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Crispy parmesan garlic chicken with zucchini is a fantastic one-pan meal that the family will love. Crispy chicken is breaded with an amazing parmesan garlic crust paired with tender zucchini sautéed to perfection!
With easy prep, no mess, and big flavor, one-pan meals are the best! Vegetable curry, chili lime chicken, and fajitas are some of my other favorites to add to the dinner lineup this week!
One-Pan Parmesan Garlic Chicken With Zucchini Recipe
Zucchini is my favorite vegetable, so as you can imagine, I get pretty excited when it is actually in season! My favorite way to eat zucchini is to sauté it until tender. I decided to put my favorite textures together in this dish- fresh and tender zucchini with flavorful, crispy chicken. Enhancing these tasty foods with the amazing flavors of parmesan and garlic seemed like the best course of action from there, and boy did it create a mouthwatering dish! It coats the chicken perfectly and gives the whole dish an incredible crispy texture. The awesome thing about this recipe is that I had all of the ingredients on hand. So, for those times when you are staring into the depths of your pantry, wondering what you can make that is tasty, healthy, and not overly time-consuming, this crispy chicken with zucchini recipe is the answer.
My entire family devours it. We cannot get enough of the crispy flavorful crust on the chicken. And the best part of it all? It is packed with protein while also being low in fats and carbs! Honestly, this is like the healthy, KFC-Esque dinner of my dreams. As if you needed more reasons to make this, it all goes in one pan, leaving you with fewer dishes to do! Just 30 minutes will create a nutritious, keto-friendly meal loaded with savory and crispy goodness. Your wallet, diet, and stomach will thank you.
Chicken With Zucchini Ingredients
This is the perfect recipe for using leftover zucchini and chicken breasts! Just a few additional pantry staples with leave you with the most flavorful, delicious result. You can find each individual measurement in the recipe card below.
- Chicken Breasts: For this recipe, I use boneless and skinless chicken breasts. You can either slice 2 large breasts in half or use 4 thin chicken breasts.
- Butter: This will be used for sauteing. Also, it gives your chicken and zucchini a tasty rich flavor and helps them to cook up perfectly.
- Italian Bread Crumbs: I like using Italian bread crumbs for a touch of flavor, but you can also opt for whole wheat bread crumbs to keep it health-conscious.
- Grated Parmesan: Parmesan is what is going to give your dish its perfect, cheesy flavor. It also crisps up perfectly to help you achieve the best texture!
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour in this recipe to give structure to the breading. You can also use whole wheat flour as an alternative.
- Zucchini: I use medium-sized zucchini in this recipe, sliced.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic makes all the difference in getting the perfect, savory flavor. Minced cloves work best.
How To Make Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken and Zucchini
You are going to love how easily this recipe comes together for those quick weeknight dinners! You get restaurant-quality flavors without all the effort.
- Prepare Skillet: In a large skillet, over medium heat melt 2 Tablespoons of butter.
- Bread Chicken: Melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and flour. Dip the chicken in the butter and then coat in the bread crumb mixture and place in skillet.
- Cook: Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes until the outside is crispy and the chicken is cooked throughout. Set aside on plate.
- Saute Zucchini: Add 2 Tablespoons of butter back to the skillet and saute the minced garlic for a minute. Add the zucchini to the skillet and saute until tender. Salt and pepper to taste and add 1 Tablespoon parmesan. Add the chicken back to the skillet and heat for a minute or so. Serve immediately.
Parmesan Garlic Chicken and Zucchini Quick Tips
This dish is super easy and super delicious, but try out some of these simple tips to get the best result every time!
- Season Chicken: You can season your chicken with salt and pepper or Italian seasoning before breading for an extra pop of flavor.
- Breading Will Not Stick: If you are having trouble getting your breading to stick, make sure your skillet is hot and butter is melted. Then, once you add your chicken to the pan, try not to move it until that side has cooked completely. Moving it prematurely can pull off all the crispy goodness.
- Use a Thermometer: To avoid overcooking your chicken, I always recommend using a thermometer. Stop cooking once your internal temperatures reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, you could end up with chicken that is too dry.
- Zucchini: You will want any zucchini you use to be slightly firm. If it is too soft, it won’t get that perfect tender sautéed texture. Also, keep the skin on! It isn’t hard to bite through and actually has a lot of nutritional benefits like stimulating collagen production and boosting your immune system!
- Uniform Slices: It is important to try and keep zucchini slices roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
Storing Leftover Parmesan Garlic Chicken and Zucchini
Not only is this recipe easy to make, but it also stores like a champ! Kids can easily heat it up for a tasty, nutritious lunch.
