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Why It's Yummy
- Incredibly tender and creamy - ground chicken in combination with soft baked zucchini under layers of sour cream and cheese - a total crowd-pleaser!
- Budget-friendly casserole - a few simple, economical ingredients make this chicken and zucchini casserole just from scratch without canned ingredients or cream soup needed!
- Easy to reheat!
- OPTIONAL TOPPING: You can also add a crunchy topping with ritz crackers, crispy bacon or cornflakes just like I did with my, ham and potato casserole or million dollar chicken casserole.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of healthy ingredients and 15 minutes to whip up this easy casserole.
- Fresh zucchini - also called courgettes, is the main star ingredient that in my opinion is the best veggie to pair with chicken. It has numerous health benefits, has a soft, delicate texture and is best to use in stuffings, patties, fritters, muffins, cakes and quick breads.
- Garlic powder - the essential aromatic you can’t forget in almost every savory dish.
- Carrot - add a little pop of color, texture and sweet taste which in combination with chicken zucchini tastes superb.
- Lean ground chicken - can be substituted with skillet browned and chopped skinless boneless chicken breast, rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken instead.
- Italian herbs - These herbs enhance any simple casserole! But not essential, if you don't have it on hand it will still taste very good.
- Shredded cheese - make sure to cover the top generously so you’ll have a thicker layer of cheese once done. But it’s personal preference, you can also add only ¾ of a cup or less depending on the baking dish.
- Related: How To Store Zucchini
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
How To Make Chicken Zucchini Casserole
Prep zucchini. In a medium bowl grate the zucchini and add 1 teaspoon of salt, set aside for 10-15 min to drain off the excess water.
Remove the excess water using a strainer and spoon or wrap the zucchini in a thin kitchen towel and squeeze tight to get rid of the water.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix the filling. Once done, gather all the ingredients (except cheese and sour cream) in a large mixing bowl and stir with a spatula or hands until combined.
Prepare a 9x13 or slightly smaller baking dish, spray with cooking oil, and transfer the mixture into the dish.
Add sour cream. Even out the top with a spatula and layer the sour cream on top.
Bake the chicken zucchini casserole for 35 minutes.
Add cheese and bake again. Remove from the oven and add the cheese, bake again for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve! Garnish with parsley, scallions, or bacon and freshly cracked black pepper.
For a complete meal, we like to serve it with plain cabbage salad, mashed potatoes, or tomato basil mozzarella salad.
📋 FLAVOR & TEXTURE: Creamy, savory, and mildly tangy flavor profile with earthy notes from zucchini and carrots, all balanced by a delightful cheesy richness.
- Related: Zucchini Casserole
Tips
- Sour cream - adjust the amount of sour cream based on your casserole dish size to cover the entire area as per the recipe. The sour cream is primarily for flavor, not to create a thick sauce, so add more if desired.
- This chicken bake is gluten-free and made with lots of fresh veggies and ground chicken.
- The smaller the casserole dish the thicker the chicken zucchini casserole will be. Oval baking dishes work well.
- Extra veg - carrots and zucchinis add just the right amount of moisture to the casserole but you can also add small amounts of sauteed mushrooms, chopped bell pepper, chopped broccoli florets, corn, peas, marinated drained artichoke hearts.
What To Serve With Chicken Zucchini Casserole
This low carb chicken dinner doesn’t necessarily need a vegetable side dish or salad of some sort.
You can still add a little fresh salad (marinated vegetable salad) or mashed potatoes (with sweet or regular potatoes).
More options:
- Grains: rice, quinoa.
- Potatoes: fries, mashed potatoes, smashed potatoes.
- Bread: crusty garlic bread or garlic toast.
- Salads: light and quick (tomato onion salad, green goddess salad or Mediterranean cucumber salad).
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
- To Reheat. When reheating, return it to the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, optionally adding extra cheese, and bake for a few minutes until thoroughly warmed.
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?
Certainly, although it will change the recipe's nutritional content.
- To prepare it, remove and discard the skin, then meticulously separate the meat from the bones, discarding any cartilage.
