Satisfy your guilty pleasure pasta cravings with this Lime Cilantro Chicken Zoodles recipe. This healthier classic is a light and flavorful twist on traditional heavy pasta dishes that you can enjoy day or night without all of the carbs!
This Lime Cilantro Chicken Zoodles dish is an easy dinner idea that’s really light and flavorful, but satisfies my guilty pleasure pasta cravings. I’m a huge fan of zoodles. Actually, I could pretty much eat them non-stop all day, every day. When it comes to craving a comforting pasta dish, I usually go with zoodles with almost zero guilt.
The other night, however, I was craving a good lemon chicken, but I sadly had no lemons in sight. I was also out of side options and the only thing I had on my fridge where zucchini, cilantro, lime, and a lonely chicken breast. I took the challenge, went to work in the kitchen, and the result was so good that I knew I needed to share it with you guys!
Lime Cilantro Chicken Zoodles Recipe
You can consider this the lighter version of a lemon chicken pasta – it’s flavorful, it’s bright and sunny, and it’s incredibly filling. The great thing is that it’s also really easy and quick to make, so it works perfectly as a weeknight dinner when every extra minute is precious. It’s literally ready in less than 30 minutes!
The secret for me is in not overcooking the zoodles. Seriously friends, when it comes to zoodles, you don’t want to cook them for a long time because they will end up wilted and sad, which means you’ll end up wilted and sad too. Instead, you want them to be firm; kind of like pasta al dente. To be honest, I actually prefer not to cook them at all because, in my opinion, crispy is always better. If you want to warm them up a bit before serving them, just drizzle some olive oil in a pan, wait until it’s hot, and add the zoodles – sautéing quickly, for about two minutes.
I could definitely eat this light and fresh dinner every day, and I’m sure you could too.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tsp onion powder
- 1 Tsp paprika
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 4 Zucchini
- 2 Limes, juiced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 Cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Mix all seasonings and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Cut chicken into bite-size chunks and place into the seasoning bowl.
- Toss well until coated.
- Cook chicken over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until done.
- While the chicken is cooking, spiralize the zucchini and if desired, cook for 2 minutes in a pan over medium heat with an olive oil drizzle.
- Toss zoodles in lime juice and serve in a bowl topped with chicken and cilantro.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Serve this dish topped with a generous amount of cilantro because it really makes the whole dish shine!
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We hope you enjoy this delicious Lime Cilantro Chicken Zoodles recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Jeana from Surf and Sunshine, as much as we do. If you love this healthy dinner option, you can find more like it by checking out our other 30-Minute Meals. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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