Air fryer Zucchini Boats

If you have tried all the zucchini recipes on this blog, wait until you eat some of these delicious air fryer zucchini boats.

You can serve these zucchini boats as an appetizer or a side dish; this delicious dish will be a hit as it is so easy to make yet delicious.

Zucchini boats are a fantastic way to sneak in some extra veggies into this recipe without sacrificing flavor. This is a great keto low-carb recipe.

They go well with different veggie and meat toppings– whether you’re a meat lover, a veggie enthusiast, or somewhere in between.

The air fryer works so well by giving these veggie stuffed zucchini boats that perfect crispy exterior while keeping the insides tender and juicy.

It is also a healthier alternative to deep frying so that you can indulge guilt-free in these zucchini boats.

If you’re looking for a nutritious weeknight meal or a crowd-pleaser appetizer for your next gathering, air fryer zucchini boats have got you covered.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Healthy and aesthetic recipe: Zucchini boats are nutritious and have vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and this is a very low-carb meal. It is perfect as a main course or appetizer; you can also serve it to guests.

Perfect for kids: This recipe makes it easy to incorporate more vegetables into your diet without sacrificing taste. This makes this recipe ideal for kids; you will love everything about it.

Effortless Preparation: With minimal ingredients and the convenience of an air fryer, zucchini boats are quick to whip up and perfect for busy schedules.

Different filling variations: You can add any filling you choose in the zucchini boats and make it versatile. This recipe can easily cater to various cuisines and taste buds.

Needs zero oil- You need zero oil to make this. The cheese adds a lot of flavor to this recipe, and you don’t feel like you need to add more oil.

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini- You can cut it into halves if you have a large zucchini. Make sure the zucchinis fit in the air fryer, as you do not want to load them up with fillings and cheese, and then cut them in the center. It is possible to do so, but it will get messy.

200-gram mushrooms chopped- I had roughly 8-10 fresh button mushrooms that I chopped finely to taste amazing when used as a stuffing. When you finely chop mushrooms or veggies, they cook faster and have more flavor. I use a handheld chopper for this, and you can do the same.

1/2 onion, chopped– You can use red or white onion in this recipe. Just make sure you chop the onions finely, and you have to ensure that the thickness of both the onion and the mushroom is the same so that one doesn’t overcook before the other.

1 tablespoon butter- I use butter to cook the stuffing to add more flavor to the mushroom and onion mix.

Salt and pepper, to taste- You can add salt and pepper to the stuffing mix according to your preference or even skip it if you use stuffing ingredients that already have salt in them. These ingredients will depend on your taste and liking.

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese- You can use any brand mozzarella cheese you like and it would work well with this recipe. You can also use a cheese blend if you want to try to work with different flavours and textures of different kinds of cheese.

How to make Air fryer zucchini boats

1. Prepare the Filling: Preheat a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter now finely chop the mushrooms and onions(you can use any other veggies or meat of your liking at this step) and add them to the pan. Sauté the vegetables until they are soft and golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, set aside the mushroom and onion mixture.

2. Prepare the Zucchini Boats: Wash the zucchini and cut them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to gently scoop out the soft center of each zucchini half, creating a boat-like shape. You can not cut them in half and make a long boat, but ensure it fits in the air fryer basket. Reserve the scooped-out zucchini flesh for another use or discard.

3. Assemble the Zucchini Boats: Place the zucchini boats in the air fryer basket and cut the side up. Fill each zucchini boat generously with the sautéed mushroom and onion mixture.

4. Add Cheese and Air Fry: Add shredded mozzarella cheese/ or a cheese blend of your liking on top of each filled zucchini boat. Carefully transfer the air fryer basket back into the air fryer. Cook these zucchini boats in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

5. Serve and Enjoy: Remove the zucchini boats from the air fryer once cooked. Serve hot as a delicious appetizer, side dish, or main course.

Tips on making the best Air fryer Zucchini Boats

1. Customize Zucchini Thickness: Adjust the amount of soft zucchini removed according to preference; some prefer thicker boats for less stuffing, while others prefer thinner boats for more stuffing.

2. Personalize Stuffing: Experiment with different stuffing ingredients to suit your taste preferences and dietary restrictions. You can add more or less meat and veggies into the stuffing to your liking. The best part about this recipe is that you can use leftovers to get the best-tasting zucchini boats.

3. Enhance Flavor: Cook all stuffing ingredients before filling the zucchini to ensure maximum flavor in every bite. You can add raw veggies directly, but in the case of meat, I suggest cooking them before putting them in the filling.

4. Optimize Air Fryer Space: Cut zucchini half lengthwise to create boats that fit perfectly in the air fryer basket.

5. Hands-Off Cooking: Cooking Air fryer Zucchini Boats is so stress-free as you do not need to flip or rotate during cooking, allowing you to relax while the meal cooks to perfection.

6. Versatile Serving Options: It is fun to see that one can serve Zucchini Boats as an appetizer, side dish, or a main course, depending on how you choose to plate and complement them with other dishes.

Can you store these?

You can refrigerate these air fryer zucchini boats, but I would not recommend freezing them as zucchini never freezes well, and if you do, you will end up with a soggy zucchini that is definitely not appetizing.

You can put this in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days, which is how long they will last there. Consume them as soon as possible, or else it is best to discard them after the 4-day mark.

If you want to reheat these air fryer zucchini boats, just put them in the air fryer and reheat them at 200°C for about 5-6 minutes so that they are all warm and well cooked.

Different filling options for zucchini boats

1. Cheesy Spinach and Ricotta: Mix cooked spinach with ricotta cheese, minced garlic, and grated Parmesan. Fill zucchini boats and top with mozzarella before baking.

2. Mushroom and Quinoa Pilaf: Sauté mushrooms with cooked quinoa, diced bell peppers, and onions. Season with herbs like thyme and rosemary before stuffing into zucchini boats.

3. Tex-Mex Black Bean and Corn Filling: Combine black beans, corn, diced bell peppers, onions, and cooked rice with taco seasoning. Top with shredded cheese and a dollop of salsa.

4. Mediterranean Chickpea filling: Toss chickpeas with diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, Kalamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese. In this case, you can add leftover Mediterranean chickpea salad and cook it with cheese on top. You do not need to precook the filling here.

5. Italian Sausage and Pepperoni: Cook Italian sausage with diced pepperoni, marinara sauce, and Italian seasoning. Fill zucchini boats and top with shredded mozzarella before baking. This is like air fryer zucchini pizza boats in the making.

6. Crab and Cream Cheese: Mix crab meat with cream cheese, minced garlic, and chopped green onions. Fill zucchini boats and sprinkle with breadcrumbs before baking until golden.

7. Mix and match: You can even stuff some leftover meat and veggies sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top and cook these zucchini boats. Try to cook the stuffing before you fill the zucchini boats.

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