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Home » Dinners & Main Course » Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Zucchini Noodles

Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Zucchini Noodles

Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon Jessica Randhawa
August 29, 2022
4.80 from 100 votes


Last Updated August 29, 2022 | 14 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

17.0K shares
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Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Zucchini Noodles Pinterest Pin Image
Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Zucchini Noodles Pinterest Pin Image
Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Zucchini Noodles Pinterest Pin Image

Juicy and flavorful Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Zucchini Noodles ready in less than 25 minutes! Made in one pan, perfectly seasoned bite-size pieces of chicken are cooked in a mouthwatering garlic butter sauce and served with low-carb zucchini noodles for the perfect weeknight dinner.

Large skillet filled with cooked chicken bites and zucchini noodles in garlic and butter.

25-Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Bites

After updating my bruschetta chicken recipe a couple of months ago and sharing these (reader favorite) garlic butter steak bites with you guys, I thought it would be fun to combine a few of my favorite bits from each recipe to make these simple, easy, and delicious garlic butter chicken bites with zucchini noodles. Cooked in just one pan, this amazing chicken dinner will have the whole family asking for seconds!

Faster than roasting an entire chicken or baking chicken breasts, this super fast dinner takes just 20, maybe 30 minutes to prepare and cook. Tops.

The ingredients are simple and easy to modify, so if you don’t like something, simply leave it out or trade it for something that you do love! This recipe is low-carb, high in protein, and perfect for weekly meal prep.

Chicken Breasts, Chicken Thighs, or Ground Chicken?

To keep the overall cooking time short, I recommend using any of the following,

  1. Chicken breast – Chicken breast meat is recommended if you’re looking for the leanest, most protein-packed chicken option. Given the low overall fat content in chicken breast meat, you want to take extra care not to overcook the meat as it is prone to drying out.
  2. Chicken thighs – Naturally higher in fat, chicken thigh meat will ultimately result in juicier, more flavorful chunks of chicken.
  3. Ground chicken. While I have not tried this option personally, I suspect this would taste delicious. Probably the easiest option, ground chicken requires no chopping at all.
Overhead image of cooked chicken pieces cooked in butter and garlic and served with zucchini noodles with lemon.

How to cook Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Zoodles

1. Prepare the chicken: Chop the chicken into small, bite-size pieces. Coat the chicken in a little bit of olive oil and season with the Italian seasoning, garlic seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Meanwhile, mince the garlic, chop the fresh parsley, and spiralize the zucchini. Set aside.

2. Cook the chicken: Add the remaining olive oil and one tablespoon of butter to a large pan or skillet set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the chicken to the skillet in a single, non-overlapping layer. Cook on all sides until golden brown and fully cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with any remaining chicken.

3. Cook the zucchini noodles: Add the remaining three tablespoons of butter, minced garlic, parsley, and chicken broth to the same skillet set over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and the garlic to become fragrant before adding the zucchini noodles. Cook the zoodles until warm, about 2-3 minutes, gently tossing as needed.

4. Return the chicken and assemble: Return the cooked chicken pieces to the pan and cook until hot, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese, if desired. Garnish with fresh lemon juice.

Recipe Tips

  • For extra flavor, swap the chicken broth for a dry white wine.
  • Try this recipe with other veggies, including asparagus, green beans, or broccoli.
Garlic butter chicken bites garnished with parsley.

Serving Garlic Chicken Bites

Not in the mood for zucchini noodles? Try any of the following:

  • 10-Minute Garlic Bok Choy
  • Baked Mac and Cheese
  • Roasted Butternut Squash
  • Sauteed Zucchini
  • Easy Tomato Salad Recipe with Homemade Vinaigrette
  • Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower

Looking for more of that delicious buttery garlic sauce? Serve my garlic butter sauce on the side.

Storage and Leftovers

Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheating is possible on the stovetop, but I find it much easier to simply microwave leftovers at 30-second increments until hot.

Skillet and white bowl filled with zucchini noodles and garlic butter chicken bites.

More Chicken Recipes,

  • Chicken Mole with Homemade Mole Sauce
  • One Pan Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken Recipe
  • Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe
  • Bruschetta Chicken Recipe
  • Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
  • 20-Minute Chicken Gyros
  • Jerk Chicken
Overhead image of a large white serving bowl with zucchini noodles and garlic butter chicken chunks seasoning with pepper and minced parsley.

Have you tried making Garlic Butter Chicken Bites?

Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts. And tag me #theforkedspoon on Instagram if you’ve made any of my recipes. I always love to see what you’re cooking in the kitchen.

