Description
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats are a delicious and healthier twist on classic buffalo chicken dip. Tender zucchini halves are baked, hollowed out, and stuffed with a spicy buffalo chicken mixture made with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, cheddar, and blue cheese. Topped with crunchy crushed crackers and baked to perfection, these zucchini boats make a perfect low-carb appetizer or light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 5 small zucchini (or 4 medium-size)
- 1/2 bunch green onions
Chicken Mixture
- 2 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie is best)
- 1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons blue cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Other
- 5 Ritz crackers
- Nonstick spray
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing (to garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F to prepare for baking the zucchini boats.
- Slice Zucchini: Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise, aiming for even slices. Leave the ends intact to make scooping easier.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place zucchini halves cut side up, spray each with nonstick spray, then season with salt and pepper.
- Bake Zucchini: Bake the zucchini halves for 15 minutes at 375°F to soften them slightly.
- Prepare Chicken Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine cooked chicken with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, stirring until chicken is fully coated.
- Add Creamy Ingredients: Mix in Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and shredded cheddar cheese until well combined.
- Chop Green Onions: Chop the green onions, adding the white parts (about 3 tablespoons) to the chicken mixture; reserve the green parts for garnish.
- Scoop Out Zucchini Centers: Remove the zucchini from the oven, and carefully cut out the centers using a sharp knife and spoon, leaving a ‘boat’ shell.
- Prepare Zucchini Flesh: Finely chop the scooped zucchini flesh, then squeeze out excess moisture over the sink to avoid sogginess.
- Combine Zucchini with Chicken: Stir the squeezed zucchini into the chicken mixture, blending everything thoroughly.
- Stuff Zucchini Boats: Spoon the chicken mixture evenly into each prepared zucchini boat. Enjoy any leftover mixture with Ritz crackers.
- Add Blue Cheese: Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of blue cheese evenly over the stuffed boats.
- Prepare Cracker Topping: Crush 5 Ritz crackers in a ziplock bag by hand, leaving pieces slightly coarse.
- Sprinkle Crumbs: Sprinkle the crushed Ritz crackers over the top of each stuffed zucchini boat for added crunch.
- Final Bake: Bake the stuffed zucchini boats at 375°F for another 10 minutes until tender. Optionally, broil for 1-2 minutes for a golden brown top.
- Serve: Garnish with reserved green onion tops and serve hot with ranch or blue cheese dressing on the side.
Notes
- For best results, use rotisserie chicken to save time and add flavor.
- Make sure to squeeze out as much moisture as possible from the zucchini flesh to prevent soggy boats.
- Broiling at the end adds a nice browned and crispy topping.
- Leftover chicken mixture is great as a dip with crackers or veggies.
- You can adjust the hot sauce amount depending on your preferred spice level.
