Mexican Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats are full of ground turkey or beef, tons of spicy Mexican flavor, and make an easy low-carb and keto dinner recipe.  Learn how to make zucchini boats by stuffing them with your favorite healthy filling ingredients and then baking them in the oven!

Zucchini Taco Boats

Zucchini boats… stuffed with Mexican flavored taco goodness?!

Need I say more?

OK.  I’ll say a little more.

Actually, I’ll say A LOT more, because these taco stuffed zucchini boats have been ALL the rage in our house lately.If any of you know, my husband and I are TACO LOVERS.

Blame it on a 4-year stint in San Antonio, or the fact that we’ve lived in Austin for the last 6 years.

Needless to say, Mexican flavors and ALL types of tacos are often on the menu at the house.  (Please see these Roasted Cauliflower Tacos, Instant Pot Tacos al Pastor, or these Easy Migas if you need further evidence 😉

Healthy Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

But sometimes I want it all – the delicious spicy flavors of Mexican cuisine WITH more healthy ingredients and WITHOUT all of the carbs.  I know, I can be hard to please.

Let me introduce you to the BEST and EASIEST zucchini taco boats.

If you haven’t dabbled in the world of stuffed zucchini recipe making, your mind is about to be blown – because they are SO good, SO easy to make, and have SO many different variations! (Check out these Zucchini Pizza Boats and these Cilantro Lime Chicken Stuffed Zucchini.)

Ingredients

Making these ground turkey or beef stuffed zucchini is much like making a classic Ground Turkey Taco recipe – except, without the corn tortillas!

So the ingredients you will need are super easy to find at your local grocery store:

• Zucchinis – Well, duh!  But seriously.  It’s best to get zucchini that are about the same size and shape so they cook at a similar rate in the oven.
• Ground Meat – Ground beef, turkey, chicken, or even venison can all be used interchangeably in this recipe.  My personal preference is to get a 93/7 ground meat for the right balance fat content and flavor.
• Bell pepper – A red, yellow, or green bell pepper can all be used.
• Onion – Red, yellow, sweet, or white onions all work equally as well in this recipe.
• Taco Seasoning – You can either make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe, or buy a store bought packet if you’re in a rush.  Just make sure you adjust the amount of salt you add if using a packaged kind as they tend to have more than homemade seasoning mixes!
• Cheese – Shredded mild or sharp cheddar, Monterrey Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend will all taste great in this dish.

Preparing the Zucchini

It’s relatively quick and easy to cut zucchini squash into boats that can be baked and then stuffed.

Here are the step-by-step instructions for preparing the zucchini:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cut both the stem and the blossom ends off. (Step 1 above.)
3. Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise. (Step 2 above.)
4. Scoop the seeds out using a spoon with a slightly sharp edge. (Step 3 above.)
5. Leave about ½-inch of zucchini around all sides. (Step 4 above.)
6. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over all of the insides of the zucchini boats and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt. (Step 1 above.)
7. Place zucchini flat-side down on a large baking sheet in a single layer. (Step 2 above.)
8. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Make sure not to throw all of the zucchini flesh away as it will be used in a following step!

Taco Filling

While the zucchini boats are baking in the oven, it’s time to start preparing the ground turkey or beef taco filling.

For this you’ll want to use a large stainless steel skillet, Dutch oven, or non-stick skillet.

1. Sauté chopped bell pepper, onion, salt, and pepper in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. (Step 1 above.)
2. Add 1 cup of chopped zucchini flesh that was previously removed from the boats, and 2 cloves of crushed garlic.  Continue sautéing for an additional 1-2 minutes. (Step 1 above.)
3. Push vegetables to the side of the skillet and add ground meat.  Cook for 7-10 minute or until meat is completely cooked through. (Step 2 above.)
4. Drain any excess liquid from the pan when meat is done cooking.
5. Sprinkle in seasoning ingredients and add salsa.  Stir to combine. (Step 3 above.)
6. Turn off heat and mix in 3/4 cup shredded cheese. (Step 4 above.)

Stuffing and Baking

Once your zucchini boats have been partially cooked, the Mexican taco filling is ready to go, it’s time to stuff the squash and then bake them in the oven!

To do this simply turn over all of the pre-baked zucchini boats so the hollow cavity is facing up.

Fill all 8 zucchini boats with equal amounts of the ground meat taco filling mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Return the zucchini to the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Serving

While these stuffed zucchini taste incredible on their own, there are a few easy ways I like to freshen them up once they come out of the oven:

• A bit of finely chopped green onions
• A sprinkle of fresh cilantro
• A big ole’ dollop of sour cream!

Variations

There are so many different ways you can change up this recipe:

• Use ground venison, turkey, chicken or even tofu instead of the beef.
• Pick leaner meats for an even lighter and healthier recipe
• If you want your zucchini filling to be a little spicy, try adding roasted jalapeños or use a hot salsa.
• Don’t like cheese or have a lactose intolerance?  Substitute it for dairy-free or vegan cheese!

5 from 6 votes

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Mexican Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats are full of ground turkey or beef, tons of spicy Mexican flavor, and make an easy low-carb and keto dinner recipe.  Learn how to make zucchini boats by stuffing them with your favorite healthy filling ingredients and then baking them in the oven!

Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword ground beef, ground turkey, healthy, keto, Mexican, taco

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8 boats

Calories 214 kcal

Author London

Ingredients

• 4 zucchini squash about the same size
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ tsp. salt

Taco Filling:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 sweet onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 lb. ground meat beef, turkey, or chicken
• 2 Tbsp. homemade taco seasoning
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ¼ cup salsa mild or medium
• 1 cup shredded cheese divided, Cheddar or Mexican blend
• Green onions or cilantro finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

Preparing the Zucchini Boats:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut both the stem and the blossom ends off.

   

3. Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise.

   

4. Scoop the seeds out using a spoon with a slightly sharp edge. Leave about ½-inch of zucchini around all sides.

   

5. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over all of the insides of the zucchini boats and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt.

6. Place zucchini flat-side down on a large baking sheet in a single layer and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Taco Filling:

1. Saute chopped bell pepper, onion, salt, and pepper in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large stainless steel skillet for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add 1 cup of chopped zucchini flesh that was previously removed from the boats, and 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Continue sauteeing for an additional 1-2 minutes.
3. Push vegetables to the side of the skillet and add ground meat. Cook for 7-10 minute or until meat is completely cooked through.
4. Drain any excess liquid from the pan when meat is done cooking.
5. Sprinkle in seasoning ingredients and add salsa. Stir to combine.

6. Turn off heat and mix in ¾ cup shredded cheese.

7. Flip over all of the pre-baked zucchini boats so the hollow cavity is facing up.
8. Fill all 8 zucchini boats with equal amounts of the ground meat taco filling mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
9. Return the zucchini to the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.
10. Serve with chopped green onions or cilantro and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• This recipe can easily be made dairy-free.  Simply substitute a dairy-free cheese in place of the regular cheese.

Nutrition Facts

Mexican Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Amount Per Serving

Calories 214 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 53mg18%

Sodium 671mg29%

Potassium 462mg13%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 1183IU24%

Vitamin C 40mg48%

Calcium 105mg11%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.