This Chicken Cacciatore with Zucchini Noodles is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 412 calories, 39.4g protein, and 22.6g carbs per serving. Ready in 55 minutes. High in fiber (7.4g), which supports insulin sensitivity.
Nutrition per Serving
Cacciatore means hunter-style. It is a rustic Italian braise of chicken with peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and herbs. It is usually served with pasta or bread. Here it goes over zucchini noodles, so the rich sauce is the star. Each serving has about 412 calories and 39g of protein, with no dairy and no grain.
Grocery list:
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Red pepper
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Canned chopped tomatoes
- Black olives
- Fresh rosemary
- Dried oregano
- Zucchini (or ready-made zucchini noodles)
Nutrition notes: figures are per serving, a third of the dish, worked from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient. Herbs, salt and pepper are not counted.
Keeps: The cacciatore keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months. Cook the zucchini noodles fresh each time.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large deep pan over medium-high heat.Brown the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Lift it onto a plate.Lower the heat to medium and add the rest of the oil. Add the onion, pepper and mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes until soft and browned.Add the garlic and oregano and stir for 1 minute.Add the tomatoes, olives and rosemary. Put the chicken back in with any juices. Cover and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender.Just before serving, put the zucchini noodles in a hot dry frying pan with a pinch of salt. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes, only until warm. Do not overcook or they go watery.Divide the zucchini noodles between three plates. Spoon the chicken and sauce on top.
Why this works for PCOS
A big bowl of pasta at dinner is a lot of fast starch in one go. With PCOS, insulin resistance is common, and that kind of meal is harder to handle. This dinner keeps the full Italian flavour and swaps the pasta for zucchini noodles. Chicken thighs give 39g of protein, and the vegetables fill the plate.
The ingredients doing the work
- Chicken thighs: they stay juicy in a long simmer and have more flavour than breast.
- Peppers, mushrooms and onion: lots of vegetables cooked into the sauce.
- Tomatoes, olives and rosemary: the classic cacciatore flavours.
- Zucchini noodles: a light base that soaks up the sauce.
Cook once, eat twice
Cacciatore tastes even better the next day. Make a double batch and freeze half for a busy night.
How this fits a PCOS week
PCOS Meal Planner builds a week of dinners around the food you cook, keeps out the foods you avoid, and gives you one shopping list.
Why this Chicken Cacciatore with Zucchini Noodles works for PCOS
With 39.4g of protein per serving (about 38% of calories), this Chicken Cacciatore with Zucchini Noodles sits at the top end of the 25-35g per-meal range that the 2023 International PCOS Guideline recommends for managing insulin resistance and supporting lean mass. Higher-protein meals also blunt the glucose response when carbohydrates are included, which matters for women with PCOS because chronic insulin elevation drives androgen excess and irregular cycles.
The 22.6g of carbohydrates here come paired with 7.4g of fibre, which slows glucose absorption and produces a flatter post-meal blood sugar curve. Fibre is one of the most under-rated tools for PCOS: it feeds gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids linked to improved insulin sensitivity, and it modestly lowers circulating androgens by binding bile acids in the gut.
Fat makes up about 43% of calories in this dish. Dietary fat plays a load-bearing role in PCOS because sex hormones are synthesised from cholesterol, and very-low-fat eating can suppress hormone production over time. The 2023 PCOS guideline does not specify a strict fat target, but most clinicians recommend at least 25-35% of calories from a mix of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated sources.
Evening meals affect overnight insulin and morning blood sugar more than most women realise. Keeping dinner protein-forward and finishing eating at least 2-3 hours before bed gives your body time to clear glucose before the overnight fast, which improves morning fasting insulin readings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this Chicken Cacciatore with Zucchini Noodles recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 412 calories per serving with 39.4g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health. It also provides 7.4g of fiber, which helps with insulin sensitivity.
This recipe takes about 55 minutes total. Prep time is 15 minutes and cook time is 40 minutes. It makes 3 servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.
Per serving: 412 calories, 39.4g protein (38%), 22.6g carbs, 19.7g fat. Plus 7.4g fiber. PCOS meal plans typically aim for 30% protein, 35% fat, 35% carbs to support insulin sensitivity.
Yes, this recipe works well as a PCOS-friendly Dinner. At 412 calories, it fits within typical PCOS meal plan targets for Dinner. Pair it with other PCOS-friendly foods throughout the day for balanced nutrition.
This recipe can be part of a structured PCOS meal plan. It makes 3 servings, making it great for meal prep. For a complete weekly plan tailored to your PCOS type, take our free 60-second quiz at pcosmealplanner.com/pcos-quiz to get a personalized 7-day meal plan.
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