Air Fryer Zucchini Boats

Fresh zucchini is hollowed out and stuffed with a buffalo chicken filling and air fried to perfection in this easy Air Fryer zucchini boats recipe. 

If you’re looking for a healthy, low-carb dinner that you can put together quickly, this recipe is an absolute must try. 

It’s also perfect to use up some of that extra zucchini you have lying in the fridge, and serve a hearty and delicious meal that the whole family will enjoy!

Zucchini has to be one of my top favorite veggies to cook in the Air Fryer. I feel like there’s so much you can do with it. 

I’ve made air fried zucchini noodles, tried Air Fryer zucchini tots and even whipped up a batch of Air Fryer zucchini fries. 

These air fried zucchini boats are my recent experiment and I’m so amazed at how delicious they turned out! 

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Low carb: These cheesy zucchini boats are perfect for those looking for a delicious low-carb, keto-friendly meal. 
• Great for meal prep: You can actually prep the dish ahead of time too! It takes just a few minutes to put together when you’re ready to eat! 
• Customizable: The zucchini boats are customizable too! You can experiment and play around with the fillings and mix-ins and try different versions of the recipe. 
• Easy to make: With just a few simple kitchen ingredients and minutes of hands-on time, you’ll be able to make these delicious zucchini boats.

Ingredients For the Air Fryer Zucchini Boats Recipe

• Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts here. You could use chicken thighs or even ground chicken if you want to.
• Buffalo sauce: Feel free to use your choice of buffalo sauce here- I love using my homemade Mc Donald’s buffalo sauce here. You could also use Sriracha sauce or any other hot sauce. 
• Butter: I used unsalted butter, but you could use salted butter too. 
• Zucchini: Choose fresh, firm zucchini, ideally ones that are medium sized. I wouldn’t recommend using large sized zucchini as they can be tricky to fit inside the Air Fryer basket, and are more mature and tough, which is why they can take longer to cook too. 
• Seasonings: I used a dash of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, some black pepper and kosher salt. You can experiment with different seasonings and spices of your choice too. 
• Celery: To lend a bit of crunch to the dish.
• Ranch dressing: This one’s optional, but just a little drizzle over the top can add a ton of flavor and deliciousness. 
• Blue cheese: Just a bit, to top over the zucchini boats. 

Variations & Substitutions

• Use crumbled tofu or beans along with veggies like bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms and your choice of seasonings for the filling to make vegetarian air fried zucchini boats. 
• Love pizza? Slather some of your favorite pizza sauce onto the zucchini boats, top with your favorite toppings and lots of mozzarella cheese to make pizza zucchini boats. 
• You can also try making Mexican zucchini boats by stuffing them with ground beef, taco seasoning, cheese and your other toppings of your choice. 

How to Make Air Fryer Zucchini Boats

Prep zucchini: Wash and dry each zucchini and slice them in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the flesh from the middle, making zucchini boats. Sprinkle some salt over them to draw out any excess moisture and pat them dry. 

Make the filling: In a bowl, combine the shredded chicken with hot sauce, melted butter and seasonings. 

Assemble time: Arrange the zucchini boats in a single layer in your Air Fryer basket and spoon some of the chicken filling into each boat. 

Air fry and serve: Air fry them for 8-10 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown on the outside. Top them with the blue cheese crumbles, chopped celery and some ranch dressing and serve. 

Tips & Tricks to Make the Zucchini Boats in Air Fryer

• Use a mix of zucchini and summer squash to try a different version of this recipe. 
• Choose zucchinis that are small or medium sized. Their flesh tends to be more tender and is easier to scoop out. 
• Swap the chicken in this recipe for any other meat of your choice. 
• Lean meat can cook pretty quickly, along with the zucchini, especially if you’re using minced meat like minced chicken or turkey. 
• To speed things up, you can also use some of your leftover rotisserie chicken for the recipe. 
• Avoid overcrowding the Air Fryer basket with too many zucchini boats all at the same time. 

Storage Instructions

• Refrigeration: Store your leftover air fried zucchini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
• Freezing: Freezing, thawing and reheating can affect the texture of zucchini, which is why I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. 
• Reheating: You can reheat the zucchini boats in the microwave, Air Fryer or also in the oven if you want to. 

Serving Ideas & Suggestions

These air fried buffalo chicken zucchini boats are hearty and delicious, and can be enjoyed all on their own! 

If you really want to pair them with a side dish, I would recommend teaming them up with a simple veggie dish like blackstone broccoli or air fried ranch carrots or even just some crispy bang bang cauliflower. 

And if you’re looking for something more substantial and filling to pair with the dish, try making Ninja Foodi broccoli cheddar soup or some simple Air Fryer tomato soup. 

FAQs

What can I use instead of zucchini? You can use veggies like bell peppers, eggplants or even large mushrooms and replicate this recipe! 

Do I need to pre-cook the zucchini boats before filling them? You don’t need to pre-cook the zucchini. Cooking it will, in fact, turn it soft and soggy. 

Do I need to cook the filling in advance? You can choose to pre-cook the meat you’re using if you want to, but make sure it cools down completely before you spoon it into the boats. 

Can I make zucchini boats ahead of time? You can prepare the empty zucchini boats and the fillings ahead of time and refrigerate them separately in different airtight containers. Then, when you want to enjoy them, just assemble and air fry them. 

Can I use any other kind of cheese? Yes! Cheddar cheese, mozzarella, Monterey Jack and cream cheese are all great choices you can consider using for this recipe. 

More Easy Air Fryer Recipes

• Air Fryer Zucchini Brownies
• Air Fryer Zucchini Pie

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