Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats

Last Updated on January 25, 2023 by Kayla Berman

Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats are a healthy and delicious dinner recipe! Made with shredded chicken, greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, and buffalo sauce … this dish is spicy, creamy, cheesy, and flavorful. Plus this recipe is low carb, veggie packed, high protein, and gluten free!

buffalo chicken zucchini boats with ranch dressing and green onions on a plate

Low Carb, High Protein, & Veggie Filled Dinner

Buffalo chicken dip is pretty much the ultimate dip! It is superior to all others. The spicy buffalo chicken, the melty cheese, the creamy texture … it is simply perfect!

Which is why Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Zucchinis are a genius idea.

It’s like eating buffalo chicken dip, but in the form of a healthy meal. I mean what is not to love about that?!

These tender zucchini boats filled with a high protein, creamy, and delicious buffalo chicken mixture are a meal the whole family will love. They’re cheesy, flavorful, and easy to make!

Plus this dinner is perfect for a gluten free or keto diet too. It is pretty much an all around win!

Looking for more buffalo chicken recipes? Check out my Buffalo Chicken Thighs, Buffalo Chicken Flatbread, or Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe.

close up shot of zucchini boats

Ingredients

This healthy dinner recipe only requires a few, simple ingredients!

Ingredient Notes

  • Zucchini: Fresh zucchini is the base of this simple recipe. You will need 3 zucchinis! Try to find decently sized ones so they work well as boats.
  • Shredded Chicken: This recipe calls for 2 cups shredded chicken. You can use rotisserie chicken or prepare your own chicken breasts!
  • Greek Yogurt: 1/2 cup greek yogurt makes this chicken mixture super creamy and delicious. Plus it adds more protein!
  • Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar cheese was my cheese of choice here! I think it works perfectly. You’ll need 1 cup in total.
  • Buffalo Wing Sauce: You can use any buffalo hot sauce in this recipe! I love and use 1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce.
  • Seasoning: I keep the seasoning super simple here – just garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add 1 tsp garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Green Onion: Green onions are optional, but they are both a beautiful garnish and tasty addition.

Substitutions & Additions

There are a few substitutions and additions you could make to this buffalo chicken zucchini boats recipe for it to meet your personal preferences, tastes, or needs!

Zucchini: You could swap the zucchini base here with yellow squash and turn the recipe into buffalo chicken squash boats.

Greek Yogurt: I love the use of plain greek yogurt in the chicken filling! It is light, creamy, and super high protein. However, you could replace some of the yogurt with either sour cream or cream cheese.

Cheese: You can use any cheese of your choice in this recipe. I think cheddar jack, pepper jack, and mozzarella cheese would all be perfect! Maybe even add some blue cheese crumbles.

Seasoning: Feel free to add any additional seasonings or spices to this meal. Onion powder, red pepper flakes, parsley, and oregano are great options. Ranch seasoning would also be a delicious addition!

buffalo chicken stuffed zucchini ingredients

Kitchen Tools

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

How To Make This Recipe

This healthy weeknight meal is pretty easy to make! You’ll scoop the zucchinis, prepare the filling, stuff the boats, and bake.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Set the oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Next prepare the zucchinis.  Slice the ends off of each one and then slice them lengthwise in half.  Scoop out the inside of the zucchini with a spoon.  Make sure to scoop out a decent amount, so you can add enough of the buffalo chicken mixture.  

zucchinis with the middles taken out

Step 3: Add the scooped out zucchinis to a baking sheet.  Spray with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 10 minutes.

scooped out zucchinis on a baking sheet seasoned with salt and pepper

Step 4: Optional:  I like to save the insides of the zucchini, dice them finely, and add to the stuffing mixture.  This helps to not waste it and get in some extra veggies!

Step 5: While the zucchinis are baking, work on the buffalo chicken filling.  Add the shredded chicken, greek yogurt, cheddar cheese (1/2 cup), Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce, diced zucchini insides, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Combine.

Step 6: Remove the zucchinis from the oven.  There will most likely be some extra moisture / liquid on the zucchinis.  I recommend patting them dry with a paper towel.

