Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash is roasted to perfection for a healthy low-carb dinner option.
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You might be wondering, “can you make spaghetti squash in the air fryer?” Well, the answer is yes! It cooks up to a nice roasted top and cooks faster than when baked in the oven.
Spaghetti squash is a fun and healthy way to get more vegetables into your diet. Dubbed the vegetable spaghetti (although a fruit), it’s an easy dinner entrée or even side dish idea.
You can serve them under Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Shrimp or alongside Air Fryer Steak for a full air fryer meal.
In this post I will go over:
- How to choose the best spaghetti squash
- How to prepare and make spaghetti squash halves
- How to store uncooked and cooked spaghetti squash
- How to reheat spaghetti squash in the air fryer
- How to cook whole spaghetti squash in the air fryer
I made this recipe using the 5.8 QT Cosori Air Fryer. Its square basket makes it the perfect size for our family of 4.
How to Prepare the Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash can be a tough food to cut. Follow these directions to safely cut open the vegetable, that’s technically a fruit:
Use a sharp chef’s knife. Using a large and sharp knife will make everything easier to cut. It also makes cutting spaghetti squash safer as you’re not trying so hard and moving it around.
I use the Victorinox Chef’s Knife as it’s budget-friendly and does a great job cutting through everything I cook.
First, cut the ends off the squash. This includes the stem and the bottom. Both sides have a hard spot that makes it tougher to cut through and removing them will make the big cut easier.
Cut the spaghetti squash down the middle lengthwise.
Remove the seeds and stringy pieces. I like to use a melon baller.
How to Make Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees.
STEP TWO: Place the spaghetti squash in the air fryer cut side up and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. You can baste the top with a little oil if desired, but it’s not needed.
STEP THREE: Carefully remove the spaghetti squash from the air fryer, comb out the strands using a fork, and season with salt and pepper.
STEP FOUR: Grate some Parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.
An air fryer is great for making vegetables. Try out these other easy air fryer vegetable recipes!
What if My Spaghetti Squash Doesn’t Fit?
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you have two options for cooking air fryer spaghetti squash.
- Cut the sides of the spaghetti squash down so they can fit snugly in the basket. I use this method when cooking in my 5.8QT Cosori air fryer. Just a little shaved off both spaghetti squash halves make them fit perfectly.
- Cook just one half of the spaghetti squash. Store the other half in a sealed Ziploc bag and cook within 3 days.
How to Choose the Best Spaghetti Squash
- Find a firm spaghetti squash with no soft spots
- Look for one that will fit your air fryer. This means no picking the biggest one you can find. Those don’t taste the best anyway
- Find a spaghetti squash all yellow in color. Any green on the squash means it’s not ripe
- Avoid ones with cracks or blemishes on them
- Look for one with the stem attached
How to Store Spaghetti Squash
Before Cooking, Whole
In a cool dry place for up to 3 months
Before Cooking, Cut in Half
In the refrigerator covered in plastic wrap or sealed in a Ziploc bag for 3 days
After Cooked
In the refrigerator wrapped in plastic or a sealed container for 3 to 5 days. Spaghetti squash should be refrigerated within 2 hours of being cooked.
How to Reheat Spaghetti Squash in the Air Fryer
You can reheat spaghetti squash in the air fryer whether it’s in the actual squash still or just the actual strands!
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Place the spaghetti squash halves OR spaghetti squash strands into the air fryer. Feel free to use something like this silicone basket I have that works wonders to keep the mess at a minimum.
- Cook the spaghetti squash for 3 to 4 minutes (2 to 3 minutes for just the strands). Remove from the air fryer and enjoy!
How to Cook a Whole Spaghetti Squash in the Air Fryer
This technique only works if you have a smaller spaghetti squash or a larger/taller air fryer oven.
I’ve tried cooking this in a basket air fryer and no matter how small of a spaghetti squash I bought, it was always impossible to close the air fryer. And if it did close, it was about 1/4 inch from the heat source.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Poke holes into the spaghetti squash
- Place the whole spaghetti squash in the air fryer and cook for about 40 minutes, until the spaghetti squash can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Carefully remove the squash from the air fryer and let sit for a few minutes.
- Using an oven mitt to hold onto the squash, carefully slice the spaghetti squash either lengthwise or widthwise (widthwise will result in longer spaghetti strands!).
- Season the squash then serve!
Other Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love:
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Air Fryer Summer Squash
- Air Fryer Bone-In Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Acorn Squash
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
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Air Fryer Weight Watcher Points per serving: 2
Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash is roasted in the air fryer and topped with parmesan cheese for a simple vegetable side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees.
- Cut the ends off of the spaghetti squash and slice it in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon or melon baller.
- Place the spaghetti squash in the air fryer side by side, cutting the long sides down if needed slightly to fit.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes then remove the spaghetti squash from the air fryer.
- Season with salt and pepper and comb down the sides of the squash to create spaghetti-like strands. Add in Parmesan cheese and mix.
- Enjoy!
Notes
How to Reheat Spaghetti Squash in the Air Fryer:
1. Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
2. Place the leftover spaghetti squash halve in the air fryer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes (2 to 3 minutes for just the strands).
3. Remove from the air fryer and enjoy!
How to Cook A Whole Spaghetti Squash in the Air Fryer:*
*This will only work for larger air fryers and preferably only air fryer ovens
1. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
2. Poke holes into the spaghetti squash and cook for about 40 minutes, until it can be easily pierced by a fork.
3. Remove from the air fryer and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 117Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 342mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 5g
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Ooh great idea. This sounds delicious.
Great tip about the mellon baller – works so much better than the spoon I usually use!
Yes! Isn’t it so much easier and faster?!