- In the Refrigerator: Chicken and zucchini will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- In the Freezer: In an airtight container, store your chicken and zucchini in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: The best way to retain moisture in your chicken while also keeping it crispy is to reheat it in a skillet. Cook over medium until internal temperatures reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir zucchini pieces often to ensure they cook through completely.
What to Serve With Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken
Parmesan garlic chicken and zucchini is a dish that can easily be served on its own. But for more healthy carbs, you could serve this up with a scoop of brown rice. It also tastes amazing alongside other crispy foods like fries or chips. Have an overload of zucchini at home? You could even make baked zucchini fries as a healthier side.
More Zucchini Favorites
My family and I cannot get enough of this versatile summer vegetable! Whether you use it for a side dish or the entrée, its tender texture and ability to absorb flavor is unmatched. Take advantage of zucchini being in season and try out some of my other favorite zucchini recipes! They are so delicious, I know you and your family will go crazy over them!
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Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts sliced in half, or 4 thin chicken breasts
- 8 Tablespoons butter divided
- ½ cup Italian Bread Crumbs
- ½ cup plus 1 Tablespoon grated parmesan divided
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 medium zucchini sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat melt 2 Tablespoons butter. To make the chicken: Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and flour. Dip the chicken in the butter and then coat in the bread crumb mixture and place in skillet.
- Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes until the outside is crispy and the chicken is cooked throughout. Set aside on plate.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of butter back to the skillet and saute the minced garlic for a minute. Add the zucchini to the skillet and saute until tender. Salt and pepper to taste and add 1 Tablespoon parmesan. Add the chicken back to the skillet and heat for a minute or so. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this tonight and loved it! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
I must be doing something wrong…. ? I have tried this recipe 2x now and the butter and chicken just burn (instantly) without cooking the chicken through…. and it’s just burned and looks nothing like this! Help! What am I doing wrong?!? I am cooking it in medium heat (5 on a scale of 1-10).
I would try reducing the heat. It is cooking the outside too hot. I will be making a video demo shortly!
A video would be wonderful, thank you!!
I haven’t made yet with zucchini, but I have done chicken this way before and is great. Excited to use the zucchini. Thank you .
I made this and it was great, but the breading stuck to the pan, and although it was still flavorful, I had to scrape the coating off the pan and it turned into parm/breadcrumb crumble. Do you have any suggestions?
Made this last night and it was delicious! The breading mixture could be cut in half as I was left with quite a bit that just went to waste. In the pan, instead of pure butter, I used Land-O-Lakes Olive Oil with Butter and Sea Salt blend. I also only added 1 addt’l tablespoon (instead of 2) before adding the garlic and zucchini which was still a bit much … maybe could’ve skipped it all together. This is one that will be a ‘keeper’ in the recipe box. Next time I’d like to try adding additional veggies such as onion and tomato.
I replaced the flour with coconut flour and spiralized my zuchinni into noodles and it was wonderful! Will be making it again very soon I suspect
Do I use skinless or regular chicken?
Would this fridge/freeze well?
Thanks!!
I make a low carb/paleo/Atkins chicken that is similar but without the zucchini. If you dip the chicken in egg then coat it in parmesan and follow the rest of the recipe as above it is delicious and guilt free.
I made this the other night and it was good but my chicken did not seem to get very crispy. I felt like the coating was a little soggy. Do you think I coated the chicken in too much butter or didn’t have the heat turned up high enough. I cooked it longer than u said but didn’t want to keep cooking it for fear of drying it out. Any ideas?
Did you put a lid on the pan? That will make it soggy.
Hi. Just made this tonight…quick, super easy, and delicious for a weeknight dinner! So yummy was that zucchini! PS My coating didn’t slide off in the pan 🙂
Just made this. Yummy! Definitely a keeper. Only thing is, I won’t salt it next time. Salt from the cheese and the butter was enough.
Looks good, tastes probably better with rosti.
This recipe with slight modifications was a hit for tonight’s dinner. I used Smart Balance in place of the butter and brown rice flour rather than wheat. The remainder of the recipe was unchanged, other that using 3 chicken breasts instead of two (no need to increase additional crumb mixture or Smart Balance – there was still some unused that went into the green waste). Chicken was incredibly tender and the zucchini was gone in seconds (two teenaged sons). Thanks for the recipe!
Just wondering why you don’t say to flour the chicken first and then dip in butter and coating. When you don’t do that, the coating just slides off and coats your pan.
You can always do it that way. But it worked for me!
Hmmm, I did it according to the recipe and my coating didn’t come off at all.
I made this tonight and loved it!! I seasoned the chicken with Complete seasoning, onion and garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Great and easy recipe.
Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe. After making this, it is now my new favourite way to prepare zucchini. I followed the recipe as is and it did not fail. I sometimes have difficulty with cooking chicken because it can turn out on the dry side but this chicken was moist on the inside and nice and crusty on the outside. Thanks again!