Instant Pot spaghetti squash chicken alfredo is the first dish I tried out with my new Instant Pot. I have been wanting to purchase an Instant Pot forever! Realistically, forever really means about 6 months. I finally purchased one and I'm so glad I did. Let's start with what an Instant Pot is. It is a multi-cooker that does the job of a slow cooker, electric pressure cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, sauté/browning pan, and warming pot. It's a single appliance that does the job of seven different kitchen appliances or tools.
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The Instant Pot website says you can reduce your cooking time by 70% because of the following:
- 12 pre-programmed operation buttons (Rice, Multigrain rice, Congee/Porridge, Sauté/Browning, Soup, Poultry, Meat & Stew, Beans & Chili, Steaming and Slow Cook, Keep warm, and Yogurt).
- The pre-programmed buttons automate the cooking process. No more standing around watching and waiting for meals to cook.
- You can delay cooking (up to 24 hours) to plan ahead of time. You can use all of the pre-programmed operations, with the exception of saute' and yogurt.
I chose this recipe because I was originally introduced to the Instant Pot via a blog post I read about how to cook spaghetti squash quickly. I love spaghetti squash. It is a wonderful alternative to produce low-carb dishes. Spaghetti squash can be INTIMIDATING. It reminds of the anxiety I get slicing whole pineapple! Tastes so good, but is it worth all of the work? The better question is does it really require a ton of work, or am I psyching myself out here? Nonetheless, I have an Instant Pot now, which should make the process painless.
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Preparing spaghetti squash in the oven typically takes me 45 minutes. It took me 7 minutes in the Instant Pot!
It took 4 minutes in the pot to get these results.
I wouldn't describe the taste of spaghetti squash as a true pasta substitute. I do not view most veggie pasta (zucchini noodles, sweet potato noodles, etc.) alternatives in that way. For me, this is a delicious way to enjoy a standard pasta dish, without all of the carbs, and it still tastes GOOD.
Pair this dish with Instant Pot Southern Green Beans, Air Fryer Garlic Green Beans, or Air Fryer Asparagus.
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More Keto Alfredo Recipes
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Click here for a complete listing of Keto Low-Carb Recipes.
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash Chicken Alfredo
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I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
Ingredients
- 1 whole spaghetti squash
- 16 oz skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese softened
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups broccoli chopped
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ tablespoon butter softened
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups almond milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- McCormick's Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half, crosswise (not the long way).
- Scoop out the seeds and discard.
- Add 1 cup of water to the pot. Place the spaghetti squash halves in the instant pot, with the cut sides facing up.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
- After the 7 minutes, quick release the valve at the top of the pressure cooker to lower the pressure.
- Remove the lid and the squash. Poke the squash to ensure it's tender. Shred the squash with a fork to create "spaghetti."
- Pour out the excess water from the Instant Pot. Turn the pot on the saute' function.
- Season the chicken breast cubes with the seasonings.
- Add the olive oil to the pot. When the oil is warm add the chicken.
- Saute' both sides of the chicken until brown and cooked. (about 3-4 minutes each side) Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Deglaze the pot by adding the chicken broth. Scrub the brown bits from the chicken from the bottom of the pot. The brown spots and bits from the chicken are packed with flavor. You want to keep this!
- Add the almond milk, whipping cream, cream cheese, and butter to the pot. Stir until combined.
- Stir in the broccoli and parmesan cheese.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the broccoli is soft and the sauce begins to thicken. Add the flour to the pot and stir. This will thicken the sauce. (If you would like a thicker sauce, add an additional tablespoon of flour. This adds an additional 5 calories and 1G of carbs per serving).
- Add the chicken back to the pot. Mix well to combine.
- Add additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Serve the chicken and cream sauce over the spaghetti squash.
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Platter Talk says
These pictures are so inviting and recipe so healthy... I'd love to dive right in!!!
Suzy says
I don't own an instant pot, but now I want to!
staysnatched says
I just got mine Saturday. I'm looking forward to experimenting.
Sandi G says
This looks amazing. I have been wanting an Instapot forever.
staysnatched says
I finally took the dive!
Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy says
45 to 7 minutes is PRETTY impressive.... i guess I'm going to cave in and buy one myself!
staysnatched says
Absolutely! I was dragging my feet, but so happy I caved.
Rae says
I keep seeing everyone use an Instant Pot, I think I need one... One can never have too many kitchen gadgets, right??
staysnatched says
Exactly! Instant Pots are a huge trend right now. It took me 6 months to finally decide to get on board!
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says
I love spaghetti squash-- this looks like an amazing and healthy meal. I love that you are using almond milk for creaminess! I am lactose intolerant.
staysnatched says
Almond milk is so great. I'm glad it's available as a sub for those who are lactose intolerant.
