These stuffed zucchini boats are a simple, low-carb dinner made with tender zucchini, seasoned ground beef, and melted cheese. You only need one pan and about 30 minutes to make them. Perfect for using up summer zucchini or for a light, filling weeknight meal.
Make this Easy Low Carb Zucchini Recipe!
It’s summertime, and that means that an abundance of fresh zucchini are available in farmers’ markets and neighborhood veggie stands!
Stuffing zucchini with a simple ground beef meat sauce and topping it with cheese is the easiest way to cook these summer squash, and the classic Italian flavor combination makes these zucchini “boats” both comforting and delicious.
Want to know the secret to really amazing zucchini boats? Pop them under the broiler at the end to make the cheese browned and crispy!
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Zucchini: This recipe works best with medium-sized zucchini. Look for green summer squash that are about 6-9 inches in length. Choosing zucchini that are straight without too much of a curve will make them easier to stuff and bake.
- Ground Beef: I’m making my favorite easy meat sauce (the same that I use in classic lasagna and baked cream cheese spaghetti). For this sauce, I suggest using lean ground beef (90/10). This will give you a meaty flavor without too much excess grease.
- Marinara Sauce: Use your favorite jarred sauce, or a homemade sauce if you have some on hand. We will doctor up the sauce with garlic, onion, oregano, and simple seasonings.
- Cheese: Freshly shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses create the melty top layer of our boats. It’s best to avoid pre-shredded cheese, as these can often have starchy additives to keep the pieces from sticking together.
Tip!
Make it ahead! Zucchini boats can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated until you’re ready to bake them.
Recipe Tips
- Serve these zucchini boats with extra warmed marinara sauce on the side if you like. If you aren’t concerned with carbs or gluten, they are also tasty with some easy garlic bread or olive oil pasta on the side.
- You don’t need to throw away the insides of the zucchini, especially if the seeds are small. Save the zucchini “flesh” in the freezer and add it to soups or stews to add some extra fiber and nutrition.
- For a lower calorie meal, replace the ground beef with ground turkey, ground chicken, or vegan style ground beef.
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Zucchini Ground Beef Boats
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Baking sheet or casserole dish
- Spoon
- cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef (90/10)
- ½ cup (75 g) finely diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 24 ounces (680 g) marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) granulated sugar
- 4 medium (900 g) zucchinis about 2 pounds / 900 g, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped
- Salt and pepper for seasoning zucchini
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup (113 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Prepare zucchinis by slicing each lengthwise, scooping out the flesh with a small spoon, and placing the halves on a baking sheet or casserole dish in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned while breaking up with a spatula.
- Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, then stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in marinara sauce, oregano, salt, black pepper and sugar. Stir to combine then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Spoon meat sauce into the prepared zucchini boats.
- Bake until zucchini is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over boats, then top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Broil on high for 5 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Let rest for 2 minutes and garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.
Notes:
- Be careful not to remove too much from the inside of the zucchini boats. If they are too thin the shells can collapse.
- To reduce the carbs even more, replace the onion in the sauce with 1-2 teaspoons of onion powder. You can also use a low-carb tomato sauce, and omit the sugar.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the boats with the meat sauce filling, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day before baking as directed.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for a quick and easy lunch or dinner.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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Recipe FAQs
How Do I remove the seeds from zucchini without breaking it?
The key is to be fairly gentle! I like to use a metal teaspoon to scrape away just the seeds from the inside of the halved medium zucchini. Keep the zucchini shells flat on a cutting board to avoid bending it while you do so.
Why aren’t my zucchini boats cooked all the way?
You should bake the zucchini boats for at least 15 minutes, or longer so that the squash is tender.
How do I keep baked zucchini from being watery?
Zucchini is a watery vegetable, and it is natural for it to release moisture as it bakes. I don’t normally see this as an issue, as the liquid tends to be at the bottom of the pan.
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