This Chicken Zucchini Casserole may become your favorite zucchini recipe. It's an easy low-carb recipe for busy weeknight dinners.
Chicken Zucchini Casserole
My son loves these types of one-pan dinners. They're delicious and full of veggies, like my chicken zucchini boats, zucchini casserole, and parmesan zucchini slices.
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Chicken Zucchini Casserole Ingredients
- Fresh zucchini, also called courgettes, is the main star ingredient and, in my opinion, the best veggie to pair with chicken.
- Garlic powder - The essential aromatic you can’t forget in almost every savory dish.
- Carrot - Adds a little pop of color, texture, and sweet taste, and it tastes superb in combination with chicken zucchini.
- Lean ground chicken - This can be substituted with skillet-browned and chopped skinless boneless chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken.
- Italian herbs - These herbs make a simple casserole taste fabulous! But they are not essential. If you don't have them, the casserole will still taste great with salt and pepper.
- Shredded cheese - Once done, top the bake generously with cheese! However, it's personal preference; you can also use only ¾ cups or less, depending on the size of your baking dish.
- Related: How To Store Zucchini
Zucchini has numerous health benefits and a soft, delicate texture. I love to use in stuffings, patties, fritters, muffins, cakes, and quick breads.
🥒 READ ALSO: 55 Best Zucchini Recipes
How To Make Chicken Zucchini Casserole Step By Step Photos
- Prep zucchini. In a medium bowl, grate the zucchini and add 1 teaspoon of salt, set aside for 10-15 min to drain off the excess water.
- Remove the excess water using a strainer and spoon or wrap the zucchini in a thin kitchen towel and squeeze tight to get rid of the water.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a 9x13 or slightly smaller baking dish, spray with cooking oil, and transfer the mixture into the dish.
- Mix the filling. Once done, gather all the ingredients (except cheese and sour cream) in a large mixing bowl and stir with a spatula or hands until combined.
- Add sour cream. Even out the top with a spatula and layer the sour cream.
- Bake the chicken zucchini casserole for 35 minutes.
- Add cheese and bake again. Remove from the oven and add the cheese; bake again for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve! Garnish with parsley, scallions, or bacon and freshly cracked black pepper.
For a complete meal, we like to serve it with plain cabbage salad, mashed potatoes, or tomato basil mozzarella salad.
🥒 Read also: 18 Types of Zucchini You Didn't Know About
Tips For The Best Chicken Zucchini Casserole
- Sour cream - Adjust the amount of sour cream based on your casserole dish size to cover the entire area as per the recipe. The sour cream is primarily for flavor, not to create a thick sauce, so add more if desired.
- This chicken casserole is made with lots of fresh veggies and ground chicken.
- The smaller the casserole dish, the thicker the chicken zucchini casserole will be. Oval baking dishes work well.
- Extra vegetables - carrots and zucchini add just the right amount of moisture to the casserole. Still, you can also add small amounts of sauteed mushrooms, chopped bell pepper, chopped broccoli florets, corn, peas, and marinated, drained artichoke hearts.
What To Serve With Chicken Zucchini Casserole
- Grains: lime cilantro rice, yellow rice, quinoa.
- Potatoes: fries, mashed potatoes, smashed potatoes.
- Bread: crusty garlic bread or garlic toast.
- Salads: light and quick (tomato onion salad, green goddess salad or Mediterranean cucumber salad).
Freezing And Storing Leftovers
- To Store. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
- To Reheat. When reheating, please return it to the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, optionally adding extra cheese, and bake for a few minutes until thoroughly warmed.
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?
Indeed, although it will change the recipe's nutritional content.
- To prepare it, remove and discard the skin, then meticulously separate the meat from the bones, discarding any cartilage.
- Use your hands to pull the chicken apart, dicing the chicken breasts and shredding the remaining meat. Leftover roast chicken can also be used as an alternative.
What to Do with Leftover Zucchini
- Make Zucchini Bread or Muffins - try my chocolate zucchini oatmeal muffins.
- Add to Soups and Stews: Chop it up and toss it into soups or stews.
- Create Zucchini Noodles: Use a spiralizer to make noodles.