Sarah says
I love any and all recipes that turn my favorite pasta dishes into healthier versions...but this one is made in the Instant Pot too! Ah! Sold! Can't wait to try this ASAP!
Kim @ Three Olives Branch says
Love the idea of using the Instant Pot for the spaghetti squash! Isn't that tool just amazing? And this dish looks so delicious, yum!
Hope says
Wow cooking the squash for 4 minutes is impressive! I need an Instant Pot! I love that you have used the spaghetti squash instead of pasta and turned it into a healthier meal 🙂
Raquel says
This recipe was delicious, but I really don’t feel like it saved me much time. It was a 2-step process and having to wait for my Instant Pot to come back up to temperature seemed to take awhile. I followed the directions to a tee and the sauce came out broken, which was a little disappointing.
That said, the dish is *really* tasty and having a way to make spaghetti squash in 7 minutes is pretty great!
staysnatched says
Hi there! Thanks for the feedback. For me, my Instant Pot saves me time because I don't have to babysit the stove while I cook. While it does take time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure with all Instant Pot recipes, I usually take that time to do other things, (i.e. laundry, catching up on emails, etc.) When you say the sauce was broken. What do you mean?
Raquel says
Hi!
When a sauce is broken, it means that whatever dairy products used separate and become grainy instead of forming a creamy emulsion. It usually happens when dairy is cooked at too high of a temperature. I'm not sure how to avoid it it a pressure cooker. Perhaps if I had used flour (recipe said optional), the emulsion would have held, but I'm trying to avoid gluten and extra carbs.
It is SO GOOD, THOUGH. I'll let you know if I can work my way around the broken sauce.
staysnatched says
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying the recipe. Definitely let me know what you find.
Dale says
I used arrowroot in place of the flour and it worked great!
Farah says
Hi this may be a silly question but when you say ‘add all ingredients’ in the last step, does that include the chicken and broccoli? If it does include the chicken, do you cut/shred the chicken first before putting it in the pot? I ask because that’s how the chicken is presented in the photo. Sorry I’m not a natural cook so I need realllllly specific instructions ????.
staysnatched says
Hi there! Yes, by add all of the ingredients I mean everything. I also mention that adding the spaghetti squash at this time is a matter of preference. The spaghetti squash has already been cooked, but if you would like the squash drenched in sauce add it here. You can choose to slice the chicken before or after this process. Both will work just fine and I have done it both ways.
CLW says
This was really good! Quick and easy since most of the ingredients were on hand. My family really enjoyed the dish.
staysnatched says
Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Mooseduck says
What size Instant Pot do you have? I'm having a hard time imagining a whole Spaghetti squash fitting in mine cut across the middle and it fitting cut side down in my instant pot.
staysnatched says
6 quart
Kathryn Fields says
The pictures are amazing, but I couldn't find the actual recipe anywhere! Please send me a lin,. Thanks.
staysnatched says
The recipe is above the comment section where you typed this comment.
Rhonda says
Can you use regular milk instead of almond milk?
staysnatched says
Yes.
Alexis Meskowski says
This was absolutely amazing and I have made it multiple times for my boyfriend and I. We are both in college and the InstantPot helps us to make healthy meals very quickly. This was one of the first recipes we tried and we will probably always come back to it. (:
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I hope you try more of my healthy Instant Pot recipes!
Debbie says
This was delicious! Always looking for low carb/low cal recipes. Instant pot is a life saver!
Kim says
How many servings is this Recipe?
staysnatched says
Hi there, servings are noted in the recipe card.
Anonymous says
Can you include the full nutrition information? It only gives calorie content
staysnatched says
Scroll to the top of the post. It's there.
JOSEPHINE CONER says
Although there were a lot of ingredients to make this recipe, I will make it again!
It was delicious and my spaghetti squash was perfectly pressure cooked, making that step of the recipe quick and easy,
staysnatched says
haha, glad you enjoyed it.
Julie Wilson Upton says
Brandi, This recipe is fabulous! Thank you for sharing. My very picky husband loved it. Love your blog and the low carb recipes that taste amazing:)
staysnatched says
That's so good to hear! I'm glad you both loved it!
meng says
Wonderful Blog.... Thanks for sharing with us...
staysnatched says
I hope you try the recipe!
Anonymous says
The ingredients read 3/4 tbsp of butter. Is that right?
staysnatched says
Yes.
Jovan says
My goodness this was AMAZING! I was skeptical because of how few calories this meal had, but I should've known better! Brandi is a wizard and knows how to bring out big flavors without compromising your waistline! Definitely a new favorite!! I topped mine with a little bit of fresh parsley I had hanging around but otherwise followed the recipe to a T (which seems rare for me).
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Alexus says
When you say cook the sauce and broccoli is that pressure cooked or sauté function for 2-3mins?
staysnatched says
I'm not sure what you mean. Follow the instructions in the recipe card.
nutrabursts says
Great recipe
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!