Stuffed Zucchini Boats are filled with creamy chicken parmesan. They're an easy, beautiful-looking dinner that everyone in your family or friends will love. Bake the zucchini in the oven or grill them instead!
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Want a zucchini boat variation? Try my Mexican taco stuffed zucchini boats instead!
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Readers Feedback
Good lord, this was just delicious. Definitely will be making from now on!!!
- Sue, our reader
This recipe was delicious as I had been wanting something stuffed in zucchini and I've cut back on red meat.. let me tell you, not one child at my table left any of this on their plate. It was so delicious. We paired this some Greek style potatoes and it was delicious. I squeezed juice from a lemon into the sauce to brighten it up and boy let me say.. I AM FULL! Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful recipe
- Lisa, our reader
Ingredients in Chicken Zucchini Boats
To make these chicken stuffed zucchini boats a little healthy we use Alfredo sauce, made without butter.
- Zucchini - select medium to large type of zucchini for ample filling space; you'll love the flavorful filling and want to load them up.
- Cheese - I used Parmesan in the sauce and Colby Jack on top. You can skip Parmesan and use only Colby or other melty cheeses, like freshly grated mozzarella cheese.
- Chicken breast - use shredded chicken, rotisserie or leftover chicken. If you have raw chicken, dice it and cook it in a pan or cook it beforehand (1-2 days ahead). Cooked ground beef, ground chicken, taco meat, Italian sausage or turkey also works!
- Spices and seasonings - dried Italian herbs or just oregano and basil work well with the creamy chicken sauce and tomatoes.
- Garlic - enhances creamy sauce, so feel free to add more to taste.
How To Make Stuffed Zucchini Step By Step
- Preheat oven to 400F (200C) and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with avocado or olive oil.
- Trim the zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh and seeds with a small spoon or fruit baller/fruit scoop. Divide and reserve half the zucchini flesh for filling. Chop the zucchini and squeeze out excess water (by hand or with a kitchen towel/cloth).
- Place zucchini halves cut-side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 15 minutes until slightly softened for further baking with filling later. Set aside.
- Saute onion in a skillet over medium heat until softened.
- Add tomatoes, chicken, reserved zucchini flesh, Italian herbs or oregano, and garlic powder. Saute for 2 minutes more and stir in the cream.
- Add Parmesan, simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Once the zucchinis are halfway softened, evenly distribute the chicken stuffing among them. Sprinkle with cheese on top and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
- SERVE! Although these stuffed zucchini are good on their own, we love to serve them with zesty cilantro rice, fresh tomato salsa, or avocado corn salad.
How To Serve Stuffed Zucchini
- Greek salad or healthy cucumber salad
- pasta salad
- glazed carrots
- air fryer cauliflower
- air fryer potatoes
- roasted asparagus
- Air fryer roasted Brussels sprouts
Julia's Tip
My 2 halved zucchini fit perfectly in a 9x13 dish with slight trimming. Smaller or thinner ones can work too, but baking time may vary.
Tips For Making The Best Stuffed Zucchini
- Avoid boiling the cream. Gently bring it to a boil and simmer until thickened, usually just a few minutes after adding Parmesan cheese.
- Don't scoop the zucchini too hard. For sturdy "boat" shapes, ensure zucchinis have thicker sides to hold the chicken filling. Carefully scoop out the flesh, avoiding damage to the edges.
- Baking times vary 10 minutes for small zucchinis and 15 minutes or more for medium ones. Avoid large zucchini with tough skin. Zucchini is ready when fork-tender and still bright green.
- Customize. Replace tomatoes with sun-dried tomatoes or add crispy bacon, chorizo, white button mushrooms, or diced red bell peppers to the sauce. Breadcrumbs are optional and not necessary for this recipe.
- Savory twist - add crumbled bacon on top before serving.
Freezing and Storing instructions
- Storing. Store stuffed zucchini boats in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven at 400 F for 10-15 minutes, I'd also add some extra cheese on top before baking. Any leftover zucchini can be stored easily in the fridge. I use these glass meal prep containers to store leftovers - they keep everything fresh for days.
- Freezing. Stuffed zucchinis can't be frozen, which can alter their texture (they become mushy!) and affect the creamy sauce.
- To Make Ahead: Creamy chicken stuffing can be prepared 2-3 days in advance and then refrigerated. Ideally, use fresh zucchini, or bake the zucchini in advance and add the filling later.
How To Meal Prep Stuffed Zucchinis
- Prepare and bake your creamy chicken stuffed zucchini boats.
- Let the zucchini boats cool, then place two of them in a meal prep container.
- When you're ready to eat, simply microwave your boats on high for 1-2 minutes until they're warm and the cheese is melted. Enjoy!
