Air fryer zucchini boats are a great dinner or snack! Made vegetarian, stuffed with chicken or ground beef they’re cooked fast in our Ninja Foodi.
You’ve gotta’ try our easy air fryer zucchini boats tonight! We made a few cheese filled halves and a few stuffed with crack chicken too. OH MY I’m telling you, they were delicious and such a fast air fryer recipe you can throw together too.
We made these in our Ninja Foodi, but you can use any electric air fryer you have at home too.
Here are a few resources to start with:
- This is the Ninja Cooking system we have
- You can grab a free recipe book here. ?
- Pick up MY cookbook too!
- You’ll find more Ninja Foodi air fryer recipes here too.
- Join my Ninja Foodi EASY Recipes Facebook group for more recipes.
You’re going to start with some med./large zucchini. We have a plant in our garden which yields A LOT of them this time of year so we are always looking for new zucchini recipes.
- First lay them in your air fryer basket and make sure they fit.
- Then slice them in half lengthwise and discard both ends you won’t want to eat.
- Use a spoon to gently scoop out the middle so they look like boats ready to be filled!
Then use your imagination as far as what you’d like in them!
These are a few fillings for zucchini boats we’ve used:
- Cheese
- Crack chicken dip
- Taco meat topped with cheese
That is really all the prep work you need, then comes the melting.
This is what you need to make the best air fryer zucchini boats
- Zucchini
- Cheese
- Olive oil
- Fillings
- ground beef / taco meat
- chicken
- tuna
- ground sausage and diced tomatoes
- sauteed vegetables for a vegetarian option
Depending on what you stuff inside them you can make these keto and/or gluten free quite easily so everyone in the family can enjoy them for a meal.
Yes, we have a lot of zucchini recipes we love but these stuffed zucchini boats top the list for a hearty meal.
Try these others too!
- Air fried zucchini chips
- or zucchini slices whichever shape you prefer
- using Panko bread crumbs for a light crunchy outside
- they’re amazing sprinkled with parmesan cheese and a side of marinara sauce or fry sauce
- Grandma’s moist zucchini bread recipe
- Salt and pepper fried zucchini
- And our zucchini pineapple bread is a great twist
Set to cook for 10 minutes in your air fryer there are TONS of variations you can make now that you have the timing and instructions here.
Start to finish you too can have a healthy meal or snack ready in under 30 minutes.
Looking for more easy Ninja Foodi recipes?
- Try our air fryer cauliflower too.
Do you eat the skin on zucchini boats?
Yes! If they are unwaxed of course which is important. Of course ours had none of that because it’s from our vegetable garden so they’re absolutely perfect and fresh. 😉
Can you freeze zucchini boats?
Freezing sliced zucchini is better than freezing them whole. Since these are halved they are okay frozen and defrosted but really I prefer them freshly cooked. They’re cheap enough typically year round so I personally don’t see the need to freeze. Just buy, slice, stuff, and air fry zucchini the same day.
What is the best way to freeze zucchini?
- Cut them – After your zucchini is washed, cut off both ends and discard those pieces. 1/2′ rounds or dials work best.
- Blanch in boiling water – If you give zucchini a quick bath in boiling water will keep it from becoming discolored and/or mushy in texture.
- Then cool in a bowl of ice water
- Drain well and then pat zucchini pieces dry with paper towels
- Package in air tight containers or freezer bags without air inside, then put inside your freezer
Can grated zucchini be frozen?
Yes, and it is handy to do if you like zucchini bread but have too many on hand and don’t want to cook multiple loaves right away.
- Just shred with a cheese grater
- Lay it on a few paper towels
- Roll it up and press with a hand so moisture is absorbed
- Sometimes there’s so much moisture I fold it all the way up and squeeze the liquid out over the sink!
Now have we shared all things zucchini with you? 😉
I think we’re ready to talk about what to serve with zucchini boats now!!
For those of you who like the top of your air fryer zucchini boats to be quite browned and crispy:
How do you use air fryer oil?
Just spray a bit of olive oil spray on the top during the last 2 minutes to get a real crispy crunchy cheesy top!
Find more zucchini dinner recipes here too!
Air Fryer Zucchini Boats
Instructions
- Make sure zucchini sliced in half lengthwise fits into your air fryer basket. Keep that in mind when choosing pieces. I like ones that are as large as possible without having to cut much off the ends.
- Hold half your zucchini and use a spoon to gently scoop the insides out while keeping the bottom and ends in tact so filling doesn't ooze out or leak.
- Preheat air fryer at this time to 320 degrees for about 3 minutes. Use a finger to rub just a touch of olive oil on the edges that are exposed on your zucchini.
- Then fill with precooked taco meat, our crack chicken dip, and/or just shredded cheese.
- Push down gently so cavity is completely filled, and not overflowing too much. When it melts you don't want your machine to have a lot of overflow.
- 2-4 halves should fit into your basket well depending on the size. Do not overlap them.
- Set to 320 degrees for 9 minutes. This is usually the perfect amount of time to melt the cheese and get it lightly browned on top. Season with salt and pepper when done.
- Serve!
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