Pin
One-Pan Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini and Corn is a simple weeknight meal that uses basic ingredients and takes only 30 minutes. The sliced skinless, boneless chicken breasts are coated with butter, minced garlic, and smoked paprika and pan-seared until golden brown. This restaurant-quality dinner might become your new favorite chicken dinner that both kids and adults will love!
Garlic butter chicken
This delicious and vibrant recipe is packed with veggies, fiber, and protein. All you need are a few basic ingredients to turn plain chicken breasts into something flavorful, colorful, and delicious. Make this easy one-pan, 30-minute garlic butter chicken on busy family weeknights or for special occasions when entertaining guests.
First, the chicken is pan-seared in olive oil with smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Then, the cooked chicken breasts and the veggies (zucchini and corn) are combined together in a lime-flavored garlic butter sauce. Both kids and adults will love this simple chicken meal.
Chicken with Zucchini and Corn - One-Pan, 30-Minute Dinner
This recipe is a simple 30-minute, one-skillet dinner that tastes like a meal from a fine dining restaurant! There are only 5 basic ingredients (excluding olive oil, butter, and seasonings): chicken, zucchini, corn, lime juice, and fresh cilantro. The clean-up is minimal. Only 1 cooking dish (cast-iron skillet) to clean! Perfect for meal prep. You can make garlic butter chicken ahead, refrigerate it or freeze it for the future. This easy dinner can be prepared on a busy weeknight or for a special occasion (parties, picnics, potlucks, and other festive events). Your family and friends will love it!
Why make it
Garlic butter chicken is high in protein, rich in fiber, and gluten-free. It is a well-balanced meal that combines protein (chicken) with veggies and carbs (zucchini and corn). It's quick and easy comfort food that comes together in just 30 minutes and looks fancy on a plate - perfect for an everyday dinner and also for entertaining company.
What type of chicken to use?
Skinless and boneless chicken breasts are what I used. They do tend to dry out faster, so be sure to watch your cooking times closely, ensuring that the chicken is cooked all the way through quickly, without drying out. The addition of garlic butter sauce and veggies to plain chicken breasts certainly elevates them. Skinless and boneless chicken thighs are your next best choice! They are juicy and tender and are usually quite forgiving to cook. Chicken tenders are also a perfect choice for this recipe. They are already sliced, so that saves you time. Make sure to avoid overcooking as chicken tenders cook fast. Can you use bone-in chicken? I do not recommend it as it takes much longer to cook. And, this recipe works best with chicken strips, so skinless, boneless chicken works the best.
What kind of veggies to use?
Corn and zucchini are a wonderful combination, but the beauty of this recipe is that it is super flexible and adjustable to what you have available. You can use roasted asparagus, green beans, broccoli, bell peppers, or mushrooms.
The Directions - How to sear garlic butter chicken
Below are step-by-step photos and general instructions for how to make garlic butter chicken. A more detailed recipe is provided in the recipe card below.
- 1) First, you will slice the zucchini and sear it with olive oil in a cast-iron skillet:
- Slice the zucchini and sear it with olive oil in a cast-iron skillet.
- 2) Then, you will remove cooked sliced zucchini from the skillet to a plate:
- Remove cooked sliced zucchini from the skillet to a plate.
- 3) Next, prepare the chicken:
- Slice skinless, boneless chicken breasts into thinner strips.
- 4) Season the sliced chicken with salt, freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and chili powder:
- Season the sliced chicken with salt, freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and chili powder.
- 5) Next, you will cook the seasoned chicken in the same cast-iron skillet over medium heat:
- Cook the seasoned chicken in the same cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
- 6) You will cook the chicken on medium heat on one side for 5 minutes, without moving it around:
- This allows the chicken to get seared and acquire a nice color.
- 7) After the chicken is cooked for about 5 minutes, lower the heat to low-medium, flip the chicken over, add minced garlic, freshly squeezed lime juice, and butter:
- Cook for another 2 minutes or more until the chicken is completely cooked through.
- 8) Finally, add cooked corn kernels and cooked zucchini:
- Add more butter. Stir everything together on low heat.
Pin
Helpful tips
Use either lime juice or lemon juice. The most important thing is that it's freshly squeezed. Fresh herbs. Be sure to add fresh herbs - I used fresh cilantro here. You can also use fresh basil leaves or fresh thyme. Add cheese if you like. Sprinkle the garlic butter chicken with crumbled Feta cheese, Cotija, or grated Parmesan cheese. Spice. Add some heat by sprinkling red pepper flakes over the ingredients. Add-ins. Serve garlic butter chicken with zucchini and corn over pasta to make it a complete meal. You can also add rice, orzo, couscous, or quinoa. Fresh corn on the cob is the best option, of course. The fastest way to cook fresh corn is to boil it, remove it from the water, let it cool, then slice off the corn kernels. 3 ears of corn on the cob produce about 1.5 cups of cooked corn kernels. Frozen corn is a solution for when fresh corn is out of season or when you can't find fresh corn. Canned corn is also an option, however, the freshly cooked corn tastes the best!
What to serve with it
Garlic butter chicken is already a complete meal all on its own since it's made with carbs and veggies (corn and zucchini). If you would like to add more carbs to it, serve it over pasta. Or, pair it with rice, mashed potatoes, cauliflower rice, or quinoa.
Pin
How to store and reheat it
Garlic butter chicken is a great recipe to make ahead and reheat later. It stores well, is refrigerated well, and is great for freezing. Here are some tips: Fridge. Store it refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer. Freeze this in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave oven in 30 seconds increments until reheated through. How to reheat. To reheat on the stovetop, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over low-medium heat, add the chicken with zucchini and corn, and reheat, occasionally stirring, for about 5 minutes or until everything is heated through.
Recipe FAQs
- → What type of chicken works best for this dish?
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are ideal as they cook quickly and absorb the garlic butter flavors well. Chicken thighs or tenders also work perfectly - thighs stay juicier while tenders cook even faster. Avoid bone-in chicken as it takes much longer to cook.
- → Can I substitute different vegetables for zucchini and corn?
Absolutely! This dish is very flexible. Try asparagus, green beans, broccoli, bell peppers, or mushrooms. The key is using vegetables that cook quickly and complement the garlic butter sauce.
- → How do I prevent the chicken from drying out?
Cook the chicken on medium heat for 5 minutes without moving it to get a good sear, then lower to low-medium heat when you flip it. The garlic butter sauce and vegetables help keep the chicken moist throughout cooking.
- → What's the best type of corn to use?
Fresh corn kernels cut from the cob taste best - about 3 ears yield 1.5 cups of kernels. Frozen corn works well when fresh isn't available, while canned corn is acceptable but has less flavor and texture.
- → How should I store and reheat leftovers?
Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a little olive oil over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes until heated through.
- → Can I make this dish ahead of time?
Yes! This dish is perfect for meal prep. Cook completely, cool, and store in portions. The flavors actually develop more when stored overnight, making it an excellent make-ahead option for busy weeks.