This recipe for Zoodles with Chicken and Spicy Almond Butter Sauce is low-carb, high in protein and makes veggies flavorful and fun to eat!
*Originally published June 2015. Photos & post updated Feb 2018*
Hi Friends!
Almost 3 years ago, these Zoodles with Chicken and Spicy Almond Butter Sauce was the very first zoodles recipe I ever published on the blog. I bought my first spiralizer with a gift card from William Sonoma. Honestly, I resisted buying one for a long time because I was certain the zucchini noodle trend wasn’t going to last. Well, here we are in 2018 and the veggie noodle trend is still alive and well!
So, I decided it was about time to reshare this recipe so you all can experience the goodness if you missed it the first time.
The first few times I made zoodles, they did not go over well with the hubby. In fact, I remember one time very clearly. I tried to be very trendy and cook them in coconut oil and he told me that they “tasted like sunscreen” and refused to eat them. I think the turning point was when I made this Paleo Shrimp Scampi and he loved it.
Here’s what happened the first time I made this particular dish:
We’re grocery shopping and hubby requested we get some zucchini.
Night one: I made them with this almond butter sauce for dinner and hubby said “yeah this is going to go on the blog.”
Next day: I went to the store, bought more zucchini and made the same thing so I could take photos.
Night two: We ate them again and they were still just as good.
So now it’s time to share the recipe with all of you! I should note that I have since upgraded from my original spiralizer to The Inspiralizer and I love it. (aff link)
Here’s the recipe:
PrintZoodles with Chicken and Spicy Almond Butter Sauce
This recipe for Zoodles with Chicken and Spicy Almond Butter Sauce is low-carb, high in protein and makes veggies flavorful and fun to eat!
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 – 1.5 pounds chicken, diced (i usually use a package that’s about 1.25 pounds)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound)
- 2 cups mixed vegetables (peppers, corn, carrots, broccoli, etc)
- 1/4 cup almond butter (or other nut butter)
- 2–4 Tbsp orange juice (or broth for a less sweet sauce)
- 2 Tbsp sweet thai chili sauce
- 2 tsp sriracha
- 1 tsp fresh ginger or ginger paste (optional)
Instructions
- Saute chicken, garlic and vegetables over medium heat until chicken is cooked.
- Spiralize zucchini. Use a knife or scissors to cut noodles to the desired length.
- Add to pan and heat through.
- Combine last 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Add more juice/broth to thin to desired consistency. Pour sauce into pan and mix well.
- Serve warm
Notes
This is a fairly lightly sauced dish in my opinion. If you like a lot of sauce, add a couple more Tbsp of nut butter and an extra Tbsp of sweet chili sauce and an extra squirt of sriracha and then enough broth to thin to desired consistency.
I tend to leave my sauce a little bit thick because I find it sticks to the chicken and veggies better that way.
YUM, right?! I recently made this with peanut butter and it was just as good. I think peanut butter is sweeter than almond butter so if I use pb, I use broth to thin instead of juice.
Remember that if you don’t have a spiralizer you can make veggie ribbons with a veggie peeler like this! If you’re looking for a paleo option, try making your own condiments – Paleo Sriracha & Paleo Thai Chili Sauce.
Going crazy for veggie noodles and want more ways to use them? Try my Sweet & Spicy Shrimp with Soba Noodles, but swap in some veggie noodles like zucchini or sweet potato!
[clickToTweet tweet=”Zoodles with a zing! Try these Zoodles with Chicken and Spicy Almond Butter Sauce for a fun and flavorful dinner option!” quote=”Zoodles with a zing! Try these Zoodles with Chicken and Spicy Almond Butter Sauce for a fun and flavorful dinner option!”]
Let’s chat:
What’s your fav veggie noodle recipe?! Leave me a link!
Enjoy!
–Lindsay-
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I don’t always check out recipes that have chicken, but the Zoodles lure me in. This sounds so delicious (and very easy to make vegan). I’m totally making it tomorrow (yes, I have a spiralizer!).
No spiralizer here yet, but I’m a gym teacher and it doesn’t sound too manly. Wife has been asking for one though. Maybe I shouldn’t wait till Christmas or Valentine’s day.
christmas in july sounds good to me!!
yay!!!! let me know how it goes!
Yum! I’m obsessed with zoodles and this sounds delicious!! I never thought to use almond butter with them! Thanks for the recipe!
let me know if you try it!
I keep saying I need to get a spiralizer but I was afraid hubs would be like your husband – spit it all out. But if it’s got a nut butter sauce, he might be all over it. I know I will be!
the sauce is a game-changer!
I am the only healthy food blogger to not have zoodled — and that is changing today! looks delish
get on it girl!
That sauce <3 Chicken and any type of nut butter is always SO good! Tahini is my favorite, but almond is just amazing too 😉
ooh need to try tahini!
