Zucchini Taco Boats Recipe

Switch up taco night with these healthy low carb zucchini taco boats! This recipe for taco stuffed zucchini boats has a cheesy beef filling + fresh toppings.

Full ingredients + instructions are on the recipe card at the end. Before you scroll or jump down, don’t miss the useful tips in the post!

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Zucchini taco boats are a fresh and healthy twist on taco night. They are made with taco meat, cheese, and plenty of fresh toppings… all the best parts of a taco! And, these taco stuffed zucchini boats also go really well with cilantro lime taco slaw.

What Are Zucchini Taco Boats?

Zucchini taco boats have all the taco fillings and toppings you love, but instead of putting them in flour or corn tortillas, we are putting them into partially hollowed out zucchini.

Are taco zucchini boats keto?

Yes, these taco stuffed zucchini boats are keto friendly. Each serving (2 boats!) has just 6.9 grams net carbs.

Are taco boats gluten free?

Yes, these taco boats are gluten-free. Some recipes might not be, if they are made with breadcrumbs or flour.

Why You’ll Love This Taco Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

Cheesy taco flavors
Tender zucchini and crunchy toppings
Comes together in just a few simple steps
15 minutes prep time
Healthy and naturally low carb

Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats Ingredients

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for Mexican stuffed zucchini boats, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Zucchini – The amount of filling accounts for medium zucchini, not too large or small. You can also swap for yellow squash.
Oil – I used olive oil, but avocado oil also works.
Seasonings – Sea salt, black pepper, and taco seasoning. I used my homemade taco seasoning, but store bought is fine as well.
Ground beef – You could also swap this for ground turkey or chicken, or even use pre-cooked shredded chicken, similar to the filling I use for stuffed poblano peppers.
Mexican cheese blend – You can also use a cheddar or sharp cheddar cheese. I went a little light on the cheese this time, because this recipe is already so flavor packed, but feel free to double it if you like a super cheesy topping.
Tomatoes – I used chopped roma tomatoes. Quartered cherry tomatoes also work great.
Red onions – I love the flavor of red onions, but you could also use white or yellow onions.
Avocado – Make sure it’s ripe!
Fresh cilantro – A must for taco anything in my opinion, but if you’re not a cilantro fan, you can skip this.

How To Make Zucchini Taco Boats

This section shows how to make healthy stuffed zucchini with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, see the recipe card below.

Prep zucchini. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, and use a melon baller or spoon to scoop out some of the center to make the “boat.”

Roast. Drizzle zucchini with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Roast until soft.

TIP: To avoid watery zucchini, pat dry. Some moisture can collect in the wells, so just use paper towels to dry them out before adding any fillings.

Assemble taco boats. Stuff taco meat into zucchini boats and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake until cheese has melted. Top with tomato, onion, avocado, and cilantro.

Storage Instructions

To store: Store Mexican zucchini boats in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
To meal prep: Roast zucchini, make filling, and prep toppings. Then assemble and bake right before serving.
To reheat: Reheat boats without fresh toppings in the microwave or in a 350 degree F oven until hot.
To freeze: Freeze boats without fresh topp.

More Ideas For Zucchini Boats

If you like this recipe for zucchini taco boats, you might also like some of these other healthy zucchini recipes that stuff fillings into zucchini:

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Ingredients

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Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Slice the zucchini lengthwise. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out some of the centers of the zucchini to make wells.
Place the zucchini onto the baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
Roast the zucchini in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until soft.
Meanwhile, heat another tablespoon (15 mL) of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, and cook for about 10 minutes, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned.
Stir in the taco seasoning and water. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
When the zucchini are done roasting, use paper towels to pat any moisture from the wells.
Stuff the taco meat into the zucchini boats. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and browned.
Top the zucchini taco boats with diced tomatoes, onions, avocado, and cilantro, if using.

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 2 taco boats

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 614

Fat 45.8g

Protein 42.1g

Total Carbs 11.9g

Net Carbs 6.9g

Fiber 5g

Sugar 6.2g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

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Zucchini Taco Boats Recipe

Switch up taco night with these healthy low carb zucchini taco boats! This recipe for taco stuffed zucchini boats has a cheesy beef filling + fresh toppings.

FREE: 5 SECRETS TO FAST HEALTHY DINNERS