This creamy paleo chicken Alfredo is packed with flavor, quick to throw together and great for weeknights! Tossed with perfectly “al dente” spaghetti squash, this meal is gluten free, dairy-free, low carb and Whole30 compliant.
Is there anything better than a creamy “cheesy” (but no cheese!) sauce?! I’ve come to love making cheesy dairy free sauces with cashews.
Trust me – it took awhile for me to warm up to the idea of cashews creating deliciously creamy sauces – but hey – it works!
Whether it’s for my chicken burrito casserole, roasted garlic chicken pizza, or bacon cheeseburger casserole, there’s really no better way to create a paleo and Whole30 friendly sauce that tastes shockingly like it’s loaded with dairy.
Enter today’s Paleo spaghetti squash chicken Alfredo! It’s simple and quick with just the touch of a button on your blender. The chicken is juicy and flavorful and the spaghetti squash is cooked just right (not mushy!)
What You Need to Make Paleo Chicken Alfredo
The Alfredo sauce is cashew based sauce that’s super creamy and perfect tossed with spaghetti squash. I used unflavored, unsweetened almond milk for this recipe because I thought coconut milk would overpower the flavor a bit. You can use whichever one you prefer or have on hand. Here’s what you’ll need for the recipe:
- Raw cashews
- almond milk or coconut milk, unsweetened
- garlic
- lemon juice
- nutritional yeast
- 1 med/large spaghetti squash
- Avocado oil or avocado oil spray
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- dried oregano
- dried basil
- Fresh Basil or parsley for garnish
How to Make Paleo and Whole30 Chicken Alfredo
Make the Cashew Alfredo Sauce first. In a high-speed blender (I used a VItamix), combine all ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Sauce should be warm by the end of blending, if not, transfer it to a saucepan to heat before serving.
For the Spaghetti Squash and Chicken, roast your squash first. See tips below (and the recipe box!) for the best way to do this.
Meanwhile, season the chicken thighs generously on both sides with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the oregano and basil all over. Heat oil or ghee over medium-high heat and add chicken to the skillet. Cook 5-6 minutes on each side, lowering the heat to medium to avoid burning the outside, if necessary.
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from pan to a cutting board and let it sit a few minutes. Slice it into strips or bite size pieces using a sharp knife.
Use a fork to scrape the “spaghetti” strands from the squash and place in a serving bowl. Top with the Alfredo sauce and chicken, then garnish with basil and/or parsley as desired.
How to Roast Spaghetti Squash for Paleo Chicken Alfredo
I prefer my squash “al dente” which means that overcooking it is just about the worst thing ever! Therefore, I like to undercook it just a touch since it tends to continue to soften after coming out of the oven.
Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the squash in half lengthwise (it roasts faster!) and scoop out the seeds and strings. Spray the inside of the squash with avocado oil spray or brush with oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
Place squash face down on the baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, depending on size and preference for softness. You can press down gently on the back of the squash to see if it’s tender. Once it’s just a little bit tender, remove it from the oven and wait until it’s cool enough to handle before proceeding.
I hope you’re ready for a delicious way to enjoy spaghetti squash – with the most delicious creamy Alfredo sauce that just happens not to contain any dairy. You’ll love it, I’m sure – grab everything you need and let’s go!
Paleo Chicken Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash {Whole30}
Paleo Chicken Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash {Whole30}
Ingredients
Cashew Alfredo sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups cashews no need to soak
- 1 cup almond milk
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp Dried basil optional
Spaghetti Squash and chicken:
- 1 med/large spaghetti squash
- Avocado oil or avocado oil spray
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1 1/2 lbs Boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil or ghee
- Fresh Basil or parsley for garnish
Instructions
Cashew Alfredo Sauce:
- In a high-speed blender (I used a VItamix), combine all ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Sauce should be warm by the end of blending, if not, transfer it to a saucepan to heat before serving.
Spaghetti Squash and Chicken:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Spray the inside of the squash with avocado oil spray or brush with oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
- Place squash face down on the baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, depending on size and preference for softness. I prefer my squash al dente and roast for about 22 minutes. You can press down gently on the back of the squash to see if it’s tender.
