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
Disclaimer: The links below are affiliate links. If you click through and take action, I will receive a small commission. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about the affiliate programs The Speckled Palate participates in.
Get the look!
- Corningware CW Color 4-piece set.
- Gold dot dessert plate (Similar from 8 Oak Lane.)
- Oneida Countess Servingware.
More zucchini recipes:
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
Bursting with flavor and summertime goodness, Whole30 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!
Ingredients
- 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)
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 Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 262Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 967mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 24g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
I love tacos too!! This is the perfect way to get to indulge without all the guilt but still having all the flavor!
I have zucchini coming out of my ears from my garden. Can’t wait to make this one!
Zucchini boats are one of my favorite summer meals. I like your change out from tomatoes to salsa!
What a fun way to enjoy summer zucchini and I think this is great way to enjoy tacos and not have actual tacos (I could eat tacos once a week and I don’t live in Texas:))
Totally going to pick up zucchini at the farmers market this weekend & add these to the meal plan for next week! Looks delicious. 🙂
What a great way to use up any zucchini you have in the garden!
I’ve been eating zucchini like it’s going out of style, and love the ease of a good zucchini boat.
Excellent made this tonite, loved it we needed more taco seasioning for our taste added toppings as we would for taco salad
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment, Marcia! It brightened my evening. 🙂
I’m glad y’all enjoyed this tonight and added some taco salad toppings, too. We’re having these tomorrow night!
Yum!!!! ❤️
YAY! So happy you’ve enjoyed these!
This is great for my father who has to watch his carbohydrate intake. He used to hate zucchini but now has grown to use it nonstop! Cannot wait to share with him.
I truly hope that he enjoys this, Cass! Our whole family is into it, so I hope yours is, too.