Taco-seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, and pepper jack cheese help make these taco stuffed zucchini boats a satisfying (and better for you) main dish recipe.
Zucchini. Not one of my favorite fruit-slash-vegetables. I blame this on being ambushed by an English muffin pizza piled super high with zucchini slices served at a friend’s house when I was younger, so I was anti-zucchini for a bunch of years afterward. Thankfully I’m over that now and have used zucchini in several recipes here on the blog, like easy sweet potato zucchini pie, sesame almond butter zucchini noodles (zoodles!) and balsamic meatloaf with sauteed vegetables (my FAVE).
We’re coming up on zucchini season, which is great timing because I kind of want to eat these taco stuffed zucchini boats as often as I can. They’re a lightened up, inspired take on tacos, as zucchini takes the place of corn/flour tortillas. But first let’s talk about the beef. So good! After browning ground beef and draining off the fat, you’ll add a hefty amount of spices like chili powder and cumin to the beef and pour water over top. Lower the heat and let it all simmer until the water is just about gone. That will leave you with ultra juicy, boldly-flavored beef that jazzes up a fruit/vegetable that’s relatively flavorless (sorry, zucchini).
I used this same technique in this loaded Mediterranean beef rice bowl recipe (with different spices, of course) and loved the results. The extra step of seasoning and simmering is well worth the extra time!
Once the beef is cooked, the taco stuffed zucchini boats are assembled and popped in the oven so the zucchini becomes tender and the cheese melts. There’s definitely wiggle room here with what ingredients you add, so feel free to change up the toppings in line with what your crowd likes. 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.
Taco-seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, and pepper jack cheese help make these taco stuffed zucchini boats a satisfying (and better for you) main dish recipe.
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 3/4 lb ground beef
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 zucchini
- One-quarter of an onion, chopped
- Half of a 14-5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 4 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
- Jalapeno pepper, optional
- Cilantro chopped
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Combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, dried oregano, and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.
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Add beef to a skillet set over medium-high heat. Break up beef into pieces as it cooks, until crumbles are fully cooked.
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Drain fat from the beef, and then place the skillet back on the stovetop. Sprinkle spice mix over top of the beef, and then raise the heat to high. Pour water into the skillet, then lower heat to low-medium.
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Let beef simmer until nearly all of the water has reduced. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet or baking dish with foil and lightly grease.
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Cut the ends off of each zucchini and slice in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the center of each zucchini half, removing the seeds. Leave about 1/2" of an edge to hold in the filling.
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Place the six zucchini boats next to one another on prepared baking sheet or dish. Evenly spoon beef into each boat, and then onion.
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Evenly distribute the diced tomatoes to the zucchini boats, and top each with shredded cheese.
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Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the zucchini is relatively fork-tender.
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Top with sliced jalapeno pepper and cilantro before serving.
Since the fat is drained off of the beef, it doesn't matter too much the lean/fat percentage you use.
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Shiho says
ohhh what a great idea to use zucchini instead of taco shells. I am so going to make this!! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Alyssa says
You’re welcome, Shiho! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Tayler Ross says
These are so perfect for Taco Tuesday! I love this low carb meal!
Alyssa says
Definitely a Taco Tuesday favorite!!
Linda says
What a fantastic idea! I love the idea of having my tacos without the guilt. And I love zucchini and do something similar with pizza topping so I know I’m going to be making these Taco Stuffed Zucchini in the near future.
Alyssa says
Let me know how it goes, Linda. Sounds delicious with pizza toppings, too!
Ashley@CookNourishBliss says
I am kinda sorta obsessed with zucchini (one of my faves!). I’m so excited for zucchini season – these taco boats sound fantastic!
Alex says
Would appreciate calorie and nutrition values
Alyssa says
Hi Alex, using My Fitness Pal as a guide, each serving is approximately 447 calories. I haven’t calculated the various nutrition values yet, though in the short term I’m hoping to add nutritional info to each of my recipes. I hope that is helpful!
Claudia says
I also use My Fitness Pal and would appreciate any nutritional information
Alyssa says
Hi Claudia! Thank you for the reminder – I’ve added the nutrition here. For ease of use I use a different nutritional calculator, which shows slightly lower calories per serving here (approximately 406). Estimating values for this one was a bit tough because the recipe calls for draining off the fat from the ground beef, which sometimes isn’t easily worked into the equation for nutrition.