These Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats are a super delicious and crowd pleasing dinner idea. These come together quickly and a filled with great tons of flavor, but also are wholesome, filling, and a great way to feed a crowd. Not only are they easy to make, but they bake on a simple sheet pan and so they are easy to clean up too!
These Taco Stuffed Zucchini boats are the perfect balance when you want to eat ALL THE TACOS but you also want to keep it light.
These start out with some of the most delicious and flavorful taco meat out there! This recipe is absolutely my favorite! You can actually make a big batch of it up and serve it as traditional tacos the first day, then you can use the leftovers later in the week to make these zucchini boats for a whole new take on it as a main dish. I also have a huge list of ideas for leftover taco meat for even more ideas.
Recipe Tips
This recipe is super simple as promised! I usually make this so I have something to do with our taco meat leftovers so I am not usually using exact measurements, but rather just throwing it together so that it works. With that said, I did my best to put down measurements for you in the recipe, but really you can use more or less meat, cheese, seasonings, toppings etc or modify these zucchini boats so that it fits the taste preference for your family.
I am going to walk though my notes and tips with you here to hopefully answer any questions that may come up and you can find the FULL recipe card with nutrition info at the bottom of this post.
Taco Zucchini Boats Ingredients
- Zucchini squash– This is going to be about 2-2.5 pounds. I recommend using the small ones so that they can cook more quickly in the oven. The big ones end up to be thicker and will take longer to get tender. We are always impatient to eat so I go for quick and easy!
- Taco meat, prepared– I use my Homemade Taco Meat which is made with ground turkey. You can use whatever you like though!
- Cooked Rice– you can use more or less for filler depending on how much leftover meat you have.
- Sharp cheddar cheese– I like to use sharp because it is stronger so I can use less cheese in the recipe and still get tons of cheesy flavor. You could also substitute a Mexican blend or colby jack cheese here.
- Salt & pepper
For garnish (optional)
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
Recipe Step by Step
Cut zucchini in half and hollow out the middle. Place on a sheet pan. If you are having trouble with it rolling, cut a thin slice off the bottom so that it has a place to settle.
Use prepared taco meat, or make taco meat from scratch.
Combine the taco meat with rice and cilantro.
Fill the zucchini boats, top with cheddar cheese and bake until the zucchini is fork tender.
What to Serve with Taco Zucchini Boats
This is a super simple meal that we usually make with leftovers from taco night. Being that, I always try to keep it simple with the side items so that we have a quick and easy dinnertime with little prep and little clean up. You can a lot of different side options with these and use classic sides that go well with Mexican cuisine, try low carb side items to keep the whole meal lighter, or do a combo of both to satisfy all the appetites at the table that night.
Classic Mexican Style Side Ideas
- Chips and homemade salsa
- Mexican Cornbread
- Mexican street corn casserole
- Mexican rice
- Crockpot Black beans, pinto, or refried beans
- Hot buttered tortillas
Low carb side options
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Sautéed Fajita Veggies
- Pico de Gallo with veggie “chips” (pepper slices, carrot slices, etc)
- Side salad with jalapeno ranch
You can serve the Taco Zucchini boats with one of these or mix and match a few. If you have a serving suggestion that you love and I missed here, let me know in the comments. I would love to try it out!
Taco Zucchini Boats- FAQ’s
How many zucchini boats do I serve each person?
For our family, the adults eat 2 boats each and the kids each eat one. The nutrition info is calculated on 2 boats per person.
Do I need to cover these while cooking?
I do not cover them while I cook them. Each oven bakes differently based on size, brand, climate, elevation, etc. If you find the zucchini boats getting too browned then you can pop a piece of foil over them loosely to protect them from further browning for the remainder of the cook time.
How do I store the leftovers?
You can put the leftovers (if you have any!) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to a month. If you are going to freeze, I recommend not topping with sour cream until you reheat and are ready to serve.
More EASY Dinner Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy dinner recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Salsa Chicken
- Mexican Chicken Street Tacos
- Ground Beef Quesadillas
- Sirloin Tip Roast
- Zucchini Chicken Bake
Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 8 small zucchini squash, about 2-2.5 lbs
- 2 cups taco meat, prepared- I use this Homemade Taco Meat
- 1 cup prepared rice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- dash salt & pepper
Garnish (optional)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Cut each zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seeds using a melon baller. Place them on a baking sheet cut side up.
- Mix taco meat with rice and cilantro. (See note)
- Pile 1/4 cup meat mixture inside the trough of each zucchini and top with 2 tbsp cheese.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the zucchini becomes fork tender. If you prefer you can cook uncovered for half the time and loosely cover with foil at the end for the remaining time.
- Once they are done baking, dollop with a tablespoon of sour cream and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- You can change the ratio of rice and meat depending on how much of each you have. Also, if you want a saucier meat mixture, you can stir in about 1/2 cup of salsa to the taco meat.
- Feel free to use more or less of any ingredient in this recipe per your taste. It will be great with double the meat if you are a meat lover, or more veggies, or other toppings like guacamole and salsa.
- You can also substitute cooked cauliflower rice for traditional rice to make these zucchini boats lower carb and veggie packed.
- Nutrition facts provided based on my best estimation for the recipe and may not be accurate depending on what brands you use or modifications you make to the recipe. I recommend using a nutrition calculator with the exact brands and measurements you use for the most accurate calculation.
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