- Use your hands to pull the chicken apart, dicing the chicken breasts and shredding the remaining meat. Leftover roast chicken can also be used as an alternative.
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Recipe
Chicken Zucchini Casserole Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 11-12 ounce (300 g) ground chicken
- 1 medium egg
- 1 medium carrot , grated
- 1 pound zucchini , grated
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons sour cream, or more as needed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste + for zucchini
- 1 ½ cup Cheddar or Colby Jack Cheese
- 1 teaspoon of Italian herb spice, or a mix of dried oregano, garlic, thyme
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium bowl grate the zucchini and add 1 teaspoon of salt, set aside for 10-15 min to drain off the excess water.
- Remove the excess water using a strainer and spoon or wrap the zucchini in a thin kitchen towel (or a special fabric is also available on amazon) and squeeze tight to get rid of the water.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Once done, gather all the ingredients (except cheese and sour cream) in a large mixing bowl and stir with a spatula or hands until combined.
- Prepare a 9x13 or slightly smaller baking dish, spray with cooking oil, and transfer the mixture into the dish. Even out the top with a spatula and layer the sour cream on top.
- Bake the chicken zucchini casserole for 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add the cheese, bake again for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish with parsley, scallions, or bacon and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!
VIDEO
NOTES
- Flavor: Creamy, savory, and mildly tangy flavor profile with earthy notes from zucchini and carrots, all balanced by a delightful cheesy richness.
- To Store: I suggest storing any remaining casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it can be kept fresh for 3 to 4 days. When it's time to reheat, simply place it back in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, optionally adding a bit more cheese, and bake for a few minutes until it's thoroughly warmed.
- To Make Ahead: You have the option to prepare this entire chicken zucchini casserole a day in advance and refrigerate it for reheating later. Alternatively, you can choose to assemble its components separately.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Favorite Zucchini Recipes
Homemade Casserole Recipes
Common Recipe Questions
It's safe to use raw chicken in a casserole for oven cooking, although the cooking time is longer compared to precooked options like rotisserie chicken. Using diced, shredded, or ground chicken, as in this recipe, ensures quick cooking. All bacteria are eliminated once the oven temperature reaches 160 degrees.
Peeling zucchini is generally unnecessary for baking, especially with fresh young zucchini. The skin contains nutritional value so keeping it is recommended. In this zucchini chicken casserole, grated zucchini with the skin on becomes tender during baking, enhancing the dish.
It is not necessary to salt the zucchini before cooking. The fastest way is to grate the zucchini before cooking, leave it in a fine-mesh strainer for 10-20 minutes, and then wrap it in a thin fabric or kitchen towel and squeeze the extra moisture out. Avoid steaming or boiling the zucchini.
Remove excess water by wrapping the cut or grated squash in a piece of fabric and squeezing out the water. Alternatively, you can saute the veggies before cooking which will also remove most of the excess water.
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Margo
Made this yesterday night for dinner and surprisingly very creamy and delicious. Thank you for the zucchini idea!
Julia
thank you so much, zucchini and chicken is the best combo we love!
Patty
This recipe is excellent! Even my daughter ate it. We added mushrooms to the recipe. I actually sauteed the onions and the mushrooms before adding everything together. I precooked the ground chicken a little bit also. Ground chicken usually comes in a package of 16 oz so our casserole just had a little bit of extra chicken in it. We put extra cheese on top because we are a cheese family. Make sure you wait the 10 to 15 minutes for all of the water to come out of the zucchini. It was amazing how much water came out of the zucchini when we waited.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
That's so true! Zucchini needs some prep work for sure! And if you do it, it gives the best results!! Mushrooms sounds great, never thought about adding them here, and I am a huge fan of them! Which mushrooms did you use Patty?
Noel
This has an absolutely amazing flavor! I didn’t have any sour cream so I brushed the top with a little butter and I had bell pepper that needed to be used so I added some of that too. Other than that I made it exactly as written. Definitely making this again
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Noel. In my original recipe, I had less sour cream and then doubled it as some readers reported they needed way more of it here. So great to hear that it tastes delicious even without it!
