Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Taco-seasoned ground beef or turkey, tomatoes, and your favorite shredded cheese help make these taco stuffed zucchini boats a satisfying (and better for you) main dish recipe. They're a great use for a surplus of zucchini!

Zucchini is not one of my favorite fruits/vegetables. I've learned it's botanically a fruit, but if there's ever a mental image of a blah vegetable, it sure is a piece of soggy, unseasoned zucchini.

Thankfully I've gotten past that. Zucchini makes a sneaky addition to our beloved balsamic meatloaf and is an essential element to easy zucchini pie.

Here though the zucchini is front and center. These taco seasoned zucchini boats are a lightened-up and inspired take on tacos, as zucchini takes the place of corn/flour tortillas. Piled high with southwestern flavors, this healthy dinner recipe is filling and satisfying, all without being lighter tasting at all.

Recipes to Love This Recipe

• Taco zucchini boats are really versatile! A variety of meats, veggies, and cheeses all work to make these to your taste.
• Zucchini is a good source of nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium (source).
• This is a great recipe to make if you have leftover taco meat.

Recipe Ingredients

• Zucchini: When choosing zucchini from the store, look for ones that have firm skin with the least amount of blemishes. I try and go for medium-ish zucchini, but my store didn't have a great selection so you'll see some size variety in these pictures. This isn't a very exacting recipe so some variance is just fine.
• Meat: Ground turkey or ground beef are both good options here. Be sure to drain the fat before seasoning if using beef. This is seasoned with a scaled down version of my favorite homemade taco seasoning, though your favorite store-bought blend works for convenience.
• Onion: This is diced and raw, though if you have leftover sautéed onion they would work, too.
• Tomatoes: Fresh or canned diced tomatoes are fine. If using canned tomatoes, a fire-roasted variety adds a nice flavor. Drain before using.
• Cheese: Lots work! A sharp cheddar or any of the jack cheeses are usually my picks.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cook Meat - Crumble ground meat in a large skillet until fully cooked. Scatter dried spices over the meat, then pour in water. Allow everything to bubble up and simmer until the water has reduced. This step allows an even distribution of spices over the meat and ensures it retains moisture, even after these zucchini taco boats take a spin in the oven.

Tip: If using beef, be sure to drain the fat before adding the seasoning and water.

2. Scoop Zucchini Boats - Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise, then scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a boat shape. Set aside the scooped out zucchini for another use.

Tip: A grapefruit spoon (one that has jagged teeth around the mouth) makes this step even easier.

3. Assemble - Spoon cooked taco meat into each zucchini boat, then top with diced onion, diced tomatoes, and then shredded cheese.

4. Bake - Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the zucchini becomes fork-tender. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil partway through if the cheese is browning more than you'd like before the zucchini have softened.

I added diced tomatoes and pepper jack cheese pre-bake, and then topped them with jalapeno pieces (definitely optional) and chopped cilantro just prior to serving.

With all the flavors going on here, we didn't miss the tortilla element one bit! This is a great dinner option that's on the healthier side but is still hearty and will fill you up.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Don't Waste the Zucchini - Some zucchini boat recipes call for sauteing the inner zucchini flesh and adding it to the meat, but I find that brings too much moisture. Instead I like to chop it up and use it in place of shredded zucchini in a different recipe, such as balsamic meatloaf with veggies or Bisquick zucchini pie.
• Switch It Up - A meatless ground meat alternative would work great here. If going this route I'm partial to tempeh, seen in these tempeh tacos. Also consider adding more/different fillings, such as black beans, roasted corn, etc.
• Topping Suggestions - Diced jalapeño pepper, chopped cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream.
• Can You Freeze Them? Whole zucchini in this way gets pretty water-logged and doesn't freeze well. If you'd like to simplify the process of making taco stuffed zucchini boats, you could cook, season, and freeze the meat to streamline future dinners.

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