- Stir-Fry: Add it to a vegetable stir-fry.
- Grill or Roast: Cook it as a side dish or make baked zucchini slices.
- Air fry: try crispy air fryer zucchini fries and breaded zucchini chips.
- Make Fritters: Mix with eggs, flour, and seasonings to make chicken fritters, or zucchini corn fritters.
- Freeze It: Chop or grate and freeze for later use.
Can You Freeze Grated Zucchini
YES, you can freeze-grated zucchini.
Put the grated zucchini in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, seal it tightly, label it with the date, and freeze it.
It's excellent for later use in recipes.
Favorite Zucchini Recipes
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Chicken Zucchini Casserole (With Ground Chicken)
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INGREDIENTS
- 11-12 ounce (300 g) ground chicken
- 1 medium egg
- 1 medium carrot , grated
- 1 pound zucchini , grated
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons sour cream, or more as needed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste + for zucchini
- 1 ½ cup Cheddar or Colby Jack Cheese
- 1 teaspoon of Italian herb spice, or a mix of dried oregano, garlic, thyme
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium bowl grate the zucchini and add 1 teaspoon of salt, set aside for 10-15 min to drain off the excess water.1 pound zucchini, ½ teaspoon salt or to taste + for zucchini
- Remove the excess water using a strainer and spoon or wrap the zucchini in a thin kitchen towel (or a special fabric is also available on amazon) and squeeze tight to get rid of the water.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Once done, gather all the ingredients (except cheese and sour cream) in a large mixing bowl and stir with a spatula or hands until combined.1 medium egg, 1 medium carrot, 1 medium yellow onion, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper, 1 teaspoon of Italian herb spice, 11-12 ounce (300 g) ground chicken
- Prepare a 9x13 or slightly smaller baking dish, spray with cooking oil, and transfer the mixture into the dish. Even out the top with a spatula and layer the sour cream on top.3-4 tablespoons sour cream
- Bake the chicken zucchini casserole for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the cheese, bake again for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.1 ½ cup Cheddar or Colby Jack Cheese
- Garnish with parsley, scallions, or bacon and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!
VIDEO
NOTES
- Flavor: Creamy, savory, and mildly tangy flavor profile with earthy notes from zucchini and carrots, all balanced by a delightful cheesy richness.
- To Store: I suggest storing any remaining casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it can be kept fresh for 3 to 4 days. When it's time to reheat, simply place it back in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, optionally adding a bit more cheese, and bake for a few minutes until it's thoroughly warmed.
- To Make Ahead: You have the option to prepare this entire chicken zucchini casserole a day in advance and refrigerate it for reheating later. Alternatively, you can choose to assemble its components separately.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Zucchini Casserole: Frequently Asked Questions
Peeling zucchini is generally unnecessary for baking, especially with fresh young zucchini.
The skin contains nutritional value so keeping it is recommended.
In this zucchini chicken casserole, grated zucchini with the skin on becomes tender during baking, enhancing the dish.
You don't have to salt the zucchini before cooking.
The quickest way is to grate it first, let it sit in a strainer for 10-20 minutes, then wrap it in a thin cloth or towel and squeeze the extra water.
Don't steam or boil the zucchini.
To remove extra water from cut or grated zucchini, wrap it in a piece of cloth and squeeze the water out.
Another way is to sauté the zucchini before cooking, which will also remove most of the extra water.
Yes, zucchini is technically a fruit because it comes from the plant's flower and contains seeds.
You can make many things with zucchini, such as zucchini bread, zucchini noodles, grilled zucchini, stuffed zucchini, and zucchini muffins.
Please read my post above for zucchini recipe inspiration.
Anne
My all time favorite zucchini recipe. I now mix together yellow summer squash and zucchini, so good
MHBMHB
Hi Julia- I could have missed this, but if you don't add the sour cream on top, can this casssrole be made ahead and frozen, then baked later with the sour cream?
Julia
yes that would work, but I recommend baking it within 1-2 days max.
Christine Young
My husband and I really enjoyed this. I used 1 lb chicken, 2 small eggs, and frozen peas and carrots (because I didn't have any fresh carrots). Added mushrooms and extra garlic. I cooked everything in skillet before baking and reduced baking time. This is a great recipe for stretching out a pound of chicken to feed family of 5.
