Quick and Easy Zucchini Noodles with Chicken and White Beans (One Skillet Dinner)
Zucchini noodles with chicken and white beans is a one-skillet dinner made with ground chicken, white beans, garlic, juicy cherry tomatoes, and zucchini noodles. It’s a fresh meal that’s satisfying, thanks to the white beans, while the white wine and lemon add a bright, fresh flavor that ties everything together.
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Recipe Highlights
- A fresh, satisfying dinner in one skillet. Ground chicken, white beans, tomatoes, garlic, and zucchini noodles come together in about 30 minutes.
- Real food, simple ingredients. Everything cooks in one pan with pantry staples and fresh vegetables.
- Bright Mediterranean-inspired flavor. White wine, lemon, garlic, basil, and oregano add plenty of flavor without a heavy sauce.
- Easy to make your own. Swap the protein, beans, vegetables, or serve the skillet mixture over pasta, rice, or quinoa instead of zoodles.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground chicken: I like lean ground chicken because it cooks quickly and soaks up the garlic, herbs, and lemon. Ground turkey or Italian chicken sausage are great substitutes.
- White beans: Cannellini or great northern beans both work well. They add texture and make this skillet dinner hearty enough to be a complete meal.
- Zucchini noodles: Fresh spiralized zucchini has the best texture. Stir it in at the end of cooking so it stays tender-crisp instead of becoming watery.
- Cherry tomatoes: As they cook, the tomatoes soften and create a light sauce. Grape tomatoes work just as well.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds the best flavor. If you’re short on time, jarred minced garlic can be used instead.
- White wine: A dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio adds brightness to the pan sauce. If you prefer not to cook with wine, substitute chicken broth.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice adds a fresh finish that balances the richness of the chicken and beans. Bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch.
- Fresh basil: Stir it in just before serving for the best flavor. If you don’t have fresh basil, use fresh parsley instead.
How to Make Zucchini Noodles with Chicken
Prepare the ingredients: If you’re using a whole zucchini, give it a good rinse, pat it dry, and spiralize it into noodles using a spiralizer. (Or save time with pre-spiralized zoodles.)
Next, chop the garlic and herbs, slice the tomatoes in half, and measure out the wine and lemon juice so everything’s ready to go when you start cooking.
STEP 1: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat; add the garlic and ground chicken. Cook until the chicken is cooked through.
STEP 2: Reduce the heat to medium heat and stir in the tomatoes and beans, and add the white wine.
STEP 3: Stir in the zucchini noodles and lemon juice; cook for 5 minutes.
STEP 4: Add fresh herbs and serve.
Pro-Tips
- Zucchini contains a lot of water. After spiralizing them, wrap them in a clean towel or paper towel and squeeze them to remove the excess moisture.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, which can lead to uneven cooking and excess moisture.
- Don’t cook the zoodles until just before serving.
Zucchini is a versatile vegetable easy to sneak into everyday dishes thanks to its bland flavor. It’s been hiding in my beef tacos for years without anyone noticing it.
Storing and Using Leftovers
Store leftover zucchini noodles with chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for three days. Please note that the leftover zoodles will have a different texture after being stored in the refrigerator.
Reheat leftovers on top of the stove over low heat.
Serving Suggestions
Even though ground chicken with zucchini noodles is a filling meal, you can serve it garnished with sea salt, black pepper and fresh parmesan cheese and a zesty arugula salad, chopped Greek salad, or kale caesar salad on the side.
Make it Your Way
This recipe is built on a simple skillet dinner formula that I often use when making a quick dinner: protein + beans + vegetables + a flavorful pan sauce. This “formula” makes it easy to make dinner with what you have on hand. Here are some ways to change this recipe up.
Change the protein: Swap the ground chicken for ground turkey, Italian chicken sausage, cooked shredded chicken, or shrimp. For a meatless version, use an extra can of beans or crumbled tempeh.
Switch the beans (or leave them out): Cannellini beans, great northern beans, chickpeas, or butter beans all work well in this recipe.
Use different vegetables: Replace the zucchini noodles with yellow squash noodles, butternut squash or beet noodles, stir in a few handfuls of spinach or kale, or add sliced mushrooms while the chicken cooks.
Adjust the flavor: Add a spoonful of pesto at the end, sprinkle in crushed red pepper flakes for a little heat, or stir in chopped olives and finish with crumbled feta for a Mediterranean twist.
No zoodles? Serve the chicken and bean mixture over cooked pasta, rice, or quinoa instead.
Dinner Builder Tip: Think of this recipe as a flexible skillet dinner rather than one you have to follow exactly. Mix and match the protein, beans, vegetables, and finishing flavors based on what’s already in your kitchen. For more ideas, check out my free skillet dinner builder.
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Zucchini Noodles With Chicken and White Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini squash medium
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound ground chicken breast
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1- pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 cup [white beans]
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Instructions
- Use a spiralizer to spiralize 3 zucchini squash and pat the zoodles dry. Set aside (or skip this step and buy pre-spiralized zucchini noodles)
- Mince 4 cloves garlic and chop the 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium heat – add the garlic and cook it until it begins to soften, add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes
- Mix in 1- pint cherry or grape tomatoes 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth; reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes longer.
- Stir in the fresh basil, oregano and zucchini noodles toss until heated through – approximately 3 minutes
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese,sea salt and black pepper- optional
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
Zucchini Noodles with Ground Chicken FAQs
Yes! Store-bought zucchini noodles are a great time-saver. Add them to the skillet during the last few minutes of cooking so they stay tender-crisp instead of becoming overcooked.
Zucchini naturally releases moisture as it cooks. For the best texture, add the zucchini noodles to the skillet at the end of cooking and cook them just until they’re heated through. Avoid overcooking them, or they’ll become soft and watery.
I don’t recommend freezing the finished dish because zucchini noodles become soft after thawing. If you’d like to freeze part of the recipe, freeze the cooked chicken and white bean mixture without the zucchini noodles. When you’re ready to serve it, thaw, reheat, and stir in fresh zucchini noodles.
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