Steve
Should have cooked and seasoned the ground chicken chicken was to bland otherwise not bad
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Steve for sharing!
Christa Herrera
Do I cook the meat first or is it like a meatloaf type of thing?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
There is no reason to cook ground chicken before, it cooks in the casserole with the rest of the ingredients and juices. Hope it helps Christa!
Tyson
Can this be a vegetarian dish can you do it without the ground chicken
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
yes, I'd use a mix of cooked lentils + beans, quinoa or just cooked lentils. You can use same filling that I used for my veggie enchiladas or vegan tacos. https://theyummybowl.com/vegan-meat-tacos/ or https://theyummybowl.com/vegetarian-enchiladas-with-black-bean-and-sweet-corn/
Marianne Paulsen
Why can't I find a list of Ingredients with their measures?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
The recipe card with this information is always located below the post and before the comments section.
Joyce
Gone thru recipe many times 2 find temp 2 bake. M assuming it's 400°. Same as reheating? Plan 2 try next week as it's on r menu board. Like comments of additional ingredients!!!!!!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
yes 400 F 🙂
Ginny
Is chicken cooked prior to adding to recipe or does it cook thru in baking process?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
yes, it has to be ground chicken which fully cooks through in the oven.
Sheri
Sounds delish !!! I'm going to have to try it. Thanks for sharing !!¡
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Sheri!
Danielle
Love this! I used ground turkey, and fresh parsley and basil (in place of Italian seasoning) and of course my abundantly growing zucchini from my garden. Aside from the above stated modifications I followed recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you so much Danielle
Judy Erb
Can you use ground Turkey?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
absolutely!
Jenn Rothschild
Can you use rotisserie chicken?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
You could, but not sure but I think the texture will be dryer. Using minced chicken (uncooked) gives better results and chicken stays juicy and moist.
Rachel
Beware, the ingredients in this recipe are not in the standard order of what you use 1st-last. I missed mixing the seasonings into the zucchini mixture because they were listed after the sour cream.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Rachel, will make adjustments!
Amber
Really enjoyed this recipe. I also sauteed the onions, but otherwise followed the directions. I do wish that the ingredients were in order of appearance.... Almost forgot the Italian seasonings.
John
I've cooked this for tea tonight, replaced the cream with fat free quark. I've made more than my wife and I will eat, does it freeze well or should we eat the rest tomorrow?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
yes you can freeze it but tastes better when fresh!
Mary
Looks good!
I might make it with rotisserie chicken too.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
yes, you sure can! Thank you Mary!
Rachel
What Temp does the oven need to be at? 350? 400? It isn't posted. It just says bake for 35 mins.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
just updated, it is 400 F
Linda
Made this yesterday following directions exactly. This was not a creamy casserole dish. It was a meatloaf with a lot of veggies in it. The layer of sour cream replaced the ketsup on many meat loaves. The onions were overwhelming and too raw to blend in the mix. Maybe some instructions were left out? Might have been better if ground chicken and chopped onions were sautéed then mixed with remaining veggies and a larger amount of sour cream to make a more casserole like and creamy dish. Won’t make this again.
Julia
Hi Linda, thank you for the feedback, and so sorry this casserole was not to your liking. For me personally, the casserole is more of a one-pot, super easy to make without extra separate cooking. You can fill the casserole dish with anything you like, right? Maybe you were expecting something else from this recipe, sorry for the dissapointment! If you decide on trying this one more time, here are my suggestions:
- Onion. You can use both, white or yellow/brown onion for this recipe, and each time they will vary in taste, this is normal. The casserole is in the oven for 35 minutes and if you cut the onion thin enough or small diced this is more than enough for the onion to soften and give flavor to other ingredients. Maybe use half less?
Another alternative is to saute the onion first separately on the stovetop, but this will change the whole purpose of an easy casserole dish and is not necessary as the onion will be cooked through if following the instructions. Also depends on the oven.
- Ground chicken is tender and soft enough to place in the casserole and will cook very quickly unlike ground beef for example. I do not recommend cooking the chicken twice like you are suggestions, there will be way less or no nutrients left in it anymore.
