Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet
Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet is a super easy dinner recipe for busy school nights. It features pan seared chicken tenderloins, zucchini and sliced mushrooms in garlicky herbed tomato sauce. Such an easy Chicken Skillet Recipe!
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Why I love this Chicken Skillet Recipe
I love skillet dinners because they don’t require a lot of pots and pans to get dinner on the table. This meal comes together quickly and is full of lots of hearty vegetables.
We are slowing down with summer produce for sure and starting to fill our grocery cards with all the delicious Fall Produce popping up in stores.
But, there is still some zucchini always hanging around this time of year, and what better way to use it up than in this Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Easy Chicken Skillet Recipe!
This recipe is a heartier zucchini recipe thanks to the rich garlicky herb tomato sauce and a side of pasta, so it is perfect for those summer/fall transition meals when the weather hasn’t quite decided what season it wants to be.
This Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet has definitely popped up on our meal plan recently when I was in need of something quick and easy to prepare.
Italian is often my go-to cuisine when I want something easy. There are so many things you can do with tomatoes, olive oil, and your favorite Italian herbs.
★★★★★
Darlene says –
“This was SO GOOD!! My husband and I added a yellow bell pepper and left out the mushrooms. We WILL fix this again. Thanks for the delicious recipe!”
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Ingredients to Make Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet
Most of the ingredients in this recipe are easy to keep on hand in your freezer and your pantry, making it the perfect easy chicken skillet dinner for busy days! You’ll need:
- chicken breasts or tenderloins
- olive oil
- butter
- onion
- garlic
- mushrooms
- zucchini
- sundried tomatoes
- fire roasted diced tomatoes
- Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
- balsamic vinegar
Optional if I have it on hand, I like to garnish with fresh chopped basil and parsley for an extra bit of green and flavor.
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make this Easy Chicken Skillet Recipe
Start by patting the chicken dry – this helps it brown well – and season with salt and pepper according to your taste preferences.
You’ll then brown the chicken on either side in butter and olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. After the chicken is browned, set it aside and use the same pan for cooking the veggies!
Using the same skillet makes clean up so much easier, and the flavor of the vegetables will get an extra boost from all the browned bits and juices left behind in the pan from the chicken..
Then, saute the onion, followed by the mushrooms, then garlic and zucchini (adding each to the pan one at a time). After the veggies are cooked, add the tomatoes and seasonings. Stir in the vinegar. Then, taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Put the chicken (and any juices – again FLAVOR!) back in the pan. Spoon the sauce over, and bake covered at 350 degrees in the oven until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F on a meat thermometer) and the saute is bubbling.
Also, don’t forget to check out my tips for Caring for Cast Iron Cookware!
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What Vegetables Can I substitute in this Italian Chicken Skillet Recipe?
You can always swap out other vegetables depending on your preferences or just to use up what you have on hand. Don’t like mushrooms? No problem! Leave them out and pick something else
For substitutes I recommend the following as the best choices:
- bell peppers – red, yellow, or orange,
- yellow summer squash
- patty pan squash
- cubed eggplant
- green beans
I don’t really recommend leaving out the diced or sundried tomatoes, however because they comprise the sauce in this recipe and it would be dry if they were eliminated. In a pinch, you can use jarred marinara sauce (or the best homemade marinara sauce if you have it in the freezer).
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What to serve with Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet
Looking for some side dish ideas to make this a meal? Check out some of these favorite recipes, or browse the recipe index archives for even more great recipe ideas:
If you’re looking for side suggestions to go with this recipe, I recommend a big green salad.
It doesn’t have to be fancy at all. We often use mixed greens, lettuce, cucumber, shredded carrot, and tomato for a basic side salad. Check out these 3 Simple Salad Dressing Recipes to go along with your salad.
If salad isn’t your thing, try this easy recipe for Roasted Broccoli for a vegetable side dish.
Other side salads we like are Italian Mixed Greens Salad with Prosciutto and Lemon Dijion Vinaigrette or the Classic Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe to serve with this Italian Chicken Skillet Dinner.
You can serve this dish with a lot of different sides, the simplest being some al dente pasta in whatever shape you prefer. For some extra pop of flavor, you can drizzle some Chili Garlic Oil and a sprinkling of fresh parmesan over the pasta!
For a lower carb option, try substituting Spaghetti Squash in place of pasta. There are 3 Ways to Cook Spaghetti Squash for when you’re in a time crunch.
It would also go well with a pile of mashed potatoes. Try this recipe for Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes for a hearty, home-cooked type meal.
Roasted potatoes would pair well, too, if you prefer. Another potato recipe we love is Smashed Potatoes with Parmesan Gremolata.
A loaf of homemade or store-bought Italian bread is also a great side and is perfect for mopping up all the tasty sauce from the dish. For homemade bread, I love this Rustic Rosemary Garlic Bread.
Can I make this Recipe Gluten-Free?
Yes! There are many great gluten-free pastas on the market these days!
I happen to really like Trader Joes Organic Brown Rice and Quinoa Pasta. Jovial Gluten-Free Pasta also gets really good reviews.
You can also always leave the pasta out and substitute another side from the list above. As mentioned, spaghetti squash is a great low carb, gluten-free substitute for pasta!
