One Lovely Life

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Chicken Zucchini Poppers (Paleo & Whole30 Approved!)

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Chicken Zucchini Poppers – My MOST POPULAR RECIPE EVER! These chicken meatballs are squeaky clean, but not short on flavor! Gluten free, Paleo, and Whole30 friendly!

Chicken Zucchini Poppers with Citrus Avocado Dipping Sauce from One Lovely Life

Have you heard of Whole30? I first heard about it a few years ago when the book It Starts With Food came out. In essence, Whole30 is a chance to reset your body by eating squeaky clean for 30 days, giving you a chance to see if you have any latent food sensitivities, break any food addictions or unhealthy patterns you may have, clear up any food-related inflammation and start fresh.

Well, it’s making a comeback. Several great bloggers are in the middle of theirs, so I’ve seen a huge resurgence of healthy recipes floating about the web. We aren’t on a Whole30, but we eat pretty darn clean most of the time. I’ve loved the huge variety of inspiration out there lately! These Chicken Zucchini Poppers are delicious, and while they may be squeaky clean, they don’t skimp on flavor.


Paleo Chicken Zucchini Poppers with Citrus Avocado Dipping Sauce from One Lovely Life

First off: Michael H-A-T-E-S zucchini. Hates the texture, doesn’t like the flavor. BUT he loves these. Really loves them. Enough that he always asks when we can make them again. If you’re a zucchini hater, you should still give these a try! Grated, you don’t really get much of the squash texture, and they keep the meatballs nice and tender and juicy. So if you’re a zucchini hater, don’t hesitate to give these a try!

We LOVE them. They’d make great game-day food for something lighter or a great addition to a buffet table. We love them for dinner with a little dish of guacamole or Citrus Avocado Sauce for dipping and some sweet potatoes or salad and fruit on the side. Not a guacamole fan? No problem. They’d be great with salsa or paleo ranch. If you’re not gluten free, they’d be awesome in a pita. (p.s. anyone have a good GF pita recipe?

Whole30 Chicken Zucchini Poppers with Guacamole from One Lovely Life

Notes on Chicken Zucchini Poppers

Don’t skip this step. Squeezing the liquid out of your zucchini is *really* important here. Why? Well, zucchini has a lot of moisture (which is one of the reason these poppers are so great), but if you don’t squeeze out some of that liquid, your meatballs/poppers will have a harder time sticking together and if you pan-fry them, you run the risk of them scorching and falling apart.

Pan-Frying vs. Baking. My favorite way to make these is to pan-fry them. I’m not using a ton of oil here–just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. I use my cast-iron skillet for a really nice browning effect and keep the heat on the low end. That will allow the poppers to brown while still allowing enough time for the centers to cook. Baking is *really* convenient and fast, so I do that plenty as well. Do whichever works for you!

Variations. This recipe is an awesome base recipe. Over the years, people have made it with pork, beef, turkey…even venison! Use your favorite. I also list the cumin here as optional. It gives these a tex-mex flavor that’s great with salsa, ranch, and guacamole. BUT. You can also easily swap the flavors by switching the cilantro for basil to give these a mediterranean vibe. They’re great with my favorite pasta sauce and noodles, or you can use parsley or dill for other flavor combinations!

Can’t find ground chicken? Try this. I get ground chicken breast at Sprouts, but when it’s not in stock, I make my own by buying boneless skinless chicken breast (or thighs) and pulsing them in a food processor until it’s ground and no large pieces remain. It’s one extra step, but it works great!

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Paleo & Whole30 Chicken Zucchini Poppers - One of the BEST Whole30 lunches or dinners I've eaten! Also great for appetizers and game day!

Chicken Zucchini Poppers

★★★★★

4.5 from 121 reviews
  • Author: Emily
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

My MOST POPULAR RECIPE EVER! These chicken meatballs are squeaky clean, but not short on flavor! Gluten free, Paleo, and Whole30 friendly!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground chicken breast (raw)
  • 2 c. grated zucchini (leave peel on and squeeze out some of the liquid with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel)
  • 2–3 green onions, sliced
  • 3–4 Tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3/4 tsp cumin (optional)
  • Optional (if pan-frying): avocado oil, for cooking (or coconut oil, or ghee)

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together chicken, zucchini, green onion, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin (if using). Mixture will be quite wet. Scoop meatballs with a small scoop or heaped tablespoon and gently smooth with your hands. I can usually get around 20-24 poppers. You may be able to get more or less, depending on how large you size them.

To cook on the stovetop:
Heat a drizzle of oil in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Cook 4-5 at a time for about 5-6 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown and the centers are cooked through.

To bake:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle a bit of olive or avocado oil onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 400 degrees 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. If desired, place under the broiler for an additional 2-3 minutes or until browned on top.

Serve with guacamole, salsa, or your favorite dip.

Notes

CHICKEN: If you can’t find ground chicken breast, you can grind your own. Simply weight out 1 lb. chicken breast and pulse it in your food processor to “grind” until no large pieces remain. You can also easily substitute ground chicken thighs, ground turkey, ground pork, etc. Use what you like and what you can find!

ZUCCHINI: Don’t be tempted to skip drying out your zucchini a bit with a paper/kitchen towel. Zucchini has a lot of moisture, and if you don’t squeeze it out beforehand, your meatballs may stick more to the pan if you’re pan-frying and have a bit more trouble holding together during baking.

  • Category: main dish, appetizer, chicken
  • Method: stovetop, oven
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: chicken, chicken zucchini poppers, zucchini poppers, chicken meatballs, chicken recipes, gluten free, whole30, paleo

Chicken Zucchini Poppers (Meatballs) with Guacamole from One Lovely Life

Comments

  1. Momma Lynn says

    March 31, 2014 at 8:32 am

    Ooolala These sound very tempting in all the varieties you describe! (That small bowl of guacamole is calling my name…)

    Reply

    • Leena says

      May 5, 2017 at 5:52 pm

      Just made these and they’re amazing!!! Taking them to a family party tomorrow and I KNOW they’ll be a hit! I tripled the recipe and everything turned out just fine! Made a whole bunch obviously:-) Any suggestions on freezing for the future??

      Reply

      • Emily says

        May 5, 2017 at 7:26 pm

        Sure! I freeze them fully cooked. After they’ve cooked and cooled, I freeze them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat until they’re pretty solid, then transfer them to an airtight bag or glass container. That way, I can pull out exactly how many I want/need in the future (rather than them freezing in one giant clump!) So glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply

          • Shelly says

            April 16, 2018 at 8:10 pm

            I like to reheat any leftovers in the oven. I put leftovers in cold and let them heat up with the oven, normally my food is hot by the time the oven has heated up to 375* and of not I give it a few more minutes. Frozen foods I thaw overnight first.

        • Karen says

          December 10, 2017 at 4:35 pm

          Hi Emily,
          You say this feeds 4 to 5, but how many pieces does it actually make. I am going to take them to a party of 15people that will all be bringing appetizers to share?

          Thanks
          Karen

          Reply

          • Emily says

            December 10, 2017 at 7:05 pm

            Karen – Depending on how big you make them, you can get around 20-24 per recipe. You may want to make a double batch for your party!

        • Tim Terrillion says

          February 8, 2018 at 3:43 pm

          My wife and I made these, only with our own guacamole recipe I’ve been using for years. Also we cooked whole grain brown rice(organic) and tossed the guacamole into the rice and served it cold as a side dish with the poppers. Dipped the poppers into the guacamole and my wife ate guacamole for the first time in here life and actually liked it! Yum, Thanks!

          Reply

  2. Cynthia says

    March 31, 2014 at 2:27 pm

    Yum! I even have ground chicken in my freezer…I am adding this to my menu this week with the sweet potato not fries.

    Reply

  3. Jade says

    April 4, 2014 at 10:03 am

    These sound so good Emily. I’ll have to see if I can get the rank and file to eat them. Lol.

