Oven-Baked Stuffed Zucchini

Stuffed vegetables are a classic comfort food found in cuisines all around the world, and this Oven-Baked Stuffed Zucchini is a delightful and healthy take on the tradition. Tender zucchini rounds become edible bowls for a juicy, aromatic filling of minced chicken and a medley of sautéed vegetables. Baking melds the flavors together perfectly, creating a dish that is both light and incredibly satisfying. It's a fantastic way to turn a simple vegetable into the star of your dinner table, perfect for a wholesome family meal.

Oven-Baked Stuffed Zucchini

Cooking: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Quantity: 3 Servings

Per serving

Calories: 580 kcal

Proteins: 36 g

Fats: 41 g

Carbohydrates: 20 g

Ingredients for Oven-Baked Stuffed Zucchini

• 650 g medium zucchini
• 115 ml olive oil
• 5 g salt
• 15 g white sesame seeds

For the filling:

• 400 g chicken fillet
• 100 g onion
• 230 g carrots
• 150 g bell pepper
• 30 g celery greens
• 1 hot pepper pod
• 20 ml olive oil
• 5 g salt
• ground paprika, black pepper, oregano

How to Make Oven-Baked Stuffed Zucchini

Peel the medium-sized zucchini. Cut them into several rounds, about 4-5 centimeters (1.5-2 inches) high. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the core with the seeds, leaving a bottom about 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) thick.

In a wide sauté pan, bring water to a boil and add salt. Blanch the zucchini rounds in batches for 5-7 minutes, then remove them and place them on a sieve to drain the excess water.

Preparing the zucchini for stuffing

Making the Filling

Finely chop the onion. Sauté it in well-heated refined olive oil suitable for frying.

Sautéing chopped onion

When the onion turns a caramel color, add the coarsely grated carrots. Sauté the onion and carrots for 7 minutes.

Frying grated carrots with onion

For aroma, add diced sweet bell pepper. The color of the pepper doesn’t matter, as long as it’s fleshy.

Sauté the pepper with the carrots and onion for 5 minutes.

Adding chopped bell pepper to the fry

Finely dice the chicken fillet by cutting across the grain with a sharp knife, or grind it using a meat grinder. It’s best to use a coarse grinding plate so you can feel the pieces of meat in the filling.

Frying minced chicken fillet with vegetables

Add salt, oregano, ground paprika, and finely chopped celery greens. Remove the seeds and membranes from the hot pepper pod, slice it into rings, and add it to the other ingredients.

Sauté the filling for a few more minutes.

Adding spices, chopped herbs, and hot pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Fill the zucchini rounds with the chicken and vegetable mixture, mounding it high on top for extra flavor. Pour some olive oil into a frying pan and arrange the stuffed zucchini.

Stuffing the prepared zucchini and placing them in a preheated oven

Place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Since the ingredients are already partially cooked, they won’t need to bake for long—20-25 minutes is sufficient.

Baking the stuffed zucchini in the oven for 20-25 minutes

Remove the finished stuffed zucchini from the oven, sprinkle with white sesame seeds, and serve hot.

I recommend preparing a sauce for the oven-baked stuffed zucchini: press a garlic clove, finely chop a bunch of dill and a few green onion stalks, then mix everything with salt and smetana (a popular Eastern European sour cream).

Oven-Baked Stuffed Zucchini