Step 7: Next add the chicken mixture to the zucchini boats, spreading it evenly among them.

Step 8: Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese (1/2 cup) on top of the boats.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Step 8: Top with chopped green onions and a drizzle of ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.

Step 9: Serve and enjoy!

buffalo chicken zucchinis topped with ranch dressing drizzle

Expert Tips

Use rotisserie chicken for the shredded chicken here. It is such a massive time saver! Plus I have found that rotisserie chicken is sometimes more affordable in the grocery store then regular chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

Use a melon baller to scoop out the zucchini middles.

Don’t skip pre-baking the zucchini! This helps make sure the zucchini is soft and tender. It also helps remove some excess moisture.

Pat the zucchini dry before adding the filling. Again, removing excess moisture!

Mix in the zucchini insides! I love doing this step to add extra sneaky veggies to this already veggie packed dish. Plus this prevents wasting the insides.

Add more cheese. Because more cheese is always better!

stuffed zucchini boats

Frequently Asked Questions

Are zucchini boats healthy?

I am not a dietician or nutritionist, but in my opinion – yes these zucchini boats are healthy!

They are low carb, high protein, keto friendly, and a naturally gluten free recipe. Plus they are super vegetable filled!

How to best store this recipe?

Store this recipe in an airtight, sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep best for 3-5 days!

Some liquid will accumulate in the container when storing, simply pour that out before reheating the zucchini boats.

How to reheat this recipe?

The best way to reheat this recipe is in the oven. Place the boats in a small baking dish in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Or until they are completely warmed through and the middle is hot to the touch!

buffalo chicken zucchini boats on a plate

Love this recipe? Check out some more healthy dinner recipes below…

Connect With Me!

If you make this zucchini boats recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

zucchini boats on a baking sheet

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.

Print

Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats

Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats are a healthy and delicious dinner recipe! Made with shredded chicken, greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, and buffalo sauce … this dish is spicy, creamy, cheesy, and flavorful. Plus this recipe is low carb, veggie packed, high protein, and gluten free!  

  • Author: Kayla Berman
  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 Minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baked

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 zucchini
  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, separated
  • 1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Green Onions

Instructions

  1. Set the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Next prepare the zucchinis.  Slice the ends off of each one and then slice them lengthwise in half.  Scoop out the inside of the zucchini with a spoon.  Make sure to scoop out a decent amount, so you can add enough of the buffalo chicken mixture.  
  3. Add the scooped out zucchinis to a baking sheet.  Spray with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 10 minutes.
  4. Optional:  I like to save the insides of the zucchini, dice them finely, and add to the stuffing mixture.  This helps to not waste it and get in some extra veggies!
  5. While the zucchinis are baking, work on the buffalo chicken filling.  Add the shredded chicken, greek yogurt, cheddar cheese (1/2 cup), Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce, diced zucchini insides, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Combine.
  6. Remove the zucchinis from the oven.  There will most likely be some extra moisture / liquid on the zucchinis.  I recommend patting them dry with a paper towel.
  7. Next add the chicken mixture to the zucchini boats, spreading it evenly among them.
  8. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese (1/2 cup) on top of the boats.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.
  9. Top with chopped green onions and a drizzle of ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.
  10. Serve and enjoy!

Keywords: buffalo chicken zucchini boats, buffalo chicken zucchini boat, zucchini buffalo chicken boats, buffalo chicken stuffed zucchini

This post may contain affiliate links, which if a product is purchased through I may recieve a small compensation. I only recommend products I love and use in my life and cooking! Thank you for supporting wellnessbykay.

3 Comments

  1. Looks delicious! I haven’t tried it yet (in the process of baking it as I type this). I was wondering what I should do with the leftover filling? I would hate to waste it, as there is a decent amount left. Any ideas?

  2. Can you use sour cream instead of greek yogurt?

  3. Beth Christian

    This was delicious. The only tweaks I made were adding more than a 1/3 cup of Frank’s Red Hot sauce. I also think cream cheese would be a good substitute for Greek yogurt, although the yogurt was good. Loved it and will make again!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating

*