This Taco Stuffed Zucchini Recipe is low carb, keto, gluten free and packed full of taco flavor!
Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
Stuffing vegetables....... it's a thing. You can find a million and one recipes stuffing delicious filling into other veggies like zucchini, eggplant, spaghetti squash, even tomatoes!
I'm all for making recipes that are unique, but often I find I've forgotten some simple recipes never posted on my blog and this is one of them.
I've stuffed an eggplant, and I've even made a low carb, 3 Cheese eggplant roll up lasagna too. But eggplant is a veggie that you either love or hate so it's not as popular as zucchini.
So I'm stuffing zucchini and loving it. I double up on the meat so one half is enough to keep you full and satisfied, add a salad and it's a nice dinner or lunch! If you're not into taco flavors, try my Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats!
Taco Zucchini
If you're the only one who likes zucchini you can use just some of the filling to fill just zucchini for yourself and your spouse. Use the rest of the filling for making tacos for the kids. Try my Cheesy Low Carb Shells.
I used more ground turkey then the recipe required because I wanted extra filling for the kids. I doubled the rest of the ingredients as well. I love having left overs for easy lunches for the week ahead. I used the remaining filling for the kids to make taco salad or to use with gluten free tortillas.
This was a win with everyone!
The filling is dynamite! Stuffed Zucchini is a great way to use an in season vegetable. You can use this stuffing to stuff another vegetable too if you're just not into zucchini, either way it will be a recipe the family will continue to ask you to make weekly!
Low Carb Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
This recipe was originally posted in April 2015 and updated with video June 2018.
Low Carb Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini medium
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey or beef
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 ½ cups Mexican shredded cheese blend
- optional toppings: sour cream cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Scoop out the insides of the zucchini with a spoon or melon scooper and chop them.
- Add the chopped zucchini to a large skillet.
- Place the scooped out zucchini shells into a 9 by 13 baking dish. (If you prefer a softer zucchini, place this dish in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes then scoop the cooked filling into the zucchini boats and bake as directed below).
- Cook the chopped zucchini with olive oil and garlic on medium heat and add the turkey.
- Once the turkey is browned, add the seasonings, salsa and 1 cup of cheese.
- Continue to cook until cheese is melted.
- Fill zucchini with this mixture then top with remaining cheese.
- Cover and bake 20-25 minutes or until zucchini is tender.
- Enjoy with optional toppings!
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Wendy Mauzeroll
Made this tonight and loved it. Was so easy and fast to make. I must have some small zucchini though as I still had half the stuffing left over.
Safwana
Drooling. Awww loved it..