Creamy Chicken and Avocado Pesto Zoodles

Delicious and healthy zucchini noodles tossed with grilled chicken and blistered tomatoes in an incredibly creamy avocado pesto sauce. Quick and easy to make, as well as filling!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Creamy Chicken and Avocado Pesto Zoodles, Zoodles, Zucchini Noodles

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 554kcal

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini, spiralized
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes

Avocado Pesto Sauce:

2 medium avocados, peeled and pited
1 1/4 cup half and half, sub with milk of choice
2 tbsp basil pesto
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt, to taste

Chicken:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp light butter, can sub with olive oil

Instructions

Prepare the zoodles using your Spiralizer. Fan out onto a few paper towels to absorb some water and set aside.
Place a large, nonstick pan or skillet on medium heat with butter. Once the butter has melted and started to bubble, add the seasoned chicken breast strips. Cook chicken 2-3 minutes and then flip to cook 2-3 minutes on the other side. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F using a meat thermometer. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
While the chicken is cooking, combine all ingredients for the sauce into a food processor. Process until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. Season with salt, to taste.
Once you have removed the chicken from the pan, add the cherry tomatoes to cook for 3-5 minutes (if desired). Make sure to stir or shake the pan lightly to cook the tomatoes thoroughly. Cook just until the skin has wrinkled. Remove to the same plate with the chicken and re-cover.
Place pan back over medium-high heat with olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add the zoodles and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring while it cooks. Add the avocado pesto sauce to the zoodles, toss to coat and allow to cook 1 minute to warm the sauce and melt the parmesan cheese. Add the chicken and tomatoes back to re-warm.
Serve garnished with freshly chopped basil, parmesan cheese, and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.

Notes

PASTA: If you're not a fan of zucchini "noodles" (zoodles), then you can use regular pasta instead!
NUT ALLERGY: You can make this nut-free by using a nut-free pesto sauce. Be sure to check the labels, as most pesto sauces use pine nuts.
MEAL PREP: I would not recommend this as a dish to be meal prepped as the avocados tend to turn rather quickly. This sauce utilizes lemon juice not only for flavor but to help preserve the avocado.
SHELF LIFE: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
ZUCCHINI: To prevent super soggy or lifeless zoodles, I recommend two things:
- After the zucchini has been spiralized, lay out the zoodles onto a few paper towels. The paper towels will absorb some of the water from the zoodles while they sit prior to cooking.
- Do NOT overcook them. Pan fry on medium-high heat with olive oil for 2-3 minutes, leaning more towards 2 minutes. Zoodles cook quickly and will continue to cook for a bit once you have removed the pan from the heat.

Nutrition