That sauce sounds delicious- it’s definitely the time of year to bust out the spiralizer for zoodles, thanks for sharing an awesome new recipe to try!
yes! so many zucchinis!
yum! i need to break out my spiralizer again!
dust that baby off!
Yum Lindsay! This looks like it will work for the round-up–thanks 🙂
yay! i’m so glad!
hahaha yayyyy for first zoodle recipe and what a recipe to start with- That looks amazing and I’d make extra sauce to, you know, eat on it’s own.
good call, friend!
Glad to know my hubbie is not the only one turning up his nose as zoodles. But the kids and I LOVE them. Maybe this spicy sauce will make him rethink his position on zoodles.
i think it might change his mind!
This looks so delicious and I have all the ingredients. YUM!
woohoo! let me know what you think!
This looks delicious! I love zoodles.. I make pad thai with them all the time! This almond butter sauce looks delicious!
ooh pad thai! good idea!
I haven’t tried zoodles yet but I love that you can do it without a spiralizer. Also taste like sunscreen…that made me laugh out loud.
haha he knows how to make his opinions known!
Did someone say, “butter?” Anything that is even remotely buttery has got my attention. This looks clean, fresh, creamy and perfect for a summer dinner.
i think you’d like it :)!
I love how many veggies are in this dish! Plus you can’t go wrong with a nut butter sauce.
pile on the veggies!!
I can’t wait to try this with the Almond Butter Sauce! yum! 🙂
hope you love it!
Yay for zoodles!!! I LOVE them, however getting my boyfriend to like them is quite the feat. He loves spicy peanut noodles so I may try a version like this to try to get him to like them!
My ALL TIME fav zoodle recipe: Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles
(http://zenandspice.com/shrimp-scampi-with-zoodles/)
the sauce is crucial! and squeezing some water out so they don’t get super soggy!
Yep, this is going in the rotation. I love my zoodles!
enjoy!
I have a spiralizer, but I’ve never gotten it to work correctly. I might have to give it another try, This looks delicious!
it’s weird but i have to turn the handle on mine the opposite direction you would think you’d have to to get it to work! def give it another try!
i have been seeing zoodles everywhere and have been wanting some..but again, i doubt i will use it more than 2-3 times. i might just invest in a peeler because i really want this recipe.
peeler is a great place to start! if you get hooked you can always buy one!
This looks ah-mazing! I love my serializer and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
hope you love it!
I love the evolution of this recipe. That’s how it goes with Vegas too. When she says something is good, I know I won. LOL!
haha yep! major win!
I’ve been meaning to try more recipes with my spiralizer too. I got one for my birthday last month and have only used it once!
definitely time to bust it out!
I made this recipe tonight — it is SO GOOD! Before tonight I’ll admit I was skeptical of zoodles but they are so tasty. I’m happy to find a good weeknight dinner go-to recipe.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it!!
Ah Lindsay this looks so good! Anything with nut butter in it is always a winner for me too. 😉 Making this for dinner this week!
do you think I could use almond milk instead of oj or would that be weird? We are out of Oj. I’m afraid it won’t taste as good with water!
I think that would be fine! Or coconut milk!
Thank you! I did use almond milk and used cashew butter instead of almond. Also used one yellow squash. It was delicious!
hey nancy, i don’t allow my recipes to be reprinted on other blogs. You’re welcome to share that you tried it and link to my blog so readers can click over and get the recipe! thanks.
Great I will write about how I tried it and link to your blog for them to get the actual recipe!
I love this recipe so much that I’ve been eating this every day for two weeks! It’s freaking out my husband lol
I had to pin this recipe because it looks absolutely delicious! I cannot wait to try this possibly for a nice Mother’s Day brunch party tomorrow, actually! Psst, don’t tell anyone that it has almond butter in it 😉
I’m allergic to chili’s, red pepper flakes etc, can you suggest other ingredients with the almond butter? Thanks!
those just add spice. the sauce would be fine without. You could just thin out almond butter with some water or broth. If you have some sort of spice or spicy sauce you can tolerate you could mix that in.
Everytime I sprinkle the noodles with salt first, the whole dish ends up very salty. Is there another way to get the excess moisture out?
not that i’ve found with zoodles. When i shred zucchini i squeeze it out in a paper towel but that might crush the zoodle shape.
Made this for the first time tonight. My 71-year-old dad took one bite, then looked at me and said, “This is going on the weekly rotation. It doesn’t taste healthy at all!”
A huge win!
yay! love hearing this!
The flavor in this sounds seriously amazing! The sauce is pure genius. YUM!!
I’ve made this for my family a few times. We didn’t have Sriracha so I subbed Chili garlic sauce and it turned out really good. My 2.5 year old liked the sauce so much that I will now occasionally make it as a dip for his veggies.
oh love that! never thought to use it as just a veggie dip!