Spaghetti Squash made easy in the Air Fryer! A quick and satisfying Vegetarian meal or side dish that can be left plain or jazzed up with just about anything you have on hand. Or, use it as a base for tasty bowls or savoury casserole dishes where the flavour combinations are seriously endless.
If you have yet to invest in an Air Fryer, let this easy Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash be your reason to! It’s so simple to make and you can season or customize it however you like. Here, I keep things pretty plain Jane with some fresh chopped parsley, grated parmesan cheese and fresh cracked salt and pepper just to show you that you don’t need to do anything fancy to spaghetti squash to make it delicious. But again, once you learn this basic way of making spaghetti squash in the air fryer, you’ll be able to easily change it up to suit your mood time and time again. Spaghetti squash is hearty enough to be a fulfilling meal all on it’s own or makes a killer side dish next to all of your favourite meals.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – is there anything the Air Fryer can’t do?! I mean, seriously! From the most perfect homemade French Fries, to the moistest no fail Meatloaf, to the crispiest Chicken Wings of all time… it just proves itself time and time again. And now, we have another winner. Say hellllo to Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash.
Spaghetti Squash is just one of those things I kinda always dread cooking. And for that reason, I never have it as much as I should! Squash in the oven kinda just takes long to become soft and tender and honestly, ain’t nobody got time for that! Am I right? I just always picture it taking forrrr-eva. I mean, on busy weeknights do you really have an hour to wait for it to perfectly cook in the oven? Cause I know I don’t. That’s where the Air fryer comes in! It cooks this squash up (quite perfectly, might I add) in just 35 minutes and comes out soft and tender every single time. It’s a great low carb or keto friendly option and stands up to the test when dressed like pasta or noodles.
Spaghetti squash is such an underrated vegetable and I know that I myself ALWAYS forget just how good it is! Even with just a tiny sprinkling of salt, pepper, parsley and parmesan cheese, this air fryer spaghetti squash is super tasty and delicious!
AIR FRYER SPAGHETTI SQUASH INGREDIENTS
You don’t need much more than the spaghetti squash itself to make this easy side or main dish. I chose to keep things pretty basic here but don’t let that fool you, it’s still very flavourful and delicious. And besides, you could always chose to season or change it up however you like!
- Spaghetti Squash: The flesh of this specific type of squash resembles spaghetti like strands when cooked hence it’s well-suited name. It has a mild flavour and becomes soft and tender when roasted. PRO TIP: Save the seeds from the inside of the squash and roast them for a delicious and nutritious snack.
- Oil: Adds flavour, helps the squash caramelize in the air fryer as it bakes and helps the seasonings better stick to the squash. I used avocado oil but you could use whatever oil you have on hand or prefer. Extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil are always great options.
- Parmesan Cheese: For flavour. Adds a sharp, rich bite to the dish. Totally optional but highly recommended.
- Parsley: Adds a herby freshness to the dish. Fresh chopped parsley is best for this recipe. You can also try it with other fresh herbs such as basil, oregano or thyme instead, if you prefer.
- Garlic Powder: For extra flavour. Goes great with the rest of the ingredients. However, it’s totally optional. You can switch it up and use any other spice combination you prefer. Italian seasoning, smoked paprika or thyme make great options.
- Salt/Pepper: For flavour! The spaghetti squash is quite bland without any seasoning so be generous and get it allll over!
HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI SQUASH IN THE AIR FRYER (KEY TIPS)
- Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the squash. These bad boys can be pretty toooough and using a sharp knife is the first step to ensuring nothing goes wrong. Try and cut them into as even halves as possible to ensure even cooking in the same about of time. EXTRA TIP: Put a cloth or dish rag underneath the squash to stop it from moving all over the place as you’re cutting into it.
- Scrape it out nice before oiling, seasoning and air frying. Obviously, remove all the seeds first (they make a great healthy snack) and then ensure that the stringy insides are also removed. They’ll crisp up in the air fryer if not. EXTRA NOTE: If you look at the photos in the recipe card down below (step 2), the squash should actually be cleaner than that with all those stringy fibers removed.
- Oil and season the spaghetti squash generously before air frying. The oil helps it caramelize and roast nicely in the air fryer while the seasonings provide the flavour. The squash is pretty bland on it’s own so you’re in charge of changing that!
- Keep an eye on the spaghetti squash in the last few minutes of air frying to ensure it doesn’t burn. It should take anywhere from 30-35 minutes to become soft and tender. However, all air fryers are different and yours might need more or less time depending. The size of the squash will also affect the cooking time. It’s done when you can easily pierce through it with a fork. OPTIONAL STEP: Pierce the outer skins of the spaghetti squash with a fork all over before air frying to help the process along.
- Use a fork to fluff the air fryer spaghetti squash interiors until they resemble spaghetti like strands. The fork will easily help you achieve this with not much work. Besides, it’s pretty fun to fluff it! EXTRA TIP: Let the spaghetti squash cool slightly before handling and trying to fluff the interiors with a fork. It’s hot directly out of the air fryer and you’ll burn yourself trying to keep it still while fluffing the insides at the same time.
- For a fun dinner, serve the spaghetti squash right in it’s skin! You can add whatever toppings or sauce you want directly to it and mix it altogether right in the “bowl!”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Any leftover spaghetti squash should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge. It’ll be good for up to 4 days. Simply reheat in the air fryer, oven or microwave until heated through when ready to eat again.
Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash goes great with so many things! Have it as a main meal with some homemade meat sauce or peanut sauce on top. Or serve it up as a side dish next to any of these comforting meals: oven baked chicken drumsticks, crockpot Italian wedding soup, instant pot pork ribs or hearty pumpkin chili.
This Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash is sooo easily customizable and can be made differently every single time! Some of my favourite ways to spice it up is melting some freshly grated mozzarella cheese on top, tossing a few spoonfuls of homemade sun-dried tomato pesto into the mix, mixing in some roasted veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower or serving it up as the noodle base for delicious dishes like this Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl or this Low FODMAP Beef and Broccoli.
AIR FRYER SPAGHETTI SQUASH
Spaghetti Squash made easy in the Air Fryer! A quick and satisfying Vegetarian meal or side dish that can be left plain or jazzed up with just about anything you have on hand.
Ingredients
- 1 Spaghetti Squash
- 2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
- Garlic Powder, to taste
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires preheating, do so now to 370°.
- Using a sharp chef's knife, carefully cut the ends off the spaghetti squash then cut it in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the stringy flesh and seeds (and save them for roasting!). Careful not to cut into the actual flesh of the squash (Honestly, mine should have been cleaner than what the photos show - that stringy part should all be taken out as well).
- Place the squash halves onto the baking sheet that came with the air fryer (or in the air fryer basket) flesh side up. Brush the flesh of the squash with the oil and season generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Air fry at 370° for 30-35 minutes or until the squash is soft, tender and can easily be pierced through with a fork. Allow to cool slightly.
- Using a fork, scrape the interiors of the squash until you get spaghetti like strands. Do this all over the insides of the squash until it's all fluffed out.
- Top with the parmesan, parsley and more salt and pepper, if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 218Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 326mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 7gSugar: 12gProtein: 5g
Nutrition is only an estimate and calculated using Nutritionix.
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