These creamy, spicy buffalo chicken zucchini boats are so easy to make they only require 2 steps. Sneak some veggies into a dinner that’s low carb and really delicious.
Do you love buffalo chicken? Try buffalo chicken chili, buffalo chicken stuffed peppers, or buffalo chicken casserole next.
I originally had this idea after so many people fell in love with this dairy free buffalo chicken dip. Since then we’ve been on a mission to turn buffalo chicken recipes into weeknight meals.
This is a healthy dinner recipe that’s easy to make and really low-carb! If you know me or know this site well, you know I’m all about easy, healthy weeknight meals. Anything to make your life easier during the week (and keep ya healthy!) is a recipe I love.
Here are some delicious recipes for more buffalo chicken inspiration: buffalo chicken meatballs, one pot buffalo chicken pasta, and slow cooker buffalo chicken chili.
Then learn about 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.
- Simple to make, with simple ingredients.
- Low-carb appetizer or healthy meal—there are only 5 net carbs in each serving.
- High protein—39g per serving.
- Get the whole family to eat green veggies.
- The creamy filling balances the spicy buffalo wing sauce perfectly.
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 them with buffalo chicken.
- Chicken: make a big batch of shredded chicken breasts in the crockpot 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. (we used Frank’s Red Hot)
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 healthy 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.
Video: Watch How to Make Them
- 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.
FAQ
These buffalo chicken zucchini boats are very healthy! The base of a stuffed zucchini boat is a veggie, so instead of using a refined carb or bread, this recipe adds extra veggies to our diet! I also used coconut cream and paleo mayo instead of the traditional cream cheese and a little bit of ranch seasoning with the hot sauce.
This stuffed zucchini boats recipe is low carb and dairy free so it fits perfectly into a keto or whole30 diet! It’s high in fat and low in carbs!
Yes, you can eat zucchini skin. However, you’ll want to make sure the zucchini isn’t waxed. If there’s a waxy layer on the outside of the skin, do your best to wash as much off as possible. Sometimes larger zucchini can be bitter so be sure to test it out.
Usually zucchini only takes about 25 minutes to bake in the oven at 400°F, but this recipe calls for the zucchini boats to be baked for 35-40 minutes.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! It’s so easy, healthy and tasty!
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Low Carb Dinners
- 3 Ingredient Pesto Chicken
- Crispy Garlic Chicken Bites
- Spaghetti Squash Chicken Alfredo
- Easy Blackened Chicken
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
Save this Recipe!
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
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. Place the hollowed out zucchinis on the large baking pan lined with foil. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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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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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