Gluten Free Chicken Tetrazzini
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This gluten free chicken tetrazzini is a gluten free take on the classic dish. The chicken and vegetables are cooked in a rich cream sauce that is dairy free, and then topped with almond flour bread crumbs.
This dish is perfect for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
This Paleo chicken tetrazzini is sure to please everyone at the table.
Going wheat-free, gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, or primal is easy. It’s easy and delicious. That is until you think about how much you love pasta.
Some of the best dishes on earth are pasta dishes! Some of my favorites are lasagna, fettuccini alfredo, ravioli, and just plain old comforting spaghetti and meatballs.
I think I made it about 2 months into my gluten-free/Paleo lifestyle before I started experimenting with pasta alternatives.
I missed it too much!
I’ve used everything from spaghetti squash, and eggplant, to grain-free dried and packaged pasta to cure my cravings. While all those are good, my favorite is the zoodle.
The zoodle is a noodle made from zucchini! You can make them by using a vegetable peeler or a spiral slicer.
I’m completely in love with my spiral slicer because it gives the zoodle the perfect spaghetti size, feel, and texture.
Today our zoodles are going to be the star of one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes, Chicken Tetrazzini!
Chicken Tetrazzini is a traditional pasta casserole made with three major components: pasta {duh!}, chicken, and an oh-so-tasty white wine mushroom gravy.
While the traditional dish is topped with breadcrumbs, we’re making our own grain-free crumble topping out of almond flour.
You are going to love this dish!
While I’m really passionate about delicious healing foods, I’m also passionate about instruction! I think more people will try new methods in the kitchen if they can see exactly how it’s done.
As such, I provide step-by-step photographs of each recipe. I hope you find it helpful!
Let’s get started …
Here they are! The incredible, edible zucchini. If you’re turning zucchini into a pasta dish, I recommend you grab two for each person you want to feed. They cook down quite a bit. I used 8 for this recipe.
While peeling the zucchini isn’t totally necessary, it’s a good extra step if you’re hoping to fool picky eaters. Peeling the green skin will keep suspicions at bay and make it look more like white pasta.
If you have a spiral slicer (purchase this one), this is the attachment we’re going to use. If you don’t have one, you can just start creating noodles with the same vegetable peeler you used to skin the zucchini.
You’ll secure the zucchini on the slicer and start twirling! It will spit the core out on the other side so you don’t get a bowl full of seeds.
Isn’t this the neatest kitchen tool?? I don’t have an exorbitant amount of cabinet or shelf space in my kitchen so I try to keep my gadget collection to a minimum – this slicer gets a prime spot next to my slow cooker.
The zoodles are long and perfectly spaghetti-like.
It’s finally done! Doesn’t it look delicious?
You’re seriously going to love this dish.
Spoon some on a plate and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Remember that if your gravy isn’t as thick anymore, it’s just because of the zoodles and it’s still going to be delicious.
Tools needed for this recipe
Gluten Free Chicken Tetrazzini Ingredients
- zucchini, peeled and spiral sliced {zoodles}
- chicken strips
- unsalted butter {can sub with extra virgin coconut oil}
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- onion
- some garlic
- sliced mushrooms
- fresh thyme
- chardonnay {or any other white wine/vinegar}
- full-fat coconut milk, use just the thick cream off the top
- frozen peas
- almond flour
- fresh parsley for garnish
- optional thickener: arrowroot
How to make Gluten Free Chicken Tetrazzini
In a large sauté pan over high heat, melt half the butter. Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper and cook in melted butter until lightly browned. Set aside to cool then chop into bite-sized pieces.
In the same sauté pan with the leftover butter and chicken drippings, wilt the onions, garlic, and mushrooms together. Add the thyme, wine, and coconut cream and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thick.
Optional: If the gravy doesn’t thicken to your liking, whisk between 1 tablespoon and ¼ cup arrowroot flour with a small amount of water and add to the pan.
When the gravy is at desired thickness, add the frozen peas and take off the heat.
Mix the zoodles with the chopped chicken and gravy until well combined. Pour into a casserole dish.
In a food processor, pulse together 1 cup of almond meal with 2 tablespoons of butter and ½ tsp kosher salt until it forms a loose dough. Pinch the dough over the casserole into an even crumble.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.
Let cool, plate, and top with the fresh parsley.
Substitutions
This Paleo chicken tetrazzini would be great for using leftover turkey from Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If you do not need to eat dairy free you could use heavy cream instead of coconut milk.
How to Store Gluten Free Chicken Tetrazzini
Store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Many people have batch cooked this recipe and frozen it and then cooked it from frozen for an easy meal.
More Gluten Free Dinner Recipes
- Healthy Kung Pao Chicken
- Keto Lobster Cakes
- Keto Stuffed Zucchini
- Paleo Meatloaf
- Healthy Lemon Chicken
If you love snacks, here are more Paleo desserts and Paleo snacks! Make sure to check out my huge collection of gluten free dinner recipes.
If you loved this recipe, I would be really grateful if you can rate the recipe card and share any photos you took on Instagram using #ditchthewheat and tag me in your post or story.
Gluten Free Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Gluten Free Chicken Tetrazzini
This gluten free chicken tetrazzini is a gluten free take on the classic dish. The chicken and vegetables are cooked in a rich cream sauce that is dairy free, and then topped with almond flour bread crumbs.
