Chicken Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe

Creamy Sundried Tomato + Parmesan Chicken Zoodles in a pan

4.83 from 35 votes

Chicken Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe

Creamy low carb Zucchini Spaghetti with golden chicken, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and Parmesan. The zoodles are folded through the sauce right at the end so they stay tender without turning soft or watery.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, low carb, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: cheesy, Chicken, Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken Zoodles, Creamy Sundried Tomato Sauce, one pot, quick, Spicy, zoodles

Servings: people

Author: Karina Carrel

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 lb skinless chicken thigh fillets cut into strips
4 oz fresh semi-dried tomato strips in oil chopped *See Notes
3.5 oz jarred sun dried tomatoes in oil chopped
4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
1 1/4 cup thickened cream reduced fat or full fat (or half and half)
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1 pinch salt to taste
1 teaspoon Dried basil seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Red chilli flakes adjust to taste
2 large Zucchini made into zoodles or summer squash, use a vegetable grater if you don't have a Zoodle grater

US - Metric

Instructions

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken strips, season with salt, and cook until golden on all sides and cooked through.
While the chicken cooks, spiralize the zucchini into long noodles. If you do not have a spiralizer, use a vegetable peeler to make wider ribbons.
Add the semi-dried tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and a little of the oil from the jar. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant.

You only need a short cook here. Let the tomatoes warm through and the garlic flavour the pan without letting the garlic brown too far.

Lower the heat and pour in the cream. Add the Parmesan and stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with the basil, chilli flakes, and salt to taste.

Check the sauce before adding the zucchini. It should already coat the chicken nicely. If it is too thick, loosen it with a small splash of warm cream or water. If it is too thin, give it a little more time before the zoodles go in.

Add the zucchini noodles and gently fold them through the sauce until evenly coated.
Cook just until the strands are tender and flexible but still holding their shape. Serve as soon as the zoodles reach the texture you like.

Zucchini continues to soften the longer it stays in the hot skillet. Once the noodles are tender enough to twirl, stop cooking rather than waiting for them to feel like regular pasta.

Notes

Storage and Reheating

Because this chicken spaghetti recipe uses fresh zucchini and a cream sauce, it is best eaten fresh, but you can absolutely save the leftovers. Just keep in mind that the zucchini will soften further in the fridge.

Fridge: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.
Reheating: Warm it gently on the stove over low heat. If the sauce looks too thick, stir in a splash of water or milk to loosen it up. Avoid the microwave if possible, as high heat can cause the cream sauce to split and turn the zucchini to mush.
Freezer: I do not recommend freezing this dish. Zucchini holds a lot of water, and it becomes completely soggy and watery when thawed.

Make Ahead

If you want to prep this in advance, do not assemble the whole dish. You can cook the chicken and make the cream base a day ahead, keeping them in the fridge. You can also spiralize the zucchini and store the strands in a paper towel-lined container. When you are ready for dinner, just reheat the sauce and chicken in a skillet, then fold in the raw zucchini spaghetti at the very end.

Happy cooking! Xx

If you notice your zucchini releasing too much water while you are tossing it in the sauce, immediately remove the pan from the heat and use tongs to transfer the chicken and noodles to your serving plates, leaving the excess liquid behind in the skillet.

Nutrition