This is the spaghetti squash recipe that turned me into a squash lover! Tender strands of spaghetti squash are tossed with crisp vegetables, a quick homemade peanut sauce, and your choice of cooked chicken or shrimp in this Thai-inspired dish reminiscent of peanut noodles. Low carb, high protein, and so much flavor this will become a regular recipe for your dinner menu rotation.

Thai peanut spaghetti squash recipe dished up on white plates

I did not grow up eating squash. The few times I was served it, it was usually a mushy pile and was a no-go for me. Many (many) years later, I decided to try spaghetti squash since I saw it taking the place of noodles in many dishes and I was intrigued.

I read how-tos (cooking this is not intuitive, which is why I’m including step-by-step directions below), gathered lots of recipe inspiration, and started cooking with spaghetti squash.

The result is a handful of recipes that have become go-tos for me, and although it hasn’t replaced noodles in our diet, we do enjoy the vegetable-boost whenever I do cook with spaghetti squash.

One recipe in that batch is this one for Thai-style peanut spaghetti squash “noodles” – and it is by far my FAVORITE. As in, I don’t make Pad Thai-type noodle dishes any other way now – it’s spaghetti squash all the way for me now. The flavors and texture are just so good. It also doesn’t hurt that a serving has 31 grams of protein (with the chicken option) and just 37 grams of carbohydrates.

But here’s the caveat with any spaghetti squash recipe that I’ve learned: DO NOT OVERCOOK it or it will be the mush like I remembered from my youth. I actually aim for undercooking it, as I prefer it crisp versus too soft every time.

I’ve included all my cooking tips below as well as variations, as this is good as a vegetarian dish or made with cooked chicken or cooked shrimp (I actually used both chicken and shrimp in the photos). I hope you give this a try!

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Besides the spaghetti squash you’ll need:

thai peanut Spaghetti Squash recipe ingredients

Vegetables: Onions, peppers, and carrots are called for, but you can use other things like broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, or hot peppers.
Protein: Keep it vegetarian as is or with tofu, or add cooked protein like chicken and/or shrimp.
Peanut Sauce: The included recipe for peanut sauce takes less than 5 minutes to make, but if you have a bottle of store-bought, feel free to use it and have one less step.

How to Prep and Cook Spaghetti Squash

cutting Spaghetti Squash — The hardest part, really, is cutting spaghetti squash in half! It’s usually pretty tough – see my tips below.

scooping out seeds of spaghetti squash — Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and center area, leaving just the firm outsides.

Jami’s Squash-Cutting TIPS:

I’ve found that using the tip of a large, sharpe knife to make slits all the way along the side, lengthwise, where you want to cut it in half helps get it started without embedding your knife right away (and not being able to pull it out!). Then I cut down through the first set of slits, pull the knife back out, and repeat it all down the half. Then I cut all the way through, pulling the halves apart.
Alternatively, you can try softening it in a microwave first: cut slits all the way around the squash where you want to slice it like I shared above (to allow stem to escape), place it in a microwave and cook on high for about 4 minutes. Remove with a towel and holding one side with the towel, cut fully in half along the slits.
You can cut off the stem or not – I find it another tough thing to do so I usually just let it stay on the side it fell to when cutting and bake it as is.

prepping spaghetti squash to bake — Brush the insides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place skin-side down on a lined baking sheet.

scraping strands of cooked spaghetti squash — Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes (depending on the size of your squash). Let cool for a bit and then use a fork to scrape out the shreds.

Note: Sometimes the cooked spaghetti squash shreds are longer like noodles, and sometimes they’re shorter, like in the photo above. It’s really dependent on the variety of squash you have, I think, since I’ve gotten longer “noodles” in the past. I’ve read that if you cut it into rings and roast it, you’ll have longer strands every time, but that involves even more cutting of the tough squash skin, so I haven’t tried it.