Ingredients
- 8 zucchini, peeled and spiral sliced {zoodles}
- 2 lbs chicken strips
- 4 Tbl butter {can sub with coconut oil}
- 1 Tbl kosher salt
- 1 Tbl black pepper
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 Tbl fresh thyme, finely chopped
- ½ cup chardonnay {or any other white wine/vinegar}
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk, use just the thick cream off top
- 1 bag frozen peas {~1 ½ cups}
- 1 cup almond flour
- chopped parsley for garnish
- optional thickener: 1 Tbl – ¼ cup arrowroot
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan over high heat, melt half the butter. Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper and cook in melted butter until lightly browned. Set aside to cool then chop into bite-sized pieces.
- In the same sauté pan with the leftover butter and chicken drippings, wilt the onions, garlic, and mushrooms together. Add the thyme, wine, and coconut cream and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thick.
- Optional: If the gravy doesn’t thicken to your liking, whisk between 1 Tbl and ¼ cup arrowroot flour with a small amount of water and add to the pan.
- When the gravy is at desired thickness, add the frozen peas and take off the heat.
- Mix the zoodles with the chopped chicken and gravy until well combined. Pour into a casserole dish.
- In a food processor, pulse together 1 cup almond meal with 2 Tbl butter and ½ tsp kosher salt until it forms a loose dough. Pinch the dough over the casserole into an even crumble.
- Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.
- Let cool, plate, and top with the fresh parsley.
Notes
You can use turkey instead of chicken.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1107Total Fat: 70gSaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 1662mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 10gSugar: 16gProtein: 49g
About Cassy: I’m on a mission to empower healthy lifestyle transformations through clear nutrition science and delicious gluten-free/Paleo-friendly foods. She is the founder of Fed & Fit. You can “like” Fed & Fit on Facebook here.
DISCLOSURE: Not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations is at the choice and risk of the reader. Ditch the Wheat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. I only endorse products that I believe in.
Carol Lovett is the founder of Ditch the Wheat and a Globe and Mail bestselling author of the cookbook, Ditch the Wheat. She has been eating gluten free since 2010. She loves all things food, natural living, and spiritual. She's also a reiki master and crystal healer.
Gluten Free Resources
Do you need help with gluten free meals?
I recommend this meal-planning app. It makes cooking gluten free dinners extremely easy and family-friendly.
What gluten free snacks can I eat?
Lots! I have a ton of practical gluten free snack recipes in my cookbook.
How can I eat dessert on a gluten free diet?
You can 100% eat dessert while eating gluten free. Try my dessert cookbook for easy gluten free dessert recipes.
How do I know what is gluten free and what isn’t?
I have a whole section is it gluten free?
How do I make substitutions?
If you need substitution advice I created a ton of resources here.
Hey! I assume it’s possible to sub in spaghetti squash for the zuch, would you recommend using 2 squash’s to get the same yield?
Made this tonight and it was yummy! I used 5 “normal” sized zucchini and it made a 9×13 pan. I would recommend making the gravy extra thick, because the zucchini thins it out a lot. Even my “non-Paleo” hubby went back for seconds!
Oh mah gosh, I can’t wait to make this! Looks absolutely fantastic. 🙂
Hi! I can’t wait to make this! I have a small can of coconut cream and wondered about how much to use in this recipe? About how much would you say you were able to skim off the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk? Thanks in advance… this is going on my menu for the week of Oct. 26!
This looks great!! Could one freeze this prior to baking and just bake the day you plan to serve it?
Thank you!!
You can try but I don’t think it would work out.
On the question of freezing…
You might try making the filling, gravy, etc. and freezing THAT, then just thawing & adding it to fresh cut zoodles before you bake it. (The noodles would break down into mush if you froze & thawed them…)
You’d also want to make & add the topping fresh, but that’s easy.
We made this on Wednesday evening, but dinner was running late & I ended up skipping the topping because I hadn’t read the recipe ahead thru to the end. It was just fine without it.
I did feel that the “gravy” was too thin, and there wasn’t enough of it.
But, we had a ton of leftovers (I’d made a double recipe) so the next night I made more of the gravy and added the arrowroot this time, which made all the difference.
I transferred the “leftovers” into a smaller casserole, poured over the new, thicker gravy, and added the topping this time. Then, I rebaked.
The veggies, of course, were a bit more “done” that I’d have liked from the twice-baking, but I was able to get a better sense of the recipe and where I’d gone wrong. (Which is really not VERY wrong, because the first night everyone still raved…)
This is a good recipe, and I think it can really satisfy those “comfort food” cravings without falling off the wagon!
I’m sure we’ll be making it again. Often.
Thanks!
What could we use to replace coconut milk? My throat feels funny whenever I have anything with coconut in it, so I avoid it whenever possible. (Which stinks because I LOVE German Chocolate cake.)
Heavy cream.
Will this recipe freeze well? I have a lot of family coming in and I am looking to freeze and cook two weeks later. Will it work with this recipe? I hope so because it looks wonderful. Thanks 🙂
I don’t think it would freeze well.
Hi Carol, looking to make this for dinner tonight. If I don’t have a food processor, do you think I could just mix the almond flour and butter with a hand mixer for the dough? Thanks so much!