Go Back
+ servings
stuffed zucchini on plate
5 from 2 votes

Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

This easy stuffed zucchini recipe is made with a yummy ground beef taco meat, black beans, corn, fresh cilantro, and cheddar cheese!
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Fat 24
Carbs 9
Protein 19
Yield 6

Ingredients

  • 3 large zucchinis
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb. ground beef we used 85/15 ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning or store bought
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • cup black beans drained and rinsed
  • cup sweet corn
  • ¼ cup table crema
  • ½ cup + 6 tablespoons shredded mexican cheddar cheese blend separated
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons red onion minced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise (hot dog-style) and use a small melon baller or a small spoon to dig out the center of each zucchini half. Drizzle each zucchini half with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the zucchini halves on the lined baking sheet.
    Sliced zucchini on a baking sheet.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it up into small pieces with a spatula. Sprinkle the taco seasoning and the remaining salt over the beef and toss all the ingredients together. Let the ground beef cook for 5-7 minutes or until fully cooked.
    A frying pan filled with ground beef.
  • Add the black beans and corn to the ground beef, toss, and remove the skillet from the heat. Add the crema and ½ cup of shredded cheese to the beef mixture. Mix all of the ingredients together until the cheese has melted.
    A skillet filled with beef, corn and sour cream.
  • Fill each zucchini half with 3-4 tablespoons of the beef mixture until each zucchini half has a heaping pile of beef in the middle. Sprinkle each zucchini with 1 tablespoon of additional shredded cheese.
    Zucchini boats with meat and cheese on a baking sheet.
  • Bake at 350ºF for 13-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the zucchini has reached desired doneness.

Tips & Notes

  • We do not bake the zucchini before we stuff them so that the zucchini has a bite to them rather than being mushy. If you would like a softer zucchini, bake the zucchinis for 5-10 minutes before adding the ground beef.
  • If you do not have table crema you can use sour cream as a great substitute.
  • Store-bought taco seasoning tends to be a bit saltier than homemade taco seasoning. Please be cautious of this and taste your taco meat before adding more salt.

Watch it

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 24g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g