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Make the most of summer’s star vegetable by whipping up these Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats! Loaded with healthy vegetables and lean protein, this is a delicious and easy summer dinner recipe. It’s the best way to use up extra zucchini from your garden!
We keep making stuffed zucchini boats over and over again because we just can’t get enough of them. We think you are going to love this low-carb Mexican twist on our tried and true recipe!
Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats are so delicious and easy to make! This zucchini recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for a quick weeknight meal or even as an appetizer. The best part? The leftovers taste amazing as well! You really can’t go wrong with this easy summer dish.
Why we love this recipe
- Easy to throw together: This is one of our favorite no-fuss summer meals! Simply prep and bake the zucchini, make the stuffing while it’s baking, top the zucchini with the stuffing and cheese, and bake for just a few more minutes. It couldn’t be easier!
- Quick: From start to finish, this recipe takes less than 30 minutes!
- Perfect for meal prep: We love how the flavors develop in this recipe overnight. It tastes even better the next day and is perfect for a quick lunch. Any extra taco stuffing can also be made into a taco salad!
- Healthy: These low-carb Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats skip the extra carbs by using zucchini instead of tortillas and taco shells. It’s such a tasty way to add extra vegetables into your diet!
What you’ll need for Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Zucchini: This beautiful green vegetable is packed full of goodness! We particularly like it because it takes on most savory flavors so well without really adding any of its own. You can also use yellow squash in this recipe if desired.
- Onion: Onion is added to the taco meat mixture. It brings a hint of sweetness plus a delicious onion flavor. Red, white, or yellow onions are all great choices for this Taco Stuffed Zucchini boat recipe!
- Ground meat: We love adding lean ground meats! They are so filling without adding too many calories. Try turkey, chicken, or beef – whichever is your favorite!
- Taco seasoning: For ease, we used store-bought taco seasoning. Double check the salt content before adding any extra seasoning.
- Salsa: Adding salsa when we’re cooking Mexican food is one of our favorite flavorful hacks! It adds spice, moisture, and seasoning with very little effort!
- Black beans: Canned black beans are so easy to use in this recipe. Just drain and rinse them well!
- Cheese: Either mozzarella or cheddar is our favorite cheese for Taco Boats. Throw on either or both!
- Optional toppings: Chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, cilantro, and shredded iceberg lettuce are all great topping choices. We also enjoy a dash of hot sauce and a drizzle of Plain Greek Yogurt.
How to make Taco Stuffed zucchini boats
- Prepare the oven and baking tray: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Prep the zucchini: Place the zucchini halves, cut side up, into the prepared sheet pan. Scoop some of the flesh to create the boats.
3. Season and bake: Sprinkle it with salt, and pepper, and spray with cooking oil spray. Bake for 10
minutes.
4. Prepare the stuffing: Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
5. Saute the onions until soft, around 3-4 minutes.
6. Stir in the other ingredients: Add in the meat and cook, crumbling it with a wooden spoon. Once the meat starts to brown, stir in the taco seasoning, salsa, and beans.
7. Stuff the zucchini: Fill your roasted zucchini boats with the meat mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.
8. Bake again!: Return to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and zucchinis are crisp-tender.
9. Top and serve! Top your taco zucchini boats with desired toppings.
Tips for Success
- Depending on the size of the zucchini, baking time can vary a little. The best way to check if it’s ready is with a fork. If the zucchini is easily pierced, it’s ready to eat!
- This recipe should fill 6 zucchini boats perfectly, however, when we have leftover taco stuffing, we love to make taco salad out of it!
- Cook the scooped-out zucchini flesh with the taco stuffing to avoid any unnecessary waste.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavors develop so well and these taco-stuffed zucchini boats taste even better the next day so be sure to save them for an easy lunch!
- Reheat in the microwave or in the oven until heated through.
- Freeze: Yes, you can absolutely freeze these zucchini taco boats! Freeze them on a flat surface like a baking tray until they are firm, and then transfer them to an airtight container and freeze the zucchini boats for up to 4 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Zucchini is one of the best vegetables out there: low carb and loaded with many nutrients and antioxidants. Topped with a healthy topping like this lean taco stuffing makes for a perfectly healthy, well-rounded meal!
Yes, you can eat the entire zucchini boat. In fact, most of the zucchini’s nutrients are in that lovely dark skin, just like cucumber! You definitely don’t want to skip it.
The zucchini is baked by itself at first for 10 minutes. It also takes about 10 minutes to throw the stuffing together. When the zucchini comes out of the oven you can immediately load it up with the taco stuffing, sprinkle some cheese, and pop it back in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Overall, these Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats are ready in under 30 minutes!
More vegetable stuffed recipes to try soon
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Keto Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
- Beef and Quinoa Stuffed Eggplant
- Vegetarian Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
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Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 3 medium Zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 lb lean ground turkey, chicken or beef
- 1 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 4 oz can salsa
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- Optional toppings: , chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, cilantro, shredded iceberg lettuce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Place the zucchini halves, cut side up, into the prepared sheet pan. Scoop some of the flesh to create the boats.
- Sprinkle it with salt, pepper and spray with cooking oil spray. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions until soft, around 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the meat and cook, crumbling it with a wooden spoon. Once the meatstarts to brown, stir in the taco seasoning, salsa and beans.
- Fill your roasted zucchini boats with the meat mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.
- Return to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is meltedand zucchinis are crisp tender.
- Top your taco zucchini boats with desired toppings.
Notes
- Serving size is one half of a zucchini / one zucchini boat
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavors develop so well and these taco-stuffed zucchini boats taste even better the next day so be sure to save them for an easy lunch!
- Reheat in the microwave or in the oven until heated through.
- Freeze: Yes, you can absolutely freeze these zucchini taco boats! Freeze them on a flat surface like a baking tray until they are firm, and then transfer them to an airtight container and freeze the zucchini boats for up to 4 months
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