Make Thai Style Peanut Spaghetti Squash

whisking peanut sauce in glass cup — While the squash is roasting, whisk peanut sauce together in a glass measuring cup.

cooking vegetables for spaghetti squash recipe — Then prep and sauté the carrots, onions, and peppers (or any other firm veggies you’re using) just until crisp-tender.

scrambling eggs in skillet with vegetables — Push the veggies to the sides and scramble the eggs in the middle of the skillet.

adding peanut sauce to cooked ingredients for spaghetti squash recipe — Add the rest of the ingredients and the shredded spaghetti squash to the skillet. Pour the peanut sauce over and mix it all together.

eating peanut spaghetti squash with fork from white plate

Plate up the peanut spaghetti squash on individual plates or a big platter and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro or parsley. You can also fill the empty squash shells up with the mixture and serve one on each plate, which is kind of fun – unless the squash was huge and it’s too much for one serving.

I hope you enjoy this Thai-inspired peanut spaghetti squash recipe as much as I do!

Want to save this?

Enter your email below and you’ll get it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get easy new recipes, gardening tips & more every week!

Thai style peanut spaghetti squash recipe on white plate with fork

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save

Thai-Inspired Peanut Spaghetti Squash Recipe

A spaghetti squash recipe that combines fresh vegetables, a quick homemade peanut sauce, and cooked protein with the squash "noodles" for an easy, low-carb, high-protein flavorful dinner.

Note: The total time needed has been adjusted to reflect that most of the prep and cooking is going on at the same time as the squash baking.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time40

Yield: servings

Author: Jami Boys

Click for Cook Mode

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
1 cup sliced or grated carrots about 2 medium carrots*
1 cup diced sweet bell pepper about 1 medium pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
2 large eggs, whisked smooth
1/4 cup sliced green onions (or chives), optional
2 cups cooked chicken or shrimp, optional**
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley

Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter***
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1-2 tablespoons honey (I use 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional, but makes it more Thai-like)
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce OR to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger OR 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

Instructions

Bake Squash

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half (see tips in the post) and scoop out seeds. Brush cut halves with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.
Place the squash cut side down on a lined baking sheet, add to heated oven and cook 30-40 minutes until skin is soft (a fork pierces the skin).
TIP: Err on the side of COOKING LESS if you're unsure – you can test the strands and cook a bit more if needed, but once it's too soft you can't go back. I find 35 minutes is good for a large size, if it's smaller, start testing at 30 minutes.

Make Peanut Sauce

While the squash is baking, combine all the peanut sauce ingredients in a glass measuring cup and whisk to combine. TIP: A thicker peanut butter may make the sauce not as pourable, if so simply add warm water, a teaspoon at a time, until it's easy to pour.
Set sauce aside.

Make Peanut Spaghetti Squash

While squash continues to bake, prep all the vegetables and whisk the eggs in a small cup, seasoning with salt and pepper.
In a large, deep-sided skillet heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, peppers, and diced onions and sauté 2-3 minutes until crisp-tender.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and move the vegetables to the sides of the pan. Pour the whisked eggs into the center and cook, stirring, until scrambled, mixing with the vegetables as you do. Stir in any cooked chicken or protein you're using and remove the skillet from the heat.
When the spaghetti squash is done, carefully turn over the halves and use a fork to pull the strands from the shell, adding them to the skillet of cooked vegetables as you do.
Add the green onions, if using, and pour the peanut sauce over all the ingredients, stirring well until everything is coated with the sauce.

Serving Options

Place the mixture on a large platter and sprinkle all the chopped peanuts and herbs over it.
Divide the mixture between four plates and divide the peanuts and herbs between the plates as well, sprinkling it on the tops.
Scoop the mixture back into the hollowed-out squash shells, garnishing with the peanuts and herbs and serve in the shells.

Notes

*Vegetable Variations: Try chopped broccoli, cauliflower, or sliced cabbage or bok choy. I especially like the cabbage option. I’ve also used leftover roasted vegetables and skipped the sauté part, just heating them up after scrambling the eggs.

**Protein Options: Lots of cooked protein work in this recipe – in addition to the suggested chicken and shrimp, it’s also good with leftover sliced pork or cooked tofu.

***You can use 1/3 cup peanut butter if you’d like more peanut flavor, adding water a teaspoon at a time to get it to a pouring consistency.

Storage: This keeps well for a few days in the fridge – heat for a minute, stirring, in the microwave and it’s just as good as day 1!