If you love zucchini boats and buffalo chicken, you'll love this combination! These Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Zucchini (with canned chicken) are especially popular during zucchini season! Made with canned chicken breast, they are not only economical, they are healthy, Weight Watchers friendly, gluten-free, low carb, and can be made lactose-free (see variations and substitutions). If you're looking for healthy weeknight meals, you'll love this one!
These zucchini boats were inspired by my Healthy Perogy Zucchini Boats. However, I am pretty buffalo chicken crazy so this recipe was also inspired by many of my other buffalo chicken recipes: Skinny Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks, No Cook Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (with rotisserie chicken), Buffalo Chicken Panini and my Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers!
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🥘Ingredient Notes
Here's what you'll need for this Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Zucchini:
- Canned chicken breast. It's important to buy 'Chunks of Chicken', NOT flaked. You can still use the flakes of chicken, but it doesn't look as appetizing.
- Buffalo wing sauce. I use Frank's Red Hot sauce
- Cream cheese. I use light cream cheese.
- Dry ranch seasoning mix. I use Hidden Valley brand because I think this is the best-tasting dry Ranch.
- Cheddar cheese. I use low-fat cheddar cheese.
- Parmesan cheese and Ranch dressing (optional garnish). These are optional garnishes, but I highly recommend using them because they really elevate the flavor of these zucchini boats. I use Litehouse Homestyle Ranch dressing because it's my favorite prepared Ranch dressing.
See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Chicken - you can use cooked and shredded boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked ground chicken, or rotisserie chicken instead of canned chicken
- Onion - you could use red onion instead of green onion
- Bell Peppers - you could use orange or yellow bell peppers instead of red
- Lactose-free - use lactose-free cheese and lactose-free cream cheese
- Spicy - if you want this even spicier, add some diced up jalapeno peppers, crushed red pepper flakes or another type of hot sauce. You could even add more buffalo wing sauce as a garnish (my daughter does this)
- Less Spicy- if you want to tone down the spice level and make this recipe less spicy, simply use less buffalo sauce and replace it with ranch dressing right in the mix!
- Cheese - you could use mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar
- Dressing garnish- you could use blue cheese dressing instead of Ranch dressing
- Air fryer - you could make these zucchini boats in the air fryer as well. Spray them with a little olive oil and air fry at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes (depending on your air fryer).
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Zucchini
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/205 degrees C. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non- stick cooking spray. Mix everything (except fresh zucchini and half the green onions) together in large bowl.
Wash and cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise. Cut off the ends.
Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the inside of zucchini halves, leaving at least ¼ inch thick zucchini boat. Discard.
Place the zucchini in the baking dish cut-side up and spoon the buffalo chicken filling into the zucchini boats. Press the mixture down into the zucchini using the back of the spoon.
Cover the baking dish with foil, making a tight seal around the rim.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until soft enough that a fork can easily go into the zucchini, but it is still firm.
Garnish with additional green onion, parmesan cheese, and Ranch dressing, if desired.
Hint: Make sure you place the zucchini boats close together in the baking dish, or they will tip over and the filling will spill out while cooking.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use chunked canned chicken for best texture. Flaked canned chicken tends to look mushy and won’t hold up as well in the filling.
- Don’t over-scoop the zucchini. Leave at least ¼ inch of flesh so the boats stay sturdy and don’t collapse while baking.
- Pack the filling in firmly. Press the buffalo chicken mixture into the zucchini boats with the back of a spoon so it stays in place and doesn't spill during baking.
- Cover tightly with foil when baking. This traps steam and helps soften the zucchini evenly without drying out the filling.
- Use a melon baller for easy scooping. It’s much more efficient than a spoon and creates a clean, even cavity in the zucchini halves.
- Let the filling rest for 10 minutes before stuffing. This helps it firm up slightly, making it easier to spoon into the zucchini without it being too runny.
- Bake zucchini close together to prevent tipping. Placing them snugly in the baking dish helps keep them upright and prevents the filling from spilling out.
- Add dressing garnish just before serving. If using ranch or blue cheese dressing on top, wait until after baking so it doesn’t separate or melt off.
- Make it meal-prep friendly. Prepare the filling ahead and refrigerate it—then just scoop and bake when ready to serve.
- Finish under the broiler for a golden top. If you want a crispier, browned cheese topping, broil for the last 1–2 minutes of baking.
🥗 What to Serve with Stuffed Zucchini
Check out these 35 Recipe ideas for what to serve with stuffed zucchini!
🍽Equipment
You will need a 9X13 baking dish (at least 2 inches deep) and a melon baller (affiliate links) could also come in handy, to make these Buffalo Zucchini Boats.
🌡️Storage
Store leftover zucchini boats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They are also a great meal prep item, since you can make the buffalo chicken filling in advance and store it for up to 3 days in a sealed container.
They will freeze well in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 8 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 2 WW points. It is calculated using reduced-fat cream cheese and low-fat cheddar cheese. * You can further reduce the ww points by using fat-free cream cheese and fat-free cheddar cheese.
❔ Recipe FAQ's
Yes, the skin is perfectly safe and healthy to eat, as long as it's cleaned properly.
Yes, you can prepare the filling and hollow out the zucchinis up to 3 days in advance. Store them separately in the fridge and assemble just before baking.
Make sure not to overbake the zucchini. Bake just until tender but still slightly firm. Also, avoid overloading with sauce or moisture-heavy ingredients.
No, it’s not necessary for this recipe. The zucchini retains enough structure without needing to be salted and drained.
This Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boat recipe is a great way to use your zucchini harvest and a healthy meal the whole family will love!
📋More Zucchini Recipes
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📋 Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats (with canned chicken) recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup red pepper, diced
- 1 cup green onion, diced
- 4 -cans of chicken breast (156 g or 5.5 oz) or use leftover rotisserie chicken, chopped/shredded * about 2 cups
- ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce* I use Frank's red hot
- ½ cup low-fat, fat free cream cheese
- ½ -package dry ranch dressing mix (28 g)
- ¾ cup low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 4 medium zucchinis
Garnish
- half of the green onions
- parmesan cheese (optional)
- Ranch dressing *I use Litehouse Homestyle Ranch dressing (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/205 degrees C. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non- stick cooking spray.
- Mix everything (except fresh zucchini, half the green onions, and garnishes) together in large bowl.1 cup red pepper, diced, 1 cup green onion, diced, 4 -cans of chicken breast (156 g or 5.5 oz), ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce* I use Frank's red hot, ½ cup low-fat, fat free cream cheese, ½ -package dry ranch dressing mix (28 g), ¾ cup low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ teaspoon worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- Wash and cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise. Cut off the ends.4 medium zucchinis
- Use a spoon to scoop the seeds and center out of each zucchini half, leaving at least ¼ inch thick zucchini boat. Discard
- Place the zucchini in the baking dish cut-side up and spoon the buffalo chicken mixture into the zucchini boats. Press the mixture down into the zucchini using the back of the spoon
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, making a tight seal around the rim. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until soft enough that fork can easily go into zucchini, but is still firm.
Garnish
- Garnish with additional green onion, and then add parmesan cheese and Ranch dressing (optional), if desired.half of the green onions, parmesan cheese (optional), Ranch dressing *I use Litehouse Homestyle Ranch dressing (optional)
Terri Gilson
These Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats are my new favorite way to use up zucchini! They're perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner or a tasty low-carb option. Using canned chicken makes them quick and budget-friendly, which is always a win in my kitchen. The buffalo chicken flavor really takes these zucchini boats to the next level!