    I always make my regular (turkey) meatballs with a ton of shredded zucchini and carrot in them and use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs. They turn out fabulous. The kids love them and it’s nice to know that there is something good in there for them. I’m looking forward to giving these a try and seeing how it goes. I’m thinking of putting them in a sandwich with some marinara like a chicken parmesan sandwich.

    Reply

  4. Carly says

    April 11, 2014 at 9:22 am

    I made these last night – (I did omit the cilantro because I am not a fan), but while I was cooking them (and the noodles for spaghetti- cause that was the direction i was headed) They smelled Asian-y to me -soooo I threw some carrots, and more zucchini in the pan tossed it all with teriyaki sauce and some cooked ramen noodles, and oh my gosh- newest quick healthy dinner plan.

    Thanks for the versatile recipe-so excited to try other versions…

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. jess h says

    April 15, 2014 at 7:58 am

    Just stumbled upon your site!! So excited to see a new blog that follows my proper eating habbits! Also if you are looking for a good GF blog, http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/ is my lifesaver!! She has a book called baked bread and is a lifesaver for me! The ingredients are pricey to start, You use a whey protein isolate which contains some dairy) but once you have them pretty easy to maintain! Homemade bread is awesome! Can’t wait to keep exploring, and make these for dinner tomorrow night!

    Reply

  6. Marjory Leidy says

    April 17, 2014 at 5:01 pm

    Emily, these look fabulous. My husband hates any kind of vegetable except green beans. Would love to get him to eat these – will never tell him what’s inside. Any idea about the calories, fat, protein, etc. in this dish?

    Reply

    • emily says

      April 17, 2014 at 5:05 pm

      Marjory – My husband HATES zucchini and loved these. Fingers crossed that your husband does too! As for the nutrition information, click the “recipe magic – get nutrition info” button right above the recipe and you’ll be taken to see it’s estimated nutrition facts. Happy eating!

      Reply

      • Brandi says

        February 9, 2015 at 10:51 am

        It says 204 calories per one serving. Is that only one popper per serving? If not, do you know how many would equal a serving?

        Reply

        • emily says

          February 9, 2015 at 12:14 pm

          Brandi – The recipe nutrition facts were calculated based on 5 servings. The number of poppers per serving will depend on how many you make. If you made 25 poppers, there would be 5 poppers per serving. If you made 20, you’d have 4 per serving. Does that make sense?

          Reply

    • Tabitha says

      July 16, 2014 at 10:39 am

      My husband hates turkey and he ate these. I did the recipe as written except for the ground turkey substitution. My nephew doesn’t love veggies, but he really liked these. I’m thinking of putting a paleo crust and calling it a nugget. It’s yummy and moist with no mystery ingredients. Thanks for the recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

  8. Erin says

    May 29, 2014 at 8:22 pm

    These look SO yummy! Wondering if these can be frozen for reheating?? Hoping I can make ahead for easy lunches…

    Reply

    • emily says

      May 30, 2014 at 1:01 pm

      Erin – I haven’t tried freezing them, but I don’t know why they wouldn’t freeze well. Most meatball recipes I’ve tried do great in the freezer. If you do freeze them, please let me know how they work for you!

      Reply

  9. Donna says

    June 6, 2014 at 10:00 am

    These are AWESOME and so easy to make……thanks for recipe…..I will be making them again and again

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  10. Ashlynn says

    June 18, 2014 at 8:02 pm

    I remixed this recipe, I used ground turkey instead of chicken. Substituted cucumbers for jalapeños added feta cheese to the mix and pan fried small meat balls in olive oil until browned. Oh my goodness was it delicious paired with some tortellini’s and pasta sauce.

    Reply

  12. cindy says

    June 20, 2014 at 8:04 pm

    Do you put A chicken breast in food processor and. Ground it?. Can’t find ground chicken breast. Or will ground turkey roll work?

    Reply

    • emily says

      June 20, 2014 at 8:24 pm

      Cindy – I buy pre-ground chicken breast, but when I can’t find it, I just put a chicken breast in my food processor. Try not to puree it too much. You want there to still be some texture. If it’s too smooth, your meatballs might be too wet. If you prefer, you can use ground turkey. I just find ground turkey to have a stronger flavor.

      Reply

  13. Micki says

    June 21, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    These look delicious, but I will have to substitute the chicken with something vegetarian. My question is why does it say 21 day diet?

    Reply

    • emily says

      June 22, 2014 at 8:07 pm

      Laura – Sure! Just click on the “Recipe Magic – Get Nutritional Info” button right before the text of the recipe. Hope that helps!

      Reply

      • Torie says

        July 2, 2014 at 12:27 pm

        Just made these and they’re almost gone! So yummy 🙂 I also love that the nutritional info is provided but wanted to ask …how many poppers would you consider a “serving”? I used a cookie scooper and was able to get 33 meatballs. Thanks!

        ★★★★★

        Reply

        • emily says

          July 2, 2014 at 12:37 pm

          Great! I’m so glad you liked them. I made slightly bigger meatballs (I get between 20-25 each time), so for me, I divide that among 4-5 people. Each person gets 4-5 meatballs. My husband is a bigger eater than me and the kids, so it depends on what you like. The whole recipe is designed to feed 4-5 people, so I’d just divide the meatballs (6-8 meatballs per person). Hope that helps!

          Reply

        • Emily says

          January 19, 2016 at 8:10 pm

          Kristi – If you click on the pink and grey “Magic get Nutrition Info” button right above the recipe, you’ll see the nutrition content. Several people have also imported the recipe into MyFitnessPal. Hope that helps!

          Reply

    • emily says

      June 22, 2014 at 8:08 pm

      Karen – I have no problem cooking them in olive oil or avocado oil, but if you prefer baking them, I’m sure you could. I don’t have a time or temperature for you, since I’ve never baked them. If you do try baking them, I’d love to know what you think!

      Reply

      • SunnySky says

        December 28, 2016 at 7:33 pm

        We tried both baking & in the pan. From the first batch, my husband felt the pan ones had more flavor.

        I liked the slight char from the baked ones, but felt 400° a bit too much or the time too long—and I only baked for 20 min… then tried the broil on low for maybe a minute. It was too much.

        Finished the bowl by cooking in the pan. By the last batch, my husband said they tasted the very best of all of them—he could taste all the flavors.

        Yummy. We used guacamole and salsa and ate all of it between the two of us. Yes, we are stuffed. ?

        Recipe completed as written with the 3/4 tsp of cumin.

        You are right! I can’t imagine anyone recognizing the zuchini—it is not noticeable at all.

        Trying to put five stars, but something is not “taking.”
        Here ya go!
        ?????

        ★★★★★

        Reply

        • Emily says

          December 29, 2016 at 5:46 am

          SunnySky – THANK YOU for such a thorough and thoughtful review! I’m so glad you enjoyed them and found a method you liked best. Happy New Year!

          Reply

          • Heather says

            January 17, 2017 at 12:17 am

            Hi, wondering if you have nutrition with no oil? I know some bloggers can easily change the nutritional info by changing an ingrediant. I’m wondering if baking with Pam, no oil would drastically drop the fat count.

          • Emily says

            January 17, 2017 at 5:22 am

            Heather – I’m sorry, I don’t. You can try any of the free online nutrition estimators (I like My Fitness Pal) to get a good estimate without the oil. Best of luck!

    • Lydia says

      July 21, 2014 at 7:14 pm

      I used a muffin tin and baked them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. They came out perfect, not dry at all. I recommend using a little cooking spray on the bottom of each tin to keep them from sticking. I actually prefer the baked version to the fried one but they were both good! I added a little chopped mushrooms to mine because I like mushrooms.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

      • emily says

        July 21, 2014 at 8:09 pm

        Lovely! I’m so glad you shared this. I have a mini muffin tin and had thought about trying them this way. Thank you so much for the feedback!

