This healthy buffalo chicken zucchini boat recipe is an easy dinner option made from simple ingredients and perfect for busy weeknights. Your favorite buffalo chicken dip meets crisp fresh veggies, melty cheese and a healthy drizzle of ranch dressing.
This is one of the best ways to use fresh zucchini! I'm always looking for healthy weeknight meal options. All the steps were easy to follow and the buffalo chicken filling + the Boursin cheese combo was A+++! I will definitely be making this one again. Thanks for the great recipe!
- Lindsay F.
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Who Knew Zucchini Could Be So Delicious? ...
You can never go wrong with a recipe that combines QUICK + EASY (or "buffalo wings" and ranch).
Add in the fact that these guys are stuffed with spicy buffalo, browned bits of sautéed chicken, a smothering of homemade greek yogurt ranch, and a shmear of soft herbed garlic cheese and it becomes obvious.. this recipe is about to become your favorite way to use extra zucchini!
Zucchini recipes can be a tough sell as a "whole family" dinner. If your kids are more evolved than mine, maybe ... they will eat their dinner served from a hollowed out vegetable? That said ... there's nothing wrong with reserving a little bit of the buffalo chicken mixture and serving it sans zucchini on a bed of rice. If the flavor is too spicy, add a drizzle of ranch!
As for the grown ups, I love that this recipe is naturally low-carb, high protein (chicken + greek yogurt combo) and literally bursting with flavor! Assemble the zucchini boats in advance, store in the fridge and pop them into the oven when it's dinner time!
Not only is this one a delicious dinner recipe, but it's a healthy dinner recipe! I hope that you and your family love this easy meal.
-Bailey
Ingredients
- zucchini - choose medium size zucchinis - they will fit well on your sheet pan and don't take as long to cook as large zucchini (longer cooking times may make the buffalo chicken filling dry)
- olive oil - avoid ground chicken from sticking to the pan
- garlic - fresh garlic cloves, minced
- ground chicken - dark meat ground chicken will help the filling retain juiciness
- greek yogurt - thick, rich and tangy, high in protein and the perfect healthy swap for sour cream
- buffalo sauce - use your favorite brand, if serving recipe to kids, select a mild option
- fresh dill - adds a fresh green flavor - added after cooking to retain flavor
- mozzarella - choose a low-moisture mozzarella, lower water content helps avoid soggy zucchini
- garlic and herb boursin cheese - a blend of garlic, parsley and chives mixed into gourmet cheese
- breadcrumbs - opt for a garlic/herb flavor profile or use plain
- parmesan - grated parmesan is recommended
Instructions
Step 1: Slice zucchini in half lengthwise. With a melon baller or small spoon, scoop out the inside of the zucchini so the they resemble boats (reserve flesh - chop into small pieces). Lightly season each hollowed zucchini with salt and pepper.
Step 2: In a sauté pan, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add ground chicken, cook through. Add chopped zucchini flesh, salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Step 3: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, buffalo sauce and garlic powder. Stir. Pour sauce onto the cooked chicken. Add mozzarella. Mix well. Set aside.
Step 4: In a small bowl, combine breadcrumb and parmesan Mix to combine. Set aside.
Step 5: Crumble ⅛ of the Boursin cheese into each hollowed out zucchini. Top with a generous amount of the buffalo chicken mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb/cheese over the top of each stuffed zucchini.
Step 6: Bake zucchini boats until they are tender, the filling is hot and the breadcrumb topping is golden brown. Serve immediately.
Top Tip: When selecting your zucchinis for this recipe, choose a medium size. Small zucchinis won't hold enough filling and large zucchini take a long time to cook and can be hard to fit on your baking sheet.
Substitutions
- ground chicken - sub with shredded chicken breast (a rotisserie chicken makes things easy) - skip cook time for raw chicken - add cooked chicken with zucchini flesh and follow recipe as written) or ground turkey / ground beef.
- Greek Yogurt - sub with sour cream for more emphasis on flavor and less emphasis on calories and fat
- Dairy-free - substitute dairy free cheese and yogurt
- Boursin cheese - can be subbed for ricotta, add some garlic powder, fresh herbs and a little parmesan to flavor
Variations
There are endless ways to stuff zucchini boats - play with your filling and find what you like best! Here is some inspiration:
- Lasagna Stuffed Zucchini Boats: Layers of ricotta, meaty marinara and mozzarella cheese piled onto hollowed out zucchini
- Kid-Friendly: My kids won't eat zucchini, I serve them the filling atop a pile of cooked brown rice. To cool any "spice" you can drizzle with a little ranch.
- Spicy Buffalo Chicken - Top buffalo chicken zucchini boats with a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce
Storage
Buffalo chicken zucchini boats can be fully-assembled, covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator overnight. This makes them a perfect recipe for meal prep! To serve, follow recipe directions for baking in the oven.
Leftover baked and stuffed zucchini's can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days. To serve, pop them in the microwave until heated through. You will notice that the top bread crumb coating is no longer crunchy, but it still makes a great lunch option!
Freezing zucchini boats baked or unbaked is not recommended.
Equipment
Melon Baller - I have found this to be the easiest tool to use to scoop out zucchini - it's cheap and I use it frequently in the kitchen for other recipes
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FAQ's - Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
Boursin Cheese u0022is a delicious blend of delicate garlic, fragrant parsley, and mild chives artfully folded into authentic Gournay Cheese.u0022 Can you tell that I copy and pasted that sentence, lol. It can be purchased in most grocery stores. You can sub ricotta or cream cheese if you are unable to locate this product.
Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Then, use a melon baller to hollow out the center, making sure to leave at leach ¼u0022 around the edges so the zucchini does not collapse. Once you've removed the inner flesh, use the edge of the melton baller to smooth and remove any seeds or residue that has been left behind.
Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 zucchini boats 1x
Description
This healthy buffalo chicken zucchini boat recipe is an easy dinner option made from simple ingredients and perfect for busy weeknights. Your favorite buffalo chicken dip meets crisp fresh veggies, melty cheese and a healthy drizzle of ranch dressing.
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tablespoon, olive oil
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 cup low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- Garlic and Fine Herb Boursin Cheese (ricotta can be substituted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Wash zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Use a spoon or melon baller to hollow out the centers, leaving about ¼" edge (reserve the flesh - chop into small pieces). Sprinkle each zucchini generously with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a saute pan, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Cook about 1 minute, or until heated through. Add garlic, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground chicken, cook 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently OR until chicken is no longer pink. Add reserved zucchini flesh, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cook an additional 3 minutes to soften zucchini. Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, combine yogurt, buffalo sauce and garlic powder. Stir. Pour sauce onto the cooked chicken, mix well. Add mozzarella cheese and mix until fully combined. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs and grated parmesan. Mix and set aside.
- Crumble ⅛ of the Boursin cheese into each hollowed out zucchini. Top with a generous amount of the buffalo chicken mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb/parmesan over the top of each stuffed zucchini.
- Bake zucchini boats until golden on top, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Zucchini Boats can be made up to 1 day in advance. Follow recipe directions, but do not bake. Arrange assembled and stuffed zucchini on a baking sheet and wrap tightly with cling wrap. Store in refrigerator until ready to bake.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Meal
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Low Carb
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 zucchini boat
- Calories: 251
- Sugar: 1.6 g
- Sodium: 646.2 mg
- Fat: 13.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.8 g
- Protein: 28.2 g
- Cholesterol: 104.4 mg
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