Do you love buffalo chicken? Try buffalo chicken chili, buffalo chicken stuffed peppers, or buffalo chicken casserole next.
The filling is honestly what gets me every time I make these. I always end up tasting it before it even goes into the zucchini. That’s the sign of a good recipe.
I originally had this idea after so many people fell in love with this dairy-free buffalo chicken dip.
Since then, the buffalo chicken recipe cluster on this site has grown into a thing I’m genuinely proud of. One pot buffalo chicken pasta, buffalo chicken meatballs, slow cooker buffalo chicken chili.
If buffalo chicken is a food group in your house, you’re in the right place. And if you need ideas, start with all the best ways to serve buffalo chicken.
Why You’ll Love These Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
- Great way to enjoy your favorite party appetizer for dinner any night of the week.
- The filling takes five minutes to mix. The zucchini does the rest in the oven.
- Five net carbs per serving. Low carb without trying.
- High protein, 40 grams per serving.
- Get the whole family to eat green veggies.
- The creamy filling balances the spicy buffalo wing sauce perfectly.
- Dairy-Free option. No cream cheese required. Coconut cream and paleo mayo do the work instead, but Greek yogurt works too.
Ingredient Details and Substitutions
Here are the simple ingredients for this buffalo chicken stuffed zucchini recipe. Most are easy and affordable to find in grocery stores. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Zucchini: purchase large zucchini to cut in half and fill with buffalo chicken. Try to pick ones that are similar in size so they bake evenly.
- Chicken: make a big batch of slow cooker shredded chicken breasts and use it for this recipe and others like healthy chicken enchiladas. For a quick meal, purchase a rotisserie chicken and shred it. You can also use ground chicken.
- Mayo: this thickens the sauce and gives it a rich and creamy texture.
- Cream or Yogurt: use coconut cream or plant-based Greek yogurt for a Dairy-Free option or try plain Greek yogurt.
- Spices: a mixture of garlic powder, dried dill, dried chives, and paprika give it that classic ranch flavor in buffalo chicken recipes.
- Hot sauce: use your favorite sauce for buffalo wings. We like Frank’s Red Hot or Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce.
- Cheese (optional): sprinkle shredded mozzarella or cheddar over the tops in the last five minutes of baking if you want a melty, cheesy finish. Not dairy-free, but worth it if that’s your version.
Note: this recipe does not call for cream cheese as a lot of buffalo chicken recipes do. I wanted to offer dairy-free options and use wholesome ingredients. You can swap the mayo and cream for 8 ounces of cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese.
Looking for more zucchini recipes? Try air fryer zucchini chips or this delicious grilled zucchini salad.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through the steps with some photos and a video so you have a clear idea of what to expect. These easy buffalo chicken zucchini boats are simple and these step-by-step instructions will make sure they turn out every time.
- Wash the zucchini and cut off the ends. Then slice them down the middle length-wise and place the zucchini halves skin side down. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the seeds and the middle, leaving 1 inch from the sides of the zucchini. Reserve the middles for another recipe like paleo zucchini bread.
- Shred the chicken and add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl.
- Stir the mixture well until combined. Taste the mixture and adjust the spice level as needed.
- Spoon the buffalo chicken filling inside of the zucchini. Bake them on a sheet pan or in a casserole dish for 30-40 minutes, or until warm and bubbly. Serve them with chopped red onion, sliced green onions, blue cheese crumbles ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing.
How to Prevent Watery Zucchini Boats
The most common issue with this recipe is soggy zucchini. Here’s what I do to prevent it.
After hollowing out the zucchini, flip them cut-side down on a paper towel and let them sit for ten minutes. Zucchini holds a lot of water, and a quick rest pulls out the excess before baking. You can also lightly salt the cut sides, wait ten minutes, then pat dry. This step is worth it, especially if your zucchini are on the larger side.
The other option is to pre-bake the hollowed zucchini for ten to 15 minutes before adding the filling. This gives them a head start and means less liquid will release while the filling heats up. Either method works. The paper towel rest is faster. The pre-bake gives you a firmer result.
Make Ahead and Storage
These reheat well, which makes them a solid make-ahead option.
Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave in 60-second increments, or bake at 350°F for eight to 10 minutes. The zucchini will release a little liquid as it sits. Just pat it away before serving.
Freezer: skip freezing the assembled boats. Zucchini gets mushy after thawing. Instead, make the buffalo chicken filling and freeze that separately for up to two months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then hollow and bake the zucchini fresh when you’re ready.