        Reply

  16. Tonya says

    June 23, 2014 at 11:21 am

    Ok.. So my husband (Mr. Meat and Potatoes man) and my 16 month Son (very picky eater) Love these. I could not cook them fast enough. They were on the floor in the living room popping them back and playing and coloring on the floor… *(however, I can get them veggies in them works for me). I LOVED THEM! a small salad with them and we were good to go! Thank you for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  17. Brian says

    June 23, 2014 at 1:17 pm

    May I ask a somewhat stupid question…. does one skin/peel the zucchini prior to grating, or just grate it whole?

    Reply

    • emily says

      June 23, 2014 at 8:12 pm

      Brian – Not a stupid question at all! I keep the skin on. If it bothers you, you’re welcome to peel it. I think it’s pretty, and most of the nutrition is in the skin.

      Reply

  18. JOAN E says

    June 24, 2014 at 1:54 pm

    I am going to try these with turkey burger since that is what I have plenty of , Wondering if baking these would be better for us then frying them in a pan of oil.
    Thank you for the great recipe. I am excited to see what the ladies at work will say about them. We have weight watchers tomorrow. Going to take them to try. 🙂

    Reply

    • emily says

      June 24, 2014 at 2:59 pm

      Baking would reduce the fat content, but will change the texture somewhat. I don’t worry about cooking with healthy oils. These meatballs are not deep fried, and if you use a nonstick pan (cast iron, enameled, etc) you don’t need much oil at all! I wish you all the best trying the recipe!

      Reply

      • Glynis says

        April 19, 2015 at 11:36 am

        Hi – I have tried these twice and LOVE them. I baked them both times, but my challenge is that despite putting olive oil on the pan, they stick and even burn a little. Should I try a different oil on the pan? Does it have anything to do with the heat point (or whatever that is) with olive oil? Both times I served these I was asked for the recipe – it’s a hit!

        Reply

        • emily says

          April 19, 2015 at 1:39 pm

          Glynis – I almost always bake them these days. I line the baking sheet with foil, drizzle it with oil, and rub it all over. For some reason, they seem not to stick with the foil, at least for me. I hope this helps!

          Reply

        • Jean says

          June 23, 2016 at 11:15 am

          Grapeseed oil has a much higher smoke point and doesn’t add flavor as does olive oil. I use a nonstick pan.

          ★★★★★

          Reply

  22. Natalie says

    June 25, 2014 at 6:21 pm

    I saw these on a shared link on FB and I knew I had to try them! I made them per ingredients listed. As for the cooking the only thing I did different was I browned them for about 3 mins on each side. Then I baked them in a Pyrex for about 20 mins on 350. They were perfect! Not dried out at all like I feared they would be. They were crispy on the outside and nicely moist on the inside. These are Delicious! A huge hit here at my house in GA. Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply

  23. Rebecca says

    June 26, 2014 at 4:58 pm

    They don’t have ground chicken here in Panama. Can you use ground beef instead? They don’t have zucchini here very often for that matter — if you find it, it is imported. I will have to stock up next time I see some at the store, and then shred it and freeze it.

    Reply

    • emily says

      June 26, 2014 at 8:13 pm

      Rebecca – I haven’t tried the recipe with ground beef. I think you could try it. If you have access to chicken and a food processor, you can make it yourself. I pulse the chicken until it’s pretty finely ground, but not a puree. It works great! I hope you’re able to find what you need!

      Reply

    • Mandy says

      June 27, 2014 at 9:05 pm

      I tried these today and only had ground pork on hand. And they were delicious! ! My picky toddler gobbled them down. I dipped them in guacamole and had some sauteed squash and zucchini on the side YUM!

      Reply

  25. Mary Beth says

    June 28, 2014 at 3:23 pm

    Major problem with this recipe… I made it to take to a friend’s house for a potluck – and I’m realllllly struggling not to just sit down and pig out on these! SOOOO good! made some minor changes – but don’t we all? These are a new favorite – please let me know if the other commenter ever gave you feedback on how well they freeze – because if they freeze well I’m making a double-batch just for that purpose! THANKS!

    Reply

    • emily says

      June 28, 2014 at 7:06 pm

      I’m SO glad you liked them! If anyone tries freezing them, I’ll let you know! They’ve never lasted long enough for us to freeze any 🙂

      Reply

  26. Diana says

    June 29, 2014 at 4:04 pm

    The nutrition info states 4-5 servings, which would appear to be more “patty” sized, like your second two photos. Any idea how many small poppers (as pictured in the first photo) this makes?

    Reply

    • emily says

      June 29, 2014 at 5:38 pm

      Diana – I’ve been able to get about 20-25 poppers out of the recipe. The 4-5 servings is 4-5 poppers per person. Hope that helps!

      Reply

      • Eileen @ Phoenix Helix says

        July 9, 2014 at 6:41 pm

        I’m so glad you linked up. You were the reader favorite, and I’m featuring your recipe at this week’s roundtable, which just went live tonight. If you have any other AIP recipes, please feel free to join us again. I host the roundtable every week.

        Reply

        • Barb C says

          July 25, 2014 at 4:43 am

          I just made these last night from the roundtable link, and they were FABULOUS! My husband hates zucchini, and DEVOURED these, as did I. I used parsley instead of cilantro because that’s what I had on hand, and I did use cumin which was absolutely delicious. Making again – maybe even today!!

          Reply

          • Barb C says

            July 25, 2014 at 7:07 am

            Also – I used chicken thighs that I ground up in the food processor. Worked really well.

  29. Kelly says

    July 3, 2014 at 2:35 pm

    This is the best new recipe that I’ve made in a long time. Yum, yum, yum. They were a lot juicier than I expected. I’ll definitely be making this again.

    Reply

  30. Pattie says

    July 4, 2014 at 10:57 am

    Emily, you asked about a good GF pita recipe. Try myheartbeets.com . She has some amazing recipes. I just made her 3 Ingredient Paleo Naan, which I am sure you could use as pita. It was good. Although I really like it warm, I did eat some cold and it was ok. Thanks for this recipe. Will try it asap. Always looking for clean food recipes for this big family.

    Reply

  31. Dana Dagate says

    July 5, 2014 at 9:26 am

    Can you make ahead and freeze?
    Should you make and freeze prior to cooking or after cooking.
    I would like to prep them today, because will be working the rest of the week.
    So try to get things prepared when have a minute to spare and not at 8 when I get home from work and kids activities.
    Thanks

    Reply

    • emily says

      July 5, 2014 at 12:55 pm

      Dana – I’d fully cook them and then freeze them. That way, you just need to thaw them, heat and eat! I hope you like them!

      Reply

  32. Kate C. says

    July 6, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    I doubled the recipe, made them into burger sized patties, pan fried each side, then baked to finish. They were delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I’ll definitely be making this again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  33. DeeDee says

    July 8, 2014 at 5:50 pm

    Hello, I started AIP this week after a diagnosis of RA. I’ve been paleo for awhile so it wasn’t a huge transition, but making meals for myself and separate meals for my family is getting tedious! We made an agreement that we would start this week with everyone joining me in one AIP meal a week with the hopes of gradually increase my “kid friendly” recipe stash. This was the recipe I chose for our first family meal. What a hit. My junk food junky teenager said they were awesome. I just wanted to say thanks and I look forward to introducing more of your recipes to my kids. DeeDee

    Reply

  34. Cindy says

    July 9, 2014 at 8:23 am

    These are delicious! This is the second time I have made them using ground turkey and this time I made a double batch so that I can freeze a few (that is if I don’t eat them all first). The first time I made these I served them to my non Paleo family and they loved them. I topped them with quacamole but I also love to eat them cold and plain. Thank you for this recipe, it is a keeper!!

