Keto Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats (Air Fryer + Oven Option)
Try these Keto Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats packed with tangy buffalo sauce, chicken and cheese! These zucchini boats are cooked in either an air fryer or oven for a delicious low carb meal!
I’m super excited to share today’s recipe with you guys. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen me make these baked zucchini boats for dinner a few weeks ago. That was actually the first time I made it and it was such a success!
We are huge zucchini boat fans and I had planned to bake them like normal, but I decided to try them in the air fryer and the result was delicious! The zucchini gets tender and slightly crisp and then the cheese on top gets bubbly and slightly browned, it is just perfect!
And bonus points that it can be done without turning on the oven and heating the kitchen in this sweltering heat.
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Ingredients in Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
All you’ll need to make these keto zucchini boats are:
- Zucchini
- Pre-cooked and shredded chicken
- Cream cheese
- Ranch dressing
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Buffalo sauce
How to Make Zucchini Boats in an Air Fryer
I’ve given two cooking methods for making these buffalo chicken zucchini boats in the recipe card below. You can either use and air fryer or your oven. To make them in an air fryer:
- Slice the zucchini lengthwise and remove the inside of the zucchini and form a “boat.”
- Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F.
- Place the hollowed zucchini in the air fryer and cook until it begins to blister.
- Meanwhile, combine the cooked chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, shredded cheddar and buffalo sauce.
- Remove the precooked zucchini from the air fryer and fill with the buffalo chicken mixture.
- Top with the shredded mozzarella.
- Place the zucchini boats back in the air fryer and cook until the cheese is melted and the filling is warm.
Do I Have to Use an Air Fryer?
No! If you don’t have an air fryer or are cooking for a crowd, don’t worry, you can certainly still bake these keto zucchini boats. The oven instructions are also listed in the recipe card.
This is a very easy recipe to prepare either way. I like the air fryer option because as I mentioned it prevents the oven from heating up my kitchen so much. I am also only cooking for two people so it makes the zucchini boats pretty quick and the crispy texture the air fryer provides is delicious!
Can I Prep This Recipe in Advance?
Yes! You can prepare parts of this recipe in advance, but once you bake the assembled zucchini boats they’re best eaten immediately.
However, you can hollow out the zucchini and stir together the buffalo chicken filling. Store in separate containers in the fridge until ready to use!
Tips for Making Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
- I’ve found it easiest to hollow out the zucchini with a measuring teaspoon or a small melon baller.
- Save the bits of zucchini that you scoop out to use in stir-fries, soups, or another recipe. Don’t let any of the zucchini go to waste!
- This is a great recipe to use up leftover or meal prepped chicken. I like to make a batch of this slow cooker shredded chicken to use in recipes like this throughout the week.
More Zucchini Boat Recipes:
- Keto Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats
- Chili Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Pizza Zucchini Boats
- Taco Zucchini Boats
Get the Recipe: Keto Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/8 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Slice the zucchini length wise and use a small spoon or teaspoon to remove the inside of the zucchini and form a "boat"
- Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F.
- Place the hollowed zucchini in the air fryer and cook 3 minutes-5 minutes until it begins to blister. (Cooking time will vary base on the size)
- Meanwhile, combine the cooked chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, shredded cheddar and buffalo sauce.
- Remove the precooked zucchini from the air fryer and fill with the buffalo chicken mixture.
- Top with the shredded mozzarella.
- Place the zucchini boats back in the air fryer and cook 4 minutes.
Oven Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice the zucchini lengthwise and use a small spoon or teaspoon to remove the inside of the zucchini and form a "boat."
- Place the hollowed zucchini in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, shredded cheddar and buffalo sauce.
- Top with the shredded mozzarella.
- Bake 20-24 minutes until zucchini is fork tender.
Notes
Other Easy Keto Recipes
If you are new to Keto try my favorite Sausage Egg and Cheese Bites, they contain less than one net carb per bite and they are perfect for meal prep! One of my favorite easy low carb dinners is this One Pan Cabbage Casserole. It is so easy, cheesy and delicious and it has less than 9 net carbs per serving. Some other favorites, Keto Chocolate Cookies, Pimento Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Peppers and Sausage and Cream Cheese Pinwheels!
Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
