Taco Zucchini Boats
Welcome to Sugar, Spice & Glitter! Please note, this post may contain affiliate links. For more details, see our Full Disclosure.
A healthy and fresh approach to your classic Taco Tuesday fare, these Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats are a quick and easy dinner idea that the whole family will love. Perfect for meal prepping or a quick weeknight meal.
Baked Zucchini Boats Recipe
One of my favorite things to do as a recipe blogger is to come up with delicious ways to get kids excited to try new vegetables with reliable recipes moms can quickly whip up with everyday ingredients.
Zucchini is a pretty approachable veggie for kids to try with it’s mild, sweet flavor and since we’re scooping out the insides for this recipe, you won’t have any seeds to worry about. The zucchini boats will have a pleasant, tender yet slightly crunchy texture (though you can pre-bake the zucchini before stuffing to make it more tender).
The finished baked zucchini taco boats hit that perfect balance between comfort meal and light, healthy eating with the rich, seasoned taco meat, melty cheese topping and slight bite of the zucchini. It’s hearty and fresh and works great for meal prep – whether you’re packing it for lunches or making weeknight cooking a bit easier.
Our taco-stuffed zucchini boats are a healthy, low-carb dinner packed with seasoned ground beef, savory sauce and melted cheese. Perfect for easy weeknight meals, this baked zucchini recipe combines Tex-Mex flavor with a fresh, satisfying twist.
Why You’ll Love This Stuffed Taco Boats Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Stuffed Taco Boats Recipe - Big taco flavor in a lighter, veggie-forward format.
- Simple ingredients and minimal prep make it weeknight-friendly, perfect for Taco Tuesdays or meal prep.
- Visually appealing and easy to portion for family meals or entertaining.
Snackable History Fact: Did you know that zucchini is a relatively new vegetable? The modern zucchini was developed in northern Italy during the late 19th century by selectively breeding other types of squash (that were brought over from North and Central America) and named it “zucca” meaning “little squash.”
Recipe FAQs
No, the zucchini softens fully in the oven. If you prefer very tender zucchini, you can pre-bake the shells for 8–10 minutes.
Avoid over-scooping and do not salt the zucchini ahead of time. Baking at a higher temperature also helps reduce excess moisture.
Yes, assemble the boats up to a day in advance, cover and refrigerate. Bake just before serving for best texture.
It can be frozen after baking, but the zucchini texture will soften significantly upon reheating. Instead, I would recommend freezing just the taco meat mixture and preparing the zucchini boats fresh when you plan to enjoy it. The taco meat mixture can be frozen in an airtight freezer container for up to 3 months.
Since we scoop the center of the zucchini out to make our boats, you will have just over 1 cup of zucchini “scoopings” that can either be chopped finely and incorporated back into the meat filling or saved for another recipe – like a zucchini bread or simply saute with onions and garlic for a vegetable side.
Baked Zucchini Boats Recipe Video
Check out our quick recipe video to see just how easy it is to make these taco zucchini boats for yourself – and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable recipe card:
Stuffed Taco Zucchini Boats Ingredients
Stuffed Taco Zucchini Boats Ingredients- Medium zucchini
- Olive oil
- Taco seasoning <– we used our homemade taco seasoning recipe
- Ground beef
- Onion, finely diced
- Minced garlic
- Tomato sauce
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- 8” x 13” Casserole Dish
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Spoon
- Cutting Board
- Skillet
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula
- Cheese Grater
How to Make Stuffed Zucchini Boats
How to Make Stuffed Zucchini BoatsPreheat the oven to 400F. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray/oil.
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to carefully scoop the flesh out of the zucchinis.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the taco seasoning over the zucchini shells. Arrange the zucchini in the baking dish.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and remaining taco seasoning and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
Add the onion and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer; cook for 5 minutes.
Spoon the meat mixture evenly into the zucchini shells, then top with the shredded cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted and golden brown.
Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boat Recipe Variations:
- Enchilada Sauce: While we used tomato sauce because that’s what we had on hand, enchilada sauce would be a great swap to enhance the Tex-Mex flavor profile.
- Protein Swap: Swap ground beef for ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version.
- Veggie Addition: Add black beans or corn to the filling for extra texture and added nutrients.
- Use all of the Zucchini: Instead of discarding the scooped zucchini (or saving for another recipe), you can finely dice it up and incorporate into the meat mixture.
- Lasagna Zucchini Boats: Instead of filling the zucchini boats with taco meat, you can prepare any favorite meat sauce (including a ricotta-beef lasagna filling) for an easy swap.
Tips for the Perfect Zucchini Boats
- Choose zucchini that are firm and similar in size for even cooking; avoid overly large ones with seedy centers.
- Finely dice the onion so it blends seamlessly into the filling rather than creating large chunks.
- Use freshly shredded cheese instead of pre-shredded for better melting and a smoother finish.
- Let the sauce simmer long enough to slightly thicken; this prevents the filling from becoming loose.
- Scoop zucchini flesh carefully, leaving a sturdy border so the boats hold their shape during baking.
More Delicious Zucchini Recipes
Pin this Zucchini Taco Boat recipe for your next Taco Tuesday:
Pin this Zucchini Taco Boat recipe for your next Taco Tuesday:
Printable Recipe Card:
Printable Recipe Card:Grab your free printable recipe card for our Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats recipe.
If you tried this recipe and loved it too, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
For more delicious recipes delivered straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Sugar, Spice and Glitter.
Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Taco-stuffed zucchini boats are a healthy, low-carb dinner packed with seasoned ground beef, savory sauce, and melted cheese. Perfect for easy weeknight meals, this baked zucchini recipe combines Tex-Mex flavor with a fresh, satisfying twist.
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray/oil.
- Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to carefully scoop the flesh out of the zucchinis.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the taco seasoning over the zucchini shells. Arrange the zucchini in the baking dish.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and remaining taco seasoning and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
- Add the onion and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer; cook for 5 minutes.
- Spoon the meat mixture evenly into the zucchini shells, then top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted and golden brown.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 322Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 697mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 26g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
For more ways to make veggies delicious, check out our full vegetable recipe collection here:
For more ways to serve beef, check out our full beef recipe collection here:
