Chicken Stuffed Zucchini
Weeknight dinner does not get easier than Chicken Stuffed Zucchini boats with spices, marinara sauce, and cheese. These are so tender, saucy, and good. Made with less than 10 ingredients too!
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Love stuffed vegetables? Try our turkey stuffed bell peppers!
Meaty, cheesy, and full of savory flavor, these chicken stuffed zucchini boats are one of my favorite comfort food meals when I want a filling option that won’t leave me feeling heavy. Not only is it delicious, but it’s simple to make, using just ten staple ingredients.
Plus, thanks to all the melty cheese, picky eaters don’t even realize it’s healthy! Of course, this recipe is perfect for the summer when zucchini is in season, but I tend to make it all year long, mixing and matching different ingredients so I never get bored.
Ready to eat in under an hour, one batch makes up to 8 servings and can easily be doubled for a hungry crowd. Tender, saucy, and satisfying, this stuffed zucchini recipe is guaranteed to become a weekly staple. There’s a reason it has a five-star rating, after all!
Stuffed Zucchini Variations
You can easily customize this sheet-pan chicken stuffed zucchini recipe to suit different dietary needs and flavor preferences. Here are some variations to try:
- Use ground turkey, ground sausage, or lean ground beef in place of chicken.
- Swap the marinara sauce with alfredo sauce, vodka sauce, or any pasta sauce you like best.
- Include extra veggies like sautéed mushrooms, peppers, or spinach.
- Top the zucchini with breadcrumbs before baking.
- Make southwest-inspired zucchini boats using shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, black beans, corn, and jalapeños.
Stuffed Zucchini Recipe Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make the stuffed zucchini boats:
- Zucchini: Medium zucchini work the best for this recipe. They’re big enough to stuff but small enough to fit several boats on one sheet tray.
- Ground chicken: Ground turkey can be used instead.
- Spices: Italian seasoning and red chili flakes make up the spice mixture.
- Onion: I like using yellow onion but white onion would work here too.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is the way to go.
- Marinara sauce: Good quality marinara sauce is the key. I love Rao’s brand. It tastes 100% homemade.
- Mozzarella cheese: Monterey jack could be used in place of mozzarella.
- Olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh black pepper.
How to Make Chicken Zucchini Boats
1. Prepare Zucchini
Wash and dry your zucchini. Halve each one lengthwise, keeping the ends and skin on. Next, using a small spoon, carefully scoop out the flesh of the zucchini, leaving ¼-inch rim on all sides to create boats.
Place the zucchini cut side-up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the hollowed-out side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 15 minutes in a 400 F oven.
2. Make the Chicken Filling
The key to this filling is using a large non-stick skillet so the meat is not crowded. You want the chicken to quickly brown and not steam out.
You’ll start by browning the chicken with spices. Stir in the onion and garlic. Season the mixture thoroughly with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft. Pour in the marinara sauce and cook until heated through and slightly thickened.
You’re looking for semi-chunky sauce consistency. You want any liquid from the chicken and veggies to steam out and only sauce remaining.
3. Stuff the Chicken Zucchini Boats
Divide the chicken filling evenly between the zucchini boats. Be generous. You should be able to use up all of the filling between the 8 zucchini halves. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and zucchini is tender about 10-15 minutes. If desired, broil for a few minutes until golden brown.
Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe Tips
Stuffed zucchini boats are quite simple to prepare. There are just a few tips and notes to remember:
- Leave a sturdy border. Make sure not to scoop too much of the zucchini flesh, otherwise, zucchini boats will be flimsy.
- Use a baking sheet and not a casserole dish. Zucchini is high in water content so you want plenty of room for steam to escape. If you crowd them too much, they will release water.
- Feel free to change them up. Zucchini boats are easy to customize. Use ground turkey instead of chicken. Monterey jack instead of mozzarella. For more flavor add Parmesan cheese, more spices, fresh herbs, such as parsley or basil.
- Leftovers are best refrigerated. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days. Stuffed zucchini boats do not freeze well. You can however freeze the filling for up to 3 months.
How to Serve Chicken Zucchini Boats
Chicken stuffed zucchini boats are best served with refreshing salad or a simple side, such as:
How to Store Zucchini Boats With Chicken
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat the zucchini boats in the microwave. Or, warm them in a baking dish in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit just until heated through. If the top begins to brown, cover the dish with foil, and continue to bake.
I don’t recommend freezing stuffed zucchini boats as they become too soggy once thawed. However, you can store the filling for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, stuff the zucchini, and bake until tender when you’re ready to serve.
More Zucchini Recipes
If you try our stuffed zucchini recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment letting us know how you liked the recipe.
Zucchini Boats With Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8
- Category: Main
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Weeknight dinner does not get easier than chicken stuffed zucchini boats with spices, marinara sauce, and cheese. Made with less than 10 ingredients for delicious meal!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for drizzling zucchini
- 4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, about 2 lbs.
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp. red chili flakes
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a small spoon, hollow out the flesh of the zucchini, leaving about ¼-inch thickness around the edges. Place cut side-up on the baking sheet.
- Lightly drizzle the hollowed-out side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, and red chili flakes. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
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Add the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 2-4 minutes or until onion is softened, stirring frequently.
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Pour the marinara sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until heated through and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. You want any liquid from the chicken and veggies to steam out and only thick sauce mixture remaining.
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Spoon the meat mixture evenly into the zucchini shells, then top with the shredded cheese.
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Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and zucchini is tender. If desired, broil for few minutes until the top is golden brown.
Notes
- Baking: For best results, use a baking sheet and not a casserole dish, otherwise, the zucchini will release a lot of liquid if crowded too much.
- Leftovers: Leftovers will last in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container. I do not recommend freezing as the zucchini does not hold up well when reheated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 zucchini boat
- Calories: 208
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 416.4 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.2 g
- Protein: 18.7 g
- Cholesterol: 53 mg
Picky boyfriend approved! They were delicious!
I love these! I make zucchini boats at home all the time but your recipe sounds really yummy I’ll have to add this to my blog!
Thank you!