These Chicken Alfredo Zoodles are a lightened up version of the classic pasta dish. Toss spiralized zucchini with cream sauce and juicy chicken breasts for a low-carb comfort food dinner!
We can’t help it. We’re obsessed with zoodles. Have you tried them with our Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan yet? Or pair with our eggplant parmesan for an easy Italian dish.
Why this Recipe is Best
Today’s recipe is another delicious way to enjoy zucchini noodles the whole family will love.
- Low carb alfredo – We use cream cheese to make this sauce thick and creamy, no flour necessary.
- Twice the parmesan cheese – Freshly grated cheese gives this sauce a deliciously rich and flavorful.
- Packed with veggies – This Chicken Alfredo has plenty of spinach, along with zucchini noodles.
- Quick and easy to make – Get homemade zucchini alfredo on the table in just minutes with this recipe.
If you like hearty Italian dishes, you’ll love this Chicken Alfredo recipe with zucchini noodles. You won’t even miss the pasta!
Love creamy chicken dinners? Try our Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe!
Ingredient Notes
- Zucchini – Use a spiralizer to cut zucchini into long noodles (“zoodles”).
- Chicken breasts – For quicker cooking, pound the chicken breasts to even thickness first.
- Parmesan Cheese – We always use freshly grated Parmesan from blocks, especially in sauces. It melts faster and smoother than packages shredded cheeses and tastes so much fresher!
- Cream cheese – It thickens the sauce and adds a delicious hint of tangy flavor.
- Butter – Unsalted is best so you can control the saltiness of the finishes sauce. If you only have salted butter, feel free to use it here and adjust the added salt as needed according to your taste.
- Heavy cream – This is a must! It blends with the cream cheese, butter and Parmesan for a rich and hearty alfredo sauce.
Easy Instructions
- Start by cooking the chicken breast. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then add it to a pan with olive oil. Cook the chicken about 5 minutes on each side then cut it into bite sized pieces.
- Now make the alfredo sauce. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a pan and cook over medium heat. Stir regularly until the cheese is fully melted and sauce begins to thicken. Toss spinach into the sauce and stir.
- Cook the zoodles: Heat the spiralized zucchini on the stovetop for no more than 2 -3 minutes. You want them just warmed through but with a bit of a toothsome bite.
- Add zoodles to the pan with the sauce and stir. Serve in bowls or on plates with the cooked chicken breast on top.
Tips and Tricks
- Serving suggestions: Garnish each serving of Chicken Alfredo Zoodles with a handful of freshly shredded Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
- Side dish suggestions: This hearty alfredo dish is perfect paired with a light side salad of mixed green. This cucumber tomato salad makes a perfect no-sugar side dish too!
- Do not overcook the zoodles: They only need a couple of minutes in the pan to get cooked through. The zucchini will continue to cook when you add it to the hot sauce. Overcooking will make the zoodles mushy.
- Shredded chicken option: If preferred, you can shred the chicken after cooking–or cut it into small pieces–and mix it right in with the sauce before serving.
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can still make zucchini noodles! Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to slice zucchini into long ribbons. It takes longer to make zoodles this way so keep that in mind when you are accounting for prep time.
Yes, chicken thighs can be used. Just make sure they’re boneless and skinless. Chicken tenderloins are another great choice for this recipe because they cook quickly and evenly!
Yes, using low calorie and low carb zucchini in place of traditional pasta makes this alfredo recipe keto approved. It’s also gluten free and can be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken.
I don’t recommend making Chicken Alfredo Zoodles in advance. The longer the zoodles sit in the sauce the greater chance they have of becoming soft and mushy.
You can, however, make all the separate components of the dish (chicken breast, zoodles and sauce) ahead of time. Simple rewarm the sauce and chicken and add the zucchini noodles just before serving.
More Gluten Free Dinners
Chicken Alfredo Zoodles
These Chicken Alfredo Zoodles are a lightened up version of the classic pasta dish. Toss spiralized zucchini with cream sauce and juicy chicken breasts for a low-carb comfort food dinner!
Ingredients
For the Alfredo sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh spinach
For the Zoodles:
- 5 small zucchini
Optional Garnishes:
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Chopped parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the alfredo sauce and chicken:
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes on each side or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Cut the chicken breast either in bite size pieces. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, mix ¼ cup water with the cream cheese, grated parmesan cheese, butter, heavy cream and minced garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the mixture is fully combined.
- Add the spinach and stir.
For the zoodles:
- Cut the zucchini into zoodles using a spiralizer.
- Add the zucchini noodles to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, tossing with a set of tongs to keep them moving and heated throughout. I prefer my zoodles with a little bite to them, and they will continue to cook as you pour hot alfredo sauce over the top.
- Add the zoodles to the pan with sauce and stir. Serve the alfredo zoodles topped with the cooked chicken breast and additional grated parmesan cheese and freshly grated black pepper.
Notes
- If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can also use a mandoline or even a vegetable peeler, but it will take longer to cut the zucchini.
- You can also shred the chicken breast and add it to the sauce, cut it into bite size pieces and add it to the sauce.
- For fast and even cooking, pound the chicken to even thickness! Or use chicken tenderloins instead.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 786Total Fat: 62gSaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 249mgSodium: 963mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 48g
Healthy Chicken Alfredo Zoodles have all the great taste of your favorite chicken alfredo with none of the extra carbs! This kid-approved recipe makes it easy to get a few extra veggies into your diet with spiralized zucchini and a flavorful cream sauce.