Zucchini Boats with Ground Beef (Printable)

Savory zucchini halves filled with ground beef and melted cheese for a low-carb main dish.

# What's Needed:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium zucchini
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium tomato, diced

→ Meat

05 - 1.1 pounds ground beef

→ Dairy

06 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Pantry

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - ½ teaspoon dried basil
11 - ½ teaspoon paprika
12 - Salt, to taste
13 - Black pepper, to taste

→ Optional Garnish

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Set oven to 400°F and prepare for baking.
02 - Slice zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the center, leaving a ½ inch shell. Chop the reserved flesh.
03 - Arrange zucchini halves cut-side up in a baking dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper.
04 - Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
05 - Add ground beef to the skillet, cook until browned and crumbled, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
06 - Mix in chopped zucchini flesh, diced tomato, tomato paste, oregano, basil, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 5 more minutes until mixture thickens and vegetables soften.
07 - Spoon the beef mixture evenly into zucchini shells and sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top.
08 - Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
10 - Sprinkle chopped parsley over zucchini boats before serving, if desired.

# Tips for Success:

01 -
  • It feels restaurant-quality but comes together in less than an hour, no special skills required.
  • The cheese gets gloriously bubbly on top while the zucchini stays tender enough to eat with just a fork.
  • You can prep everything ahead and bake it when you're ready, making weeknight stress disappear.
  • Low-carb without tasting like you're missing anything, which honestly surprised me the first time I made it.
02 -
  • If you scoop the zucchini flesh too thick, they'll be chewy; if you scoop too thin, they collapse in the oven and spill filling everywhere.
  • Don't skip draining the ground beef if it renders a lot of fat; a greasy filling won't set properly and can make the zucchini shell soggy.
  • The foil cover is essential for the first 20 minutes, otherwise the zucchini stays firm instead of becoming fork-tender.
03 -
  • Buy zucchini that are as close to the same size as possible so they cook evenly and look nice lined up in the baking dish.
  • If you're nervous about the zucchini falling apart, pre-bake the empty boats with just oil and seasoning for about 10 minutes before filling, which firms them up.

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