Chicken Zucchini Boats with Cheese (Printable)
Savory chicken and tomato stuffed zucchini boats topped with melted cheese for a satisfying, low-carb meal.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 4 medium zucchinis
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
→ Protein
05 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
→ Dairy
06 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
07 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Pantry
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
10 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
11 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Slice zucchinis in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the center seeds, creating boats. Reserve 1/2 cup of the scooped flesh and chop finely.
03 - Arrange zucchini halves in a baking dish, cut side up. Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
04 - In a large skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion for 2–3 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
05 - Stir in cherry tomatoes and chopped zucchini flesh. Cook until tomatoes begin to soften, 3–4 minutes.
06 - Add cooked chicken, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
07 - Spoon the chicken mixture evenly into zucchini boats.
08 - Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top.
09 - Bake for 20–25 minutes, until zucchini is tender and cheese is golden and bubbly.
10 - Garnish with fresh basil or parsley before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It's a complete meal that feels indulgent but won't leave you sluggish, thanks to the protein-packed filling and crispy cheese top.
- Most of the prep happens while the oven does the heavy lifting, so you actually get to relax before dinner hits the table.
02 -
- Don't skip scooping out the zucchini flesh; leaving too much will make the boats soggy and they'll collapse when baked, but the flesh you remove becomes part of the filling so nothing goes to waste.
- Raw zucchini releases water as it cooks, so if your filling looks wet when you first finish the skillet, that's normal and the oven heat will evaporate most of it by the time the cheese is golden.
03 -
- Choose zucchini that are roughly the same size so they all finish cooking at the same time; oversized ones need longer in the oven and sometimes get mushy before the smaller ones are done.
- If your skillet is not very large, cook the filling in batches or use a wide, shallow pan so everything heats evenly and the chicken doesn't steam instead of cook.