Zucchini season has a way of getting out of hand. You plant two plants in May and by August you are quietly leaving bags of it on other people's porches. Chicken is what saves me, because it turns all that zucchini into an actual dinner instead of one more side dish nobody asked for.
These are the chicken and zucchini recipes I make on repeat, grouped by how you feel like cooking. Stuffed boats and casseroles when you want something that looks like you tried, skillets and zucchini noodles when you want dinner in 20 minutes.
One thing before you start: salt your zucchini and let it sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze it out. It is mostly water, and that water is what turns a good dish soggy.
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Chicken and Zucchini Dinners
These are the four I come back to every summer. The boats and the casserole are the ones I make when people are coming over, the fritters are what happens when I have grated zucchini sitting in a colander and 20 minutes to feed everyone.
Stuffed Zucchini Boats (with Creamy Chicken)
Chicken Zucchini Casserole (With Ground Chicken)
20-Minute Tender Chicken Zucchini Fritters
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats (Air Fryer or Oven)
Ground Turkey and Zucchini Recipes
Ground turkey and zucchini work exactly the same way, and honestly nobody at my table can tell which one I used. Both of these are weeknight food, nothing fancy, on the table fast.
Ground Turkey Zucchini Skillet
Turkey Zucchini Patties
More Chicken and Zucchini Recipes I Love
A few more from other cooks I trust, for when you want a different shape of the same idea. Skillets, sheet pans, zucchini noodles and a soup, so there is something here whatever the weather is doing.
Easy Chicken and Zucchini Skillet Dinner
Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini
Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, Spinach and Parmesan
Chicken Soup With Zucchini Noodles
Thai Chicken With Zucchini Noodles
One Pot Chicken Ratatouille
My Best Tips for Cooking Chicken and Zucchini
Zucchini is easy to cook and even easier to ruin. Almost every complaint I get about these recipes comes down to one of the things below.
- Salt it and squeeze it: Grated or spiralized zucchini needs 10 minutes in a colander with a good pinch of salt, then a real squeeze in a clean towel. You will be shocked how much water comes out. Skip this and your fritters fall apart and your casserole goes watery in the middle.
- Add the zucchini last: It only needs a few minutes. In a skillet I cook the chicken first, take it out, then give the zucchini 3 or 4 minutes on high heat so it browns instead of steaming. Everything goes back in the pan at the end.
- Do not crowd the pan: Zucchini releases water as it cooks, and a full pan traps it. Cook it in two batches if you have to. One layer, hot pan, and leave it alone for a minute before you stir.
- Ground chicken needs more seasoning than you think: It is much milder than beef, so be generous with garlic, onion and salt. I usually add a little parmesan too, it does the salty savory job without tasting cheesy.
- Pick the right size zucchini: Medium ones, about 7 or 8 inches, have the best texture and the fewest seeds. The giant ones from the garden are watery and spongy in the middle, so save those for grating into fritters and breads.
Chicken and Zucchini FAQs
What goes well with chicken and zucchini?
Rice, orzo or crusty bread if you want it filling, and a simple tomato or cucumber salad if you do not. Lemon, garlic, parmesan and fresh basil all belong here. For something heartier, mashed potatoes underneath a saucy skillet is never a bad call.
How do you keep zucchini from getting watery?
Salt it and let it drain before it goes anywhere near the pan, then cook it hot and fast rather than low and slow. For casseroles and boats, roast or pan sear the zucchini for a few minutes first so it gives up its water before it gets buried in sauce.
Can you cook chicken and zucchini in the same pan?
Yes, just not at the same time. Chicken takes 8 to 10 minutes and zucchini takes 3 or 4, so cook the chicken first, set it aside, then use the same pan for the zucchini and combine them at the end. You keep all the browned bits and still only wash one pan.
Is chicken and zucchini a healthy dinner?
It is about as straightforward as dinner gets: lean protein plus a vegetable that is mostly water and fiber. Most of these come in high on protein and low on calories. What changes that is what you add, so go easy on the cream and cheese if that matters to you.
Can I freeze these recipes?
The patties, fritters and meat sauces freeze well, up to 3 months. Anything with whole zucchini pieces in it, like the boats, does not. Zucchini holds so much water that it turns soft and spongy once it thaws, so make those fresh.
Zucchini Chicken Recipes
Pick one from the top of the list, buy more zucchini than you think you need, and you will have a summer dinner rotation sorted. When the zucchini really will not stop, my full zucchini recipes collection has 55 more ideas, and my 30 minute meals are where I go on the nights I have nothing left to give.
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