In many ways, eating zucchini is the exact opposite of eating a taco: it’s not very thrilling, engaging, or enjoyable. But in this case, we’re going to stuff zucchini with the taco filling to transform it from an ordinary vegetable into one that is very exceptional. These were truly amazing; this isn’t some low-carb replacement trick. Serve with your preferred toppings, such as chopped tomato, green onions, sour cream, and cilantro.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 25 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 8 zucchini boats |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅔ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons cornmeal
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup water
- 4 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 1 ½ cups grated pepper Jack cheese
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, onion, and ground beef in a skillet over high heat. Cook, stirring, until onion turns translucent and the beef is browned and broken up into very small pieces, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno pepper and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, dried oregano, cornmeal, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute more.
- Stir in tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens to your desired texture, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Use a teaspoon or melon baller to scoop out about half the center of each zucchini to create a “boat.” Sprinkle generously with remaining kosher salt and let sit, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner.
- Use a paper towel to blot any moisture that the salt draws out of the zucchini. Place boats on the prepared baking sheet and fill each one with as much taco meat mixture as will fit. Top evenly with pepper Jack cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is browned and the zucchini is just barely tender, about 20 minutes. Test for doneness with a sharp knife. Serve immediately.
- You can substitute any kind of pepper you like for the jalapeno or cook this with no pepper. Feel free to add corn, beans, or both to the taco meat mixture.
- If you are concerned with salt content, you can rinse the zucchini under cold water before drying, but I don’t, since the squash is bland and needs to be well seasoned.
- You can cook these for less time if you prefer a firmer zucchini texture.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 263 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 11 g |
| Cholesterol | 62 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Sodium | 731 mg |
| Sugars | 5 g |
| Fat | 17 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This is a delicious recipe as is. I have made it many times. I have tried different things and here are some modifications that my family enjoys. I add 1/2 can of black beans just before bringing meat mixture to a boil. I also add a small can of green chilis in place of the diced jalapeño. I use 1/2 cup of dry red wine in place of the water. I also have replaced the recommended seasoning with ‘Taco Seasoning’, a recipe on allrecipes from Bill Echols. Actually it is pretty similar anyway. But as I said delicious as is!
We had a huge zucchini from a neighbour’s garden. This recipe stuffed about half of it. I substituted ground chicken for the beef and added black beans for some filler. Had to cook longer because the zucchini was so thick. But tasted great. Love Chef John’s recipes!
made as written, except i didn’t have pepper jack so i used 4 cheese Mexican blend. awesome, zero leftovers. i’m going to make some more to take for lunches.
Definitely a keeper! I followed the recipe as written, and also added black beans and fresh corn as suggested by Chef John in his Notes section. I kept a close watch on the baking time as someone mentioned because I don’t like mushy vegetables either. This was very tasty, and I will be making it again.
Another winning Chef John Recipe. Hubby is not a big fan of zucchini but sure cobbled this dish up. I did put these in a glass baking dish as I did not want to lose any run over. Baked an additional 10 minutes. Loved this dish!
Chef John, could you please explain the stuffing recipe ingredient: 1 1/2 tsp boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 4 pieces. Thanks, Chef Jack
Whole family love this and ask for it often. Much healthier alternative to tacos. Even picky guests have loved them.
I used extra jalapeno, mozzarella, meat alternative and no cornmeal. Even the hubs loved! Will make again because the leftovers were great for lunch!
I made this exactly as per the recipe. Wow, so good! Tasty and just perfect amount of spicy zing. My husband loved it as well. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!
Added additional peppers; otherwise I kept to the recipe. I’ve made it four times. It has become a summer favorite when fresh summer zucchini is available.
These were great! Excellent combination of the zuchinni with the taco filling. Will definitely make again!! Thanks Chef John!
so good and no need to change
I didn’t have any jalapeños so I added a little extra chili powder but otherwise made it exactly as noted. Very tasty and a great way to add a vegetable. Absolutely will make again!
Delicious
I don’t agree with Chef John that zucchini is not very exciting or fun to eat. I think it is one of the great veggies of summer. I’m also a big fan of tacos. Therefore I fully expected to like this recpice. And I did. I make stuffed zucchinis a few times a year but usually with Mediterranean inspired stuffing using rice or potatoes, feta or fresh mozarella and pine nuts. Zucchini and ground beef (or pork) is always a great combo and this one is no exception. The taco seasoning and slight heat works great with this versatile veggie. My only swap was the cheese. I used a mild cheddar because Pepper Jack does not exist where I live.
Will be making this again and again. Hubby loved it!
Will make it again. Kids liked it and were surprised (expecting the worst usually helps). Didn’t sub anything.
Excellent ! Loved how easy they were to make and my husband loved eating it. Will definitely make them again.
Another hit from Chef John. Made this exactly as written and everyone loved it. I was careful to check the zucchini for doneness several times with a knife point as I loathe mushy vegetables. Pretty on the plate, too. Served with a salad on the side. Will definitely make again. Thanks Chef!
I made this last night but had to substitute 93% Lean Ground Turkey for the Ground Beef. It still turned out delicious and we couldn’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch!