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Chicken Bacon Ranch Zucchini Boats

Chicken bacon ranch zucchini boats are baked low-carb zucchini boats filled with creamy ranch chicken, crispy bacon, and melted sharp cheddar. Pre-baking the shells helps them stay tender without getting watery, then a final bake melts everything into a golden, cheesy topping.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini boats
  • 4 medium zucchini Halved lengthwise
  • 1 green onions Sliced; divided
Ranch chicken filling
  • 2 cup cooked chicken Shredded or diced
  • 0.5 cup cream cheese Softened
  • 0.33 cup ranch dressing Plus more for drizzling
  • 1 tbsp ranch seasoning mix
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 6 bacon Cooked and crumbled; divided
  • 1.5 cup sharp cheddar cheese Shredded; divided
  • 0.25 salt To taste
  • 0.25 pepper To taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and pre-bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Halve the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the centers, leaving about a 1/4-inch shell; discard the flesh or chop it to add to the filling later.
  3. Place the zucchini shells cut-side up on a sheet pan and pre-bake for 8 minutes to remove moisture.
Make the ranch chicken mixture
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, ranch seasoning mix, garlic powder, half the bacon, half the cheddar, half the green onions, salt, and pepper until evenly mixed.
Assemble and bake
  1. Fill each pre-baked zucchini boat generously with the ranch chicken mixture.
  2. Top with the remaining cheddar and bacon.
  3. Bake 12–15 minutes at 400°F until the cheese is melted and golden; drizzle with ranch and garnish with the remaining green onions before serving.

Notes

For less watery boats, don’t skip the 8-minute pre-bake—start with cut-side up on the sheet pan. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through. Freezing isn’t recommended because the zucchini texture can soften too much. Dairy-lite swap: use light cream cheese and reduced-fat cheddar if you want a lower-fat version while keeping the ranch filling creamy.