This Stuffed Zucchini Boat Recipe turns ordinary garden vegetables into a satisfying dinner filled with savory chicken sausage, herbs, and golden parmesan breadcrumbs!
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
🥒Everything bakes together in one dish, making cleanup quick and easy for busy weeknight dinners!
My 2 Best Tips For Making Stuffed Zucchini Boat Recipe
Proper Hollowing: Use a melon baller or small spoon to carefully scoop out zucchini flesh, leaving walls thick enough to hold their shape during baking. Aim for about ½-inch thick walls throughout, and save the scooped flesh to add extra flavor and nutrition to your filling mixture.
Moisture Control: Salt the hollowed zucchini shells and let them sit for 10 minutes before patting dry to remove excess moisture and prevent soggy boats. This simple step draws out excess water that could make your filling watery and ensures the zucchini maintains its texture during baking.
My trick is to lightly brush the hollowed zucchini shells with olive oil and roast them cut-side down for 8-10 minutes before adding the filling. This prevents soggy bottoms and creates a slightly caramelized base that adds extra flavor depth you’ll definitely notice.
I always move my baking dish to the top oven rack for the last 5 minutes to get that perfect golden-brown breadcrumb crust that makes everyone think I’m some kind of cooking genius.
You can totally serve these boats as a complete dinner entrée, but here’s what I love doing – I slice them crosswise into rounds for an elegant appetizer when I have people over! I pair them with herbed Greek yogurt or a drizzle of balsamic glaze for that extra richness.
🩷 Melissa
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we will send it straight to your inbox. Plus you will get great new recipes from us every week!
Stuffed Zucchini Boat Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini
- 1 lb. ground chicken sausage
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic very finely chopped or pressed
- 1 can 14 ounces pureed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon, scoop out flesh, leaving ½-in. shells. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside.
- Brown sausage in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender. Add garlic and cook for another minute. If necessary, drain any excess fat.
- Stir in tomatoes, basil, and chopped zucchini. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
- Divide the sausage mixture between the shells (boats), and then top with breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until zucchini is tender and top is golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Stuffed Zucchini Boat
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cut 3 medium zucchini in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving ½-inch thick shells to create your “boats.” Chop the scooped flesh into small pieces and set aside for the filling.
Step 2: Brown 1 lb ground chicken sausage in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and cook until the meat is no longer pink and onion is tender. Stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute, then drain excess fat if needed.
Step 3: Add the pureed tomatoes, dried basil, chopped zucchini flesh, salt, and pepper to the sausage mixture. In a separate bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Fill each zucchini shell with the sausage mixture and top with the breadcrumb-cheese blend.
Step 4: Place the filled boats in a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the zucchini shells are tender when pierced with a fork and the tops are golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Ground turkey, lean ground beef, or even a vegetarian option like crumbled tofu or lentils work well. Adjust seasonings accordingly to maintain flavor.
The zucchini should be tender when pierced with a fork, and the topping should be golden brown. If the tops brown too quickly, cover with foil.
Yes, you can prepare the entire dish up to the baking step, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add an extra 5-10 minutes to the baking time if cooking from cold.
More Delicious Main Dish Recipes to Consider
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.
Nutmeg nanny
Oh my, I am in love with this dish! Stuffed zucchini is a favorite of mine and yours looks amazing!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc
These look amazing Barbara! On my list
Deborah
Now this is a great way to use up that zucchini!!
Kitchen Belleicious
great minds sure do think alike. I didn’t post zucchini boats this week but I sure did make some last night! They were great but I am thinking yours would be an evern better hit! Love it
Supriya Nair
The zucchinis look amazing…love the colors. Parmesan adds a zing to this dish. Love you space here..
Claire @ Claire K Creations
Looks like a nice healthy dinner to me Barbara. I always manage to leave the zucchinis in the crisper a little longer than they should be left.
Angie@Angie's Recipes
Boy..these look so GOOD and loaded with goodness!
Mila
Anch’io ogni tanto li preparo, ma la tua ricetta è assolutamente da provare!!!
Heidi @foodiecrush
Isn’t it funny how some of our favorite stand-by recipes are just known by taste, not by measure? Glad the kids asked you to share and I love the idea of chicken sausage in your boats.
Valérie (Franche-Comté)
Barbara, ta version de courgettes me cpnvient parfaitement
Je te souhiate une agréable journée et te remercie pour ta fidélité
Valérie.
My Inner Chick
Gorgeous for a dinner party.
Will you have one, please, B? Haaa. xx
Emily
Mmm…
Kristen
Oh how I love these – and I have plenty of zucchini to use up!
Kelly
Oh this looks incredibly delicious!! Love the use of zucchini!! 🙂
Rocky Mountain Woman
I have so many recipes like that, not sure if any of them are this good though! Maybe I should get out my measuring cups and start measuring…
2 Sisters Recipes
Delicious!! We love zucchini boats especially my kids. I have mine drafted but not yet posted -we cooks tend to think alike! lol…. Hey Barbara I hope you will come over and enter in our first giveaway!
Asha
Ohh!! You have given me a great dinner idea for tonight!!: ))
Rosa
A mouthwatering dish and combination! Those boats remind me of my childhood…
Cheers,
Rosa
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
That dish is a boatload of flavor. I love it!
carrian
I haven’t had zucchini boats in ages!