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Spaghetti Squash and Pork Stir Fry is a fast and easy low carb dinner with minimal prep. It is a twist on a Szechuan classic noodle dish “Ants Climbing a Tree”, but uses spaghetti squash instead of noodles!
This recipe was originally published 9/22/2015. It was updated with new photos on 12/11/2017.
This Spaghetti Squash and Pork Stir Fry is one of my favorite high protein and low carb easy dinners. Mr. Briar maintains that this dish is the very best use of spaghetti squash ever, and that it is the only way he wants to eat spaghetti squash from now on. He pretends that he isn’t a fan of spaghetti squash, but he never complains when I make it for dinner, which is almost once a week. I love spaghetti squash, and I don’t care who knows it.
I feel like most people are on the spaghetti squash bandwagon by now, but if you aren’t, I will share my favorite way to prepare it. Ready? Microwave. I know. It seems anti-foodie to cook ANYTHING in a microwave, but Alton Brown said it was OK, and there are very few things that Alton and I disagree on when it comes to cooking. I started using the microwave to cook my spaghetti squash when I lived in Arizona and I did anything and everything to avoid turning on my oven for 9 months out of the year. I continue to cook it this way because it is so much faster than the oven, and I rarely want to spend an hour waiting for my spaghetti squash to be done.
This dish takes about half an hour to prepare, so it is a great meal for a busy night. Actually, the longest part of the process is hands off. Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and cornstarch, then add the meat and mix so it is combined. Then let the meat sit for half an hour. This process allows the meat to be broken into tiny pieces so it clings to the “noodle”, giving the right texture to the dish. Also, this is the seasoning for the whole thing.
Spaghetti Squash and Pork Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash about 6 cups prepared
- 10 ounces ground pork*
- 2 ounces low sodium soy sauce**
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 green onions chopped
- ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and cornstarch until smooth. Add the ground pork and mix together until incorporated. Allow to sit for half an hour.
- While meat is marinating, prepare spaghetti squash. Cut ends off of squash and then split in half. Scoop out seeds and "innards", then place squash in a microwave safe dish, cut side up. Microwave for 12-20 minutes, until done. Squash is done when skin can easily be pierced with a knife and flesh easily shreds with a fork.
- After allowing the squash to cool for a few minutes, use a fork to shred the flesh into "noodles". Drain in a colander lined with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat, then add the oil.
- When pan and oil are hot, add the pork and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, breaking the meat into smaller pieces.
- Add ⅔ of the green onions to the pork, then continue to cook until the meat is well browned, about 2 more minutes.
- Lower heat to medium high and add the broth. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, until broth is reduced.
- Add handfuls of the spaghetti squash noodles, stirring as you go to combine.
- Top with the rest of the green onions and serve.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Adapted from Alton Brown
Good pass recipe. I first left out the chicken stock entirely- I wanted a stronger asian flavor. Also left out cornstarch – 1 TSP is not going to do much.
To cut down on prep time I did not combine the sauce and pork to let it sit & still got amazing flavor. I heated the pan with sesame oil, ginger (1TSP) and garlic (3 TSP) to sauté sautéed the pork then once all cooked, I added the sauce. Then added the roasted squash (roasting gave it as deeper flavor profile)
I was looking for a spaghetti squash recipe that didn’t treat it like pasta, and yours was a great choice.
I added a little sesame oil to the squash while it was cooling and draining to give it better definition to the strands and to start getting it in the right flavor family.
It also froze and reheated well. There was, of course, extra water that separated out, but it maintained a good flavor and texture after draining.
So glad you enjoyed it Livia! That’s great to know it freezes well.
This looks so yummy!
Love this dish!! I can’t wait to try it!!!
This is so pretty!
Thanks Lindsay!
I made this Friday night and it was great! When I went grocery shopping last week I thought I had determined which squash had the softest skin, but I quickly figured out last night that wasn’t the case. More research needed. Ground dark turkey meat was a good substitute for the pork.
I was thinking of making the squash ahead of time and even freezing it so it’s ready when I need it. Any experience freezing spaghetti squash?
Oh I’m really glad to hear you liked it! Yes, spaghetti squash can be a pain sometimes, and it is really hard to tell until you start cutting it. You can also score it and put it in the microwave for 5 minutes and then it should be easier to cut (I’ve never done that, it is a tip I recently read). I have never frozen spaghetti squash so I’m not sure how it would work. It might be worth a shot. I do worry that it might become mushy, so I would try to drain as much water as possible out of it before freezing. My BFF has successfully frozen zoodles, so it just might work? If you try it be sure to let us know how it goes!
THIS LOOKS VERY GOOD – I’VE USED SPAGHETTI SQUASH BEFORE WHILE COOKING I LIKED IT AND IT WAS EASY. I THING I CUT IT IN HALF AND BOILED IT!
I don’t know how I missed this comment before! Thank you – boiling is also another great way to make Spaghetti Squash! It is so versatile.
This sounds like a keeper! I do usually roast my various squash in oven at 350* for approx an hour, then cut & clean. I’ve never had success cutting them before cooking. Of course, if, like you, I was learning about this in 110* temps in Arizona, I’m sure I, too, would have preferred the microwave method! LOL! I’m getting a visual on
Exploding spaghetti-squash in my microwave!!
NNOOO! ?!
Thank you for such clear directions on a meal that sounds delectable!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It will work just as well if you roast the squash, just will take longer 🙂 Let us know how it turns out!
Im so glad to read this description and recipe. I have attempted spaghetti squash in the past and really had difficulty cutting and cooking it. Figured I was doing something wrong. Evidently not! Going to try this over the weekend. Will let you know!
I can’t wait to hear how it turns out! I’m glad the spaghetti squash directions were helpful – it is one of my favorite thing! 🙂