Lilly
Can't find where to rate this so I'll have to piggyback on MHBMHB's comment. I love all the ingredients and I followed the recipe exactly but I didn't care for this dish. There was definitely something missing, perhaps a sauce that blends through and through. It wasn't terrible; I just wouldn't make it again. Sorry.
Alex J.
Sure, let me just whip up a Chicken Zucchini Casserole between finals. Julia, I barely have time to toast bread. Looks great though. Maybe if I start cooking now, I'll eat by graduation.
Stevi
Because I can't eat onions or garlic, I'm always looking for recipes that can get along without them. This one is a winner. I have made it several times and always freeze servings for later. I don't always have ground chicken, so have used shredded chicken breast and it's still amazing.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
glad you liked it, yes shredded chicken is fine too!
Samantha Ray
I made this Chicken Zucchini Casserole tonight, and it was a hit with the kids! So glad to find a recipe that sneaks in some veggies. Julia, you always have the best ideas for family-friendly meals. Can't wait to try this with ground turkey next time!
Julia
thank you Samantha for your comment, it made my day!
Linda T
This was delicious! Great combination and easy ingredients. Was short on time so cooked it stovetop before finishing in oven. Seasoned and browned the chicken and when it was about 2/3 done added rest of ingredients except zucchini (which was still draining). Added zucchini in last few minutes, seasoned a bit with S, P, thyme, garlic and onion powder. Put it all in an oiled casserole dish, didn't use egg, spread about 2 TB sour cream on top then finished with shredded mixed cheddar and parmesan. Used about 3/4 cup cheese total just to cut down. Baked 12 minutes at 400 then broiled for a few more. Let it sit about 5 minutes to come together. So yummy and family says this is a keeper!! Only problem was we ate it so fast we were still hungry 🙂 Next time I'll make a salad and maybe potatoes with it. Thank you for this great recipe!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you so much for sharing Linda!
Mattie
My first time ever cooking with ground chicken and I really loved this recipe. I followed the directions as written and like someone else’s comment I drained the grease off of it before I added the cheese to the top. Will be making the recipe often and may add zucchini and squash a few times.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Mattie!
Kelly
This dish is amazing. My mom and I fought over the last piece. I'm going to double the recipe next time. I served it with a kale salad.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Hi! Kelly, you are amazing! Glad you liked it and kale salad sounds perfect for this kind of casserole.
Marlene Wyzynski
When I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it! I’m in the process of losing weight and thought that most of the ingredients were on the healthy side. (The sour cream and cheese make the dish a step above!) I used light sour cream in this dish and believe it would have set up better with full-fat sour cream since it was a little bit watery on top after 35 minutes in the oven. Once I put two cups of my shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top of it, it turned out wonderful! (I used a 9” X 13” casserole dish.) I will be making this again in the future! Thanks for an easy-to-make, yet very tasty, recipe, Julia!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Marlene for sharing, the top being watery could be the sour cream but might be the zucchini as well (not every zucchini will have the same texture).
Marlene Wyzynski
You’re welcome, Julia! I also thought the top being watery may have been the zucchini, if not the light sour cream. I’m making this dish again this evening! Love it!
CD
what temp do you bake on? it doesn't say.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
400 F
Rhonda
I’m making this tonight. The picture of the bowl with the raw ingredients looks like it has one or two eggs in it but the recipe doesn’t mention them. Do I add eggs or not? Thanks!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
yes Rhonda, we add 1 egg, please see the instructions in the post: ''Once done, gather all the ingredients (except cheese and sour cream) in a large mixing bowl and stir with a spatula or hands until combined.''
Tara gilson
Oh my goodness, I found this recipe wanting to figure out another way to use the zucchini from the garden. It was so delicious! I made as posted, no changes..Thank You!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you so much Tara!
molly
so delicious!! loved this! thank you! has anyone tried yellow squash in this. im trying to use up some yellows, but not sure if they would produce too much water even with sitting with salt
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you so much, let me know if you try this with yellow squash!