Sheet Pan Mexican Street Corn-Stuffed Chicken Zucchini Boats

Are you looking for a new recipe to use up leftover chicken? Check out these zesty Sheet Pan Mexican Street Corn-Stuffed Chicken Zucchini Boats. Mexican street corn (Elote), a popular street vendor dish in Mexico, is one of my top ten favorite foods.

It’s a bit smoky, salty, creamy, and tangy from the fresh squeeze of lime. YUM. We seldom go a month between chowing down some sort of Mexican street corn-style dish. This recipe is a twist on the original Mexican street corn inside of a low-calorie roasted zucchini boat and a boost of protein from leftover chicken. Mexican Street Corn-Stuffed Chicken Zucchini Boats are a great way to get in some extra veggies without missing out on flavor.

What to do with leftover chicken

I often prepare a roast chicken at the start of the week that I can transform into various other meals with the leftover meat. This recipe only takes a cup of chicken, which makes it the perfect recipe to use up leftover shredded or cubed chicken, but you can also cook up a chicken breast or two for this recipe. 

Chicken is a frugal kitchen staple since it is so versatile, freezes well, and is often on sale. However, my household tends to eat a lot of chicken and sometimes we need a unique recipe to shake things up and excite our taste buds again. Sheet Pan Mexican Street Corn-Stuffed Chicken Zucchini Boats is a zesty original dish that is easy and quick enough to prepare for a busy weeknight meal. Plus, you can make this on a sheet pan for breezy cleanup. Sign me up.

Tips to make the best chicken zucchini boats

Seasoning and flavor tips

• If the chicken isn’t already seasoned, add some southwestern-inspired seasoning to it like cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
• Roast and season the zucchini before adding toppings for the best flavor.
• Use the zest and juice of a whole lime.
• If you are using frozen or canned corn taste the mixture ahead of time and adjust seasoning as needed. Sometimes frozen or canned corn is a bit less flavorful than fresh corn, so make sure to add seasoning if needed.
• If you are heat sensitive, use 1/2 of a poblano pepper instead of jalapeno for a similar taste without the heat.

How to make zucchini boats

Zucchini boats are a fun weeknight meal we make a lot in our house, and they are quite easy to make. Start by cutting your zucchini lengthwise in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and create a deeper “scoop” down the middle of the zucchini boat. Don’t scoop the zucchini too deep or it will not hold the filling. Try to keep the scoop about 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep (depending on the thickness of the zucchini is what you are looking for). Make sure to season and roast the zucchini before adding the filling to add the most flavor and to ensure all the layers of the dish are well seasoned.

Sheet Pan Mexican Street Corn-Stuffed Chicken Zucchini Boat ingredients

Zucchini

Zucchini is one of my go-to budget-friendly buys. It is an incredibly versatile ingredient that takes on nearly any flavor sweet or savory and is even tasty roasted by itself. I love it in this recipe because it is such a low-calorie, yet vessel (which means I can eat a whole lot of these boats without any guilt). The zucchini also acts as a filler in this recipe which means you can stretch the meat you use a bit further in the week and in your grocery budget. Hello, savings.

Corn

Let’s be honest, Farm-fresh corn is the best choice. But sometimes, fresh corn just isn’t available either regionally or seasonally). Use frozen corn. There is no shame. You might need to add a slight bit more seasoning to your corn mixture, but that’s alright. Go ahead and use the frozen corn you have my full permission.

Lime

Here’s my rule of thumb: if you are going to add the juice of a citrus fruit, then you might as well use some of its zest. Do it. Your dish will be much more flavorful.

Cilantro

In my opinion, cilantro is delicious and a MUST-HAVE in this recipe. I know some people think cilantro tastes “soapy”, so make sure you know who you are cooking for before making this recipe. I absolutely would not recommend removing the cilantro from the Mexican street corn mixture.

Jalapeno

I love fresh jalapeño in this dish, which is odd because I am not a very spice-tolerant person. The mayo, zucchini, and corn, definitely mellow it out. If you can’t handle the heat try a 1/2 of a poblano instead, it delivers the same taste with none of the spice.

Queso Fresco

Queso fresco is a mild feta-like Mexican-style cheese (it’s available at Aldi’s as well as most stores). You can also use cotija cheese or feta cheese as a replacement.

Can I Prep These Mexican Corn-Stuffed Chicken Zucchini Boats Ahead of Time?

Sure, prep this the night before for dinner by prepping the zucchini boats(slice, season, pre-bake), mixing up the Mexican corn mixture, and prepping the cooked chicken ahead of time. Store the ingredients in the fridge until you are ready. For dinner, combine all the ingredients together and bake and enjoy.

Fancy Frugal Fixes kitchen tip

Prepare a roast chicken at the beginning of your week and plan recipes to help you stretch the chicken’s meat. Even if you don’t roast the chicken yourself, you can pick up a rotisserie chicken at many grocery stores and use it for a few recipes for your week. You can prepare recipes like this recipe for Sheet Pan Mexican Street Corn-Stuffed Chicken Zucchini Boats. Cutting down on the amount of meat you consume in a week can help the environment, improve your health, and dramatically reduce your food budget. As a bonus, prepping meat ahead of time is a huge time saver later on in the week.

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