    Reply

  36. Kelly says

    July 19, 2014 at 3:50 pm

    Dinner was a big hit tonight! I substituted ground turkey for the ground chicken and served these with salsa and guacamole. The kids said that we need to have this every week. I told them if they were really good to me maybe these would show up in their lunch boxes. We’ll see!

    Reply

  37. Christy says

    July 22, 2014 at 12:51 pm

    I made these and they were great! I do have one suggestion though. I think you should add that the zucchini should be squeezed in a cloth after grating it to remove some of the excess moisture. Mine were so wet that I had to add bread crumbs. Luckily I’m not on paleo yet, so it was fine, but next time that’s what I’m going to do. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Cheers!

    ★★★★

    Reply

    • emily says

      July 22, 2014 at 4:03 pm

      Christy – Thanks for your feedback, and sorry you had some trouble! In my experience, they’re wet going into the pan, but the excess liquid cooks out while they’re cooking. I never squeeze out my zucchini. Maybe anyone that has the same problem will find some help in your solution, though. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply

  38. Susan says

    August 3, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    Wanted to send along a quick thank you for this recipe. Just made these and was very pleased with how moist they are! The zucchini addition is genius (I did squeeze out just a bit of the zucchini moisture with a paper towel, but not much). I served mine with an Asian-style dipping sauce made with tamari, rice vinegar and chili oil, very tasty. Thank you for a helpful addition to my menu rotation. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  39. Paula Johnson says

    August 3, 2014 at 5:13 pm

    Awesome~ I made these this evening for my husband and I with squash and corn on the cob. Great flavor, they really need nothing to dip them in. I thought for sure my husband would wrinkle his nose at the turkey factor (didn’t have ground chicken), but they smelled so good, neither of us could wait to dig in. Bonus there was enough left to add to the left over spaghetti squash for two lunches this week! Lucky me!

    Reply

  40. Sara says

    August 4, 2014 at 10:30 am

    I also have a zucchini hating husband who likes these poppers. I have made them several times and love the recipe. Several times I have packed them to take with me when I am out and about and have eaten them cold and love them that way too. Thanks for a great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  41. Jena Lowry says

    August 7, 2014 at 3:02 pm

    Made them tonight with ground turkey served over Fettuccine & Alfredo…DELICIOUS!!!
    Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply

  42. Harlow says

    August 9, 2014 at 5:23 am

    Made these tonight with turkey mince (since it was what I had in the fridge). Served with home made low carb blue cheese dressing. Was delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  46. Ri says

    August 19, 2014 at 6:46 am

    These look amazing! I can’t wait to try them, but most likely with ground pork. Anything with cilantro in it has to be good! ^^

    Reply

  47. Margaret says

    August 19, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    Made these for dinner tonight exactly as written and they were a success! I found that two (large/soup) spoons worked well for scooping them into the pan. I could use the spoons to shape them into neat rounds and tidy up any trailing strands of zucchini. I started out with a regular (non-non-stick) skillet liberally coated with coconut oil but found that even after allowing them to brown quite well, they really stuck to the pan, so I switched to a non-stick pan for the rest. With sides of guacamole, roasted cubed sweet potatoes, and roasted kale these made a great dinner!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  49. Simone Edwards says

    August 27, 2014 at 7:31 am

    I made these today and they taste great but mine were boiling in zucchini juice for a long time before they started frying . Otherwise they were very good .

    Reply

  51. Melissa Romano says

    September 16, 2014 at 6:00 am

    these make me think of the inside of a potsticker… thinking of adding some fish sauce and seeing if i can put an asian spin on them

    Reply

  53. Janet Massie says

    September 28, 2014 at 4:10 pm

    Emily, these were such a hit! I can’t get Jake to eat any vegetables except starches and he LOVED these. We need to find the right recipe to dip them in but they are so good!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  55. Kelly W. says

    October 5, 2014 at 9:15 am

    I made these today, but used lean ground turkey instead of chicken. I used my vegetti tool and made zucchini noodles, then diced those up. I also used pizza seasoning, a little finely diced red pepper and some grated parmesan cheese. I fried mine in a little olive oil, which is a little messy, but love the crisp outside and juicy inside. They were quick and easy to make and turned out delicious! I got 25 poppers out of mine.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • emily says

      October 13, 2014 at 6:17 am

      Patty – I’m not sure how well canned chicken will hold together. I think the egg will help, but I’m not really sure how it’ll go. I’d love to hear how they turn out!

      Reply

  57. Zac Fox says

    October 14, 2014 at 5:00 pm

    Wow! This is my favorite whole30 recipe yet!!!!! I didn’t have ground chicken, so I cubed the chicken and stir-fried it; it was unbelievable! Thx for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  58. Dorothee says

    October 27, 2014 at 4:31 am

    Hi!

    This looks and sounds delicious, and I want to cook this today. 🙂
    I am asking myself what It means to “toss”? (I am German….)
    Should I mix everything in a mixer?
    Or how do I treat the chicken to be able to mix it with the other ingredients…?
    I would really appreciate your help!

    Cheers,
    Dorothee

    Reply

    • emily says

      October 27, 2014 at 7:34 am

      Dorothee– No problem! So, you’re using ground chicken (or chicken mince). To “toss” you’re really just going to stir with a fork to combine the ingredients. No need to use a food processor or mixer. I hope that helps! If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

      Reply

  59. Haley says

    December 3, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    I made these tonight (substituting turkey for the ground chicken) with a really good guacamole. My husband ate these stopping between bites to say how good they were! He is on a restricted diet (no diary or wheat) and it’s been very difficult finding good recipes that are relatively easy. This was a hit! Thank you so much for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  60. Courtnie says

    December 14, 2014 at 8:26 am

    So easy and delicious! Perfect paleo appetizer to bring to any gathering. They were a hit! Followed the baking recipe. They stuck a bit to the tin foil so don’t skimp on coating oil. Definitely glad I used the cumin. And we omitted the cilantro. Will double the recipe next time since they were gone so fast 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  62. Kimberly says

    December 31, 2014 at 8:44 am

    Love this recipe and the comments that everyone ELSE loves it. I can’t wait to try them. One question: The little “meatballs’ look like they’ve been flattened a bit. Almost like a mini patty. Am I looking at the picture correctly? Does this happen through cooking? Do you flatten them a bit in the pan while cooking? I can’t wait to make them!

    Reply

    • emily says

      December 31, 2014 at 7:23 pm

      Kimberly – They do sometimes flatten a bit when you cook them in a pan. If I’m baking them, the underside of the meatball gets a bit flat sometimes, too. If you want them quite round, I’ve found that refrigerating or even freezing the formed meatballs before cooking them helps them retain their shape. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  63. Abigail says

    January 7, 2015 at 9:50 am

    Hi Emily,

    I absolutely adore this recipe, I saw the post just yesterday on pinterest, and i couldnt wait to get home and make some.
    I used the exact same recipe, just added some more zucchini because im trying to eat healther, the only thing is that it was late night and i had no avocados at home, and i am a lazy donkey and i didnt want to go to the store.
    So instead i served them with buffalo wing sauce, and blue chesse on the side. Those were the BEST boneless EVER!
    I also made mashed cauliflower with butter and garlic as a side dish, so I was able to get rid of the carbs, and had an amazing dinner.
    Thanks so much for sharing. :* 🙂

    Reply

  64. Lisa says

    January 8, 2015 at 11:06 pm

    Thank you Emily!

    These really are delicious. I was searching for Zucchini recipes and stumbled on to your site. Its the middle of summer in New Zealand and I have about 10 Zucchini plants in my garden just dripping with Zucchinis. My finance doesn’t really like them and I had run out of ways of cooking them. I didn’t have any minced chicken so chopped up breasts finely. this made the pops a little wet, but problem solved with 1/4 cup of GF breadcrumbs. Sooo easy to make and my guy loves them 🙂

    I cant wait to try more of your recipes!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  65. Corrine Rider says

    January 9, 2015 at 8:12 am

    I had just started the Whole30 and needed a dish for a potluck! I didn’t have ground chicken, so I used ground turkey and baked them. They were delicious! People didn’t even know they were eating healthy until I told them! Will definitely make them again.

