These Buffalo chicken zucchini boats are one of my favorite low-carb meals for game day or family dinners! I stuff tender scooped zucchini with bold Buffalo shredded chicken and a tangy, cheesy topping that melts perfectly in the oven. If you love the spice of Buffalo wings as much as I do, you have to make this keto-friendly zucchini boats recipe!
Top Reader Reviews
These were fantastic! My kids love all things buffalo sauce so this was a great way to get them to eat their veggies!
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Was delicious. You can use either mild, medium, or hot wing sauce depending on how hot you like your chicken.
Will make again.
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Zucchini Boats Stuffed with Shredded Buffalo Chicken
I like adding low-carb recipes into my weekly meal rotation to keep some balance throughout the week. My kids loved my Buffalo chicken stuffed peppers, so I figured I’d make something similar with my favorite summer vegetable: zucchini!
These Buffalo chicken zucchini boats only require a few ingredients, and they’re a great way to use leftover shredded chicken. I just combine the chicken with Buffalo sauce and bake it inside the hollowed-out pieces of zucchini. It makes prep super quick and easy, so I can have a healthy-ish dinner ready without stress.
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How to Keep Zucchini Boats from Getting Watery
Zucchini release a lot of moisture as they cook. Salting the hollowed boats for 10 minutes, then blotting them dry, helps keep the filling creamy instead of watery. I also squeeze excess liquid from the zucchini pulp so it doesn’t thin the cream cheese.
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini (halved lengthwise*)
- ½ cup Buffalo sauce (like Frank's RedHot)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (½ brick, room temperature)
- 2½ cups shredded cooked chicken (**)
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese (***)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
For Serving (Optional):
- ranch or blue cheese dressing
- chopped green onion
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish (or larger if needed) with nonstick spray, and set aside.
- Use a spoon to hollow out the zucchini halves to make the boats. Reserve half of the zucchini pulp for the filling.4 large zucchini
- In a bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and Buffalo sauce.½ cup Buffalo sauce, 4 ounces cream cheese
- Stir in the chicken and zucchini pulp.2½ cups shredded cooked chicken
- Place zucchini boats in a greased baking dish.
- Place an equal amount of the Buffalo chicken filling into each zucchini boat.
- Sprinkle blue cheese and mozzarella over the top.½ cup crumbled blue cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Bake in the oven, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Drizzle ranch or blue cheese dressing and sprinkle chopped green onion over the top of the zucchini boats.ranch or blue cheese dressing, chopped green onion
Notes
- Use a teaspoon to scoop zucchini, leaving about ¼-inch of flesh so the boats hold their shape.
- Finely chop the reserved pulp, then squeeze out excess moisture before adding to the filling.
- Lightly salt hollowed zucchini and rest 10 minutes; blot dry to prevent watery boats.
- Buffalo sauces vary; start with ⅓ cup and add more to taste.
- Use a greased baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end for extra bubbly cheese.
- Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
What Kind of Chicken to Use for this Recipe
I always have some of my slow cooker shredded chicken on hand, because I know it’ll get used throughout the week one way or another. But you can grab a rotisserie chicken from the store to shred up and use for convenience. Or make shredded chicken in an Instant Pot for a super quick option. But any cooked chicken will work here, so feel free to use canned chicken or any leftovers you have.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats Step by Step
Make the Filling and Prep the Zucchini: Preheat your oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish so nothing sticks later. Cut 4 large zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the centers to create boats, leaving about ¼-inch of flesh so they hold their shape while baking. Lightly salt the hollowed zucchini and let them rest for 10 minutes (this helps prevent watery zucchini boats), then blot dry. Finely chop about half of the reserved zucchini pulp (a food processor or blender works great), then squeeze out any extra liquid. In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup of Buffalo sauce and 4 ounces (½ brick) of room-temperature cream cheese until smooth. Stir in 2½ cups of shredded cooked chicken and the chopped zucchini pulp.
Assemble the Boats: Arrange the zucchini boats in the prepared baking dish. Divide the Buffalo chicken filling evenly between each boat. Sprinkle ½ cup of crumbled blue cheese and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
Bake and Garnish: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the zucchini are tender. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. For extra bubbly cheese, you can broil the boats for 1-2 minutes at the end–just keep a close eye on them. Drizzle with ranch or blue cheese dressing and sprinkle with chopped green onions just before serving.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Once the shredded chicken zucchini boats cool to room temperature, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend reheating them in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
I don’t recommend freezing zucchini boats, because they’ll become quite mushy upon thawing. That being said, you can absolutely freeze the Buffalo chicken filling for these boats for up to 2 months. Simply thaw the filling, spoon it into fresh zucchini, then add cheese and bake.
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