I'm so excited to introduce you to cheesy zucchini noodles! They're the delicious base of this Buffalo Chicken Bowl and they're so good! At just 5 net carbs per serving, this low carb bowl is the perfect keto meal and easy to meal prep!
Quinoa, spinach, brown rice and spring mix are all common ingredients to serve as the base of a bowl. Zucchini noodles are also a popular gluten free, low carb base for a bowl. But today, we're kicking the base of our bowl up a notch with cheesy zucchini noodles!
Light, fresh zucchini noodles are tossed in a wonderful creamy, cheesy sauce, creating the perfect low carb base for a delicious bowl. Best part is, they're easy to make in just 15 minutes!
For this bowl, I topped the cheesy zoodles with grilled buffalo chicken. Because cheesy goodness + buffalo chicken = match made in foodie heaven!
You can stop there. Seriously, the cheesy zucchini, plus the grilled chicken is enough to complete these bowls. But if you want to add something to make them just a little extra, toss some sliced jalapenos, diced avocado and cherry tomatoes on top!
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Step by step instructions
It only takes 4 simple steps to toss together these low carb buffalo chicken bowls!
- Prepare the buffalo chicken. For this recipe, I grilled the buffalo chicken. You can do the same, or prepare Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken or Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken. These options are great if you want to meal prep a bunch of these bowls ahead of time. If you're grilling the chicken, you'll want to marinate chicken breasts in buffalo sauce for 30 minutes. You can marinate them for longer, if you have time. After marinating the chicken, grill it over medium high heat for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked to 165°F.
- Prepare the zoodles. Use a spiralizer to turn a whole zucchini into zucchini noodles. If you don't have a spiralizer, you can dice the zucchini into small cubes instead. Heat a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add the zucchini noodles to the dry skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes. Use tongs to remove the zoodles from the skillet and place them on a paper towel lined plate. Wrap the paper towel around the zoodles and squeeze out any remaining moisture. Set the zoodles aside.
- Prepare the cheesy sauce. Add butter to a large saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add cubed cream cheese and heavy cream. Cook for about 5 minutes, whisking frequently, until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Stir in salt, pepper, mustard powder and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir continuously until the cheese is fully melted. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini noodles to the cheese sauce and toss until all of the zoodles are covered in the sauce.
- Assemble the bowls. Divide the cheesy zucchini noodles between four bowls. Top with sliced buffalo chicken. Add the optional toppings of your choice.
What else could I add to these bowls?
The star of the show in these bowls really is the cheesy zoodles, toppings are optional, but you've got lots of options! Try 1, 2, 3 or all 10, it's your bowl, make it your own!
- Diced Avocado
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Sliced Jalapenos
- Shredded Carrots
- Thinly Sliced Red Onion
- Chopped Celery
- Fresh Chopped Cilantro
- Blue Cheese Crumbles
- Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Black Beans
Frequently asked questions
- What type of buffalo sauce do you use? I usually go with the classic, Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce. If I'm making a Whole30 recipe, I use Tabasco Buffalo Style Hot Sauce. I always have both on hand!
- Can I spiralize a vegetable that's not zucchini? Sure, you could try spiralized carrots or sweet potatoes in this recipe, instead of zucchini noodles. The carrot and sweet potato noodles will need a little more time to cook on the stove to soften them, so take that into consideration. Sweet potato noodles should be sautéed on the stove for 5-7 minutes. Carrot noodles should be sautéed on the stove for 6-8 minutes.
- Can I top the cheesy zucchini noodles with something else? You want those cheesy zoodles in your life, I get it, but maybe you want to switch up the topping and do something different than buffalo chicken, no problem! Grill up some roasted garlic or spicy chicken sausage, slice it and serve it on top. Roast some veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower or cherry tomatoes and toss those on top! Grill some shrimp, tossed in buffalo sauce, or in the seasoning of your choice, and throw it on top. Add this buffalo tofu to the bowls for a vegetarian option. The options really are endless!
How to make the bowls vegan
- As I mentioned above, the star of this show really is the cheesy zucchini noodles. I have not tested the cheese sauce with dairy-free alternative's at this time, so I do not recommend making this bowl vegan. Instead, I recommend checking out our vegan recipes with dozens of vegan bowl options!
- If you'd like to make these bowls vegetarian, I recommend using this recipe for baked Buffalo Cauliflower or this recipe for baked Buffalo Tofu, instead of the buffalo chicken.
How to meal prep the bowls
- For storage: prepare the buffalo chicken and cheesy zoodles as instructed in the recipe. Divide the cheesy zucchini noodles between four storage containers. Top with the sliced buffalo chicken. Store any optional toppings in separate storage containers or plastic bags. Store the prepped bowls in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To reheat and eat: place the storage container with the cheesy zoodles and buffalo chicken in the microwave for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave, add any optional toppings of your choice and dig in!
More low carb recipes to try
Looking for more low carb bowls? Check out these easy keto recipes!
- Keto Pizza Bowls
- Chipotle Chicken Bowl with Avocado Salsa
- Slow Cooker Green Chili Pulled Pork Bowl
- Low Carb Vegan Fajita Bowl
- Greek Cauliflower Rice Salad
- Low Carb Italian Sausage and Zucchini Bowls
- Chicken Shawarma Salad
- Whole30 Teriyaki Salmon Bowls
- Keto Pad Thai
Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Cheesy Zucchini Bowls
I'm so excited to introduce you to cheesy zucchini noodles! They're the delicious base of these Buffalo Chicken Bowls and they're so good! At just 5 net carbs per serving, this low carb bowl is the perfect keto meal and easy to meal prep!
Servings 4 bowls
Calories 595kcal
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
Cheesy Zucchini Noodles
- 1 pound zucchini approximately 3 medium size zucchinis (spiralized into zoodles)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 ounces cream cheese cubed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Optional Toppings
- 1 avocado diced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced
Instructions
Buffalo Chicken
- Combine the chicken and buffalo sauce in a large bowl or plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place on a grill over medium high heat for 5-6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature is 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and place on a cutting board to rest.
Zoodles
- Heat a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat.
- Add the zoodles and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Using tongs, remove the zoodles from the skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- Wrap the paper towel around the zoodles and squeeze out any remaining moisture, then set the zoodles aside.
Cheesy Sauce
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.
- Add the cream cheese and heavy cream and continue to cook, whisking frequently, until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, mustard powder and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Continue stirring until the cheese is fully melted, about 2-3 minutes.
Bowls
- Add the zucchini to the cheesy sauce and toss until all of the zoodles are covered in sauce, then transfer the cheesy zoodles to four separate bowls.
- Slice the buffalo chicken and place it on top of the cheesy zoodles.
- Add the optional toppings of your choice.
Notes
- Optional Toppings are not included in the nutritional information provided.
- Zoodles - if you do not have a spiralizer available, you can chop the zucchini into a small dice and follow the instructions as listed in the recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 246mg | Sodium: 1716mg | Potassium: 1205mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1381mg | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 266mg | Iron: 2mg
Made this recipe & loved it?Mention @BowlsAreTheNewPlates or tag #BowlsNotPlates on Instagram!
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