- Sour cream. Yes, I agree, you can add more, this is personal taste. Feel free to add an extra 2-3 tbsp if you feel like it. But there is plenty of cheese already in the dish that is even more than I usually add to casseroles. The sour cream is added a little bit for the flavor, not to make it look and taste like a cream sauce.
I hope you still try this again and feel free to let me know how it will go with the changes you've made.
Thank you!
Marilyn
I made this last night and everyone loved it. I added a little extra sour cream on top and a bell pepper to the mix. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing it.
Julia
Thank you Marilyn, glad you liked it, thank you for leaving a comment!
Patty
Crimini/baby portabella! Yum!
Just made this again today! Back by popular request!
Georgene
I made this last night for dinner and was very good. I did have to drain the watery juice off when I took it out of oven to put cheese on top. I think my veggies could have cooked awhile longer also. Otherwise it was great! We will make it again real soon.
Julia
Thank you Georgene, I am very glad you liked it!
Tavo
Lovely casserole! Thanks for such a delicious recipe.The family loved it.
Julia
Thank you so much Tavo, glad you liked it!
Kirsten
This recipe looks great. However, my husband is not a fan of sour cream. Is it completely necessary or could we use something else as a substitute?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
I think you could, any vegan substitute would work. However, without that, the flavor is not the same, sour cream (yogurt or cream cheese) adds the necessary moisture and creaminess. Maybe you could add this: https://theyummybowl.com/homemade-condensed-cream-of-chicken-soup/ or canned version , ofcourse. But this won't be that healthy anymore. If you try this Kirsten, please let me know how it tasted 🙂 Thank you so much! Julia
Lynne Bitten
Gonna use this to use the zucchini I have frozen. Will definitely thaw the zucchini and let set before adding to the recipe.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Lynne, I think it should work, let me know!
Jeff
Recipe would definitely be better off if the meat was browned and the onions sauteed beforehand. The sour cream on top split and became watery.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
hi Jeff, sorry that you didn't like the recipe. Other readers have reported great results and without the changes you mentioned.
Jacqueline Meldrum
I love the creamy dressing. It is so so tasty!
Julia
Thank you so much Jacqueline!
Andrea
This is such a great way to use up zucchini! I love how it incorporates chicken and lots of veggies while the cheesy goodness makes it comfort food.
Julia
I agree, A true comfort meal in one dish, thank you Andrea!
Alejandra
Oh my gosh this looks so creamy and delicious!! I love the chicken and zucchini combo, I’ve never tried that in a casserole before but now I am craving this!
Julia
Thank you Alejandra, we loved it too!
Natalie
I made a slight variation to the recipe by replacing the Italian seasoning with cumin and smoked paprika, plus three roasted poblano peppers. I can see why a smaller casserole dish would be better because my 9x13 made the casserole a little thin. It was delicious!!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Natalie!
sue
I love this idea, I'm going to give it a try tonight!
Julia
Thank you, hope you'll enjoy!
Divi
I think I can precook it in the stove as one post suggested then top it with the sour cream and cheese and finish it in the oven till the cheese melts? Zucchini hardly takes much time to cook as the yellow one.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Hi Divi, I haven't tried it this way and not sure why would you need those steps. If you drain the zucchini well as I mentioned, there shouldn't be a lot of ''watery juice'' and zucchini bakes well in the oven at the temperature mentioned.
Cecile Mattei
Made this tonight. It was delicious and will be added to our dinner rotation! Ty
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you Cecile, glad you liked the Casserole! Enjoy!!!
Karen
Is this keto friendly?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
hi Karen, I am not sure for Keto.
Annette Starnes
LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this recipe. It came out perfect. WAS NOT LIKE A MEATLOAF.
We have friends coming over for Super Bowl and this will be our dinner and they will love it.
Thank you for creating amazing healthy recipes.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Annette, thank you so much! Your lovely comment made my day! I'm so glad it turned out great!
Sandy
Hi! Mine is cooking as I type, and it smells delightful! Has anyone tried mixing the sour cream in with the meat/zucchini mixture? Just curious how that would be...
