Cheesy Taco Zucchini Boats – Gluten Free!
Cheesy Taco Zucchini Boats are stuffed with veggies, spices, lean turkey, and melted cheese. They’re super easy to make and packed with flavor! It’s a healthy way to start your week.
Taco Zucchini Boats
Happy Monday, everybody! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I know I did! Andrew and I spent our time visiting the local farm down the road. I left with 2 big boxes of strawberries and a pocket full of dreams. Stay tuned, I’m going to have a pretty good amount of strawberry recipes coming up this week! Meanwhile, the zucchini also looked fantastic this weekend. So I wanted to bring you something super fresh, and full of flavor. And taco zucchini boats really fit the bill!
I love making these when I’m in the mood for something different. Regular tacos will always reign supreme. I mean, come on… tacos. But since I’m on my healthy eating kick still, I’m consciously making the healthier decision to not eat tortilla chips every day.
The struggle is real. 
But to be completely honest, I don’t really feel deprived with these. It turns out, the best part of tacos is the melted cheese and spices. Who knew? So I feel totally full after eating a few of these taco zucchini boats, and my taco craving it totally satiated.
I used lean turkey meat to make these, along with some wholesome veggies like kale, mushrooms, and zucchini (obv). I’m on a weight loss journey, so cutting out the fat and dialing up the veg is really important to me right now. And it’s totally working, because I’m down 5 lbs already! If you’re looking for a few more calories, or serving these at a party, feel free to swap out ground beef 1-to-1 in this recipe.
I used my own personal taco seasoning for these taco zucchini boats. But you can play with it until it suites your own taste. Personally I like a hint of heat, but I don’t like it to be overwhelming. If you’re really a spicy person, you can add 1/2 tsp cayenne instead of 1/4. Or more, if you want your taco zucchini boats really spicy. I also like my taco seasoning a little bit on the salty side, so I double the salt in this recipe. But that is 100% personal preference. 
Other Taco Recipes To Go With Taco Zucchini Boats
- Slow Cooker Taco Meat – This is a great one to serve at parties. Let the slow cooker keep the taco meat hot, and serve the fixings around it!
- Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos – Here’s another take on tacos for the beef lovers out there! Carne Asada has great lime flavor that you’re going to love.
- Oven Fried Fish Tacos – Fish tacos are a little bit lighter, but still oh-so-delicious.
- Baked Chicken Taquitos with Cream Cheese & Jalapeños – Ok, this one’s not really a taco. But it’s still pretty amazing! Creamy filling, crunchy shell, and a kick of jalapeño.
Cheesy Taco Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 15oz can black beans, drained
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup fresh kale or spinach, chopped
- 1 cup Mexican cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut ends of zucchini and cut zucchini in half longways. Use a spoon to scoop out inside, creating "boats" out of the zucchini. Place boats on baking sheet and set aside.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add onion, mushrooms, and insides from zucchini and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add turkey, stirring occasionally until turkey is cooked through.
- Add kale, black beans, and spices. Stir all ingredients together. When kale is cooked down, remove from heat.
- Spoon filling evenly into zucchini boats. Top evenly with cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
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