    Reply

  66. Tracie says

    January 14, 2015 at 4:23 pm

    Not sure what I did wrong. Made it per recipe but kept falling apart when tried to turn in pan. I even tried a little fresh grated parm and still the same. Was using coconut oil. Trying to bake them now in mini muffins pan hope it works cuz it smells great 🙂

    Reply

  67. Megan says

    January 15, 2015 at 11:26 am

    I made these last night for dinner and had them again for lunch. They are totally awesome! I used ground turkey because I had it on hand and also shredded up a medium carrot because I got excited about it haha. I served them with strawberries and homemade chips and salsa. I will definitely be making these again soon! I’m thinking about trying to freeze some for lunches during the semester… we’ll see if it works out. Thanks for such a great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  68. Signa McAdams says

    January 15, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    So, I’m a college student and I do NOT know how to cook. I just discovered Whole30 and I found this recipe as I was browsing pinterest. I figured I was going to completely screw it up and burn it or do something wrong but your directions and recipe was so easy to follow and they turned out PERFECT!!! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  69. KRP DIEM says

    January 18, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    Delicious! Made these tonight. Just used chicken, zucchini and adobo- nothing else.. Baked them and ooh lala- delicioso. It’s a keeper of a recipe, thanks so much.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  70. Andrew says

    January 22, 2015 at 9:22 am

    I made these for dinner last night and oh. my. heavens. They were delicious! Who knew that doing the Whole 30 could taste so good?

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  72. Gator says

    January 27, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    I wonder how these stack up on calories. I’m trying to log them into my fitness pal app and it seems with the word “popper” the app thinks these are deep fried.

    Reply

    • emily says

      January 27, 2015 at 2:51 pm

      You can import the recipe to My Fitness Pal, or you can click on the “Magic – Get Nutrition Info” directly above the recipe for the nutrition facts. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  73. Marisa B. says

    January 28, 2015 at 10:55 am

    OH MY GOODNESS!! I’ve been wanting to try these for ages. I finally did yesterday. I loved them (and ate way too many while I was cooking them) but wasn’t sure how my kids would like them. One of the kids has declared she doesn’t like any green foods. Well… all three kids (and hubby) gobbled them up! Yay!!! What a wonderful, delicious way to get some veggies in! Thank you for yet another fabulous, healthy recipe, Emily! I could hug you. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • emily says

      January 28, 2015 at 3:33 pm

      Joe G – The nutritional facts are available by clicking the pink and white “My Recipe Magic – Get Nutritional Info” button immediately above the recipe. You can also plug the ingredients in (or import the recipe) to My Fitness Pal. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  75. Jessa says

    February 13, 2015 at 9:06 am

    Emily, I’m sorry if someone has asked this already – But, did you press the grated zucchini before mixing it with the chicken? I usually have problems using zuchs in recipes because it will make them too wet. Love this recipe & can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing it!

    Reply

    • emily says

      February 13, 2015 at 9:59 am

      I didn’t the first dozen times I made the recipe. Someone mentioned their poppers were too wet with the zucchini, so I started patting mine dry a bit with paper towels before mixing them in. It does seem to work a bit better. In my experience, there’s no need to completely wring them out with a dishtowel before proceeding with the recipe. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  76. Liz Chavez says

    February 23, 2015 at 2:33 pm

    I made these last night and I absolutely love them!!! I drizzled Greek yogurt and added a little bit of Trader Joes jalapeño pepper hot sauce! Huge hit with the fiancé. Thanks for sharing such awesome recipes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  77. Nika says

    March 1, 2015 at 10:58 am

    I just bought a Tupperware food grinder kast month, by mistake. Teaches me to order things when I’m seriously ill with the flu and pneumonia. Anyway, I was going to return it until I saw this recipe. ( I’ve lived here in the Netherlands for 14 years and have never seen ground chicken.) I’m so glad I kept because it us going to get used tons just for this recipe! These were so easy to make abd absolutely delicious!

    Reply

  78. Nikki says

    March 3, 2015 at 4:38 pm

    I just started the Whole 30 and I’m super excited to try these tonight! Also, if I were to make a vegetarian alternative, would mashed potatoes mixed with zucchini be a good idea? Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • emily says

      March 4, 2015 at 6:44 am

      Nikki – Congrats on your Whole30! I do not think mashed potatoes would work well in this recipe. Your texture would assuredly be different, and I think the flavor combination would be off. I’m sorry I don’t have a better vegetarian suggestion!

      Reply

  79. Kelsie says

    March 5, 2015 at 2:05 pm

    I made a version of these for my kids for lunch….I was trying to use up some leftover chicken. I shredded the cooked chicken finely in a blender, and added an egg to bind. Otherwise, I followed the recipe, cooking in a pan with some fat skimmed off a pot of chicken broth…we are mostly GAPS, so we don’t mind the fat 😉 I served them with homemade sour cream thinned with sauerkraut juice (mayo/sk juice for my df kid). I didn’t find the texture amazing (due to the chicken being precooked, but I was kind of expecting that….), but my kids really liked them, particularly my 18 month old…he had FIVE of them (there were 13 in the pan, so they weren’t super tiny). I am keeping this recipe to use again, maybe one time here I will have some ground chicken to use, even! Thanks!

    Reply

  80. Sean says

    March 18, 2015 at 5:43 pm

    These look amazing! I’m going to whip up a batch or two for snacking during March Madness and for easy lunches for work (if they last that long). I could also see adding Italian seasonings (basil, oregano) and serving with a nice marinara sauce.

    Reply

  81. Erica E says

    March 19, 2015 at 4:17 pm

    They are delicious! however, I added a bit of egg to bind them together otherwise they fell apart…. also a tad of cream cheese takes it to another level.

    Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  83. Melissa says

    April 1, 2015 at 5:41 pm

    Holy cow these are great!! These are so easy to make. I cook them in my Forman for 3 1/2 minutes and BOOM… Done! Thank you so much!!

    Reply

  84. Jane says

    April 2, 2015 at 4:36 pm

    These are truly amazing! I’ve made them 4 or 5 times now! For me, the cumin is not optional…..it is a must! I found a jalapeño yogurt dipping sauce from Costco that compliments them beautifully! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  86. Glynis says

    April 19, 2015 at 11:53 am

    For those have tried baking, I find mine stick to the baking sheet, even with oil on it. Any suggestions? Lower temp, longer cooking time? Different oil than olive? Thanks.

    Reply

  87. Paige says

    April 19, 2015 at 4:37 pm

    I made them tonight with the avocado citrus dip! Put it all on top of a salad with salsa, craisins, hearts of Palm, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and roasted red peppers! Amazing!

    Reply

  88. Jac says

    April 26, 2015 at 7:38 pm

    Wow, this has been a popular post for you, it seems. 🙂 And so it should be; these are delicious. I am not a cilantro fan, but I put chopped jalapenos in mine instead. These are quite the crowd-pleaser, even among people who do not like zucchini. This is rare indeed. Thanks!

    Reply

  89. Eszter says

    June 1, 2015 at 4:14 pm

    These chicken poppers are the best. This is the secon time in the past 5 days I made them, because they are so delicious. My whole family loves them! Thank you for sharing with us!!! I tried both the stovetop and oven method. Both turned out great. (The second time I squeezed the liquid out of the zucchini. )

    Reply

  92. Sheena says

    June 10, 2015 at 1:48 am

    Just made these for dinner, served with salsa, guacamole (my very first one EVER), sour cream, and coleslaw, and got resoundingly favourable feedback. My 10 year old son gave them “two thumbs up, × 10!!!” Methinks this recipe is a keeper! Thank you!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  93. Tammy says

    July 1, 2015 at 6:22 am

    Oh my yum! I cannot wait to try these! Low carb and so healthy. I bet they would be good with shirataki noodles. Thank you!

