These Mexican Zucchini Boats are a fabulous low carb alternative for taco night. Seasoned ground turkey, added veggies and topped with cheese and cilantro for mouthwatering yum.
My love of making zucchini boats started with these Italian Chicken Zucchini Boats and these Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini.
I decided to have Taco Tuesday a day early and whipped up these Mexican Zucchini boats for dinner. Swapping out the taco shell for zucchini gives you a great low carb option.
Ingredients Needed:
Ground Turkey – I seasoned 99% fat-free ground turkey with a tablespoon of this easy homemade taco seasoning. You can also use a teaspoon each of cumin, chili powder, and garlic as well.
Zucchini – Use 4 large zucchinis
Black Beans – Use canned black beans or cook your own from dried beans and freeze them to use in recipes like this.
Sweet Corn – Use canned or frozen corn.
Onions – I used red onions for this recipe but feel free to use sweet onion or green onions too.
Salsa – Use any of your favorite brand of mild, medium or hot.
Red Bell Peppers – Use green, orange or yellow bell peppers too if you’d like.
Shredded Cheese – Mexican blend is my favorite but Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Colby or Mexican Queso fresco is great too.
Optional toppings – cilantro, avocado, sour cream or Greek Yogurt,
How to Make Taco Zucchini Boats
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Place ¼ cup of salsa in the bottom of a 9×13” glass baking dish or spray with non-stick spray.
Using a small spoon or melon baller, hollow out the center of the zucchini halves, leaving about ¼-inch thickness on each half.
Brown turkey in a large skillet until about ½ cooked.
Add red bell pepper, onion, chopped zucchini, and taco seasoning then sauté until meat is thoroughly cooked.
Add corn, beans, and salsa
Stir and cover, simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
Using a spoon, fill the hollowed zucchini boats with the meat mixture.
Top each with cheese.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.
Top with cilantro and serve with salsa and light sour cream or fat-free plain greek yogurt on the side.
Substitutions/Variations:
Although I love using ground turkey, feel free to use ground beef or shredded chicken instead.
Make them vegetarian by leaving out the meat and doubling up on the beans.
Substitute pinto beans for black beans.
If you like spicy Mexican meals, go ahead and add those sliced jalapeños or an ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the meat mixture!
Try these other spectacular Mexican recipes too:
Mexican Chicken Zucchini Skillet
Easy Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Stuffed Red Peppers with Brown Rice and Turkey
Mexican Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchinis cut in half lengthwise
- 1 lb 93% – 99% lean ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup mild salsa
- ½ small red onion diced
- 2 tablespoon red pepper diced
- 1 cup corn frozen or canned
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup Reduced fat cheddar or Mexican blend shredded cheese
- ¼ cup chopped scallions or cilantro for topping
Instructions
- DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place ¼ cup of salsa in the bottom of a 9×13” casserole dish or spray a with non-stick spray.
- Using a small spoon or melon baller, hollow out the center of the zucchini halves, leaving about ¼-inch thickness on each half.
- Brown turkey in a large skillet until about ½ cooked.
- Add red bell pepper, onion, chopped zucchini, and taco seasoning and sauté until meat is throughly cooked.
- Add corn, beans, and salsa
- Stir and cover, simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
- Using a spoon, fill the hollowed zucchini boats with the meat mixture
- Top each with 1 tablespoon of reduced fat cheddar or Mexican blend shredded cheese
- Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.
- Top with cilantro and serve with salsa and light sour cream or fat free plain greek yogurt on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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Teresa Hardbower
This is a perfect recipe when you have excessive Zucchini from the garden. It’s delicious! A must try recipe.