Our Chicken Zucchini Poppers are one of my My MOST POPULAR RECIPES EVER! These chicken zucchini meatballs are squeaky clean, but not short on flavor! Gluten-free, Paleo, and Whole30 friendly!
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.
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?
Gather Your Ingredients
How To Make Chicken Zucchini Poppers, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Prep Zucchini. If you haven’t already, place grated zucchini in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze all the excess moisture out of the zucchini. (You don’t want it wet!)
- Combine. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, zucchini, green onion, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin (if using). Mixture will be quite wet.
- Scoop & Shape Meatballs. Next, 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 & Store. Enjoy warm with guacamole, salsa, ranch, or your favorite dip! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.
The Best Dipping Sauces For Chicken Zucchini Poppers
One of the best parts about these chicken zucchini poppers is dipping them! There are SO MANY delicious dips and sauces to serve with these chicken zucchini meatballs, but here are some of our all-time favorites:
- Citrus Avocado Sauce (Pictured in the photos!)
- Tomatillo Ranch (Paleo & Whole30-Friendly)
- Classic Guacamole
- The BEST Paleo Ranch Dressing
- Chipotle Ranch
- Pineapple Guacamole
- Smoky Chipotle Salsa
FAQ + Tips 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!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Chicken Zucchini Poppers recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Chicken Zucchini Poppers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken breast (raw)
- 2 cups 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 Tablespoons cilantro minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin optional
- Optional if pan-frying: avocado oil, for cooking (or coconut oil, or ghee)
Instructions
- Prep Zucchini. If you haven’t already, place grated zucchini in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze all the excess moisture out of the zucchini. (You don’t want it wet!)
- Combine. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, zucchini, green onion, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin (if using). Mixture will be quite wet.
- Scoop & Shape Meatballs. Next, 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 & Store. Enjoy warm with guacamole, salsa, ranch, or your favorite dip! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.
Notes
- CHICKEN: If you can’t find ground chicken breast, you can grind your own. Simply weigh 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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/chicken-zucchini-poppers-gf-df/
Do we peel the zucchini first before grating?
Michelle – I keep the peel on. Hope that helps!
Ooh. Im thinking some ground lamb fresh oregano and a Greek yogurt dipping sauce!
Do you wring out the extra moisture from the grated zucchini?
Thanks! These look good
Paula – Nope! I don’t wring any extra moisture out. I find they end up with a gorgeous texture this way.
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. 🙂
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!
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!
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!
Grapeseed oil has a much higher smoke point and doesn’t add flavor as does olive oil. I use a nonstick pan.
Thanks for the tip Jean! Have a great day!
May I ask a somewhat stupid question…. does one skin/peel the zucchini prior to grating, or just grate it whole?
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.
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!
Can you bake these instead of frying???
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!
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!
?????
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
These look delicious, but I will have to substitute the chicken with something vegetarian. My question is why does it say 21 day diet?
Micki – That diet isn’t associated with my blog. This recipe was featured on the 21 Day Sugar Detox’s Pinterest page, so that’s probably where that came from. Hope that helps!
Do you put A chicken breast in food processor and. Ground it?. Can’t find ground chicken breast. Or will ground turkey roll work?
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.
Great thanks really do not like ground turkey. So course ground or fine chicken?
Cindy – I like mine pretty fine. Just be careful not to puree it so long that it becomes a paste, if that makes sense. Best of luck!
yum recipe and easy to make, thanks for your post