Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats – On My Kids Plate

You know it’s summer when your garden gives you more zucchini than you know what to do with. These buffalo chicken zucchini boats are cheesy, just a little spicy (you can adjust if needed!), and totally kid-approved. It’s one of those dinners where no one even thinks twice about the veggies, they’re too busy asking for seconds.

Zucchini halves stuffed with a buffalo chicken cheesy mixture for buffalo chicken zucchini boats with more on a pan in the background.

Why We Love Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats

Delicious Way To Enjoy Vegetables – I’m always looking for ideas to enjoy vegetables without hiding them. This style dinner was one the whole family enjoyed.
Perfect For Summer Zucchini – There are a couple months in the summer where the zucchini seems never ending if you planted a garden. Or maybe you just want to stretch your budget in the summer when zucchini is cheap and plentiful. This is the perfect recipe to make to maximize your zucchini hauls. We’ve enjoyed it so much I actually made and Italian zucchini boat and a pizza zucchini boat too.
Fun Flavor – We’ve enjoyed zucchini boats so much, I knew I had to make a new flavor. I have also made an Italian zucchini boat that is so meaty and savory, and a pizza zucchini boat that was especially popular with the kid. We had some leftover buffalo chicken dip, and I knew that those leftovers would be perfect stuffed into zucchini! You can also use leftovers, or I’ve given instructions on how to make this recipe without having the dip.

Ingredients For Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats

Ingredients for buffalo chicken stuffed zucchini boats in bowls with text labels.

cream cheese – I prefer full fat cream cheese, but you could use reduced fat cream cheese. You could also use laughing cow cheese
chicken broth
ranch dressing – use your favorite bottled salad dressing
hot sauce – the hot sauce you choose will determine how spicy the chicken is. If you aren’t sure what to pick, Red Hot is the brand I usually grab first.
cheddar cheese – shredded, you can also swap out another favorite like Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese for a little more heat
chicken – cooked, shredded, you can use leftover chicken rotisserie chicken or even canned chicken if you prefer.
zucchini – this is a great recipe to use a bunch! It can help if they are all similar in size for this recipe, so they cook evenly. Larger zucchinis, usually that come straight from the garden, may need to bake a little longer.

How to Make It Less Spicy for Picky Eaters

Have a pickier eater who doesn’t like things spicy? Start by adding half the hot sauce and the cheese will do the rest. You can always add a few more shakes of hot sauce on the plate to give it more of a kick for the rest of the family.

How To Make Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover 2 sheet pans with aluminum foil and spray with spray cooking oil.
Slice cream cheese into pieces. Place the cream cheese slices in a large pot with chicken broth over medium to medium low heat. You don’t want this to boil; you just want to gently heat and melt the cream cheese. Heat about 6-7 minutes, whisking as needed until smooth.

A pan of sliced cream cheese is surrounded by small bowls of chicken broth, hot sauce, shredded chicken, and ranch dressing for buffalo chicken zucchini boats.

Pour in ranch and hot sauce into the cream cheese and stir well. Then add 1 cup of cheese, stirring well with a spoon until melted.

A pan full of a cream cheese buffalo sauce with cheese and chicken next to the pan waiting to be added for buffalo chicken zucchini boats.

Add shredded chicken to the pot and mix well to coat it with the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat.

A white pan with shredded chicken being mixed into a creamy buffalo cause for buffalo chicken zucchini boats.

Wash then dry the zucchini. Slice the tops and bottoms off the zucchini; then slice each in half lengthwise. With a large spoon, scoop out the seeds and some pulp from the zucchini to make the zucchini shells. Place zucchini halves in the baking pans, lining them up in a row. Fill each zucchini with 2-3 tablespoons of the buffalo chicken.

Two whole zucchinis, several halved and hollowed zucchinis on a cutting board.

Bake for 25 minutes or until zucchini is fork tender. Sprinkle each boat with remaining ½ cup cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes to melt cheese. Serve with additional ranch and hot sauce, and enjoy!

Six zucchini halves filled with a cheesy buffalo chicken mixture topped with cheese.

Variation Ideas

Try Blue Cheese – A sprinkle of blue cheese instead of cheddar over the top is pretty tasty. Blue cheese can be pretty pungent though, so you may not want to add it to everyone’s zucchini. You could also swap a blue cheese dressing for the ranch dressing.

Add Buttery Cracker Crumbs – If you have some buttery crackers like Ritz, crumble them up over top of the chicken. It will give the zucchini a buttery crispness. I sometimes place them under the broiler for a minute or two at the end of the cooking time to make sure the cracker crumbs get crispy.

Two zucchini boats filled with a buffalo chicken mixture from the edge where you can see the layers on a plate.

FAQ About Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats

Can I cook these in the air fryer?

If your air fryer is big enough to fit the boats, yes! Cook them at 350°F for about 12–15 minutes, checking for fork-tender zucchini and melted cheese.

Can I use leftover buffalo chicken dip?

Totally. If you already have buffalo chicken dip, just warm it slightly, stuff the zucchini, and bake. It’s a great way to repurpose leftovers!

Can I adjust the spice level?

Yes! Start with half the hot sauce if your family prefers it mild. You can always add more after baking. You could even leave it out and let adults drizzle on hot sauce at the table.

What kind of chicken works best?

Shredded rotisserie is easiest, but baked or grilled chicken works great too. If using canned chicken, drain it well and break it up with a fork before mixing.

Can I use another veggie instead of zucchini?

Sure can! Bell peppers or even halved baked potatoes make great stand-ins. Just keep an eye on the baking time and adjust as needed. You can even mix and match with zucchini, kitchen improv at its finest.

Can I make these for meal prep?

Yes! These reheat well and can be packed in individual containers with rice, salad, or even pasta. Great for a quick lunch that doesn’t taste boring.

What To Serve With Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats?

I usually round out dinner with something simple and satisfying. A crisp salad with ranch or blue cheese dressing can balance the slight heat and adds freshness.

If the family is really hungry (or I want leftovers), I may add some rice or a quick pasta on the side. Sometimes I’ll even make mac and cheese with broccoli so everyone is happy at the table, and it goes well with the buffalo flavor.

There’s almost always garlic bread involved, whether it’s a simple garlic bread or my slightly more involved cheesy pull apart garlic bread. In summertime, I’ll throw in a cucumber tomato salad or fresh boiled corn on the cob to keep things light and seasonal.

Can I Make Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats Ahead Of Time?

Yep! You can prep the chicken mixture and hollow the zucchini up to 24 hours ahead. You can even stuff them in advance, just cover and refrigerate. When baking from cold, they may need a few extra minutes to become fork tender.

How Long Will Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats Last?

Expect these zucchini boats will last about three days if stored in an airtight, covered container in the refrigerator.

These zucchini boats do not freeze well unfortunately. While shredded zucchini freezes great for baking in zucchini bread, whole zucchini tends to become pretty watery once frozen.

Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or baked for 15-20 minutes in the oven at 375 until warm. They can also be reheated in the air fryer, but I recommend turning the temperature down to 350. Expect them to take 5-10 minutes to reheat in the air fryer.

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