    Reply

  94. Karen says

    July 2, 2015 at 5:29 pm

    They were amazing,thank you so much for this recipe.Im excited to try other ingredients

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  95. Holly says

    July 4, 2015 at 11:14 am

    Thanks for this recipe! I didn’t have any ground chicken, but I had some leftover grilled chicken breasts in the fridge. I pulsed the chicken very finely in the food processor, and it worked just fine! I didn’t cook them as long as the recipe says since the chicken was already cooked. I’m on the autoimmune paleo diet, and sometimes it feels like there’s just nothing left I can eat; this was different and tasty!

    Reply

  96. Christine says

    July 5, 2015 at 1:08 pm

    Making these right now and boy does my house smell good. My husband and I have already tasted a popper from the first batch and it is so tasty!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  98. Jill says

    July 27, 2015 at 2:47 am

    I tried the suggested basil/garlic version. Very tasty. After first batch though, added an egg to mixture so they would bind better. First batch a bit crumbly.

    ★★★★

    Reply

  99. Kelly says

    July 29, 2015 at 6:07 pm

    Great recipe. I took these in an Italian direction… omitted the cilantro and cumin; made 15 golf ball sized meatballs, seared them on my grill pan on top of the stove then finished them in a pot of simple tomato marinara. Served over spaghetti squash with roasted green beans on the side. I will absolutely use this recipe again. Thanks for sharing such a simple and adaptable recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  100. Mark says

    August 21, 2015 at 6:37 pm

    Tried making these today (with cumin) and i was blown away how good it was! Cooked a bunch for lunch at work too. Had a friend try it and loved it! Really great recipe! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  101. Annette says

    August 28, 2015 at 8:53 pm

    Thank you for these, I found this recipe on Pinterest and I think it is an instant classic – one that we will put into frequent rotation. Thank you! We made it with the cumin and loved how fresh the flavors all were together. Yum, yum, yummy. So delicious we didn’t have time to miss any of the things we aren’t eating.

    Reply

  103. Kiva says

    September 23, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    I’m making these but with a twist I’m going to turn them into pot stickers without the wrap and fill with traditional carrots, cabbage, garlic and dip with coconut aminos.

    Reply

  104. Lori says

    September 25, 2015 at 1:09 am

    We love these! I found the recipe during our Whole 30 and it’s stayed in the rotation now that we’re mostly paleo. Recently, I’ve been making them with dill instead of cilantro, and dipping them in tzatziki sauce. (Well, fake tzatziki – paleo mayo with cucumber and dill.) I follow the directions to bake them since I couldn’t keep them from falling apart when frying. That’s on me though – I struggle with fritters, latkes and the like too.

    Reply

  105. Jennifer says

    September 25, 2015 at 7:10 am

    I made these with ground turkey and omitted the cilantro (my husband doesn’t like it, unfortunately!). They are surprisingly delicious! I expected them to be good, but not such little flavor balls! I sent them with my husband for breakfast (Whole30) and he texted me telling me how good they were. We’ve been eating them straight out of the fridge for a snack. So, thank you for the recipe! Yum!

    Reply

  106. Holly says

    October 22, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    Have you tried making these with ground beef? We bought a quarter of a cow this year and I need some great ground beef recipes!

    Reply

    • emily says

      October 22, 2015 at 1:54 pm

      Lots of readers have made them with beef (and pork and turkey) and everyone has reported that it works out great for them! You’ll probably want to be sure to wring out some of the water from the zucchini before you make them since beef is slightly fattier, but it should work great!

      Reply

  107. Bea says

    October 27, 2015 at 1:44 am

    10/10 from the family and double batch next time.
    I didn’t have green onions and replaced it with leek, the combination with zucchini works a treat.
    Thank you for recipe Emily.

    Reply

  109. Rachel Campbell says

    November 17, 2015 at 9:41 pm

    These are awesome! I left out the cilantro and served them with spagetti squash and marinara. Husband and son loved them too! Baking method was perfect!
    Side note- for some reason it’s not letting me click the stars but 5 Stars for sure!

    Reply

  110. andra says

    November 20, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    These are so simple yet delicious! So far I’ve mixed chicken and zucchini in salads and it tastes great, so these meatballs must be amazing!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  111. Esther says

    January 2, 2016 at 4:50 pm

    Look delicious. Made these with leftover, cooked turkey. Left out onion (hubby is a hater). They were fine
    ~a bit on the dry side. Hubby totally enjoyed. Nice recipe for leftover turkey.

    ★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      January 2, 2016 at 7:16 pm

      Esther – Glad your husband enjoyed them! They will be much less dry when made with raw turkey or chicken. Cooked turkey (or chicken) will yield a more dry result since so much of the moisture is already removed. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  112. parul says

    January 2, 2016 at 9:15 pm

    Delicious recipe. Added grated carrots and ginger as well and we polished it off in minutes. Thank you for this idea!

    Reply

  113. Rae Ann says

    January 6, 2016 at 12:18 pm

    Emily, these turned out great!! I didn’t use cilantro, not a fan, but I did add cayenne pepper to half of the mixture what a great spin!! Thank you for the recipe.

    ★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      January 6, 2016 at 1:09 pm

      Oh, I’m so glad! I’ve had lots of readers try other herbs (parsley, basil, etc.) if you ever need to change things up in the future. I know not everyone is a cilantro fan!

      Reply

  114. David Miller says

    January 7, 2016 at 2:30 am

    These were a hit with the kids, but I had to peel the zucchini first as the youngest is put off by any “green stuff”.

    Reply

    • Emily says

      January 11, 2016 at 11:18 am

      Chelsea – Sure! I lay them flat on a plate or pan in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes, then I transfer them to an airtight container or zip-top bag to store in the freezer. The first 10-15 minutes helps them get solid enough not to freeze in one giant blob in the freezer. You can skip that step if you want, but I never do. That way I can pull out just as many as I want instead of the giant block!

      Reply

  117. Beth says

    January 17, 2016 at 4:52 pm

    I did not have good luck with cooking these on the stove top. I had the burner on medium-high and the first batch burned. With each bunch I lowered the heat but they still burned with even lessening the time on each side. The last bunch I had the temperature on 3 which is just above simmer. What can I do to make them correctly?

    Reply

    • Emily says

      January 17, 2016 at 7:04 pm

      Oh, no! I’m so sorry that happened for you. Occasionally, I’ve had a reader say that when this happens for them they’ve found that squeezing out every last bit of moisture they can from the zucchini before putting it into the meat mixture helps solve the problem. Another thing would be to make sure you have enough oil in the pan (though I’m sure you already tried that).

      If you want to be sure to avoid the burning altogether, you can bake them. I bake them more often than not these days, since it’s a little more convenient for me. You can pop them under the broiler for the last minute or two to get some of that browning.

      I hope that helps! I’m so sorry they didn’t turn out for you!

