Chicken and Zucchini Bake is a cheesy weeknight dinner: bite-size chicken breast tossed in paprika and cornstarch and seared, then baked over diced zucchini and sweet onion with a little chicken broth, under Monterey Jack and Parmesan. It takes about 15 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking, plus a 5-minute rest, and serves 6.
How to make it: Toss the zucchini and onion with oil, paprika, salt and pepper and spread them in a 9×13-inch dish. Coat the chicken pieces in paprika, salt, pepper and cornstarch, sear them until golden, and deglaze the pan with broth. Pour the chicken and broth over the vegetables, top with both cheeses, cover and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes, then uncover for 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses up zucchini: four medium zucchini go into one dish.
- No pre-cooking the vegetables: the zucchini and onion go in raw.
- A light sauce: the cornstarch on the chicken and the broth thicken into a sauce as it bakes.
- Two cheeses: melty Monterey Jack and salty Parmesan on top.
Ingredient Notes
Zucchini: 4 medium zucchini, diced.
Sweet onion: 1 large sweet onion, diced. A yellow cooking onion or a red onion works in a pinch.
Chicken breast: 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces. Keep the pieces the same size so they cook evenly.
Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons, tossed with the chicken. It helps thicken the sauce as the dish bakes. Tapioca or arrowroot powder also work; plain flour may not thicken as well.
Olive oil and paprika: 2 tablespoons of each, split between the vegetables and the chicken. Smoked or sweet paprika both work.
Chicken broth: 1/2 cup, for deglazing the skillet. Vegetable broth works too.
Cheese: 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack and 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan.
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons paprika (smoked or sweet), divided
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
How to Make Chicken and Zucchini Bake
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Season the vegetables. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini and onion with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the paprika and half of the salt and pepper until nicely coated. Set aside.
3. Coat the chicken. In a second bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the remaining paprika, the rest of the salt and pepper and the cornstarch until evenly coated.
4. Sear the chicken. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until golden on both sides but not cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Deglaze the pan. Pour in the chicken broth and stir to deglaze the pan.
6. Fill the dish. Spread the seasoned zucchini and onion in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour the seared chicken and broth over the vegetables.
7. Add the cheese. Sprinkle the Monterey Jack and Parmesan over the top and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
8. Bake covered. Bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and stir well.
9. Bake uncovered. Continue baking, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes more, just until the top is lightly golden and the chicken reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
10. Rest and serve. Let the bake rest for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly, then stir it in the dish before serving.
Can You Cook Raw Chicken and Zucchini Together?
Yes. The chicken here is only seared, not cooked through, before it goes into the oven with the raw zucchini and onion. A few habits help them finish at the same time:
- Cut everything to size. Keep the chicken in even 1-inch pieces and dice the zucchini and onion to a similar size.
- Sear, don’t cook through. Three to 4 minutes gives the chicken color; the oven does the rest.
- Cover first. Foil for the first 25 minutes keeps the cheese from browning too fast while the chicken cooks.
- Give it room. A 9×13-inch dish keeps the layer from being crowded, so it bakes instead of steaming.
- Check the chicken. A golden top and bubbling cheese don’t tell you the chicken is done. The largest pieces should read 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Don’t overbake. Take it out once it hits 165°F; chicken breast dries out if it bakes too long.
Variations
- Chicken thighs: boneless, skinless thighs work too; trim the fat and cube them like the breast. They take longer to cook, so check for 165°F.
- More vegetables: add bell peppers, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms or corn, or swap the zucchini for yellow squash.
- Other cheese: mozzarella with the Parmesan, or any shredded cheese you have.
- Tuscan style: add spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and Italian herbs, with mozzarella and Parmesan on top.
- Other spices: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, oregano, cumin or a pinch of chili flakes.
Storage & Reheating
Make ahead: Chop the vegetables and mix the seasoning earlier in the day and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Sear the chicken and bake it when you’re ready to eat.
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers or an airtight container. They keep 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Leftovers can be frozen for 3 to 4 months, though the zucchini softens after thawing. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, never on the counter.
Reheating: Reheat covered in a 350°F oven, or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring halfway, until it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Spoon it over rice or quinoa, serve it with mashed potatoes or crusty bread for the sauce, or add a fresh salad. For zucchini sides for another night, try roasted garlic-Parmesan zucchini, squash and tomatoes, skillet zucchini and mushrooms or garlic herb roasted potatoes, carrots and zucchini. More cheesy chicken dinners: cheesy baked chicken and peppers, chicken, spinach and mushroom oven dish and chicken mozzarella skillet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cook raw chicken and zucchini together?
Yes. Sear the chicken pieces first, then bake them over the raw zucchini, covered and then uncovered, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?
Yes. Boneless, skinless thighs work but take longer to cook. Bake until they reach 165°F.
What can I serve with chicken and zucchini bake?
Rice, quinoa, mashed potatoes, crusty bread or a green salad.
Do I need to cook the zucchini first?
No. The diced zucchini goes into the dish raw and cooks in the oven with the chicken.
Final Notes
This is a good way to use a pile of summer zucchini on a weeknight. If you add mushrooms or peppers, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Chicken and Zucchini Bake
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Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini diced
- 1 large sweet onion diced; cooking onions work in a pinch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided: 1 tablespoon for the vegetables, 1 tablespoon for searing the chicken
- 2 tablespoons paprika smoked or sweet; divided between the vegetables and the chicken
- kosher salt and pepper to taste; divided between the vegetables and the chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch tossed with the chicken
- 1/2 cup chicken broth vegetable broth also works
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, toss the zucchini and onion with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the paprika and half of the salt and pepper until nicely coated. Set aside.
- In a second bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the remaining paprika, the rest of the salt and pepper and the cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until golden on both sides but not cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir to deglaze the pan.
- Spread the seasoned zucchini and onion in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour the seared chicken and broth over the vegetables.
- Sprinkle the Monterey Jack and Parmesan over the top and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and stir well.
- Continue baking, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes more, just until the top is lightly golden and the chicken reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Let the bake rest for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly, then stir it in the dish before serving.
