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Vodka Sauce Chicken with zucchini noodles is an easy, quick, and ridiculously tasty dinner. Tender chicken and zucchini ribbons are tossed in a creamy homemade vodka sauce for a cozy, yet light twist on pasta night.
Look what’s for dinner tonight!! Woot woot! Oh, hi. I got a little excited there, but for a great reason: vodka.sauce. Yep. I’m serving you vodka with dinner! And chicken plus zucchini noodles to go with it all.
And if you’re just like me, staring at a foot of snow in mid-March? Use it as an excuse to stay in and put the world on pause while catching up on Snapped with a bag of homemade baked banana chips in your lap.
Hope you’re also thinking about dinner and how this vodka sauce chicken will be IT!
Ingredients For Vodka Sauce Chicken
- Zucchini: Use a vegetable peeler to create long ribbons. You can also use a spiralizer or swap in store-bought zucchini noodles.
- Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the chicken. Avocado oil works too.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: You can sub with boneless chicken thighs or even cooked rotisserie chicken for a shortcut.
- Dried Thyme: Dried Italian seasoning or oregano would also work.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Season to taste to bring everything together. Don’t skip it!
- Butter: Adds richness to the sauce. If needed, use more olive oil instead.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, but you can use ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Tomato Paste: Deepens the tomato flavor. If you don’t have it, double the tomato content and simmer the sauce longer.
- Diced Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes will work if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
- Vodka: Enhances the tomato flavor and adds a subtle warmth. The alcohol cooks off, but if you want to skip it, use broth or a splash of lemon juice instead.
- 2% Milk: Makes the sauce creamy without being too heavy. Swap with whole milk, half-and-half, or even a dairy-free alternative like oat milk.
- Parmesan Cheese: Melts into the sauce for salty, cheesy goodness. Grated pecorino or a dairy-free parmesan also works.
How To Make This Vodka Sauce Chicken Recipe
I’m hereby declaring this my favorite meal as of two weekends ago. You have to understand, I make a lot of food -it’s my job—so to choose a favorite is super hard, but this one is a no-brainer. As always, the best part is how quickly it all comes together, and the sauce is made from scratch. For that alone, I hope you will be thanked and applauded.
- Prep: Use a vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini into long, thin ribbons. Lay them flat on paper towels and let them sit; this helps absorb excess moisture.
- Sear: Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Season the chicken with thyme, salt, and pepper, then cook it until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, slice it into strips, and cover to keep warm.
- Sauté: In the same skillet, melt butter with a bit more olive oil. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant.
- Simmer: Stir in the diced tomatoes and let everything bubble for about 10 minutes. Add the vodka and continue simmering for another 8 to 10 minutes.
- Cream: Pour in the milk and stir to combine. Let it simmer gently for 10 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly.
- Finish: Stir in the parmesan until it melts into the sauce. Then gently add the sliced chicken and zucchini ribbons. Cook everything together for about a minute, just until heated through. Take it off the heat and serve.
Serving Suggestions
This vodka sauce chicken with zucchini is rich and comforting, so I love to pair it with something fresh and crunchy to balance it out. A crisp cucumber onion salad with a tangy honey vinaigrette is perfect for that refreshing bite. For bread, you can’t go wrong with my crusty olive bread or a classic focaccia! Make room for dessert and make this quick chocolate mug cake.
How To Store Leftovers
Let your leftovers cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, but add a splash of milk or broth to loosen the sauce if needed. I don’t recommend freezing this one because of the dairy in the sauce and the fresh zucchini.
ENJOY!
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Vodka Sauce Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 zucchini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For The Vodka Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 14.5 ounces can of diced tomatoes
- ½ cup vodka, use your favorite brand
- 1 cup milk, 2% or higher, heavy cream is okay to use
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prep the zucchini. Peel the zucchini lengthwise with a vegetable peeler to create long strips. Arrange the zucchini strips flat on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and set aside to dry.
- Cook the chicken. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with thyme, salt, and pepper, then add it to the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until fully cooked through.
- Cut the chicken. Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet, cut them into strips, and set aside. Cover to keep warm.
- Make the vodka sauce. In the same skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir in diced tomatoes and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the vodka and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add milk and cheese. Stir in the milk and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and continue to stir until well incorporated.
- Combine and finish. Add the chicken strips and zucchini to the sauce and cook for 1 more minute, or until heated through. Remove from heat and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This was absolutely amazing. Loved it so much. Used chicken mince instead of chicken breast and lemon thyme. The vodka flavour was just perfect. I even used vanilla vodka and served with Vanilla Vodka and Blood Orange Mineral Water.
Would a can of organic coconut milk work in place of the milk in this sauce recipe? I am doing no dairy and am hoping it would work.
I’m doing keto Diet so if you took out the milk and added heavy cream or xhe cheese it would work I’m sure and perhaps be creamier sauce. I’m going to try it!
This looks sooo good! Question though about the zucchini. After laying them out to dry (step 2), do you just add them all the way at the end for one minute (step 12), or am I missing a step somewhere in between? Thank you!!
Hi! Yes, that’s all you do with the zucchini because, since it’s cut so thin, it will cook in no time. If you want to go longer, that’s okay, too, but you’re looking for that “pasta al dente” texture but without the pasta. 😀