I’ll admit that I participated in the spiralizer fad a couple years ago with great fervor. For good reason, though: it gave me alternatives for using vegetables in place of pasta when we were on the Paleo bandwagon. The kids wouldn’t touch it but the wife and I were better off because of it. The unexpected benefit of the fad is that now you can buy pre-spiralized vegetables in the fresh produce and freezer section of your local supermarket of choice. They are in every major grocery store now too, so there’s no excuse.
This is a pretty solid single pan recipe that is quick to prep and surprisingly quick to cook: 10 minutes or so for prep, 20-30 to cook.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, pounded to 1/2″ thin, sliced into 1″ cubes
- 3-4 zucchini, “spiralized” – approx 1 lb (trust your instinct here)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp garlic, crushed/minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 1 lemon, halved. Extract juice from one half, slice the other half for garnish.
- Fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped, 2-3 tbsp
- Fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp
- Optional: 1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning (use for the marinade)
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper (or less by preference)
- 2 tbsp capers
Directions
Marinade cubed chicken in 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp Sriracha, 2 Tyson garlic powder, a pinch of the fresh herbs each, 2 tsp salt & pepper. Allow to rest in a zip top bag for up to an hour if you can, but it’s not required if you’re in a rush. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil if needed to ensure the chicken is fully coated.
If you are spiralizing yourself, add 1 tbsp to zucchini and allow to rest for up to 30 minutes, allowing the moisture to escape. It’s a wet vegetable and you don’t want all of its moisture to remain in the pan – or worse – on the plate.
Heat 2 tbsp butter in a skillet until frothy, add marinated chicken and sauté until browned. Chicken should register 165F on a thermometer. Set aside in a bowl and keep the remainders in the skillet.
Add 1-2 tbsp butter to the same skillet, until frothy. Add fresh parsley and garlic; sauté for 2 min. Add lemon juice, capers, salt and pepper. Add zucchini “noodles” and sauté until tender, stirring frequently to coat.
Add fresh parsley, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Allow the zucchini to steam, reducing the inherent moisture. 3-5 minutes. Zucchini breaks down under heat and becomes mushy rather quickly. Avoid overcooking.
Serve equal portions of zucchini and chicken, sprinkled with fresh herbs.
