Zucchini Noodle Chicken Alfredo (Printable)

Creamy Parmesan sauce with tender chicken and fresh vegetables over light zucchini noodles

# What You’ll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs), cut into strips

→ Vegetables

02 - 4 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles
03 - 1 cup broccoli florets
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 1 cup baby spinach
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
08 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
09 - 1 cup light cream (or half-and-half)
10 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 1/4 cup low-fat cream cheese
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken strips with salt and pepper, add to skillet, and sauté for 5–6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
02 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add broccoli and red bell pepper to the skillet. Cook for 3–4 minutes until just tender.
04 - Lower heat to medium-low. Pour in light cream and stir in cream cheese until melted and smooth.
05 - Add grated Parmesan cheese, stirring until sauce is creamy. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Gently fold in zucchini noodles and baby spinach. Cook for 2–3 minutes, tossing until noodles are just tender and spinach is wilted. Avoid overcooking to prevent sogginess.
07 - Return cooked chicken to the skillet and toss everything together until well combined and heated through. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You get that rich, restaurant style Alfredo experience without the heavy pasta coma afterward
  • The chicken and veggie load makes it legitimately filling, not just diet food pretending to be a meal
02 -
  • Do not salt and drain your zucchini noodles before cooking or they will turn into mush instead of having that pleasant al dente texture
  • The sauce thickens quickly off the heat, so remove from heat a minute before you think it is thick enough
03 -
  • Grate your Parmesan from a wedge for the smoothest sauce texture
  • Use rotisserie chicken on busy weeknights to cut cooking time in half

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