      Reply

    • Emily says

      January 17, 2016 at 7:00 pm

      Yes, absolutely! The one caveat would be if the yellow squash has thick skin. If it’s fairly thin, you won’t have any trouble. If the skin is thick, you’ll likely want to peel it to avoid having any unpleasant chewy bits in the poppers. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  120. Katherine says

    February 22, 2016 at 9:15 am

    Ok so after seeing all the attention these little poppers were getting I just HAD to try them! Wow! So good! Needless to say, they disappeared as fast as I could make them! I quickly set aside 6 for my son who comes home from school for lunch. He too is not a zucchini fan but ate these little babies like candy! He came home for lunch just now, finished them and said, “Mom, you have to make these again!” Needless to say, I’m off to the grocery store for more zucchini! Also plan to pick up a can of tomato paste to try butter chicken in the slow cooker tomorrow. Thanks for the great recipes to keep my family well fed and happy! And for finding a way to get my son to eat zucchini! 🙂

    Reply

  121. Annalea says

    March 11, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    made these for the first time just now and…WOW! So Good!!! grated the onions and cilantro along with the zucchini in the food processor to save a couple of steps and squeezed out as much liquid as i could before adding chicken and spices. these would be great with tazikki too! thanks so much for the great recipe!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      March 12, 2016 at 5:54 am

      A food processor makes this such an easy dinner, doesn’t it? I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Here’s to many happy meals in the future!

      Reply

  122. Cynthia Gifford says

    March 15, 2016 at 12:25 pm

    I made these for my family last night…BIG hit and so tasty…WOW! Is all I can say and no processed sauces etc. so great! Thank you so much!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  123. Karin says

    April 3, 2016 at 7:30 am

    I now make these once a week. My favorite!!! Thanks for the recipe. It wouldn’t let me select 5 stars tho!!!!

    Reply

  124. Rebecca says

    April 14, 2016 at 1:38 pm

    These were awesome. I leave out the onions & garlic because I can’t have them. I also halved the salt and pepper because it was way too much the first time around.

    These are fantastic easy protein to eat cold while travelling. 🙂

    ★★★★

    Reply

  125. Donna says

    May 31, 2016 at 3:56 pm

    My husband popped one in his mouth and said “YUM” but as someone else said, it would not allow me to rate a 5

    ★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      June 15, 2016 at 12:25 pm

      Sandy – I have never baked them in a muffin pan, so I don’t think I could advise you well regarding cooking times. I do bake them on a cookie sheet lined with foil (I use a cookie scoop to scoop them into little “meatballs” on the baking sheet). You’ll see baking directions in the recipe, but I don’t have muffin pan baking times, I’m sorry. If you try them this way, I’d love to hear how they turned out!

      Reply

  127. Annalea says

    June 15, 2016 at 11:06 am

    these little babies are IN.CRED.I.BLE!!! i made them a few months back and have thought of them often since. time to make them again. perfect to have in one’s whole30 arsenal. super YUM!!!

    Reply

  129. Kylie says

    June 23, 2016 at 3:02 am

    Made these tonight into larger patties … so yummy and a great hit with the family! The mix was a bit wet so added a little flour. Highly recommend it though!

    Reply

  131. Monica says

    July 13, 2016 at 3:49 pm

    Just made these, they are as good as they look! The cilantro really offsets the other ingredients, I love them. And the lime gives just enough of a kick to the dip . Easy, quick, and delicious. Thank you so much!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  132. Stephanie says

    July 21, 2016 at 3:37 pm

    I did not have ground chicken on hand tonight but I did have chicken sausage. I omitted the salt added flax seed meal and almond meal and they are delicious!

    Reply

  133. Kymberly Stroup says

    August 28, 2016 at 10:21 am

    You had me at cilantro and cumin! BTW, my family is gluten free, and I have been making my own pita flatbreads for about a year using an all purpose flour mixture that I got from the cookbook Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone. She was editor in chief for Every Day with Rachael Ray, and it doesn’t hurt that she owned an Italian bakery in Brooklyn. I’ve used this flour mixture for about 3 years now in everything from pitas to carrotcake cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, and homemade noodles. No one can tell the difference. My daughter took carrotcake cupcakes to work for a potluck,knowing that one of her coworkers was newly diagnosed with celiacs. No one believed her either. Namaste makes a pizza crust that is GF, and the moment you open the package, you smell the herbs.. it’s like a Tuscan crust that even our non gluten free friends devour! Looking forward to making these with guacamole, marinara, may be tzatziki?

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Kymberly Stroup says

      August 28, 2016 at 10:39 am

      I just left the info on the GF flour mixture and pitas, and GF pizza crust as your original post asked for a GF pita, we’ve been on the GF quest for five years now, and can’t imagine going back. I guess we’re clean eaters, but all of us have decided if we can’t pronounce it, it doesn’t go in our bodies. It has served us well.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

  134. Jennifer D. says

    November 23, 2016 at 2:25 pm

    I love love love these !! They are so good I can eat a whole batch by myself! So easy and healthy!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  135. Jackie says

    December 9, 2016 at 11:23 am

    Great alternative to standard meatballs. I have lots of patients who don’t like ground beef for a number of reasons, I bet they would love this!

    Reply

  136. Loreen says

    December 19, 2016 at 3:13 pm

    These sound amazing and I will definitely be making these as soon as I can get to the market! My question is: how do they not fall apart without the use of binding agents such as bread crumbs and egg?

    Thanks again! I love your site and have subscribed!

    Reply

    • Emily says

      December 19, 2016 at 7:19 pm

      Loreen – Great question! It’s the zucchini! Be sure to squeeze out any extra liquid and then it helps bind everything together. We’ve made these loads of times and love them!

      Reply

  139. Tally says

    January 2, 2017 at 4:17 pm

    I love these! Have made them several times and my toddler likes them too. I’m having baby#2 soon and wanting to make some freezer meals and think these would be great to have on hand. Any recommendations for freezing? Bake then freeze (microwave to heat up), or freeze as patties and then bake from frozen?
    Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      January 2, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      Congratulations on Baby #2! These are a great freezer meal. I cook them completely then freeze them for 30-45 minutes on a baking sheet (or plate) lined with parchment paper. This will allow them to harden without sticking to each other. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container, and you can pull out as many or as few as you like!

      Reply

  140. Melody says

    January 12, 2017 at 5:50 am

    I’m doing a Whole30 and made these Sunday and LOVE them! So do my family – they ate all of the ones I had in the refrigerator so I had to pull out some of the ones I had frozen to take for dinner yesterday to work. I doubled the recipe and did 3 cups of shredded zucchini and one cup of shredded carrot. I didn’t have to squeeze out the liquid from the zucchini doing it that way – the carrot seemed to help soak it up! I also used regular yellow onion that I sauteed for a little while in olive oil first (my husband hates raw onion). Last night I ate them with some homemade marinara sauce and they were AMAZING! I will definitely be making these again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  141. anja says

    January 23, 2017 at 6:32 pm

    I Made these today for my family and they were amazing ! looking forward to more recipes I will try from this site ! thank you .

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  142. Sarah says

    February 8, 2017 at 6:31 pm

    Made these tonight. Super easy and tasty! I just served them with a side of veggies, but kept thinking how good they’d be with a marinara or in a lettuce wrap. Even passed the recipe along to my sister

    Reply

  143. Lorie says

    February 11, 2017 at 8:24 am

    Made these last night and we all LOVED them!!! We made them with ground turkey because it was what we had. We’ll try them with chicken next time. We have been looking for a way to eat more guacamole, and this was perfect! All six of us have been doing Whole30, and on our Day 20, we were definitely grateful for such a fantastic recipe! Thanks so much! This is now a favorite.