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Recipe Card
Stuffed Zucchini Boats (With Creamy Chicken)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 400F (200C) and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with avocado or olive oil.3 tablespoon olive oil
- Trim the zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh and seeds with a small spoon or fruit baller/fruit scoop. Divide and reserve half the zucchini flesh for filling. Chop it finely and squeeze out excess water.2 medium zucchini
- Place zucchini halves cut-side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 15 minutes until slightly softened for further baking with filling later. Set aside.3 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
- Saute onion in a skillet over medium heat until softened. Add tomatoes, chicken, reserved zucchini flesh, Italian herbs or oregano, and garlic powder. Saute for 2 minutes more and stir in the cream.1 ½ cup pre-cooked chicken , ½ medium onion, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 7 cherry/plum tomatoes, 1 teaspoon oregano, ¾ cup heavy cream
- Add Parmesan, simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.½ cup parmesan, salt and pepper to taste
- Once the zucchinis are halfway softened, evenly distribute the chicken stuffing among them. Sprinkle with cheese on top and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is melted.½ cup Colby jack cheese (or sharp Cheddar)
- Heat your grill to medium-high (about 400°F). Brush olive oil on the zucchini and grill flesh-side down for roughly 5 minutes until you see grill marks.
- Meanwhile cook the chicken mixture as per stovetop instructions above.
- Transfer the zucchini to a baking sheet, flesh side up. Evenly divide the chicken mixture among them, then add Colby or Cheddar cheese on top.
- Place the baking sheet on the grill, close the lid, and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Nutrition
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Notes
- Don't boil the cream in the skillet, take it to a gentle boil, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce until thickened. This will only take a few minutes after adding the parmesan.
- Don't scoop the zucchini too hard. Zucchinis should be sturdy and resemble a "boat" shape with thicker sides to hold up the chicken filling. The best way to remove the flesh is to use a fruit scoop and gently scoop inch by inch, being careful not to rupture the edges of the vegetable.
- Baking time. Depending on how large the zucchini you'll get, the baking time will need to be adjusted. For smaller and thin zucchinis 10 minutes of initial baking without the filling should be enough (you will continue to bake them later with the stuffing). For medium, 15 minutes or more is needed. I do not suggest using large zucchinis as they often tend to be very tough and with thick skin, which you want to avoid for stuffed zucchinis. Most of the commercial varieties of zucchinis are actually safe to eat raw. This being said the baked zucchini is ready when it is fork-tender but not mushy and still with a bright green color.
- Can you freeze cooked and stuffed zucchini? You can freeze cooked stuffed zucchinis by wrapping them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2-3 months. To serve, thaw and then bake in the oven until warm or microwave using the correct setting until warm. However, I wouldn't recommend freezing the stuffed zucchini at all as the texture of the zucchini will change and not be as fresh as it would initially.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
FAQ
You don't have to peel zucchini. The skin holds a lot of its nutrition, so it's best to keep it (especially for this recipe!). Just take care to wash and scrub the whole zucchinis before cooking.
The seeds in zucchini are small and edible, there's no need to remove them.
According to Healthline article, raw zucchini has a nutrition profile similar to cooked zucchini, but with less vitamin A and more vitamin C. Cooking tends to decrease vitamin C levels. Zucchini is rich in vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds.
These chicken zucchini boats will last in the fridge for 3 days. After that, the zucchini starts to become mushy.
You'll Also Love
Nikki
Absolutely delicious! Even my son, who doesn't like most vegetables including zucchini and tomatoes enjoyed this.
Julia
Well that's a double win! Glad you liked it, thank you for sharing your feedback Nikki!
Brenda Patterson
W-o-w is all I can say. This was DEEEELICIOUS! I tripled the recipe & my picky 10 year old ate 5 of them! SO GOOD!
Julia
Thank you Brenda, it's a winner!
Mary
Love this recipe!! So refreshing!!
Michele
Delicious! Made it without deviating from the recipe. It was a hit and I will make it again (and again)!
Julia
So glad to hear that Michele, thank you for commenting!
Lynn uvodich
Excellent. I cooked the zucchini for about 30 minutes instead of 15. Flavor is excellent. Would make again!
Julia
Thank you Lynn, glad you liked it!
Tomás
this is my favorite zucchini recipes, kids love this one!
Julia
Thank you Tomas!!
Pound McFurious
Took inspiration from this as I'd never pre-cooked the zuch with s/p and evoo before. Great idea. Full of wonderful delicate flavor. Filled with creamy meat loaf mix, herbs and spices, some panko. Absolutely a hit. Gone in minutes.
Julia
thank you, it's one of our favorites!
Lorri
what can I substitute for the heavy cream? would just 2% milk work? I can't remember the last time I had whole milk let alone heavy cream. Sadly, I don't care for yogurt so that isn't an option. ty!
Julia
perhaps you could try plant based cooking cream.
MaggieP
Just tried making the stuffed zucchini boats for dinner and wow, they were a hit with the kids! Love that the Alfredo sauce is made without butter, making it a healthier option. Thanks for sharing, Julia! It's so hard to find recipes that tick both the healthy and kid-friendly boxes.
Lisa
This recipe was delicious as I had been wanting something stuffed in zucchini and I’ve cut back on red meat.. let me tell you, not one child at my table left any of this on their plate. It was so delicious. We paired this some Greek style potatoes and it was delicious. I squeezed juice from a lemon into the sauce to brighten it up and boy let me say.. I AM FULL! Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful recipe
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Lisa, it is a winner!