Stuffed Zucchini Boats are a fun, low carb dinner filled with a hearty meat sauce, topped with cheese, and baked until melty and bubbly. This classic dish is perfect for the height of zucchini season, and a true family favorite!
Fresh zucchini is one of the most versatile late summer veggies, working well in everything from Zucchini Bread to Zucchini Muffins to Zucchini Fries. These delicious zucchini boats let this vegetable show off its versatility. After roasting, the zucchini flesh is soft and tender, similar to al dente pasta, and soaks up all the flavors in the meaty sauce. It's low in carbs, high in veggies, and loaded with flavor — what's not to love?
Why You'll Love These Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Naturally low carb. If you're trying to watch your carbs or sneak more veggies into your life, this recipe is a great option! Tender zucchini stands in for pasta, and you won't even miss it, thanks to all the flavors in the sauce and the ooey gooey cheese on top.
- Family-friendly flavors. Meaty tomato sauce tends to be a hit with people of all ages, and the melted cheese certainly helps. Even picky eaters will make an exception when they realize just how much flavor each of these stuffed zucchini boats has.
- Great for meal prep. While roasting the zucchini halves, make a big pot of the filling, then assemble, bake, and store your leftovers in meal prep containers. Serve them with a simple side salad, and you'll have a healthy, microwave-friendly main course to enjoy the next day!
Ingredient Notes
To make these delicious Stuffed Zucchini Boats, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- zucchini - these need to be halved lengthwise. Remove any seeds.
- oil - you need olive oil to drizzle on the zucchini, and vegetable oil to brown the meat.
- ground beef - choose whichever percentage of fat you prefer or substitute with a different ground meat such as ground lamb, ground turkey, or Italian sausage.
- onion and garlic
- tomato sauce - use canned or jarred tomato sauce.
- seasonings - keep it simple with a little bit of Italian seasoning, salt, and ground black pepper. Salt and pepper adds flavor early on to ensure the zucchini tastes great, too (not just the filling and topping).
- cheese - shredded mozzarella cheese will melt really well while the Parmesan adds a rich flavor.
- parsley - chopped for garnish.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a sharp knife, melon baller or spoon, a large pan, a large saucepan, and a spatula.
How to Make the Best Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Prep the zucchini. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise and use a spoon to carefully scoop out the flesh to create a thick shell or “boat”, about ¼ inch to ½ inch thick. Place the zucchini in a row, cut side up, on a large sheet pan or casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake in a 375F preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the filling. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the oil is sizzling hot, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to break up the beef into small pieces to help even browning. Add onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened, then remove from heat. If it is too watery, continue to simmer until thickened.
- Assemble. Fill each zucchini shell with equal amounts of meat sauce and top with equal amounts of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Bake for another 15 minutes, until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted and golden brown. You can also pop it into the broiler on high for 2-3 minutes at the end until the cheese melts and is golden brown and bubbly.
- Serve. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top and serve warm.
Recipe Variations
- Change the protein. Feel free to use any ground meat you prefer. For zucchini pizza boats, use precooked Italian sausage crumbles or sliced pepperoni.
- Make vegetarian zucchini boats. For a vegetarian meal, replace the meat with extra veggies, plant-based crumbles, cooked lentils, or rinsed and drained black beans.
- Make a taco filling. Once you have roasted the zucchini boats, you can fill them with anything! They're wonderful with taco meat and cheddar cheese on top. Serve with sour cream, green onion, salsa, and your favorite taco fixings.
- Make a zucchini casserole. Arrange the zucchini boats in a baking dish and cover with a little extra sauce before adding the cheese on top. The zucchini will wick up the flavor from the sauce on the outside and become even softer.
- Add more veggies. Add bell peppers, spinach, or roasted mushrooms to the filling for an extra dose of veggies. You can also use yellow summer squash instead of traditional green zucchini.
How to Serve
These Zucchini Boats are delicious served on its own for a low carb lunch or dinner, or paired with a soup, salad, or carb heavy side dish for a more filling option including:
- Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
- Quinoa Spinach Power Salad
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Greek Rice
- Simple Italian Salad
- Garlic Knots
For more recipes, see our 30 Side Dishes for Pasta.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Choose the right size zucchini. There is a wide range in zucchini sizes, and technically, you can use any size, but you want to aim for medium zucchini that still have immature seeds inside. The flesh and zucchini skin will be nice and tender after roasting, and the meat will have a mild, slightly buttery flavor. Look for zucchini between 1.5 - 3 inches in diameter.
- Salt the zucchini. This will help remove the excess liquid that can make most zucchini recipes soggy. Simple, but important!
- Add flavor to every layer. Zucchini, on its own, is very mild and can easily be bland. Season every layer from the zucchini boats to the meat filling! It makes a big difference.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Store any leftover zucchini boats in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
The microwave is the quickest way to reheat your zucchini boats, but you can also bake them at 350 F for 5-10 minutes or until fully heated.
How to Freeze
Chill and freeze the zucchini boats on a sheet pan, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Keep in mind that the zucchini will be even softer after thawing and reheating.
FAQ
It depends on the size of the zucchini, but the shells should be baked for 15 minutes at 375 F, then baked with the filling and cheese for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Yes, but roasted or baked zucchini will be even softer after cooking, thawing, and reheating. Your boats might not be quite as boat-shaped if you do this, but they will still taste great.
There are many variations, but I like to make lasagna-like zucchini boats with a meaty marinara sauce and lots of melted cheese on top. Try replacing the tomato filling mixture with taco meat, buffalo chicken, Sloppy Joe's, and more. Get creative with it!
More Zucchini Recipes
- Cheesy Baked Zucchini with Marinara
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Zucchini Bites
- Zucchini Fritters
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Recipe
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Stuffed Zucchini Boats are a fun, low carb dinner filled with a hearty meat sauce, topped with cheese, and baked until melty and bubbly. This classic dish is perfect for the height of zucchini season, and a true family favorite!
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup tomato sauce
For the topping:
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise and use a spoon to carefully scoop out the flesh to create a thick shell or “boat”, about ¼ inch to ½ inch thick.
- Place the zucchini in a row, cut side up, on a large sheet pan or casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
Prepare the filling:
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the oil is sizzling hot, about 1 minute.
- Add ground beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to break up the beef into small pieces to help even browning.
- Add onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato sauce and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened, then remove from heat. If it is too watery, continue to simmer until thickened.
Assemble and bake:
- Fill each zucchini shell with equal amounts of meat sauce and top with equal amounts of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake for another 15 minutes, until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted and golden brown. You can also pop it into the broiler on high for 2-3 minutes at the end until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Sprinkle chopped parsley on top and serve warm.
Notes
How to store: Store any leftover zucchini boats in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to reheat: The microwave is the quickest way to reheat your zucchini boats, but you can also bake them at 350 F for 5-10 minutes or until fully heated.
How to freeze: Chill and freeze the zucchini boats on a sheet pan, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Keep in mind that the zucchini will be even softer after thawing and reheating.
- Prep Time: 10 minuts
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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