This 1-pan bruschetta chicken with zucchini noodles is healthy, delicious, and so easy to makeโit’s sure to earn a spot in your weeknight dinner rotation, especially in the summertime. Combining a fresh basil, tomato, and garlic bruschetta mixture, zucchini noodles, and chicken marinated in Italian dressing, this dish is positively packed with flavor. Leftovers reheat easily!
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos and a few more helpful success tips. I’ve also made some improvements to the recipe, which you can read about in the post below.
Updated and better than ever! Today I’m re-sharing one of my very favorite dinner recipes with a few simple updates that vastly improve the flavor and texture of the dish. If there’s a way to make a recipe better, you can be sure that my team and I will test it. I’m fiercely dedicated to bringing you the best tested recipes I can. And sometimes that means we need to revisit and retest old favorites. (See blueberry pie as an example!)
Which brings us to today’s massively flavorful, yet simple dinner recipe.
One reader, Brenda, commented: “My family and I love this recipe! Not only is it delicious, but it is great in the summer when we have plenty of zucchini and tomatoes around. It is one of my “go-to” meals! โ โ โ โ โ ”
Another reader, Marianne, commented: “I made this for the first time today. All I can say is this will be a staple dish all summer from my garden. So good. โ โ โ โ โ “
Why You’ll Love This Bruschetta Chicken
- This all-in-one meal is light and healthy, yet satisfying.
- Cook everything in 1 skillet.
- Prep ahead of time and cook later.
- It’s naturally gluten free, and can be made dairy free, if using dairy-free Italian dressing.
- The recipe uses simple, fresh, and healthy ingredients.
I make this bruschetta chicken dinner year-round, but it’s pretty much on my weekly rotation in the summer. Zucchini noodlesโzoodles!โmake this dish extra nutritious, and it’s a great way to use summer’s bounteous green vegetable. And we’re taking advantage of in-season tomatoes, too!
In some countries, zucchini is called “courgette,” and zucchini noodles are called “courgetti.”
9 Simple Ingredients for Bruschetta Chicken
Here’s all you need for this healthy all-in-one dinner:
- Chicken: You need 4 medium-sized (about 6 ounces or 170g each) boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1.5 pounds (680g) total.
- Italian Dressing: You can use store-bought or homemade Italian dressing, whatever kind you like best. If I’m making it at home, I really love this homemade Italian dressing.
- Italian Seasoning: Italian seasoning is a store-bought herb blend, but you can make your own homemade Italian seasoning. It’s optional, but I like adding it to the Italian dressing marinade to amp up the flavor.
- Tomatoes: We’re going for about 3 cups of chopped tomatoes; any variety, color, and size of tomato will do.
- Fresh Garlic: 2 cloves, which is about 1/2 teaspoon minced.
- Fresh Basil: The recipe calls for 3 Tablespoons of chopped basil leaves, but feel free to add more fresh basil on top to serve.
- Olive Oil, Salt, & Pepper: Cooking basics you likely already have.
- Zucchini: Zucchini varies greatly in size, but I use about 1.5 pounds (680g) of zucchini, which is usually about 2 large or 3 medium. This recipe is very forgiving if you have more or less than exactly 1.5 pounds. And if you find yourself with leftovers, you could add some to this creamy chicken pasta salad or check out my roundup of favorite zucchini recipes. I’m sure you’ll find something to love!
- Parmesan Cheese: Optional, for serving.
Do These 2 Steps in Advance
Start by (1) marinating the chicken and (2) making the tomato bruschetta topping. Both need to marinate in the refrigerator for a while to get the best flavorโat least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours. You can do these 2 steps the night before, and cooking dinner the next day will be a breeze.
I usually use these glass containers for marinating and they work just as well for storing leftovers and freezing meals/baked goods. (See 8 Freezer Meals for some inspiration!)
