Easy to make and super delicious, these zucchini chicken muffins are a hit with the whole family. A healthy finger food recipe that’s kid-friendly, make-ahead, and most importantly, super tasty! Can be made in less than 30 minutes. {Gluten-free, dairy-free & low carb}
Things just got a whole lot tastier with this delicious chicken and zucchini recipe!
These zucchini chicken poppers are loaded with vegetables and perfect to serve as an appetizer with a fun dip, as part of a main meal with your favourite sides or as a snack to keep hungry mouths happy.
Plus, they’re packed with protein and iron, and make a great healthy finger food for both little ones and adults. Our little guys have been LOVING these poppers and they’re so handy to keep in the freezer for a quick bite or easy family meal!
The best part is, they contain only five simple ingredients and can be whipped together in a matter of minutes!
For more healthy kid-friendly recipes, be sure to also try my chicken avocado poppers and zucchini fritters.
Why Make this Recipe
- Easy: With just 5 minutes of prep time, these chicken and zucchini bites are made with simple ingredients and oven baked for ease. Just mix the ingredients in a bowl, divide into muffin cups and bake!
- Kid-friendly: These poppers are a great way to get your kids to eat some extra veggies and they’re perfect for small hands. Fun to eat, super tasty and loved by all!
- Nutrient-packed: The chicken provides protein and iron while the zucchini offers nutrients like fibre, vitamins A, C, and K and potassium. It’s hard to go wrong with these veggie-loaded muffins!
- Portable: Because these chicken muffins are made in individual portions, they’re great to pop into lunchboxes or to take along for outings and road trips.
- Freezer-friendly: Be sure to make a big batch of these as they freeze really well. Perfect for quick and easy lunches and dinners!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: I used extra lean ground chicken for this recipe, but you could also sub in ground turkey as well.
- Zucchini: Adds extra moisture and nutrients to the poppers. Shred the zucchini and squeeze it to remove any excess moisture before mixing with the other ingredients. You could also add shredded carrot, finely chopped peppers or spinach to these poppers as well!
- Parsley: Adds some extra flavour to the poppers. You could also sub in cilantro if desired.
Step by Step Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with silicon baking cups or spray with cooking spray.
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Add the ground chicken, minced garlic, onion powder, zucchini, parsley, salt and pepper to a large bowl.
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Mix everything together. Do not over mix.
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Divide the chicken mixture evenly between 12 muffin cups, filling each one about half way full.
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Bake for 22-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 F. Let poppers sit in the muffin tin for several minutes to allow some of the juices to reabsorb into the muffins. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to ring out the zucchini really well with your hands in a strainer or over the sink to get rid of excess moisture before adding it to the chicken mixture.
- If you find that the chicken mixture is too wet, you may wish to add some quick oats, bread crumbs or almond flour to the mixture to absorb some of the extra moisture.
- You will probably notice that some of the moisture from the zucchini will accumulate in the bottom of each muffin cup once baked. Allow the poppers to sit for several minutes in the muffin tin to reabsorb some of the juices. When you remove them from the pan, you may wish to dab the bottom of each popper with a paper towel to soak up some of the excess moisture.
- In the last 5 minutes of cooking, you may wish to top each chicken muffin with a bit of marinara sauce and some shredded cheese and place back in the oven to allow the cheese to melt on top. This is especially fun if serving to kids, but delicious for adults too! Can you really go wrong with sauce and cheese?
- These poppers are great for baby-led weaning and toddlers. If serving these chicken poppers to babies under the age of one, I recommend leaving out the salt for their portion to limit sodium intake.
Recipe FAQs
How to store
Once the chicken poppers have fully cooled, place them in an airtight container. They will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can be enjoyed cold, or you can reheat them in the oven at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes until warmed through.
Are these freezer-friendly?
Yes, they are perfect for freezing!
To freeze: Let the bites cool before placing into a freezer safe bag or container. They will keep well frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven.
Recipe variations
- More veggies – You can also add diced onion and/or peppers, shredded carrots or finely chopped spinach.
- Additional flavour add-ins – These poppers also taste great with some parmesan cheese added to the mix.
- Spices – Along with the onion powder, you could also add some paprika or cumin to switch up the flavour profile.
Serving Suggestions
These poppers can be eaten on their own, but they also taste great paired along with any of the following:
- Sweet potato fries
- Garlic roasted potatoes
- Butternut squash mac and cheese
- Veggie Quinoa Muffins
- Sweet Potato Tots
You could even serve them on dinner rolls as mini sliders.
And I highly recommend serving them along with some marinara sauce for dipping!
More healthy finger foods
- Healthy Cauliflower Tots
- Mini Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
- Broccoli Cheddar Tater Tots
- BBQ Beef and Quinoa Baby Meatloaf Muffins
- Chicken Muffins
- Almond Coconut Crusted Chicken Fingers
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Chicken Zucchini Poppers
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra lean ground chicken
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 cup shredded zucchini packed and squeezed of excess moisture
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt *(optional)
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with silicon baking cups or spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken, minced garlic, onion powder, zucchini, parsley, salt and pepper. Do not over mix.
- Divide the chicken mixture evenly between 12 muffin cups, filling each one about half way full.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 F. Allow poppers to sit in the muffin tin for several minutes to allow some of the juices to reabsorb into the muffins. Serve warm.
Notes
- *If serving these poppers to babies under the age of one, you may wish to leave out or reduce the salt to limit sodium intake.
- Be sure to ring out the zucchini really well with your hands in a strainer or over the sink to get rid of excess moisture.
- If you find that the chicken mixture is too wet, you may wish to add some quick oats, bread crumbs or almond flour to the mixture to absorb some of the extra moisture.
- You will probably notice that some of the moisture from the zucchini will accumulate in the bottom of each muffin cup. Allow the poppers to sit for several minutes in the muffin tin to reabsorb some of the juices. When you remove them from the pan, you may wish to dab the bottom of each popper with a paper towel to soak up some of the excess moisture.
- In the last 5 minutes of cooking, you may wish to top each popper with a bit of marinara sauce and some shredded cheese and place back in the oven to allow the cheese to melt on top. This is especially fun if serving to kids!
Nutrition
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