Stuffed Zucchini Boats, Tex-Mex Style

With tempting Tex-Mex flavors, these stuffed zucchini boats will blow your mind with just one bite!

Are you ready for a healthy low-carb recipe that actually tastes so good your family will be requesting it again and again? Well then, I think you will love this stuffed zucchini boat recipe, Tex-Mex style. It ticks so many boxes, as it’s low-carb and gluten-free. But these zucchini boats are still stuffed full of flavor, thanks to the Tex-Mex seasoning and additions, like guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream. So if you’re looking for a guilt-free Mexican-inspired dinner, you’re in the right place.

Now, this recipe does have a little kick, but if you aren’t into the extra spice you can leave that right out. This is also a fun recipe for the kids to help with too. Allow them to choose what toppings they want to place on their zucchini boats. Add whatever you like and transform your kitchen bench into a taco bar if you want to go a little crazy!

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion
• 2 zucchini
• ¾ cup jasmine rice or cauliflower rice (to make this a true low-carb meal)

• ¼ cup veggie stock (recipe to make your own is below)

• 1 Roma tomato
• 1 lime
• ¼ ounce cilantro (if you can’t stand cilantro, use parsley or basil)
• 4 tablespoons guacamole or smashed avocado
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• ½ cup pepper jack cheese
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional, for those who like a little kick)

Southwest Spice Blend

• 1 tsp garlic
• 1/2-1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 -1 tsp chili powder

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Halve, peel, and finely dice the onion.

Trim and slice zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds with a spoon and add the zucchini pulp to the next step.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add ¾ of the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, or about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add rice and spice combination and stir to coat.

Stir in vegetable stock and 1 cup of water for 4 boats/2 zucchini (double if making with 4 zucchini) and a big pinch of salt (optional).

Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender – about 15 to 18 minutes. Keep covered and off heat until ready to use.

While the rice cooks place the zucchini shells on a baking sheet. Rub all over with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then arrange them scooped-out sides down. Roast on top rack until browned and tender – about 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, let’s make our pico de gallo! Dice tomato, roughly chop cilantro, and zest and halve lime.

In a small bowl, combine diced tomato, half the cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice to taste, and as much remaining onion as you like. Season with salt and pepper.

In a separate small bowl, combine guacamole, lime zest, and half the sour cream (save the rest for serving). Squeeze in lime juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture reaches drizzling consistency.

Once the baked zucchini is tender, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Heat broiler to high. Fluff rice with a fork and season with salt and pepper.

TIP: Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter (2 tablespoons for 4 servings) for extra richness.

Flip over zucchini and stuff with as much rice as will fit (there will be plenty leftover). Evenly top with pepper jack cheese. Broil until shredded cheese is melted and lightly browned, or 2 to 3 minutes.

TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning.

Divide remaining rice between plates and top with stuffed zucchini. Top with avocado or guacamole, pico de gallo, remaining cilantro and remaining sour cream. Drizzle with hot sauce if desired and serve.

How to Make Veggie Stock

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 to 3 carrots
• 3 to 4 celery stalks
• 4 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• a small bunch of parsley
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

Carrots and celery give the stock a great base flavor, and you can round these out with 1 to 2 onions.

Directions

1. Roughly chop all the vegetables: Wash any visible dirt off the vegetables and give them a rough chop. Throw all the vegetables in a pot big enough to hold them plus a few extra inches of water. Add the herbs.
2. Cover with water and simmer: Cover the vegetables with enough water that you can easily stir them in the pot. Less water means that your stock will be more concentrated; more water makes a lighter-flavored stock. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring it to just under a boil. Once you start to see some bubbling around the edges of the pot and a few wisps of steam on the surface, turn the heat down to medium-low.
3. Cook for one hour: This isn’t an exact science, but one hour is generally enough time to infuse the water with vegetable goodness. Give it a stir every now and again to circulate the vegetables.
4. Strain and store: Take the pot off the stove and remove all the vegetables with a slotted spoon. Set your strainer over a big bowl and line it with a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Pour the stock through. Divide the stock into storage containers, cool completely, and then freeze.

Storage

• Store these zucchini boats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, I recommend placing them on a baking sheet and warming them in the oven rather than the microwave.
• You can freeze zucchini boats, but they’ll be a mushier texture once reheated in the oven. If you do decide to freeze this recipe, ensure the zucchini is fully cool before double-wrapping them and placing them in the freezer for up to three months.

Recipe Notes

• If you are using cauliflower rice, I like to thaw and squeeze the heck out of it with a cheesecloth before adding it to the mix.  This makes it a bit more fluffy when serving and you likely won’t need the whole cook time of 15-18 minutes.  You could probably cut that cook right down to 5-8 minutes.
• If you want to add even more heat to these stuffed zucchini boats, you can add some jalapenos on top and a dash of cayenne pepper when you add the other spices.
• Don’t want to be low-carb? Then beef up the recipe with beans and corn. You can add them when you’re cooking the rice.
• To prepare this taco stuffed zucchini recipe up to two days in advance, prepare the filling and the boats and store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Then on the day, make the toppings while the zucchini boats are baking.

Recipe FAQs

Are these zucchini boats vegan?

With two simple substitutions, they can become vegan stuffed zucchini boats. Just remove the cheese and sour cream or use vegan alternatives. You should also ignore the butter recommendation mentioned in the above directions.

What do you serve with zucchini boats?

These zucchini boats make a great main meal or appetizer at a dinner party. But if you’d prefer to serve them as a side dish, you can opt to serve them with your choice of meat, like grilled chicken.

How do you prevent the zucchini from being too hard?

First, ensure you choose a zucchini that isn’t too large and that’s bright green. Then, you can soften them further by microwaving the zucchinis for two to three minutes before baking. If you choose to microwave the zucchinis, the baking time will decrease.

Need more Tex-Mex in your life? Check out these recipes:

Grandmama’s Tex Mex Dip

Tex-Mex Lasagna

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Mexican Cornbread Recipe