Grab These 2 Kitchen Tools
- Skillet: Make the bruschetta chicken entirely on the stovetop in a big skillet. The skillet won’t go into the oven, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be oven-safe. This is the cast iron skillet I own and love. I use it for skillet turkey pot pie, my frittata recipe and Dutch baby pancake recipe, sea salt and herb rolls, honey skillet cornbread, cornmeal cake, biscuits, and more
- Spiralizer: When I prepare this dinner as well as this peanut chicken zucchini noodles dish, I usually spiralize zucchini myself at home. But if you don’t have a spiralizer, zucchini noodles are pretty easy to find these days in most grocery stores in the produce department, or you can use frozen. You can also simply slice the fresh zucchini into thin stripsโsee recipe Notes.
Can I Use Regular Pasta? If you prefer pasta instead of zucchini noodles, I recommend using 1 pound of angel hair pasta. Cook and drain it according to package directions. Toss the cooked and drained pasta with a scant 1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce before adding to the skillet in step 5, for added flavor. The zucchini noodles absorb a lot of flavor from the pan, but regular pasta doesn’t.
Now Let’s Get Cooking!
Make this dinner entirely in 1 pan, just like this lemon thyme chicken and cornbread chili casserole. (Have more zucchini than you can fit in one pan? Try zucchini bread, these zucchini muffins, or hide it in this chocolate zucchini cake.)
After the marinated chicken and bruschetta mixture have chilled for at least 2 hours and you’re ready to cook, you have 3 steps:
Cook the marinated chicken: Heat your skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken, cover, and cook for 10โ15 minutes, turning a few times, until it’s cooked through. Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board, but don’t clean out the skillet. Slice the chicken.
Cook the zucchini noodles: Add another Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, followed by the zucchini noodles and 1 cup of the bruschetta topping. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The noodles will cook down, absorbing the flavors. Remove from heat and carefully drain off most of the liquid. (A reader suggested draining some liquid and it definitely improves the dish.)
Combine all ingredients: Return the skillet to the stovetop, and add the sliced cooked chicken and the remaining bruschetta mixture. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, until warmed through.
Slicing the chicken, instead of serving whole, was another suggestion from a reader. Sliced chicken absorbs more flavor and the finished dish is easier to eat. I’ve also made this dish with baked chicken meatballs instead of the chicken breasts.
Piping hot zucchini noodles before adding the sliced chicken:
And dinner is ready! Top the chicken and zucchini noodles with freshly grated parmesan cheese and some more fresh basil to serve. This dish is great on its own, but you could also serve it alongside some fresh bread, like dinner rolls, homemade breadsticks, cornbread muffins, olive bread, asiago-crusted skillet bread, homemade artisan bread, or homemade garlic bread. Or even these savory zucchini biscuits, especially if you have leftover zucchini!
Skillet Bruschetta Chicken Dinner
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Here is a healthy, light, and simple recipe for bruschetta chicken with zucchini noodles cooked in 1 pan.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds (680g) skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (267ml) Italian dressing, divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional
- 1 pound (454g) tomatoes, chopped (about 3 cups chopped)
- 3 Tablespoons (3g) chopped basil leaves
- 2 whole garlic cloves, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon minced)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2ย Tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 lbs (about 680g) zucchini,ย spiralized into noodles*
- optional for topping: freshly grated parmesan cheese & more basil
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken in advance: Place chicken breasts into a large zipper food storage bag or shallow dish/container. Mix 1 cup (240ml) of dressing and Italian seasoning, if using, together and pour on top of chicken. Turn chicken to coat. Seal the bag/cover the dish and refrigerate for 2โ24 hours.
- Make the bruschetta topping in advance: Combine the chopped tomatoes, chopped basil leaves, minced garlic, and the remaining 2 Tablespoons of Italian dressing. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. You should end up with about 2 and 1/2 cups (475g) of the bruschetta mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 2โ24 hours.
- Cook the chicken: In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken (discard marinade), cover, and cook for 10โ15 minutes, turning a few times. You want the chicken nice and golden-brown on the outside while fully cooked inside. (Chicken is considered done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the thickest part as at least 165ยฐF (74ยฐC).) Remove the chicken to a cutting board; do not clean out skillet. Slice the chicken.
