These Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the perfect way to add a fun twist to Zucchini and Tacos. Zucchini is plentiful in the Summer, but you can often find it all year long in most grocery stores. It’s a very simple recipe and the perfect mash-up to change up your weeknight meals. Did I mention it's really good too?!
Zucchini is one of those Summer vegetables that’s extremely versatile. You can add it to muffins, smoothies, make Zucchini Fries or simply saute it by itself with a little olive oil, butter, salt and pepper for the most tasty Sauteed Zucchini Recipe!
These Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats are definitely my new favorite way to enjoy zucchini and what better way to make a complete meal than with tacos! Oh and they’re also slightly healthier than traditional tacos and tortillas so that’s always a plus right?😄
What You'll Need For This Recipe
- Zucchini: Four medium to large size zucchini.
- Ground Turkey: Try to find 85% lean or 93% lean ground turkey. You can also substitute with ground beef or ground chicken.
- Taco Seasoning: Feel free to use store-bought or homemade taco seasoning.
- Salsa: A little bit of your favorite salsa to add more flavor to the taco meat.
- Cheese: I like using a mixture of 2 cheddar cheeses or a Mexican cheese blend.
- Salt, Pepper & Olive Oil: To season the zucchini.
- Toppings: And of course you've got to add your favorite taco toppings like dived tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, or whatever toppings you like!
How To Make Zucchini Boats
Full instructions are included in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview of how to make these easy taco zucchini boats:
Step One: Wash the zucchini thoroughly and pat them dry. Trim off the top stem of the zucchini. Cut the zucchini in half evenly lengthwise. Scoop out the insides leaving about ¼ inch of flesh around all sides. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Step Two: Now cook the ground turkey and season with the taco seasoning. Add in the zucchini flesh and the salsa.
Step Three: Fill each of the zucchini boats with the taco mixture and bake in the oven for an additional 20 minutes. Finally, top the zucchini boats with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Leftover zucchini boats store very well in the refrigerator. Just place any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or the oven and they still taste great the next day. Zucchini boats are perfect for meal prep too! My favorite meal prep containers are these glass containers. They are durable, don’t stain and are easy to clean.
More Easy Vegetable and Dinner Recipes
WATCH ME MAKE IT HERE
Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 large Zucchini
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb. ground turkey*
- 1 package taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning
- ½ cup salsa
Toppings
- Shredded Cheese
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- Wash the zucchini thoroughly. Pat dry, then trim off a small piece of the top and bottom end of the zucchini. Cut each zucchini in half and scoop out the flesh and seeds, leaving about ½ inch of flesh around the sides of the zucchini to form a boat.
- You can save half of the zucchini flesh to use in the taco meat, freeze for later, or discard.
- Place each zucchini boat on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle or brush with olive oil on the insides of each zucchini boat. Sprinkle salt and black pepper on each zucchini half and bake in the oven for 10 min to soften the zucchini.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground turkey until fully brown and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Add the taco seasoning and stir until well combined. Add half of the reserved chopped zucchini flesh (optional) and the salsa to the skillet with the taco mixture. Stir well and let simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
- Remove the zucchini from the oven. Fill each zucchini boat with the taco mixture and place back in the oven for 20 minutes to finish baking.
- Remove the zucchini boats from the oven and top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use ground beef instead of ground turkey.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
Jazz says
These boats were easy to make and tasted fab! I used ground beef and they were still nice and light. Thank you!