Asado Chicken & Sauteed Lemon Zucchini Easy Recipe
Take the guesswork out of today’s dinner menu and try this easy yet delicious Asado Chicken & Sauteed Lemon Zucchini recipe.
It is a flavorful and healthy dish that the whole family will enjoy!
This main dish will make the perfect low carb meal, however, you can stretch this recipe by adding the chicken and zucchini into tortillas for fajita-style tacos, and accompanying them with fluffy rice and beans.
Have an extra 5% of energy in you? Prepare an additional batch for a make-ahead freezer meal and thank yourself later!
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Ingredient Profile
The best thing about this asado chicken & sauteed lemon zucchini recipe is that all of the ingredients are most likely already in your refrigerator and pantry, however, these ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store or farmers market!
Chicken
The main ingredient in this recipe is pollo asado which translates to “grilled chicken”, and there are many different cuts of chicken you can use to make this savory fare.
You can keep it simple by making this recipe with boneless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
However, you can make this pollo asado recipe with skin and bone-in chicken thighs and breasts.
You can even quarter a whole chicken, the options are many! The most important thing that makes the chicken shine is the marinade sauce.
Zucchini
What makes this recipe a complete meal are the zucchinis!
They make the perfect companion for the asado chicken and have a zesty zing to them with the addition of lemon juice.
Zucchinis are a type of squash that comes in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Don’t hesitate to experiment with different types of squashes.
I recently found these adorable round zucchini squashes at our local farm and my little ones were so excited to eat them!
You can try this recipe with yellow squash, pattypan squash, calabacitas (Mexican zucchinis), and chayote (a Mexican squash, as children, we would say that the bottom looks like a wrinkly old man’s mouth with no teeth 😂).
Don’t forget the many winter squashes like butternut squash, kabocha squash, acorn squash, and delicata squash. You can make this recipe any time of year!
Recipe FAQ
Here are a few answers to frequently asked questions about this delicious recipe.
Can I put lemon juice on chicken while cooking?
Yes, you can still get the zesty lemon flavors by adding lemon juice to your chicken while cooking.
However, you lose the tenderizing effect from the lemon juice that you would get if you let it sit and marinate with the chicken.
Lemon juice or any kind of citrus juice breaks down proteins in chicken creating a cooking effect much like ceviche. This will leave you with juicy, tender chicken, yum 😋
How long does it take to marinate chicken?
You can achieve great flavor with as little as 15-30 minutes of marinating time.
The best amount of time to marinate your chicken is at least 2 hours up to overnight to create mouthwatering bold flavors in your chicken.
What are the 3 main ingredients when marinating?
To create a marinade, you need 3 main components:
1. Acid: lemon juice, lime juice, and vinegar are great marinating acid options. The acid breaks down proteins found in meat to create a tenderizing effect.
2. Fat: cooking oils are typically used in marinades such as olive oil and avocado oil, this allows the other ingredients to stick and infuse the meat with flavor.
3. Flavor: Herbs and spices bring the flavor to the meat.
In the asado chicken marinade, the acid comes from the lemon juice, the fat from the olive oil, and the flavor comes from garlic, chipotle peppers, oregano (herb), cumin, salt and pepper (spices).
Asado Chicken & Sauteed Lemon Zucchini Recipe
Make this easy recipe today and prepare an extra freezer meal to make again next week!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 – 2lbs of Chicken (2 Large Chicken Breasts or 4 Chicken Thighs)
- 3-4 Medium-Sized Zucchini (Diced)
Asado Chicken Seasoning Marinade
- 2 tbsp of Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp of Fresh Lime Juice (or lemon)
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves (pressed or minced) or 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1-2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (remove seeds for mild flavor)
- 2 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp of Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Spice Level
This recipe calls for chipotle chilis, which are generally about medium hot.
You can make it mild by using only the flesh of the chipotles and discarding the inside of the pod and seeds.
You get the pepper flavor without the kick.
If you’re looking for a bigger kick, add a Thai pepper, and make sure to add the seeds!
Zucchini Seasoning
- Lemon Zest from 1 Lemon
- Lemon Juice from 1 Lemon
- 1 tsp Oregano
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Suggested Toppings:
- Avocado Slices or Guacamole
- Squeeze of Fresh Lime Juice
- Fresh Cilantro
- Raw Onion Diced
- Pico de Gallo
- Salsa Picante: Red or Green
- Sour Cream
Instructions
This easy asado chicken and sauteed lemon zucchini recipe will get food on the dinner table uber quick with no fuss!
Grilling your chicken on the stovetop is the easiest and fastest method however, I’ll also cover the many ways to cook it. Follow these easy steps and the results will be juicy chicken every time.