Cynthia
Some ingredients are vague. How many pounds is a large zucchini?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Cynthia for pointing this out, you'll need about 1 pound of zucchini here.
LDahl
This was absolutely delicious! I added 2 frozen blocks of “caramelized” onions and chopped garlic instead of the raw onions. We used a large cup to cut it into circles and had it on garlic bread buns. I would make it again and not add the cheese at the end, but instead a slice of cheese to the bun. It would also be delicious chopped a bit and added to mashed potatoes or noodles for a great cook summer supper.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Hi LDahl! That sound very different and interesting! Thank you so much for sharing!
Sharon Henson
I made this for supper and it was delishes
I did not change a thing.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you Sharon, so glad you liked it!
Patty
Crimini/baby portabella! Yum!
Just made this again today! Back by popular request!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
wohoo thanks so much Patty! This is our very much requested recipe too 🙂
Cynthia
Julia, how many cups of shredded zucchini should we wind up with or how many pounds is a large zucchini?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
1 pound
Zelda
Can you use fat free sour cream?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
I think it should be fine, but may taste a little dry.
molly
so delicious!! loved this! thank you! has anyone tried yellow squash in this. im trying to use up some yellows, but not sure if they would produce too much water even with sitting with salt
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you so much, let me know if you try this with yellow squash!
Tara gilson
Oh my goodness, I found this recipe wanting to figure out another way to use the zucchini from the garden. It was so delicious! I made as posted, no changes..Thank You!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you so much Tara!
Rhonda
I’m making this tonight. The picture of the bowl with the raw ingredients looks like it has one or two eggs in it but the recipe doesn’t mention them. Do I add eggs or not? Thanks!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
yes Rhonda, we add 1 egg, please see the instructions in the post: ''Once done, gather all the ingredients (except cheese and sour cream) in a large mixing bowl and stir with a spatula or hands until combined.''
Marlene Wyzynski
When I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it! I’m in the process of losing weight and thought that most of the ingredients were on the healthy side. (The sour cream and cheese make the dish a step above!) I used light sour cream in this dish and believe it would have set up better with full-fat sour cream since it was a little bit watery on top after 35 minutes in the oven. Once I put two cups of my shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top of it, it turned out wonderful! (I used a 9” X 13” casserole dish.) I will be making this again in the future! Thanks for an easy-to-make, yet very tasty, recipe, Julia!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Marlene for sharing, the top being watery could be the sour cream but might be the zucchini as well (not every zucchini will have the same texture).
Marlene Wyzynski
You’re welcome, Julia! I also thought the top being watery may have been the zucchini, if not the light sour cream. I’m making this dish again this evening! Love it!
CD
what temp do you bake on? it doesn't say.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
400 F
Kelly
This dish is amazing. My mom and I fought over the last piece. I'm going to double the recipe next time. I served it with a kale salad.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Hi! Kelly, you are amazing! Glad you liked it and kale salad sounds perfect for this kind of casserole.
Mattie
My first time ever cooking with ground chicken and I really loved this recipe. I followed the directions as written and like someone else’s comment I drained the grease off of it before I added the cheese to the top. Will be making the recipe often and may add zucchini and squash a few times.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Mattie!
Linda T
This was delicious! Great combination and easy ingredients. Was short on time so cooked it stovetop before finishing in oven. Seasoned and browned the chicken and when it was about 2/3 done added rest of ingredients except zucchini (which was still draining). Added zucchini in last few minutes, seasoned a bit with S, P, thyme, garlic and onion powder. Put it all in an oiled casserole dish, didn't use egg, spread about 2 TB sour cream on top then finished with shredded mixed cheddar and parmesan. Used about 3/4 cup cheese total just to cut down. Baked 12 minutes at 400 then broiled for a few more. Let it sit about 5 minutes to come together. So yummy and family says this is a keeper!! Only problem was we ate it so fast we were still hungry 🙂 Next time I'll make a salad and maybe potatoes with it. Thank you for this great recipe!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you so much for sharing Linda!