Hasselback Zucchini with Grilled Chicken
Thin cuts fanned through each zucchini half, every slit packed with a spiced cream cheese filling loaded with chili and scallion. Twenty minutes of oven time and the cheese melts deep into those grooves while the ridges turn golden.
On the side, a small chicken breast rubbed in paprika-spiked olive oil and seared on a grill pan. The whole plate lands at 555 calories and just 15 grams of carbs — with most of the energy coming from the cheese and olive oil rather than anything starchy.
Ingredients
- zucchini 1
- chili pepper 0.5
- scallion 1
- cream cheese, reduced fat 3 tablespoon
- grated cheese 1 ounce
- olive oil 1.5 tablespoon
- paprika (ground spice) 0.5 teaspoon
- Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon
- chicken breast 3 ounce
Method
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Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C).
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Wash the zucchini and cut it in half. Make cuts about ⅓ inch apart along each half, slicing most of the way through but keeping the base intact. Place the zucchini in a baking dish and bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven.
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Meanwhile, prepare the filling for the zucchini. Dice the chili pepper and slice the scallion into rings. Mix these in a bowl with the cream cheese and grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
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In a small bowl, mix the oil with paprika powder and Italian seasoning. Marinate the chicken breast in this mixture.
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Remove the zucchini from the oven and carefully distribute the filling between the slices. Return the zucchini to the oven for 8 more minutes.
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Meanwhile, heat a grill pan and cook the chicken breast until done in about 7 minutes.
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Serve the hasselback zucchini with the chicken.
If the chili makes the filling too spicy, swap it for very finely diced bell pepper. You keep the color and crunch without the heat.
This plate gets 65% of its calories from fat and only 11% from carbs. Research tracking over five thousand people found that this kind of extreme ratio produces the same fat loss as a higher-carb split — as long as total calories and protein stay the same. The carbs are not the mechanism. The calorie budget is.
Carb-to-fat ratio and fat loss — 4 studies, 5,192 participantsBehind this recipe
Is this recipe keto-friendly?
At 15 grams of carbs, it fits comfortably within most keto thresholds (typically under 20-50g per day). That said, research tracking 5,192 participants found that this extreme carb-to-fat ratio does not produce better fat-loss results than higher-carb meals at the same calorie level. If you enjoy eating this way, it works — just not because the low carbs are doing something extra.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I use regular cream cheese instead of reduced fat?
Yes. Regular cream cheese has more fat per tablespoon, so the total will shift from 40g to roughly 45-48g of fat and the calorie count will rise by about 30-40 calories. The protein and carbs stay nearly the same. If you are tracking macros closely, adjust accordingly.
Why is the chicken portion so small?
Three ounces of chicken breast contributes about 22g of protein. The remaining 11g comes from the cream cheese and grated cheese. Combined, that puts the full plate at 33 grams of protein — and isotope tracer research confirmed the body uses all of it, with no per-meal ceiling at this amount.
Read the full evidence review