Marinade Instructions:
1. Decide if you are going to grill your asado chicken out on the BBQ grill or not. If you are going to cook them on the grill, do not cut your chicken. You can also grill whole chicken breasts and thighs on the stove.
2. If you are using chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally to make 4 flat pieces. Slice your chicken into thin strips.
3. Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl, it will look like a thick paste.
4. Add your chicken strips (or whole chicken breasts or thighs) along with the marinade paste and combine.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or beeswax wrap, and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Cooking Instructions:
1. Preheat a cast iron skillet (if using) or any large skillet, on medium heat for about 5 mins.
2. Pour the marinated chicken from the bowl into a single layer in the hot skillet and raise the flame to medium-high heat.
3. With a wooden spoon, spread your chicken evenly in the pan and do not disturb for 5 mins.
4. Stir and mix chicken (flip if using whole chicken breasts or thighs), lower the flame to medium-low heat, and cook for an additional 5 mins.
Internal Temperature
When cooking whole chicken breasts and thighs, be sure to check that the internal temperature reaches 165°F degrees. You may need to cook it a little longer.
5. To prevent dry chicken, remove from the pan and let rest while you grill your zucchini.
6. Raise the flame back to medium-high heat and add your diced zucchini, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cook for 5 mins.
7. Lower flame to medium-low and saute zucchini for an additional 5 minutes and add lemon juice and lemon zest. Turn off the heat.
8. Serve your asado chicken with an extra splash of lemon juice together with sautéed lemon zucchini and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
Grilling Asado Chicken Instructions:
1. Clean and preheat Grill to 375° to 420°F degrees.
2. Grill marinated asado chicken breasts or thighs for 5-7 mins on each side. Your chicken is done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165°F degrees.
3. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to zucchini slices and grill for a few minutes until you get a good sear.
4. To keep asado chicken juicy, let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing them into strips.
5. Serve your asado chicken with an extra splash of lemon juice together with sautéed lemon zucchini and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Asado Recipe:
Add this recipe to your list of sheet pan meals, for this is the perfect way to cook your asado chicken.
1. Preheat your oven to 425°F degrees.
2. Pour the chicken marinade onto half of a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Add your diced zucchini to the other half of your baking sheet and sprinkle oregano, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and lemon zest onto your zucchini.
4. Bake for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
For whole cuts of meat, start with skin side down, after 20 minutes, flip and bake for an additional 20 minutes for browned crispy skin or internal temperature reaches 165°F.
5. Serve your asado chicken with an extra splash of lemon juice together with sautéed lemon zucchini and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker Asado Chicken Instructions:
1. Pour all of the ingredients into the Instant Pot insert, secure the lid, and set the vent valve to “seal”.
2. Depending on the cut of meat: Pressure cook strips on high for 3 mins. If you are using whole chicken breasts or thighs, cook on high for 6-8 mins (you will need to add zucchini after and saute if you are cooking longer than 3 mins, it will turn to mush).
3. Let pressure naturally release.
4. Serve your asado chicken with an extra splash of lemon juice together with sautéed lemon zucchini and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Asado Chicken Instructions:
1. Pour the asado chicken marinade into the crock pot, and slow cook on low for 3-4 hours.
2. Add in the zucchini during the last 30 minutes of cooking to prevent
3. Serve your asado chicken with an extra splash of lemon juice together with sautéed lemon zucchini and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead Freezer Asado Chicken Instructions:
1. Decide if you are going to grill your asado chicken out on the BBQ grill or not. If you are going to cook them on the grill, do not cut your chicken. You can also grill whole chicken breasts and thighs on the stove.
2. If you are using chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally to make 4 flat pieces. Slice your chicken into thin strips.
3. Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl, it will look like a thick paste.
4. Add your chicken strips (or whole chicken breasts or thighs) along with the marinade paste and combine.
5. Add your marinated chicken pieces into a freezer-safe ziplock bag.
6. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to zucchini to the mixing bowl and combine.
7. Place the seasoned zucchini above the chicken mixture for the best results. Push out any air from the freezer bag and seal.
8. Label with preparation date, and cooking instructions (see picture example) and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw Asado Chicken
The first step before cooking this healthy chicken recipe is to thaw your freezer bag in the refrigerator overnight.
Be sure to place your freezer bag on a pan or bowl to catch the thawing liquid.
Once you are ready to cook your asado chicken, take it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before cooking.
Recipe Tips
You can easily whip up flour tortillas while your chicken is marinating.
I like to get the little ones involved, they love to make the dough balls for me and roll them out, you’ll have a stack of tortillas in no time! Teamwork makes the dream work 😉
Asado Chicken and Sauteed Lemon Zucchini Recipe Conclusion
This has to be one of the simplest most delicious recipes out there!
¡Buen Provecho!
Star Rating
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