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Chicken Zucchini Poppers (Paleo & Whole30 Approved!)

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Chicken Zucchini Poppers – My MOST POPULAR RECIPE EVER! These chicken zucchini 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 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 some veggies and 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

TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST 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!

TRY ONE OF THESE 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!

LOVE THESE CHICKEN POPPERS? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…

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Paleo & Whole30 Chicken Zucchini Poppers from One Lovely Life

Chicken Zucchini Poppers


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.6 from 137 reviews

  • Author: Emily
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 45 servings 1x

Description

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


Ingredients

Scale
  • 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)
  • 23 green onions, sliced
  • 34 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.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: main dish, appetizer, chicken
  • Method: stovetop, oven
  • Cuisine: American
Chicken Zucchini Poppers (Paleo, Whole30 approved) // One Lovely Life

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401 Comments

  1. Can you freeze these? And if so, do you freeze them already cooked or prior to cooking? I would like to make them ahead for a reception.

    1. Kathy – You *can* freeze them. I usually freeze them after cooking for best results. Then you can reheat them in the oven from frozen or thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven or on the stovetop/in an air fryer.

      1. Kim – You can bake them without oil! Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment to avoid needing to grease them. Or you can air fry them!

  2. What do you recommend for making these ahead of time? Could I bake them as instructed, let cool and then broil to reheat?

    1. Brooke – Hi! You can reheat them in the oven, in an air fryer, or even the microwave! Lots of folks have made them in advance for meal prep. If you want the crispy texture to re-crisp, then I recommend the oven or the air fryer. 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes usually does the job! If the crispy factor isn’t as important for you, they reheat great in the microwave!

  3. I totally forgot about these! I used your recipe a few years ago and my family couldn’t get enough of these, even my kids went nuts for them! So glad I found the recipe again, I know what I’ll be making tonight!






  4. I made these for my very picky son, and he & I both really enjoyed them! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!






  5. So flavorful and easy to make! Doing Whole 30, and this is a great recipe to switch things up. I left the house for 30 minutes and when I came back my dad had already taken out the whole plate. Thank you!






  6. My sister and I tried to do Whole30 years ago. We only lasted a week, but we fell in love with this recipe and have made it since, just because we enjoyed it so much. I was thinking that I regularly choose recipes because they have good ratings, and decided I should contribute some. I chose the two recipes that jumped out at me the most as being memorable and delicious to write reviews for and this is one of them. Strongly suggest that you give it a shot!






    1. I’m SO GLAD it was a win for you Ashley! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review–it really is so helpful!

  7. DEE-LICIOUS. Even got my husband (notorious for hating zucchini) to say how good it was. They didn’t hold together great, but that was user error and I’ll hopefully get them more meatball-like next time. Taste was amazing.






  8. Absolutely lovely. I made them just about now. Added a tad cilantro and a touch of paprika.
    Thank you for sharing this. The kids loved it. We loved it.






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