A bowl of food with zoodles, with Garlic Butter Chicken

Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Zucchini Noodles

4.80 from 100 votes
Chef: Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa
Juicy and flavorful Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Zucchini Noodles ready in less than 30 minutes! Made in one pan, perfectly seasoned bite-size pieces of chicken are cooked in a mouthwatering garlic butter sauce and served with low-carb zucchini noodles for the perfect weeknight dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Chicken, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 541 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - chopped into small chunks
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil - divided
  • 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 tablespoon butter - divided
  • 6 medium zucchini - spirilized
  • 6 cloves garlic - minced
  • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley - minced
  • 2 tablespoon chicken broth
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese - shredded (optional)
  • 1 lemon - sliced into wedges
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Instructions
 

  • Prepare the chicken – Slice each chicken breast into small, bite-size chunks equal in size. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic seasoning, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
  • Prepare remaining ingredients – Allow the chicken to rest as you mince the garlic, parsley, and spiralize your zucchini. Set these things aside and get started on cooking the chicken.
  • Cook the chicken – Grab a large cast-iron skillet (if you have one) and set it over medium-high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Work in batches, if needed, adding the chicken to the skillet in a single layer (avoid overcrowding). Cook the chicken on all sides until just cooked. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
  • Cook the zucchini – return the skillet to medium heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, minced garlic, parsley, and chicken broth. Allow the butter to melt and garlic to cook just until fragrant (approximately 30 seconds). Add the zucchini noodles. Mix well to combine the zucchini with the garlic butter and continue to cook just until the zucchini is warm (approximately 2 minutes of continuous tossing).
  • Return the chicken and assemble – Add the chicken back to the skillet and continue to cook just until the chicken is reheated, 1-2 minutes more. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese, if desired, and lemon wedges for serving.

Jessica’s Notes

  • This recipe may also be made using boneless skinless chicken thighs or shrimp. Adjust cooking time accordingly.
  • Zucchini, once cooked for a certain period of time, will drop its water and become quite soggy. You can help prevent this by sprinkling your pre-cooked spiralized zucchini noodles with salt, allowing them to drop their moisture before cooking. Just be sure to rinse and dry your noodles thoroughly before cooking. OR, you can keep an extra close eye on your noodles and plate them before overcooking.
  • Broccoli, asparagus, or green beans would be delicious alternatives to zucchini.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 183mg | Sodium: 1199mg | Potassium: 1701mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1285IU | Vitamin C: 74.1mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 2.7mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)

Keyword Garlic Butter Chicken, Garlic Butter Chicken Bites, Garlic Butter Chicken Bites Recipe
Did You Make This Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @theforkedspoon or tag #theforkedspoon and please leave your star rating in the comment section below.

About Jessica

Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, photographer, and recipe developer of The Forked Spoon. Jessica fell in love with cooking while traveling through Asia and Europe, where she discovered her passion for good food and new adventures. Her recipes have been featured on Yahoo, MSN, USA Today, FeedFeed, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California.

17.0K shares
Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

About Jessica Randhawa

Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, photographer, and recipe developer of The Forked Spoon. Jessica fell in love with cooking while traveling through Asia and Europe, where she discovered her passion for good food and new adventures. Her recipes have been featured on Yahoo, MSN, USA Today, FeedFeed, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California.

Comments

  1. Becky says

    October 12, 2022 at 4:37 pm

    5 stars
    I loved this recipe. I made pasta on the side for my kids and didn’t mix all of the chicken back into the zoodles. Mom and Dad had a nice dinner to their liking and so did the kids. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      October 13, 2022 at 6:57 am

      Thanks for the lovely feedback and rating, Becky 🙂

      Reply
  2. Lisa says

    April 13, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    5 stars
    Very good, I’ve been trying different recipes and I found that I like this one the most nice flavors.

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      April 13, 2021 at 3:32 pm

      I appreciate the nice feedback, Lisa 🙂

      Reply
  3. Dominique says

    October 23, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    Can this be made with frozen zucchini noodles? If so, how?

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      October 24, 2020 at 10:18 am

      Great question Dominique! I have actually not used frozen zucchini noodles before, as I always make them fresh. So I am actually not what what the process would be or how it would come out 🙂

      Reply
      • Rebecca Donaldson says

        January 11, 2021 at 6:54 am

        I made it with frozen and it was such a big disappointment! The zucchini was limp and very soggy. There is no way to get around all the water that is released with frozen noodles. I had chicken and zucchini soup!

      • Rebecca Donaldson says

        January 11, 2021 at 6:58 am

        Besides messing up with using frozen instead of fresh, my hubby thought this was a 50 dollar dish! It was some good eating as far as taste, but next time I am buying a spiralizer and using fresh! I will be making this many times!

      • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

        January 11, 2021 at 7:57 am

        Thanks for the kind feedback on the recipe, and also the honest feedback on frozen zoodles – I won’t be using those anytime soon 🙂

  4. karen says

    May 13, 2020 at 4:00 pm

    5 stars
    made it, loved it.

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      May 15, 2020 at 1:45 pm

      Thank you for the kind feedback Karen 😊

      Reply
  5. Rachel says

    January 6, 2020 at 10:46 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made this several times and it’s my favorite Zucchini noodle recipe! Before mixing the noodles in, I spiralize them, lay them on a baking sheet (the bigger the better, spread them out), sprinkle with salt and bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes (for al dente) and longer if you want them softer. This way, when I add them to the chicken, it doesn’t get too watery! Wonderful dish:)

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      January 6, 2020 at 11:27 am

      Hi Rachel,

      Thanks for the great feedback! I am going to have to try it your way next time 🙂

      Reply
  6. Leah says

    December 27, 2019 at 5:39 pm

    5 stars
    Such a delicious recipe! I bought the spiralizer and it is quite an amazing too.
    Wouldn’t change a thing

    Reply

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Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

I’m Jessica! Aka mom, wife, chef, and travel-obsessed photographer. Welcome to The Forked Spoon. Here you can browse hundreds of incredible family-friendly recipes covering dozens of diets, courses, and cuisines. Learn more about me.

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