- Meanwhile, season the chicken thighs generously on both sides with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the oregano and basil all over.
- Heat oil or ghee over medium-high heat and add chicken to pan.
- Cook 5-6 minutes on each side, lowering the heat to medium to avoid burning the outside, if necessary.
- Once chicken is cooked through, remove from pan to a cutting board and let it sit a few minutes. Slice it into strips or bite size pieces using a sharp knife.
- Use a fork to scrape the “spaghetti” strands from the squash and place in a serving bowl. Top with the Alfredo sauce and chicken, then garnish with basil and/or parsley as desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Want More Paleo and Whole30 Dinner Recipes? Try One of These!
Chicken Pesto Spaghetti Squash
Chicken Spinach Artichoke Spaghetti Squash Boats
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What can I use instead of spaghetti squash? We don’t have that here. Thanks!
I made this tonight and it was delicious!!I had planned on making the Instant Pot chili, but had an evening that was surprisingly quiet for kids’ activities and had some extra time for dinner. I am still getting the hang of cooking spaghetti squash (I always second guess myself and end up overcooking), but it was still good.
I made this sauce tonight, for my husband and myself. I put it on gluten-free pasta and sliced chicken breast. He loved it, as did I. It is important to me that my husband likes what I serve and he thought this was better than the dairy choice. It’s a win. Thank you so much!
What can I use instead of spaghetti squash? We don’t have that here. Thanks!
This recipe was absolutely amazing! It was so easy to make and the flavor was delicious. I did dice the chicken ahead of time and cooked it like that and added some broccoli while cooking the chicken to add some greens. This is a new family favorite, thank you for sharing.
This was delicious. I had to change up a little as I did not have nutritional yeast and am allergic to chicken. So had turkey thigh meat one time and the next time I used ground turkey cooked with onions and garlic. This sauce is good on veggies as well. Can’t wait to try with yeast when I can get it.
Is there anything I can substitute Cashews with? I unfortunately have an allergy 🙁
This dish was amazing! It tastes just like normal Alfredo, whole family loved it!
I’ve never had the nerve to try spaghetti squash… Maybe it’s because I love pasta so much?
Can you freeze the sauce and save it?
Are almond milk and coconut milk the only milks recommended due to the consistency of the sauce they would create? I have original, unsweetened Ripple milk on hand. Do you think that would create the desired consistency of sauce as well?
This is a great meal that takes very little time to prepare. The food is very delicious and rich in nutrients.
We had this for dinner, it’s so good!
This was really good! I was nervous about the cashews actually making a sauce but OMG it was delicious! My whole family enjoyed it including my 6 year old. Thank you for a delicious recipe
So delicious and the whole family loved it! The kids even had seconds too!!
I did make this which was super good!! Only thing is I thought the sauce was too thick. Is that from the nutritional yeast? Also are you able to use coconut milk instead of almond milk?
Loved this recipe
I cannot get enough of this dish. I have made it for regular noodles and spaghetti squash it is perfect with both. I always add a little more garlic to every recipe, but other than that, its perfect. I have made it 3 more times since first discovering it. I honestly think I might like it more than regular alfredo sauce!
This was so good!! Needed some great comfort food tonight and this hit the spot. Saving this recipe!
I want to try this but I am concerned my Ninja won’t make the cashews smooth. Any tips? I recall having issues making a soup with cashews, but I think that was using an immersion blender.
Any substitute recs for cashews? We have a tree nut allergy in our house.
Fantastic recipe! Tastes like authentic alfredo.
This does not taste like any decent Alfredo sauce available. I used store bought almond milk and the “Alfredo” is MUCH thicker than shown in the photo and had to be diluted further. The raw garlic is way too potent and the sauce just tastes like a tangy lemon and garlic sauce. I don’t understand how this recipe could receive such high reviews.
Really good taste and easy to make. My 5 year old helped. I used roasted chicken from the store as a shortcut.