Taco Zucchini Boats

Bursting with flavor and summertime goodness, Taco Zucchini Boats are a dinner the whole family will adore! Hollow out fresh zucchini and fill with a ground beef-onion-zucchini-salsa filling before baking to perfection. Insanely flavorful with just the right amount of heat, these satisfying Whole30 Taco Zucchini Boats bring taco flavors to the table without wheat, corn OR dairy! These zucchini boats are one of our favorite meals!

We were in the middle of our first Whole30 on Mother’s Day this year.

Not wanting to break the diet for some good old fashioned comfort food, I was in search of the perfect Whole30-compliant Mother’s Day dinner.

And tacos are my absolute FAVORITE.

(Hi. I live in Texas. I eat them weekly. Is anyone surprised by this? You shouldn’t be…)

Some Whole30 recipes you might want to check out: Whole30 Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Plates | Spinach Pistachio Pesto | Galia Melon Jamón Skewers | Whole30 Bacon Apple Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette | Blackberry Ginger Lemon Whole30 Tea | Sweet Potato Bisque | Whole30 Steak Salad with Orange Vinaigrette | Vegan Potato Leek Soup

Except… you don’t eat tacos on the Whole30.

So I put on my creative hat and went digging in the fridge.

A few days earlier, we’d gotten some gorgeous zucchini in our weekly CSA pickup.

After checking out the rest of the bounty, I decided to put the zucchini to use as taco-esque boats.

The rest, as they say, is history.

While we’re no longer doing the Whole30, we’ve made these Whole30 Taco Zucchini Boats too many times to count since that fateful day.

They’re comforting.

They’re spicy.

They’re taco-y without being tacos.

As an added bonus, you can choose your own adventure pertaining to ’em, too!

The base of this meal is zucchini. Lots and lots of zucchini. Halve the zucchini and hollow ‘em out. Set the innards (eww) aside for later. You’ll be happy you did. Because more veggies are always a good idea.

In a large skillet, you’ll cook up grass fed ground beef with chopped onion and those zucchini innards.

When the beef is cooked through, add Whole30-compliant salsa (!!!) and beef stock, then cook until the liquid soaks into the filling.

Once complete, simply scoop the beefy, salsa-y filling into the hollowed out zucchini, pop onto a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the tops are browned and delicious.

SO simple,  SO tasty and SO good.

A Whole30 compliant meal that’s flavorful for anyone, whether or not they’re doing the Whole30.

And that, my friends, is a win!

Whole30 Taco Zucchini Boat Essentials

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• Sheet pan.
• A nonstick skillet.

Get the look!

• Corningware CW Color 4-piece set.
• Gold dot dessert plate (Similar from 8 Oak Lane.)
• Oneida Countess Servingware.

More zucchini recipes:

• Lemon Zucchini Bread
• Parmigiano Reggiano Zucchini
• Grilled Zucchini Rollatini

Now who’s ready to make some of this goodness for dinner?

You won’t be disappointed with these flavorful “taco” boats!

Whole30 Taco Zucchini Boats

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

Bursting with flavor and summertime goodness, Taco Zucchini Boats are a dinner the whole family will adore! Hollow out fresh zucchini and fill with a ground beef-onion-zucchini-salsa filling before baking to perfection. Insanely flavorful with just the right amount of heat, these satisfying Taco Zucchini Boats bring taco flavors to the table without wheat, corn OR dairy! These zucchini boats are one of our favorite meals!

5 from 6 votes

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Servings 4 large servings

Calories 262 kcal

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 zucchini medium-sized
• 1 ¼ lb. 90/10 ground beef
• ½ large yellow onion minced (about 2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons taco seasoning
• ½ cup Whole30-compliant salsa
• ½ cup beef stock low-sodium, if possible

Equipment

• Sharp knife
• Wooden cutting board
• Liquid measuring cup
• Nonstick skillet
• Rimmed sheet pan

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Instructions

 

• Cut the zucchinis in half, length-wise, and using a spoon, scoop out the middles. Place the zucchinis on a baking sheet for later.
• Chop the insides of the zucchinis, then set aside. (These will go into the taco filling!)
• In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, chopped onion and the insides of the zucchini.
• Season the beef and onion with the salt and taco seasoning. Using a wooden spoon, continually move the ingredients around the pan, breaking up and cooking them. (This should take around 15-20 minutes.)
• When the ground beef has browned, add the salsa and the beef stock.
• Cook for an addition 5-10 minutes, or until those ingredients have soaked into the filling.
• Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Using a spoon, carefully scoop the filling into the hollowed out zucchini.
• Once the zucchini are filled, transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the tops of the zucchini boats have browned.
• Remove from the oven, and enjoy warm!

Notes

MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS: I’ve made this ahead a few times, and it has worked like a charm. Personally, I like to make and stuff the zucchini, then cover them and pop them in the fridge to bake later, but you could just as easily make the filling and refrigerate after that step, then stuff and bake the zucchini later.

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS: If you want to add lettuce and tomatoes to the tops of these zucchini boats once they’re out of the oven, feel free! If you’re not doing the Whole30 and want to get wild, you can add crushed up tortilla chips and shredded cheese, too!

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 262kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 24gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 967mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10g

Keyword beef recipe, best beef recipes, dinner, ground beef, whole 30 dinner, whole30, zucchini, zucchini recipe

Course Entrees

Cuisine American

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Do you have taco cravings, too?