Chipotle Chicken Zucchini Boats

These chipotle chicken zucchini boats are cheesy, smokey, and full of protein! It’s the chicken zucchini recipe you’ll want to save for busy weeknights when don’t know what to make with leftover chicken.

 

If you’re looking for a spicy, creamy, cheesy meal with a ton of protein but even more flavor, I’ve got the perfect weeknight dinner for you! I make zucchini boats all the time, and the high-protein craze got me curious about switching up our usual recipe. I never would have expected it, but this stuffed zucchini filled with a chipotle chicken recipe full of cottage cheese has become a major favorite! Don’t worry, I’m not just adding cottage cheese because it’s become trendy… In fact, I assumed we wouldn’t care for it, and I made half the recipe with cream cheese instead so we’d have something for dinner! It turns out, the cottage cheese adds a mild tanginess that is beautiful with the adobo sauce. It also made a creamier filling than the cream cheese, so you never have to worry about these coming out dry! Just trust me, give cottage cheese a try, and you’ll never want a zucchini boat without it!

Why you will love this chipotle chicken recipe:

• You only need 8 common ingredients.
• It’s on the table in about 30 minutes without a ton of effort.
• This recipe works great for meal prepping & cutting corners in the kitchen.
• It’s low-carb, keto-friendly, high-protein, and gluten-free without feeling like diet food.

Ingredients for Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Zucchini

• Zucchini – Fresh, medium-sized, uniform shape & size for even cooking
• Chicken – Cooked, shredded. If you don’t know what to do with leftover rotisserie chicken, try this! Crockpot shredded chicken works great for meal prep, too.
• Cottage Cheese – Blended. You can leave it in small curds if you like, but you get a creamier consistency if you blend it first.
• Onion and Jalapeno – Chopped. Use a sweet onion or shallot for mild flavor or white onion if you like a punchy, strong onion flavor. Feel free to swap out the jalapeno for habanero or your favorite pepper.
• Canned Chipotle Pepper & Adobo Sauce – You’re going to chop up one chipotle pepper to use, then spoon out some of the adobo sauce in the can for the filling. The rest will keep in the fridge for a few days for other recipes!
• Taco Seasoning – You can use homemade taco seasoning or a store-bought packet.
• Cheddar Cheese – Shredded. A Mexican blend or pepper jack would be great, too. Avoid crumbly cheeses like cotija… They make a great topping, but they don’t melt smoothly and will not give you the best texture for the filling.
• Optional topping: mix some of the extra adobo sauce from the chipotle can with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for a sauce perfect for drizzling. Green onions, chopped tomatoes, diced avocados, or fresh herbs are also fantastic.

How to Make the Best Stuffed Zucchini with Chipotle Chicken

1. Prep – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while you hollow out your zucchini. Slice the zucchini lengthwise (or hot-dog style) and use a small spoon to remove the inside of the zucchini to form a boat. Place your zucchini cut-side up in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Mix the filling – Combine your shredded chicken, blended cottage cheese, adobo sauce, chopped chipotle and jalapeno, taco seasoning, and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Gentle mix until well combined, then spoon this into the zucchini boats. Lightly press down on the filling as you go so that it all fits and doesn’t fall out.
3. Bake – Top the zucchini boats with the rest of the shredded cheese, then bake the zucchini boats for 20-25 minutes. Once the zucchini is fork tender, remove from the oven, top with your favorite garnishes, and serve.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.
• Freezer: I do not recommend freezing these because the zucchini will become mushy and unpleasant.
• Reheating: Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, air fry at 350 degrees F for 4-6 minutes, or microwave at 50% power in two 1-minute increments.

What to Serve with Zucchini Boats

• Keto Biscuits
• Refried Beans or Black Beans
• Gouda Jalapeno Potatoes
• Green Chile Corn Fritters
• Sweet Corn Salad

Tips & Suggestions

• Want to air fry these? Precook the hollowed zucchini boats (390 degrees, 3-5 minutes) until they begin to blister. Then spoon in the filling, top with cheese, and air fry another 4-5 minutes or until fork tender.
• Hate cottage cheese? You could swap it out with softened cream cheese (maybe with a splash of milk to thin it out).
• Worried about spice? While these are mildly spicy, you could reduce the heat by only using half the chipotle and jalapeno (or omitting the jalapeno altogether). I’d keep the adobo sauce because it helps get the right consistency, and it gets balanced out by the cottage cheese.

More Zucchini Boat Recipes

• Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
• Zucchini Taco Boats
• Zucchini Boats with Ground Beef
• Chili Cheese Zucchini Boats
• Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats