Who needs tortillas when you can have zucchini taco boats? Cheesy taco meat stuffed in zucchini is an easy Taco Tuesday (or any day) dish that will be a hit with kids and adults alike.
Tacos are always a weeknight go-to, especially if you love cooking through your favorite taco recipes to celebrate Taco Tuesday. And yet, while this casual meal is a staple you can rely on, it can get rather boring to eat the same thing over and over. So why not switch up Taco Tuesday with stuffed zucchini taco boats instead? This recipe has you making a cheesy taco filling, using it to stuff hollowed-out zucchini boats, then baking them to perfection. Plus, this zucchini taco boat recipe is easy to prep and freeze if you need another freezer meal to add to your rotation.
Ingredients for Zucchini Taco Boats
- Zucchini: Fresh zucchini is used as the vessel for the savory taco mixture. Be sure to choose medium-sized zucchini that are big enough to stuff. Larger zucchini may take longer to roast in the oven.
- Ground beef: The taco meat is made with a fatty ground beef. The beef-to-fat ratio does not matter, so feel free to choose a ground beef that works best for you.
- Onion: A small onion is chopped and added in to the ground beef mixture. A yellow or white onion is best, but a red onion could also work in this recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
- Red and green bell peppers: Sweet red pepper and a green bell pepper are chopped and tossed in to give this taco mixture even more bulk, as well as an added sweetness that will help to cut the saltiness of this dish.
- Garlic: One garlic clove is added to this recipe to pair with the onion. If you don’t have a garlic press, there are six different ways you can mince garlic.
- Taco seasoning: This zucchini taco boat recipe keeps things simple by using 2 tablespoons of a premade taco seasoning mix. If you don’t have it on hand, you can make your own homemade taco seasoning with items you already have in your pantry.
- Cheddar cheese: Cheddar cheese is mixed into the taco meat and is also melted on top of the zucchini boats to make them even more filling and delicious.
- Salsa: Salsa is also tossed into the taco meat for added flavor. Feel free to also add dollops of salsa when you serve these zucchini taco boats, just like you would with tacos!
- Cilantro: If you’re one of the lucky ones who don’t think cilantro tastes like soap, you can sprinkle fresh minced cilantro on your zucchini taco boats before serving.
Directions
Step 1: Trim and scoop the zucchini
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Trim the ends off the zucchini, then slice them in half lengthwise.