- Cook the zucchini noodles: Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, followed by the zucchini noodles (see Notes if using frozen zucchini noodles) and about 1 cup of the bruschetta topping. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The noodles will cook down, absorbing the flavors. Remove from heat and carefully drain off most of the liquid.ย
- Return the skillet to the stovetop, and add the sliced cooked chicken and the remaining bruschetta mixture. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, until warmed through. Serve immediately, topped with grated parmesan cheese and more fresh basil, if desired.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat in the microwave or covered on the stove over low heat until warmed.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Spiralizer | 10-inch Skillet | Tongs | Glass Container
- Chicken:ย You need 4 medium-sized (about 6 ounces or 170g each) boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1.5 pounds (680g) total.
- Zucchini:ย Zucchini varies greatly in size, but I use about 1.5 pounds (about 680g) of zucchini, which is usually about 3-4 medium zucchini. This recipe is very forgiving if you have more or less than exactly 1.5 pounds. If you do not have a spiralizer, you can simply slice the zucchinis into super thin strips instead, or use a vegetable peeler to slice ribbons. You can use frozen zucchini noodles, no need to thaw. In step 4, cook with 1 Tablespoon olive oil as directed but do not add the bruschetta topping yet. Cook for 4 minutes, drain all liquid, then add 1 cup bruschetta topping and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and carefully drain off most liquid. Continue with step 5.
- Can I use regular pasta? If you prefer to use regular pasta instead of zucchini noodles, I recommend using 1 pound of angel hair pasta. Cook and drain it according to package directions. I suggest tossing the cooked and drained pasta with a scant 1/2 cup tomato sauce before adding to the skillet in step 5, for added flavor. The zucchini noodles absorb a lot of flavor from the pan, but regular pasta doesn’t.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Tomatoes and zucchini are plentiful this time of year, perfect timing for me! This recipe is simple and tasty! I forgot to plan ahead to marinate my chicken, only got 1.5 hours, but it was flavorful nonetheless. Zoodles cooked down quite a bit, I might add extra next time. Thank you!
We loved this but I made too much! Can this be frozen?
Hi Polly, you can freeze the chicken, but we wouldn’t recommend freezing the zucchini noodles. Glad you loved it!
I had everything marinating for my dinner, when guests arrived last minute. So I made GF spaghetti- thatโs the only gf I had- and also added roasted red peppers!
It worked out very well!! Whew!
Easy and delicious, and my hubby loved it too! I must admit I used whole wheat angel hair pasta but will try with zucchini noodles next time. I added a 1/2 cup marinara to the pasta prior to adding it to skillet in step 5 as directed. I served the dish with fresh slices of Sally’s soft wheat Bread. This entree will certainly be included in my dinner recipe rotation! Thanks to Sally and staff!
So easy and delicious! Because of the prep work the night before, this came together very quickly. I used “zesty” Italian dressing, but would use “regular” Italian dressing next time.
This is a great recipe, particularly because I can easily cut the ingredients in half since I’m a singleton!
This was beyond fantastic. It was very simple to make. I did let the chicken marinate for 24 hours and I think that took it over the top. This one will be in a very frequent rotation at our house!
So easy and insanely tasty. We love zoodles! This will be a regular meal for us! Thanks for a great recipe.
I notice actual noodles and noodles in the photo of this dish, Sally. Did you change the amount of zucchini used to accommodate the noodles?
Hi Jane, all the “noodles” you see pictured here are actually spiralized zucchini!
Very nice dish. Easy to make with some planning – prep one day and cook the next. I’ll make it again. Thanks, Sally.
This was so good! We had been โgiftedโ tomatoes & zucchini from a friendโs garden, so this was the perfect recipe for them. My husband isnโt usually a fan of zoodles, but he liked this! Will definitely make this again!!
My family and I love this recipe! Not only is it delicious, but it is great in the summer when we have plenty of zucchini and tomatoes around. It is one of my “go to” meals!
This was so easy to make. Once you have everything prepped, it goes together quickly. The zucchini noodles do soak up the flavors of the sauce. You’ll never miss the traditional noodles. It’s a keeper!
This is very flavorful. I anticipated a busy afternoon and decided to dump my chicken in the slow cooker, Italian dressing and all, shredding it at the end. We enjoy all of your dinner recipes- keep them coming!!