This Mexican zucchini skillet is made with ground beef, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and spices. This flavorful meal takes only a few minutes of prep and is ready in 30 minutes or less!
Recipe summary
Flavor: Spicy, savory, hearty.
It's quick and easy: Made in a single pan on the stovetop and ready in less than 30 minutes.
Made with simple ingredients: Ground beef, canned Rotel (tomatoes and peppers), zucchini, onions, spices, and cotija cheese.
Serves: 4 people
Similar to: Taco Zucchini Boats and Mexican Stuffed Round Zucchini
Jump to:
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil - Can be substituted with ghee or your favorite neutral cooking oil.
- Onions - Adds flavor to your skillet meal. Onion could be substituted with a diced bell pepper if desired for a different flavor.
- Ground beef - Can be substituted with your favorite ground meat, like ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
- Rotel - You'll need one 10-ounce can of rotel for this recipe (any variety is fine). Or, one 10 ounce can of diced tomatoes plus a diced jalapeno or poblano pepper (or hot pepper of your choice).
- Zucchini - Add two small or one medium zucchini to your skillet meal. Chop your zucchini into bite sized cubes (about 1 inch or smaller). Zucchini can be substituted with yellow summer squash.
- Spices - Chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, coriander, and red pepper flakes add depth of flavor and a little heat to your zucchini skillet.
- Cotija cheese - Optional, but recommended adding as a garnish just before serving.
How to make Mexican zucchini skillet
- Sauté onions in a pan over medium heat.
- Add ground beef and cook until browned.
- Add Rotel, seasoning, and zucchini.
- Cover, reduce heat, and steam until zucchini is tender to your liking. Top with cotija cheese before serving.
Tips and tricks
Take care not to overcook your zucchini - Zucchini becomes soggy when overcooked, and will turn into mush in your skillet meal. Cook only until zucchini has reached your preferred texture.
Testing for doneness - Pierce zucchini with a fork. If your fork pierces through easily with little resistance, it's cooked through.
Skillet looking watery? - Remove the lid. This helps cook off excess water by releasing steam.
Variations - Substitute beef with other ground meats like turkey or chicken. Substitute the listed spices with your favorite taco or fajita seasoning. Serve with tortilla chips and eat like a dip, or add to tortillas like a taco filling.
Frequently asked questions
Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, and reheats well. Reheat leftovers on the stovetop over medium heat (you may want to add a splash of water if it looks dry), or in the microwave.
Eat as is with a fork, add to tortillas like a taco filling, serve with tortilla chips and eat like a dip, or serve over rice in a bowl.
📖 Recipe
Mexican Zucchini Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 10 ounces rotel, canned diced tomatoes with chilies
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 small zucchini, cubed
- 2 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add onions and cook until edges begin to brown and onions soften, about 3-4 minutes.
- Crumble ground beef into pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Optionally, drain excess grease from pan before continuing to next step.
- Add rotel, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, coriander, red pepper flakes, and cubed zucchini to pan, stirring to combine.
- Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until zucchini is cooked through to your liking (time will depend on the size of your zucchini cubes).
- Remove from heat, crumble cotija cheese on top, and serve warm.
Recommended Equipment
Video
Notes
- Vent steam: Remove lid at any point if your skillet meal looks too wet (zucchini is made of 90% water and can become very watery, especially if overcooked), to allow steam to escape.
- Storage: Leftovers keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature and reheat well.
- Serving tips: Serve skillet meal as-is for a low carb meal, or with tortilla chips (served like a dip), or flour tortillas (as a taco filling).
Comments
No Comments