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Home » Main Dishes

Mexican Zucchini Skillet

Published: Nov 30, 2022 · Modified: May 2, 2025 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 781 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article.

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Mexican zucchini skillet recipe.
Mexican zucchini skillet recipe.
Mexican zucchini skillet recipe.

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!

Wooden spatula scooping zucchini beef skillet from a sauté pan.

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:
  • Recipe summary
  • Ingredients and substitutions
  • How to make Mexican zucchini skillet
  • Tips and tricks
  • Frequently asked questions
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Ingredients and substitutions

Ingredients on a counter top.
  • 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

Making a Mexican zucchini skillet in a sauté pan.
  1. Sauté onions in a pan over medium heat.
  2. Add ground beef and cook until browned.
  3. Add Rotel, seasoning, and zucchini.
  4. 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.

A wooden spatula filled with ground beef, zucchini, and tomatoes.

Frequently asked questions

How long do leftovers last?

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.

How do you serve Mexican zucchini skillet?

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

Wooden spatula scooping zucchini beef skillet from a sauté pan.
Print Recipe
4.41 from 5 votes

Mexican Zucchini Skillet

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!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time25 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 346kcal

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

  • All Clad Stainless Steel Saute Pan
  • HENCKELS 8-inch Chef's Knife
  • John Boos Block Cutting Board, 12x18 inches
  • Silicone Spoonula Set, Red

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).

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 0.25of skillet | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 551mg | Potassium: 679mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 4mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

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Hi I'm Heather, and I'm here to share my recipes for all that backyard garden zucchini.

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