Liven up your meals with these delicious Mexican stuffed zucchini boats. Loaded with seasoned beef, beans and veggies, they’re packed full of flavor and so easy to make!
Beef Stuffed Zucchini
If you are stuck in a bit of a dinner rut, you have to give these Mexican stuffed zucchini boats a go this week!
Perfect to serve up for a healthy meal that the whole family will love, and they’re a breeze to make!
For more zucchini recipes, be sure to try my Crispy Baked Zucchini and Zucchini Au Gratin.
Why you’ll love this Stuffed Zucchini recipe:
- HEALTHY: Made with fresh veggies and natural ingredients, these zucchini boats are high in protein and a great way to get the goodness in.
- GREAT FAMILY MEAL: This is a great dinner recipe for kids and parents alike. Everyone will love the bright Mexican flavors, and you’ll love all the healthy ingredients!
- MAKE AHEAD: Prep these beauties ahead of time to make dinner time a breeze!
How to make Stuffed Zucchini Boats
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Hollow out the zucchini halves.
- Brown the beef in a skillet.
- Add the onions, peppers and garlic and cook until soft.
- Mix in the beans, corn and spices,
- Add the salsa and shredded cheese.
- Spoon the mixture into the zucchinis and bake.
Can you make them ahead of time?
These Mexican stuffed zucchini boats are great to make ahead. You can make the beef filling 2 or 3 days ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
It’s best not to cut and fill the zucchini more than a day ahead of time, or they can start to brown.
How do you reheat them?
Cooked zucchini boats will keep well in the fridge for a couple of days. You can quickly heat them through in the microwave, but the zucchini can get a little mushy this way.
I prefer to heat them in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes, then place them under the broiler to finish them off.
What do you serve them with?
These beef stuffed zucchinis are great to serve with all kinds of veggie and potato sides or a nice fresh salad. Try them with:
Tips!
- When removing the flesh from the zucchini, leave enough intact around the edges so that the zucchini is still sturdy and retains its shape.
- Use lean ground beef for a healthier meal.
- Try swapping the beef for ground turkey or chicken.
These Mexican stuffed zucchini boats are a regular in my house. The flavors are so vibrant and they are super simple to make!
More Healthy Recipes we Love
- Almond Milk Chicken Curry
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Healthy Spinach Dip Recipe
- Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Mexican Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini sliced lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ pound ground beef 90/10
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- ½ large yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup corn frozen or canned
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¾ cup salsa
- 1 cup shredded cheese Mexican blend or cheddar, divided
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Using a spoon, hollow out the middle of each zucchini half (a grapefruit spoon works well for this) leaving enough intact around the edges so that the zucchini is still sturdy and retains its shape. Set the inside scraps aside for another use or discard. Place zucchini boats in a 9×12 baking dish.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once hot, add the beef and cook until browned, breaking up with a spatula.
- Once browned, add onion, peppers and garlic. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add the beans, corn and spices to the skillet and stir until well combined.
- Add the salsa and half of the shredded cheese, mix until incorporated then turn off the heat.
- Spoon an even amount of the mixture into each zucchini half and top with the remaining cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes to fully melt the cheese.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- When removing the flesh from the zucchini, leave enough intact around the edges so that the zucchini is still sturdy and retains its shape.
- Use lean ground beef for a healthier meal.
- Try swapping the beef for ground turkey or chicken.
Nutrition Information
Sounds delicious and I want to make it but did I miss part of the recipe??? I just saw bake…no temperature or time. To me that is an incomplete recipe.
In step 1, preheat the oven to 375°F, and in step 8 cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes to fully melt the cheese. Hope this helps!
Love this recipe! Thank you for you for your time to bring it to us. I Meal prep and this is perfect for me. I make a pound. Eat of it once or twice fresh( nom nom nom ). Freeze into individually servings. Dethaw overnight for lunch or in morning before work for dinner using fresh zucchini. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Taste great, versatile. Five stares in my book.
Thanks for sharing, Jody!
Delicious and easy! I have a similar recipe for stuffed peppers and actually prefer this recipe using the zucchini better. Will add this recipe into our dinner rotation. Thank you :)
Thanks for sharing, Jill!