Meal prep: shred a big batch of chicken on Sunday and keep the filling in the fridge for up to three days. You can hollow out the zucchini the night before and store them in an airtight container. Then it’s just a matter of filling and baking whenever you need dinner.
FAQ
These are low carb, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Whole30-friendly. The zucchini replaces the bread or rice you’d normally eat alongside protein, so you’re getting vegetables and 40 grams of protein in the same bowl. The filling uses coconut cream and paleo mayo instead of cream cheese, so it stays creamy without the dairy. Five net carbs per serving.
Yes, you can eat zucchini skin. You’ll want to make sure the zucchini isn’t waxed. Wash well before cutting. Sometimes larger zucchini can be bitter so test it out first.
Zucchini on its own takes about 20 to 25 minutes at 400°F. Stuffed zucchini boats take longer, 35 to 40 minutes, because the filling also needs to heat through. If your zucchini are on the smaller side, start checking at 30 minutes.
Zucchini holds a lot of water and releases it as it bakes. There are two ways to fix this: the quick method is to flip the hollowed zucchini cut-side down on a paper towel for ten minutes before filling. The more thorough method is to salt the cut sides lightly, wait ten minutes, then pat completely dry. You can also pre-bake the hollowed shells for ten to 15 minutes before adding the filling, which gives them a head start and reduces the liquid that releases later.
Yes. The filling keeps well in the fridge for up to three days. You can hollow out the zucchini the night before and keep them in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat, fill and bake as directed. Fully assembled, unbaked boats can sit in the fridge for a few hours before going into the oven.
Any buffalo wing sauce works here. We also love Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce. If you want a milder version, use half the amount of hot sauce and add a little more mayo to compensate. You can always add more heat at the table.
Yes. Brown the ground chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain any excess liquid, let it cool slightly, then mix with the rest of the filling ingredients. The texture is different but the flavor is the same.
If you make this, please leave a rating and review below. It genuinely helps others find the recipe, and I love hearing what you think.
More Buffalo Chicken Dinners
- Buffalo chicken stuffed peppers
- Buffalo chicken casserole
- Slow cooker buffalo chicken chili
- One pot buffalo chicken pasta
And if you need more high-protein weeknight dinners: buffalo chicken salad, ground turkey enchiladas, chicken caesar smash tacos
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
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Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini sliced in half lengthwise (try to find zucchini that are similar in size)
- 1 1/2 lbs cooked shredded chicken breast or rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup paleo mayo
- 1 cup coconut cream or Greek Yogurt (Note 1)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried chives
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup hot sauce (we used Frank's Red Hot) use less if you want it less spicy
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or mozzarella, optional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a large baking pan with foil. Set aside.
- Use a large spoon to hollow out the centers of each zucchini half, leaving about 1/2-inch rim to create boats. Flip the zucchini cut-side down on a paper towel and let sit for ten minutes to release excess moisture. Pat dry before filling.
- Add the shredded chicken, mayo, coconut cream, garlic powder, dill, chives, paprika, lemon juice and hot sauce to a medium bowl and mix well until combined.
- Spoon the buffalo chicken mixture evenly into prepared zucchini boats then bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the buffalo chicken is just slightly browned on top. If using cheese, sprinkle over the tops in the last five minutes of baking.
- Top with a paleo-friendly ranch (we like Tessamae's), fresh chives, parsley or scallions.
Notes
Video
Equipment
- Sheet pan or baking dish
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is a staple in our household. We have lots of food allergies, and it’s hard to find things that everybody can eat and enjoy. Molly is the best she made me look like a good cook for once! Thanks, Molly!!! XOXO
What a compliment. Thank you Heather!!
I was skeptical this would taste good since I love the usual buff chick dip and needed to use vegan mayo and coconut cream thanks to a baby who is nursing and not letting me eat eggs or dairy ): y’all…I ate two boats it was so good. And better yet, we had extra filling left over so we saved it to heat up as buff chick dip tomorrow. If you can’t do dairy or eggs but are looking for something to satisfy your craving, THIS IS IT.
This recipe was scrumptious, Molly! I used the cream cheese instead of the mayo, etc. The spices were perfect! No need for salt or pepper. I made a home made ranch dressing to dip in. It was perfect! Loved it , Molly!
Very tasty! Made these for dinner last night and they were super filling
Where’s the nutritional facts
Hey Tiana! I’m working on updating the nutrition info on all of my recipes. Some of my older ones don’t have them but hopefully will very soon!
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