    Reply

  146. Denise says

    March 3, 2017 at 7:57 am

    So excited to try this recipe! I love to make meatballs (I bake them in a mini muffin tin which is amazingly easy to make enough for the freezer). I am trying to expose my step kids to healthy foods but get a turned up nose when it comes to veggies. Love hiding them in recipes that they love then having them help me make them to discover that they have been eating them! Sometimes we need to be sneaky!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  147. Quinn says

    March 13, 2017 at 10:16 am

    These were amazing – thank you for the recipe! I took your suggestion and made them with basil instead of cilantro. I also doubled the garlic and used 3/4 tsp. of dried oregano in place of the cumin. Dipped them in Whole30 compliant marinara and they were to die for! Thanks again 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  148. Crissy says

    March 15, 2017 at 8:45 pm

    These were really delicious! I loved the cilantro and mine only took 20 minutes in the oven. I used 2 large zucchini and only pressed out a little water. I loved how they didn’t need an egg or breadcrumbs at all. They didn’t stick to the pan and were so easy to make! I may add chopped jalapeño or lime juice next time but this recipe is perfect. I served it with sweet potatoes and peas but they are so versatile, you could serve them lots of ways! Great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  150. Jill Zamojcin says

    March 27, 2017 at 4:12 pm

    Hi, Emily! Thanks so much for this recipe! I made these tonight and doubled the recipe with a result of 40 Poppers total. I did wring out the zucchini, used the optional cumin and did broil for 2 minutes after baking for 26 minutes. BTW – no issues with sticking as I greased the tinfoil lined baking sheet with olive oil and allowed the Poppers to cool completely before simply removing with a spatula. Absolutely amazing! Saved in my “Favorites” folder on Pinterest 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  151. Lee Ann says

    April 10, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    I can tell by all the comments this recipe is a keeper! I’m making them tonight but I’m sick of cooking!! Can i throw all the ingredients together and call it a meatloaf? 🙂

    Reply

    • Emily says

      April 10, 2017 at 2:32 pm

      HA! I totally get it. I haven’t ever made them as meatloaf (so I’m not sure if it’d dry out with the added cook time), but I’ve done it as burgers (divide the mixture into 4-6 patties) and it goes really quickly!

      Reply

  153. Ashira says

    May 11, 2017 at 6:02 pm

    I love this recipe! I was thinking about using the recipe but instead of meatballs I was thinking chicken burgers. Have you tried grilling the chicken on a bbq?

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      May 11, 2017 at 6:55 pm

      I’ve done them as burgers in a skillet and they’ve worked GREAT. I have no doubt they’d work on a bbq! You may want to grease it first 🙂

      Reply

  154. Amy Witherow says

    May 18, 2017 at 3:00 pm

    Made these, and my husband loved, LOVED them. Asked when we were having them again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  155. Gina McCort says

    May 28, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    What a pleasure to try something new and have a huge hit. Fantastic recipe- these pair well as described with the avocado sauce or as others have noted, with Asian flavors- but they are also good straight up with a salad. Thanks for sharing a great recipe. 5 stars from me!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  156. Pamela says

    June 7, 2017 at 4:54 pm

    These are the most amazing flavor and simplest recipe ever. I actually added an extra cup of zucchini and my son who is only 11 ask me all the time to make this. It is the PERFECT combination of veggies and protein in one bite. It is now a weekly standard at our home.

    Reply

  157. Erin says

    July 13, 2017 at 7:53 pm

    Came across this recipe and can’t wait to try it! Do you think these could be grilled if they were made into burger size?

    Reply

    • Emily says

      July 14, 2017 at 5:36 am

      Erin – I haven’t tried them on the grill, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t work if you made them burger size. I’d love to know how they turn out for you if you try it! 🙂

      Reply

  158. Judi says

    August 23, 2017 at 5:45 am

    question — do I need to squeeze some of the water out of the grated zucchini before I add to other ingredients?? I plan to cook this morning for tonight’s dinner and I can’t wait to try these little poppers.

    Reply

  159. Linda says

    August 27, 2017 at 4:54 pm

    These are great! Very easy to make and very delicious. I pulsed chicken breast and thighs in a blender to make my own ground chicken. I also added 1 egg and peeled the zucchini since the skin was too tough. I made these even more fun by adding 1/3 cup Frank’s hot sauce and omitting the cilantro to make these Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Poppers. I baked for 22 minutes, then broiled for 10 minutes.
    Thank you for a great and tasty idea to use up that fresh zucchini from the garden!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      October 18, 2017 at 5:46 am

      Natalie – I haven’t used dried cilantro, but typically with dried herbs you use 1/3 the amount (so 1 tsp dried for every Tbsp fresh). Hope that helps!

      Reply

  162. Vanessa says

    November 23, 2017 at 11:15 am

    I used ground venison in place of ground chicken (solely because we have a lot of venison on hand) & they turned out amazing! So good! My family is not a fan of meatballs, but all we digging in to these. Great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      March 2, 2018 at 7:12 am

      Franny – Honestly, you’ll just need to go with a different recipe. This is a chicken meatball recipe that uses zucchini as a filler, so there really isn’t a vegan substitute. You might like these Vegan Zucchini Fritters from my blogging friend Jessica, though!

      Reply

  166. Nancy Sampson-Bach says

    April 15, 2018 at 4:11 pm

    My teen age daughter is practicing her nascent kitchen skills and found this recipe for us to try. So easy, so healthy and SO GOOD!! Thank you! Plus, that Citrus Avocado dipping sauce is out of this world! I think I could just eat it on toast!

    Reply

  168. Elissa says

    May 10, 2018 at 6:07 am

    I’ve made this recipe so many times; always a crowd pleaser, especially for my picky little boys.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  169. Mia says

    May 12, 2018 at 3:37 am

    Thank-you so much for this recipe.
    It was delicious.
    Will definitely make them again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      June 3, 2018 at 5:17 am

      Yes, I’d think so! So long as the yellow skin is still soft and tender. If it’s a fairly hard yellow squash, you’d want to peel it first. 🙂

      Reply

  171. Amy says

    July 13, 2018 at 3:43 pm

    I am new to eating clean and just made these for the first time. I have pretty decent sized balls, for me it’s about 2-3 bites, and got 24 on the sheet with mixture leftover. It’s quite yummy before cooking it, so I’m thinking throw it onto some GF bread or something. I should have a few left to freeze for another time. Thank you so much for all of your amazing ideas, I can’t wait to try more of them!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  172. Colette says

    August 16, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    I enjoy these so much.
    In the “Nutrition” section, it says 13g of Fat; is this mostly from the oil used during frying/baking?

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      August 17, 2018 at 12:57 pm

      Colette – Thanks for your comment! I’ve been slowly updating my nutrition facts (I just switched recipe plugins) and it looks like the old one was a big off. My current nutrition software calculates this as 10g fat. Some of that is from the olive oil for cooking. If you’re baking them, they’re lower fat. 🙂

      Reply

    • Emily says

      January 10, 2019 at 5:10 am

      Several people have made them in the air fryer and posted pics! They look amazing! I don’t have one, so I’m sorry I can’t give you a suggested cook time.

      Reply

  174. Megan says

    January 14, 2019 at 12:30 pm

    I made these this weekend! I baked them, flipping halfway through and used the broiler for just a minute. Didn’t use the cilantro, not a fan, and did use the cumin. Huge hit with everyone. I was the only one in the house doing Whole30 and had to fight my way through to get a couple.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  175. Michelle says

    January 16, 2019 at 12:48 pm

    So yummy! Doubled recipe and ate the extra for lunch through the week. Will definitely make again! Thanks for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Emily says

      February 18, 2019 at 8:55 am

      I haven’t, but that sounds like a great option! (I believe another reader has tried it, but I’m not sure about how long/settings, etc.) If you give it a try, I’d LOVE to know how it goes!

      Reply

  177. Angela says

    February 26, 2019 at 3:38 pm

    Hi, I pinned this recipe but it was removed due to copyright issues. Do you not allow users to pin your recipes on Pinterest?

    Reply

    • Emily says

      February 26, 2019 at 4:01 pm

      Angela – I’m sorry for any confusion! I LOVE when readers pin and share my recipes. It’s my favorite!

      In this case, there were several websites using that particular photo and pretending like it was theirs. To remove the stolen content from Pinterest, they had to remove all instances of that particular photo. That shouldn’t happen again!

      Reply

  178. Michelle says

    May 19, 2019 at 8:46 am

    I have made these several times. Everyone I have ever made them for absolutely loved them. The avo sauce is amazing as well. Great combination. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us ❤️

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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