Mexican stuffed round zucchini, or 8-ball zucchini, is a hearty vegan dinner made with rice, black beans, salsa, and savory spices. A fun twist on classic stuffed zucchini boats!
Recipe summary
Flavor: A fun twist on taco night, made with rice, beans, salsa, and spices like chili powder and cumin.
Made with round zucchini. Also called 8-ball zucchini, it's a hybrid variety of zucchini that's round and softball sized. Other than the shape, it's just like standard zucchini!
Vegan and gluten-free. Great for serving to a variety of dietary needs.
Similar to: Stuffed Round Zucchini and Taco Zucchini Boats
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Oil - Vegetable oil can be substituted with any cooking oil you have on hand.
- Onion - Adds flavor to the filling. I don't recommend omitting it.
- Garlic - Adds flavor to the filling. If you don't have fresh garlic on hand, it can be substituted with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder (added with the other seasonings).
- Jalapeno - Adds flavor and a little heat to the filling. Leave the seeds and membranes in for more heat or remove for a milder flavor. Can be substituted with a poblano pepper or a few serrano peppers.
- Salsa - I recommend a medium or hot salsa for added flavor but feel free to use your preferred spice level.
- Black beans - Can be substituted with any canned beans you have on hand like pinto beans or kidney beans. If you have raw or dried beans on hand, cook them before adding them to the recipe. For tips, here's a great article: How to cook dried beans
- Rice - Any cooked rice will work in this recipe. I used jasmine rice, a long-grain white rice, but brown rice or wild rice would also work.
- Seasoning - Chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper add flavor to the filling.
How to make stuffed round zucchini
- After slicing your zucchini in half, turn them over and slice a small, flat bottom onto each half. This helps prevent your zucchini from rolling around in the casserole dish. Scoop out excess flesh inside and place in a casserole dish. Par-bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sauté veggies in a pan over medium heat.
- Remove from heat and add black beans, rice, salsa, and seasoning.
- Carefully spoon mixture into zucchini halves and bake until zucchini can easily be pierced through with a fork.
Tips and tricks
Par-bake zucchini - This helps prevent the filling from overcooking and drying out in the oven.
Leave 1-inch of flesh around your bowls - This allows enough room for filling but maintains the structure of the bowls while baking.
Small 8-ball zucchini? - This recipe fills about four round halves, but can fill more if your zucchini are on the small side.
Want to use regular zucchini? - Prepare the recipe as written below, but with 3 medium zucchini instead. See recipe card notes for detailed instructions.
Frequently asked questions
I like to save leftover flesh for use in smoothies like a Blueberry Zucchini Smoothie or Green Apple Smoothie. It could also blended into Zucchini Pesto or cooked into Vegetable Pasta Sauce.
No, zucchini boats and bowls must have the skin intact to maintain their shape. Do not peel your zucchini.
Technically yes, stuffed zucchini can be frozen. However, zucchini releases moisture when thawed and will have a slightly soggy, soft texture.
📖 Recipe
Mexican Stuffed Round Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 medium round zucchini
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ small onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 15 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Lightly grease a casserole dish that will fit your round zucchini and set aside.
- Slice round zucchini in half from top to bottom. Using a spoon, carefully scape out some of the flesh from each zucchini half and discard (or save for another recipe). Leave about ¼" of flesh attached to the skin around the edges and bottom. Optionally, turn each boat over and slice a small section off the bottom, creating a flat surface for stability.
- Place into prepared casserole dish and bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Add diced onion and jalapeno and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add black beans, salsa, rice, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Spoon prepared filling into your zucchini. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until zucchini can easily be pierced through with a fork.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- For zucchini bowls - Cut diagonal slices around the stem of each round zucchini, then pop the stem off. Use a metal spoon or melon baller to scoop the zucchini flesh out and discard (or save for another recipe). Leave about ¼" of flesh attached to the skin around the edges and bottom.
- To use regular zucchini - Cut the stems off three medium zucchini, then slice in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully scape out some of the flesh from each zucchini half and discard (or save for another recipe). Then, continue as written above.
- To use bell peppers - Slice three bell peppers in half and scoop out seeds and innards. When par-baking in step 3, bake for 20 minutes instead of the listed 10 minutes). Then, continue as written above.
- Zucchini needed may vary - The listed filling may fill more than two round zucchini. This depends entirely on the size of the zucchini you have on hand.
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