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More Chicken Skillet Recipes
Looking for more great one dish chicken skillet recipes? Here are a few favorites! Or, browse the Recipe Index to view all of my Chicken Recipes.
Easy Chili Marmalade Baked Chicken Skillet is a sweet and spicy simple Asian inspired chicken recipe for dinner. Serve it with rice or quinoa and a side of your favorite veggies.
In this Creamy Orange Almond Chicken Skillet, golden brown chicken breasts are smothered in a creamy orange almond sauce. It’s served alongside an almond rice pilaf for a simple and comforting recipe during the colder days just prior to gorgeous, warm spring days.
This Baked Honey Mustard Chicken is one of our favorite recipes. Chicken Tenderloins are baked in a sweet and savory honey mustard sauce with sprigs of fresh rosemary. This bakes in one skillet!
This Greek Lemon Oregano Chicken Skillet Dinner is the perfect recipe to illustrate the benefits of cooking in cast iron skillets. You can brown things to your liking on the stovetop and then put that same pan into the oven to finish cooking.
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Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet
Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet is a super easy dinner recipe for busy school nights. It features pan seared chicken tenderloins, zucchini and sliced mushrooms in garlicky herbed tomato sauce. Such an easy Chicken Skillet Recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 lb. chicken breasts (cut in half) or tenderloins
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 2 zucchini, cut in bite-size chunks
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
- 2 15-ounce cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional Garnishes: Fresh Basil and Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet, melt the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until it begins to bubble.
- Pat the chicken dry on both sides. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add the chicken and cook for 3 - 5 minutes, or until golden browned. Turn and cook the other side for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- While cooking, brush some of the the olive oil and butter from the pan on the side of the chicken facing up.
- Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Continue cooking on medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes.
- Then, add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt to taste, and continue to sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, zucchini and sundried tomatoes and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.
- Then, stir in the the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the chicken back to the pan and spoon some of the sauce and vegetables over top of the chicken.
- Cook, covered, over the stovetop or in the oven at 350 degrees F until the chicken is heated through and the sauce is bubbling.
- Serve garnished with chopped fresh basil and parsley if desired!
Notes
For substitutes I recommend the following as the best choices:
- bell peppers – red, yellow, or orange,
- yellow summer squash
- patty pan squash
- cubed eggplant
- green beans
I don’t recommend leaving out the diced or sundried tomatoes, however because they comprise the sauce in this recipe and it would be dry if they were eliminated. In a pinch, you can use jarred marinara sauce (or the best homemade marinara sauce if you have it in the freezer).
You can serve this dish with a lot of different sides, the simplest being some al dente pasta in whatever shape you prefer. For some extra pop of flavor, you can drizzle some Chili Garlic Oil and a sprinkling of fresh parmesan over the pasta!
For a lower carb option, try substituting Spaghetti Squash in place of pasta. There are 3 Ways to Cook Spaghetti Squash for when you’re in a time crunch.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 333Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 248mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 25g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Updated from the archives, originally published April 16, 2013.
Darlene Estes says
This was SO GOOD!! My Husband and I, added a Yellow Bell Pepper and left out the mushrooms. We WILL fix this again. Thanks for the Delicious Recipe
Azmom says
I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes and it turned out good. I left out the pasta ans turned it into a delicious soup.
Katie says
sounds yummy!
Lisa M says
Baked Ziti. Instead of throwing in oven; i throw the cooked noodles in a stove-top pan. Add my sauce, cheeses and Voila, we’re ready to eat. I will be on the look-out for the Saute Express packets in my store. This dish looks yummy!
Suzan Vasica says
Hi I’m from Australia. I wouldn’t mind trying this recipe, however I don’t know what Italian Herb Sauté Express is never heard of it here so I doubt we even have it. What could I use in place of that and how much?
Katie Goodman says
Here is the info for the Italian Herb Saute Express: http://www.landolakes.com/Products/Custom/2222288.aspx
I would use 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in place of it. You may want to add a little bit extra garlic and Italian seasoning as well.
Ginger Stark says
Skillet lasagna
Cindi Evans Fornicola says
My one skillet meal is apricot chicken !! I love how quick and easy not to mention yummy !!
Ingredients : chicken ,left over rice , apricot preserves , water ,Basting oil , wegmans pan searing flower !! That’s it ! Cut chicken up into chunks , coat w/ flour , heat a small amount of oil in pan sear chicken , in separate bowl dilute preserves w/ a little water when chicken is almost done pour preserves on the chicken stir and cover or a couple min. Then add left over rice or serve over rice you could add veggies if you want or just have a salad on the side 🙂
My 2nd is coconut shrimp also extremely easy and quick !! I love a simple meal with limited ingredients no need to get super complex !! Ingredients : shrimp , wegmans pan searing flower , basting oil , coconut oil , coconut flakes , left over rice .
Coat shrimp w/ flower , heat up a small amount of both oils add shrimp when it’s almost done add coconut flakes and rice mix well cook for about a min or so put a lid on it and shut off the heat Done !
Ann says
about how long do you cook it covered or in the oven?
Katie says
just until the chicken is cooked through, which will depend on the size of your chicken pieces. I use a meat thermometer to check for this.
Kelly W says
I would make a steak and vegetables stir fry with the teriyaki starter.