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These stuffed zucchini boats are made with ground chicken, fresh basil, Italian seasoning, and diced tomatoes, all stuffed into zucchini boats and topped with mozzarella cheese.
I love stuffed zucchini boats but haven’t made them in forever. The last time I made them, I think, was the time I made chipotle stuffed zucchini boats for the blog.
This time around instead of going for that taco-type flavoring I went with a classic Italian favorite – chicken Parmesan.
Usually, when you think of chicken Parmesan, you think of fried chicken cutlets topped with flavorful red sauce and tons of mozzarella cheese.
Well, this is like that but lighter, less fried, and fresher.
And stuffed into a zucchini.
Craving more fun spins to chicken parm? Try my Mini Chicken Parmesan Meatball Subs, Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan, or my Summer Chicken Parmesan with Zoodles.
Ingredients for stuffed zucchini boats
- Small zucchini – I like to use a zucchini between 6-8 inches long for stuffed zucchini boats.
- Ground chicken – Ground chicken is great here, but you can use ground turkey or ground pork if you can’t find ground chicken.
- Yellow onion – I like to use yellow onion, but shallots could work well here too.
- Italian seasoning – A blend of classic Italian seasonings like basil, oregano, and rosemary.
- Red pepper flakes – I love the added heat this brings.
- Garlic – There is never enough garlic!
- Fire-roasted tomatoes – I love using fire-roasted tomatoes, but regular diced tomatoes work well.
- Basil – I love the hit of fresh basil.
- Shredded cheese – I’m using a mix of Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese.
How to make zucchini boats
Making zucchini boats is a delicious way to get your veggies in all while giving you a big, bold flavor. This recipe is where I’m giving you all the flavors of chicken parmesan!
- Cut off the tops and bottoms of your zucchini, slice lengthwise down the zucchini, and scoop out the seeds.
- Brown the ground chicken with spices and vegetables.
- Add in the tomatoes and let simmer until thickened.
- Fill the zucchini boats, top with cheese, and bake until soft and delicious.
What’s so great about stuffed zucchini boats?
Flavor!
It’s a healthy way to get all your meat and vegetables into your diet. It’s all cooked in one casserole dish and can be stuffed with any stuffing you love.
I went the chicken Parmesan route for these stuffed zucchini boats, but you could also do taco, Italian sausage, or even garden vegetables.
They are so great and easy that you’ll want to make stuffed zucchini boats all year round!
Storage and leftovers
These zucchini boats are best served the day of, but they store nicely.
Place it in an air-tight container and store it in the fridge for three days.
To reheat, cover with a damp paper towel, add to the microwave, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
More zucchini recipes
- Want a simple side dish? Try my Grilled Zucchini
- Love low-carb options? Try my Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
- Need an easy pasta dish? Try my Lemon Zucchini Pasta
- Craving homemade quick bread? Try my Zucchini Bread
Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 small zucchinis, about 8 inches long
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 small yellow onion, small dice
- 2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, 2 (14 ounce) cans
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray, set aside.
- Cut the tops off the zucchini and cut lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and a little bit of the inside flesh.
- Don’t throw away the scraped out insides. Place the hollowed out zucchini boats into prepared dish and set aside.
- In a 12-inch skillet set over medium heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot add in the ground chicken, onion, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Break up the ground chicken and mix the meat and spices together so everything is equally distributed. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is no longer pink.
- Add the garlic and zucchini insides (from when you scraped out the zucchini) and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the tomatoes, stir and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened up. You don’t want too much water left in the mixture to make sure it’s thick enough for stuffing.
- When it has thickened up stir in the fresh basil.
- Add an equal amount of filling to each of the zucchini halves and top with the shredded mozzarella cheese and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Cover the pan with foil, bake for 25 minutes, uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Such a fun weeknight meal! So much flavor too.
Mmm! This looks like great comfort food! And I can’t wait for your copycat dill dip recipe 🙂 Stay warm!
This is such a great way for me to get more veggies into the kids without a fight. It looks fantastic!
These are the kind of meal my kid loves!
Such a perfect lightened up combo!
Yes please! This is one of my favorite ways to eat zucchini!
Wow this looks so hearty and delicious! Perfect comfort food without the guilt!
I added panko on top for a treat! Delicious!