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These stuffed zucchini boats are a delicious, healthy, Mexican-inspired recipe, perfect for dinner or meal prepping. Made from seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, chopped veggies, and plenty of cheese make this recipe healthy without skimping on flavor.
I make these stuffed zucchini boats ALL the time, especially when I’m looking for a lower-carb dinner that’s a healthier weeknight dinner option. It’s also one of my favorite ways to use up all those extra zucchinis from the fridge!
My family loves it, even my toddler, which is always a win.
This Mexican-inspired version is one I keep coming back to, filled with ground beef, black beans, corn, and plenty of cheese for a flavorful meal that’s super easy to throw together.
Ingredients in Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Zucchini: I used 4 medium zucchini. Make sure they are the same size so they bake evenly.
- Ground beef: I used lean ground beef, but you can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead. Or you can omit it completely for a vegetarian version.
- Garlic, onion, and bell pepper: I added these vegetables to add flavor to the ground beef mixture.
- Taco seasoning: I used my homemade taco seasoning recipe. It makes a big batch that’s perfect to keep on hand, but you can also use your favorite store-bought packet if you prefer.
- Mexican-blend cheese: I used shredded Mexican-blend cheese in the filling and as an extra topping. You can also use shredded Colby or Monterey jack cheese.
- Black beans and corn: I used canned black beans and whole-kernel corn that have been well drained and rinsed.
- Salsa: I used my favorite roasted tomato salsa. If you use store-bought salsa, I recommend using a red salsa.
How to Make Mexican Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Step 1: Prepare the zucchini. After preheating your oven to 375℉, start to prepare your zucchini. Cut off the top and bottom stems, then cut lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and flesh with a spoon to create a zucchini boat. Set the prepared zucchini on a baking sheet with parchment paper while you prepare the filling.
Step 2: Prepare the filling. Cook onions in a skillet until soft and translucent. Add garlic, ground beef, bell peppers, and taco seasoning. Cook until all the meat has browned, then stir in black beans, corn, ½ cup shredded cheese, and salsa.
Step 3: Assemble the zucchini boats. Scoop equal amounts of filling into each of the zucchini boats, about 3-4 tablespoons depending on their size. Once all the zucchini boats are filled, top them with the remaining shredded cheese.
Step 4: Bake and serve. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until the zucchini is tender. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Use a different protein. You can easily substitute ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef.
- Make it vegetarian. You can make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the ground beef.
- Leftover filling? It makes a great filling for burritos, tacos, gorditas or even nachos!
Serving Suggestions
These zucchini boats are delicious served on their own with a dollop of sour cream or Mexican crema and a little guacamole.
But if you want something a little extra, try pairing it with a simple side salad, some crusty garlic bread, or some authentic Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice.
For a lower-carb option, try serving it with Mexican cauliflower rice, avocado salad, or Mexican roasted vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
They can be frozen, but I don’t recommend it. The zucchini will get very mushy once frozen and thawed. However, you can freeze the filling for up to 3 months.
To store, place in an airtight and refrigerate for up to 1 week. To reheat, place them in the microwave and reheat it in 1-minute increments.
Yes! Just prepare everything as usual, but stop before baking. Cover the stuffed zucchini boats and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to cook, simply pull them out and bake at 375°F for about 25-30 minutes.
More Zucchini Recipes
If you tried this Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe or any other recipe on Isabel Eats, don’t forget to 🌟 rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing about your experience making it!
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups Mexican-blend cheese, divided
- ½ cup chunky salsa
- Chopped cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup, or spray a large baking dish with cooking spray.
- Prepare the zucchini boats by cutting off the stems and slicing the zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and seeds. Set the prepared zucchini on the lined baking sheet.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, ground beef, bell pepper, and taco seasoning. Break up the ground beef and stir to combine. Cook until all the meat has browned and is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes
- Stir in the black beans, corn, ½ cup of shredded cheese, and salsa. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the black beans and corn are warmed through and the cheese is melted.
- Assemble Mexican zucchini boats by scooping equal amounts of filling, about 3-4 tablespoons, into each zucchini. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, until zucchini is soft and tender.
- Remove foil, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a different protein. You can easily substitute ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef.
- Make it vegetarian. You can make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the ground beef.
- Leftover filling? It makes a great filling for burritos, tacos, gorditas or even nachos!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in April 2018, and has been updated with new photos, more helpful tips, and a better overall recipe.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
Excellent!! I put rice instead of beans. And topped with cheese and olives.
I’ve made this 2 times now! Just love the flavors ! Used green bell peppers and canned tomatoes (drained) as substitutes. We’ve made a very similar one to this as stuffed peppers!! Delicious!
This is AMAZING. We are two people, so I prepared one large zucchini. Didn’t have time to bake, but I microwaved on a platter, with a little bit of water, all tucked in a bag, run on high for about 5 minutes total. I shaved a bit of the skin off the bottom to steady the ‘boat’, which helped in the serve.
I had a small patty of homemade chorizo (grnd turkey & pork…yummm) and followed all other ingredients. Slopped that mixture all over the zucchini, cut fresh cilantro, sprinkled mixed mex cheese, and a big dollop of sour cream, and man…what a great lunch.
This is a real keeper…just as it is (even though it clearly lends itself to different modifications). Love it.
Made these today. They were yummy 😋. I’ll be freezing the leftovers that didn’t fit inside the zucchini boats. Very easy!
I’m so happy you liked them, Elizabeth! Thank you so much!