Skinny BBQ Chicken Stuffed Zucchini (Printable Version)

Flavorful BBQ chicken and melted cheese fill tender zucchini halves for a light, satisfying main dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium zucchini
02 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped

→ Protein

03 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded

→ Sauces

04 - 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, gluten-free certified

→ Dairy

05 - 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

→ Herbs & Seasonings

06 - 1 teaspoon olive oil
07 - Salt and pepper to taste
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, optional garnish

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper or lightly grease with cooking spray.
02 - Wash zucchini thoroughly. Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the center flesh, leaving approximately 1/4 inch shell intact to form the boat structure. Reserve 1/2 cup of scooped flesh and chop finely.
03 - Arrange zucchini boats cut-side up in the prepared baking dish. Lightly brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
04 - Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped red onion for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add reserved chopped zucchini flesh and cook for 1-2 minutes until tender.
05 - In a mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, sautéed onion and zucchini mixture, and BBQ sauce. Stir until evenly incorporated.
06 - Distribute chicken mixture evenly among zucchini boats using a spoon. Top each boat with shredded cheddar cheese.
07 - Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
09 - Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cheese melts into those juicy zucchini cavities in a way that feels almost indulgent despite being genuinely light.
  • You can prep these in advance and bake them whenever hunger strikes, which is my favorite kind of meal flexibility.
  • Rotisserie chicken makes this taste like you spent all day in the kitchen when you really just assembled things thoughtfully.
02 -
  • Don't scoop your zucchini too aggressively—leave enough flesh so the boat holds its shape and doesn't turn into a soggy mess during baking.
  • Your BBQ sauce matters tremendously; a thick, quality sauce with actual smoke flavor transforms this from decent to genuinely crave-worthy.
03 -
  • Use a sharp vegetable peeler to create thin strips from the zucchini skin first if you prefer boats that are less sturdy—they cook faster and feel more delicate.
  • Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store saves you 30 minutes of cooking time and genuinely tastes better than most homemade versions.
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