Taco zucchini boats are an easy, low-carb alternative to your standard taco dinner. They're ready in 30 minutes or less and made with seasoned ground beef, salsa, pepper jack cheese, and your favorite taco toppings.

Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Tender zucchini is filled with seasoned ground beef, onions, and salsa topped with melty cheese.
Easy to customize: Add your favorite taco toppings, like avocado, cilantro, and sour cream.
Ready in 30 minutes: Great for quick weeknight meals!
Yield: 6 zucchini boats
Similar to: Pizza Zucchini Boats, Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats, and Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Zucchini - You'll need about 3 medium sized zucchini (or 4 small zucchini) for this recipe. I used a 9x13 casserole dish, so I looked for zucchini about 9 inches long that would fit perfectly into the pan and fill the space.
- Olive oil - Any neutral cooking oil works.
- Onion - Adds depth of flavor to your beef mixture. Can be omitted if desired. Optionally, you can also add minced garlic for extra flavor.
- Ground beef - Ground beef works well in this recipe, but you're welcome to substitute with your favorite ground meat, like ground bison, ground turkey, or ground pork.
- Salsa - Adds depth of flavor and a little heat to your beef mixture. Use your favorite salsa, from mild to hot, to customize the heat level.
- Taco seasoning - Taco seasoning adds taco flavor to your beef mixture. Feel free to use a homemade seasoning blend or your favorite store bought seasoning.
- Pepper jack cheese - Any melty cheese works here, like monterey jack cheese, pepper jack cheese, or mozzarella. I suggest using freshly shredded cheese, as pre-shredded bagged cheese can add a grainy texture when melted.
- Optional taco toppings- A few fresh toppings help cut the heaviness of the beef filling. I used cubed avocado and cilantro, but lettuce, diced fresh tomato, sour cream, and fresh red onion are also great choices.
How to make taco zucchini boats
- While your zucchini boats par-bake in the oven, saute onions on the stovetop.
- Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add taco seasoning and salsa and stir to combine.
- Divide filling between boats.
- Top with cheese, then bake until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted.
Storage
Leftover zucchini boats keep well for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. I recommend storing leftover taco zucchini boats without the added fresh toppings (like avocado, lettuce, and sour cream), and instead topping your zucchini boats once they've been reheated.
To reheat, zucchini boats can be microwaved or reheated in the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake boats, uncovered, for up to 20 minutes, or until warmed throughout.
Frequently asked questions
No, there's no need to peel your zucchini to make zucchini boats. In fact, the skin contains many nutrients and fiber you'd otherwise be missing out on. The skin also helps hold the shape of your boats as they bake.
Technically yes, zucchini boats can be frozen. However, zucchini releases quite a bit of water and gets a little soggy after being frozen and thawed. Because of this, I don't recommend freezing your zucchini boats.
📖 Recipe
Taco Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini, about 9-10" long
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 16 ounces ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ½ cup salsa
- 1 cup freshly grated pepper jack cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 avocado, cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
- Cut the stems off your 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). Place into prepared 9x13 pan, cut side up. Optionally, lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add onion and cook until lightly browned around the edges, about 3-4 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until browned and cooked through (optionally, drain excess grease from the pan at this time). Add taco seasoning, a splash of water, and salsa, stirring to combine. Remove pan from heat.
- Once boats have par-baked, remove from oven and top with beef filling. Sprinkle tops of boats with pepper jack cheese.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until zucchini can easily be pierced through with a fork.
- Top with cubed avocado and cilantro (or your favorite taco toppings) before serving.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Nutrition: Calories shown are for one boat (or one zucchini half), if your recipe makes six boats. One boat can be served as an entrée along with side dish(es), or two boats can serve as a complete meal on their own.
- Storage: Leftover zucchini boats will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, or until warmed throughout.
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