Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini and Corn

Helga Glaesel de BlandingAugust 14, 2025

This post is also available in ESPAÑOL (SPANISH)

Weekday meals don’t have to be complicated or leave you with a pile of dishes. This Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini and Corn is a one-skillet wonder, bringing together tender chicken, smoky spices, and a garlicky butter sauce in the same pan. Add zucchini and sweet corn, and you’ve got a colorful, flavor-packed dinner that feels hearty yet fresh.

What makes this recipe shine is its balance of bold and simple: paprika and chili powder give the chicken depth, while butter, lime juice, and cilantro brighten everything up. Since it all cooks in one skillet, cleanup is a breeze—leaving you more time to enjoy a meal that’s just as perfect for busy weekdays as it is for sharing with friends. Pair it with rice, pasta, or tortillas, and you’ve got dinner sorted.

Helga

Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini and Corn

Yields: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 zucchini medium, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ cups corn kernels from a can
1 ½ lb chicken breasts skinless, boneless, sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp salt, or to taste
½ tsp black pepper freshly ground, to taste
2 tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 tablespoons butter (½ a stick), divided
½ cup fresh cilantro chopped, for garnish

Directions:

Slice the chicken breasts into strips. Season the chicken with smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside
Preheat a high-sided large skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add olive oil and sliced zucchini. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat. Flip the veggies once. Remove cooked zucchini to a plate.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat in the same, now empty, skillet. Add the chicken in one layer and cook, undisturbed, for about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken strips over, add minced garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes.
Lower the heat to low, add freshly squeezed lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook for another 2 minutes or more, frequently stirring, until the chicken is cooked through but not overcooked and the garlic has softened.
Add cooked sliced zucchini and cooked corn kernels to the same skillet with cooked chicken. Add 2 remaining tablespoons of butter and melt it on low heat, stirring it together with the veggies. Do it rather quickly, for a couple of minutes, just until the butter melts and the garlic butter sauce coats both the chicken and the zucchini and corn evenly. Remove from heat.
Stir in half of the chopped fresh cilantro. Season with more salt, smoked paprika, and chili powder, if desired. Serve on its own or with white rice.

Have you made this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture with the hashtag #thefoodieskitchen!

Want more?

You can subscribe to our newsletter and we’ll send you the monthly recipes! You can also keep up to date on Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Pinterest or Tumblr.