I always forget how much I love zucchini until I cook with it again and remember... man, I really love zucchini. These chicken-stuffed zuchinni boats are an excellent easy low carb dinner idea that ended up being surprisingly satisfying and satiating despite the lower calorie count. It's all in that protein content, man!
There is a bit of prep time involved with this recipe since you have to hollow out the zucchini boats and chop some raw chicken and veggies. You can absolutely chop the veggies ahead of time (maybe the night before) and store them in a tightly-sealed plastic bag or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Then, the next day, when you're ready to start dinner, the hard part is already done!
And this topping? It's light, it's crisp, it's refreshing, and it's an amazing pairing with all of the flavors in the zucchini boats. It really completes the dish!
If you need more calories to complete your meal, increase the serving size or add a side dish or two (a salad or some more veggies). If you're not counting carbs, go ahead and add some starches like potatoes or toasty bread! Enjoy!
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Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 4 oz (or around ½ cup) diced tomatoes (if using canned, drain the liquid)
- 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 TBS fresh chives, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- TOPPING
- 1 small container (approx. 5.3oz) nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- ¼ of an English (seedless) cucumber, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Place a large baking sheet into a cold oven and begin preheating to 450F. Zut the zucchini in half lengthwise and use a spoon or melon baller to hollow out the insides. Chop up the insides if needed until very fine.
- Brush the cut sides of the zucchini with 1 tsp of the olive oil, and then place on the hot baking sheet with the cut sides down. Roast for 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, red bell pepper, diced tomatoes, the zucchini insides, and allow to cook, tossing frequently, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Season the chicken with the smoked paprika, oregano, and some salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and stir until the chicken begins to cook but does not get done all the way through. Stir in the chives.
- Turn the roasted zucchini cut sides up and divide the chicken mixture between the boats. Top with a little extra salt and pepper if desired. Roast until the zucchini boats are fully tender and the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
- While the boats are roasting, mix together the Greek yogurt and the lemon juice. Fold in the mint leaves and the cucumber. Serve the hot zucchini boats with the topping.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
A note about carbs: Subtract the dietary fiber from the total carbs to arrive at the net carb count. One serving of this recipe = 12.2g net carbs. If you're on a full keto diet and find this count to be too high, you can skip the topping or substitute with a lower carb yogurt to save carbs.
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