whole thing a lot easier to eat.
The pooling drives me crazy on this one. Hadn't thought to strain the yogurt first, but it makes sense, it's basically labneh. Going to try this.
Been through four buffalo chicken spaghetti squash recipes since I started keto and this one just retired the others, the yogurt base makes the sauce cling to the chicken in a way the straight hot sauce versions never do. Nothing else comes close for a cold night.
Four is a real comparison. Cold nights I pile on extra blue cheese right before serving, it melts into the hot squash and gets into that buffalo sauce in a way baking it in never does.
My son ate the whole bowl and then asked what the 'noodles' were made of. He refuses squash on principle, so that was the real review. Only knock: mine needed closer to 55 minutes.
That kid review is the most honest one I've gotten. Squash size makes a huge difference on time. I check mine with a fork around 45 minutes - when it slides in without resistance, it's done.
There was this buffalo chicken pasta I made all the time before I went keto, and I kind of mourned it. This hit that same spot in a way I wasn't expecting (the creaminess of the yogurt sauce coating the squash strands felt exactly right). Four years of keto and I finally stopped missing the pasta.
Four years is a long time to miss a dish. The strands do something with that buffalo sauce that most keto swaps just don't pull off.
Brought this to a game day get-together and it went faster than anything else on the table. I'd only made spaghetti squash once before so I was a little nervous doing it for a crowd, but the prep was easy. People kept asking what was in the sauce (everyone assumed ranch, but it's the Greek yogurt that makes it so creamy). My friend Jess doesn't eat keto at all and she had two helpings, then asked me to text her the link. Making a double batch next time since I barely got a taste of my own dish.
Jess having two helpings is honestly the best review. And the yogurt thing gets people every time, nobody ever guesses it when they think they're tasting ranch.
This dish was 10/10! Came together quickly using store bought rotisserie chicken and is definitely going on the menu rotation!
Rotisserie chicken saves so much time on this one. I do that when I'm testing other recipes and need dinner fast.