Italian stuffed zucchini boats with ground beef (or a vegan alternative!) are a simple, hearty, delicious, high-protein, low-carb, gluten-free, family-friendly meal, ready in just 40 minutes!
Wash, dry, remove the stem and cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Also, preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
Use a spoon to remove the softer, seedy core from the middle of each section, leaving a sturdy edge.
Transfer the zucchini shells to a large parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and brush or spray them with oil. Then bake them for 15 minutes to soften.
Step 2: Cook the Italian Filling
Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onion and garlic, and sauté for a minute or two.
Add the meat and allow it to brown, breaking it into little pieces as it cooks. Once browned, add all the seasonings and stir well.If you prefer to drain the excess fat from the meat, do so before the next step). You could also mix the marinara with the meat now instead of layering it as written in the next step.
Step 3: Assemble and Bake the Zucchini Boats
To assemble the zucchini boats with ground beef, divide the meat mixture evenly between the zucchini halves, spoon over the tomato sauce, and top it off with the (optional) shredded cheese.
Place them back in the oven for 15 minutes until bubbly, and the zucchini is fork/knife-tender. Finally, remove the zucchini boats from the oven, garnish with parsley, and enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Make ahead: You can prepare the meat filling 2-3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also assemble the stuffed zucchinis up to a day in advance, covered tightly, in the fridge. Then bake them when ready, adding 3-5 minutes to the baking time.Store: Allow the stuffed zucchini to cool, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.I don't recommend freezing these ground beef zucchini boats, as the texture of the zucchini will become overly watery and mushy upon thawing. However, the meat and sauce combination will freeze in Ziplock bags for up to 2 months.How to Reheat Zucchini Boats?You can reheat these zucchini boats in the microwave (between 1 ½- 2 ½ minutes) or the oven (10-15 minutes).
Notes
Forming the zucchini boats: It's important not to remove too much of the zucchini flesh. Otherwise, the boats may fall apart when baking them.
Brown the beef well: This means extra flavor.
For firmer zucchini: Only cook the empty zucchini boats for 5-10 minutes before adding the filling.
To avoid the zucchini boats toppling: You can either pack them fairly tight in your baking dish/tray so they hold each other up. Or, if there’s a particularly wobbly piece, use your knife or a vegetable peeler to shave a very thin layer from the bottom to make it sit straight.
To make a stuffed zucchini casserole: Spread a layer of marinara sauce with the scooped-out zucchini into the bottom of a baking dish, add the stuffed zucchini boats over the top, and then sprinkle the entire thing with cheese before baking.
Adjust the baking time: According to the size of the zucchini.
Optional add-ins and recipe variations: This easy recipe for stuffed zucchini is super versatile. You can swap out the meat (as listed above), go vegan, or make simple ingredient swaps for different flavor profiles.
Zucchini lasagna boats: Add a layer of ricotta cheese (or vegan almond ricotta) beneath the beef layer. You could optionally also add a small amount of bechamel sauce to the top of each boat before adding the cheese.
Keto zucchini boats: As long as you use a low-carb marinara sauce, I think this recipe is naturally low-carb/zucchini.
Taco stuffed zucchini: Swap out the Italian seasoning for taco seasoning instead, use cheddar or Monterey jack, and load up the baked stuffed zucchini with your favorite toppings like diced tomato or salsa, avocado, corn, beans, cilantro, etc.
Zucchini burrito boats: Similar to the above, but also add beans (black or pinto) to the stuffing and, optionally, some rice.
Grain: Mix in cooked grains like brown rice or quinoa for a heartier filling.
Extra veggies: To boost the nutritional content of this recipe further, you could "sneak" extra veggies into the meat and sauce mixture, like:
Spinach
Kale
Finely grated carrot
Thinly sliced mushrooms
Finely diced bell peppers
Spice: There are several ways to add spice, including red pepper flakes or chili/ cayenne powder. Adjust the amount to taste.
Breadcrumbs: To add a slight crunch with minimal extra carbs, you could sprinkle bread crumbs (regular, gluten-free, panko) over the stuffed zucchini and broil them at the end.
Check the blog post for more tips, serving recommendations, and answers to top FAQs!