Easy to make and super delicious, these chicken zucchini poppers 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}
Table of Contents
Zucchini Chicken Poppers
These chicken zucchini poppers are loaded with vegetables and perfect to serve as a great appetizer with your favorite dip, as part of a healthy meal with your fries and tots 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 that 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 healthy zucchini fritters.
Why This Recipe is Dietitian-Approved
- Easy: With just 5 minutes of prep time, these chicken and zucchini bites are made with simple ingredients and oven-baked for ease. 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. They’re fun to eat, super tasty, and loved by all!
- Nutrient-packed: The chicken provides protein and iron while the zucchini offers nutrients like fiber, 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
- Ground chicken breast: 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 flavor to the poppers. You could also sub in cilantro if desired.
- Fresh garlic: For extra flavor and a delicious aroma.
- Seasonings: Use garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Skip the salt completely for babies.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with silicon baking cups or spray with cooking spray.
- Add the ground chicken, minced garlic, onion powder, zucchini, parsley, salt and pepper to a large bowl.
- Stir the chicken mixture together. Do not over mix.
- Scoop meatballs and distribute evenly between 12 muffin cups, filling each one about half way full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 F and golden brown on top. Let poppers sit in the muffin tin for several minutes to allow some of the juices to reabsorb into the muffins. Serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to wring 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.
- Did you know you can use silicone baking cups without a muffin pan? Just place them directly on a baking sheet. You can also press the meatballs into little patties and bake them on a sheet pan instead. You can even pan-fry them in a frying pan with a drizzle of oil or bake them in the air fryer!
How to store
Refrigerator: 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 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes until warmed through.
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 FAQs
Yes! These little chicken muffins are fantastic for babies. The texture is nice and soft for little mouths, and they’re a great source of protein and fiber. The one thing to remember, though, is that babies should limit their sodium consumption. If you’re serving these to babies, skip the salt completely.
Yes! You’ll need silicone muffin cups or a muffin tray that can fit into your air fryer, but you generally follow the same instructions. Let the air fryer preheat for 4-5 minutes first, and check the temperature a few minutes earlier since food tends to cook faster in the air fryer.
These little chicken zucchini meatballs are a very nutritious option. The ground chicken is naturally low in fat and high in protein, and zucchini is full of fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. When combined, these meatballs are a great way to add extra protein to your diet and sneak in some extra veggies at the same time.
They make a great low carb meal with some sugar-free marinara sauce and cauliflower rice, but they’re also great served over pasta like healthy meatballs!
Serving Suggestions
These poppers can be eaten on their own, but they also taste great paired with any of the following:
- Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon
- Garlic Roasted Potatoes
- Crockpot Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Veggie Quinoa Muffins
- Sweet Potato Tots
You could even press them into small patties to serve on dinner rolls as mini sliders.
And of course, they’re amazing with your favorite sauces for dipping! I like to serve them with homemade marinara sauce, a little tzatziki sauce, or this fluffy avocado creme. So good!
Recipe variations
- More veggies: You can also add diced onion and/or peppers, shredded carrots, green onions, or finely chopped spinach.
- Additional flavor 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 flavor profile.
- Make them into meatballs: The meat mixture can also be made into chicken zucchini meatballs if preferred!
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 Flour Chicken Tenders
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Chicken Zucchini Poppers
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra lean ground chicken
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup shredded zucchini packed and squeezed of excess moisture
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt *(optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon 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 degrees 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, try adding 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
This recipe was originally posted April 2021 and was updated in May 2024 to include more helpful tips.
Homerun!! Super easy and sooo delicious I may double the recipe next time we have a family gathering. Much better than the traditional Swedish meatballs. Thanks keep those recipes coming
So happy the poppers were a home run Anne! Love the idea of doubling the recipe to serve to a larger crowd! I appreciate your encouraging words and for taking the time to report back :)