Name: Chef John's Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 0.66666668653488 cup diced yellow onion; 1 pound ground beef; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper; 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or to taste; 1 tablespoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 teaspoons cornmeal; 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1 cup tomato sauce; 0.5 cup water; 4 large zucchini, halved lengthwise; 1.5 cups grated pepper Jack cheese

Chef John's Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Save to MyRecipes

Tap "Save" to keep this recipe in MyRecipes, your new and upgraded digital recipe box for Allrecipes!

Ingredients

This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings.

For the Taco Meat Stuffing:

1 tablespoon olive oil
cup diced yellow onion
1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper
1 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or to taste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons cornmeal
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup tomato sauce
cup water

For the Rest:

4 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 cups grated pepper Jack cheese

Directions

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Add diced onion and ground beef. Cook, stirring, until the onion becomes translucent and the beef is browned, breaking it into small pieces. This should take about 5 minutes.

Step 2: Add minced garlic and diced jalapeno to the skillet. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.

Step 3: Stir in 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, dried oregano, cornmeal, and freshly ground black pepper. Let the mixture cook for an additional minute.

Step 4: Pour in the tomato sauce and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer while stirring occasionally for 5 to 10 minutes, until it thickens to your desired consistency. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Step 5: While the taco meat mixture cools, use a teaspoon or melon baller to scoop out about half of the center from each zucchini half, creating a "boat." Sprinkle generously with the remaining kosher salt and let the zucchini sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 6: Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner to prevent sticking.

Step 7: After the zucchini has rested, use a paper towel to blot away any moisture that the salt has drawn out. Place the zucchini boats on the prepared baking sheet.

Step 8: Fill each zucchini boat with as much taco meat mixture as will fit. Top evenly with grated pepper Jack cheese.

Step 9: Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned, and the zucchini is just tender. Test for doneness by inserting a sharp knife.

Step 10: Serve immediately and enjoy!

Chef's Notes

You can substitute any type of pepper for the jalapeno, or skip the pepper entirely if you prefer a milder flavor.
Feel free to add corn, beans, or both to the taco meat mixture for extra texture and flavor.
If you're concerned about the salt content, rinse the zucchini under cold water before drying, though this is not necessary as zucchini itself is quite bland and needs good seasoning.
If you like firmer zucchini, you can reduce the cooking time slightly.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories	263
Total Fat	17g (22%)
Saturated Fat	8g (38%)
Cholesterol	62mg (21%)
Sodium	731mg (32%)
Total Carbohydrate	11g (4%)
Dietary Fiber	3g (11%)
Total Sugars	5g
Protein	18g (35%)
Vitamin C	32mg (36%)
Calcium	178mg (14%)
Iron	2mg (13%)
Potassium	701mg (15%)

Comments

Sara Legvold

10/06/2025 01:52:54 PM

Excellent ! Loved how easy they were to make and my husband loved eating it. Will definitely make them again.

Anthony Thompson

09/12/2023 10:15:33 PM

It came together in record time and still tastes amazing.

Martha

06/28/2023 10:06:11 PM

Definitely a keeper! I followed the recipe as written, and also added black beans and fresh corn as suggested by Chef John in his Notes section. I kept a close watch on the baking time as someone mentioned because I don’t like mushy vegetables either. This was very tasty, and I will be making it again.

Lisa Hodgins

08/15/2023 01:56:05 PM

We had a huge zucchini from a neighbour's garden. This recipe stuffed about half of it. I substituted ground chicken for the beef and added black beans for some filler. Had to cook longer because the zucchini was so thick. But tasted great. Love Chef John's recipes!

Sherry

10/26/2022 09:27:20 PM

Another winning Chef John Recipe. Hubby is not a big fan of zucchini but sure cobbled this dish up. I did put these in a glass baking dish as I did not want to lose any run over. Baked an additional 10 minutes. Loved this dish!

buffycritter97

09/10/2020 09:12:26 PM

I made this last night but had to substitute 93% Lean Ground Turkey for the Ground Beef. It still turned out delicious and we couldn't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch!

Tina

09/25/2020 09:48:27 AM

I don't agree with Chef John that zucchini is not very exciting or fun to eat. I think it is one of the great veggies of summer. I'm also a big fan of tacos. Therefore I fully expected to like this recpice. And I did. I make stuffed zucchinis a few times a year but usually with Mediterranean inspired stuffing using rice or potatoes, feta or fresh mozarella and pine nuts. Zucchini and ground beef (or pork) is always a great combo and this one is no exception. The taco seasoning and slight heat works great with this versatile veggie. My only swap was the cheese. I used a mild cheddar because Pepper Jack does not exist where I live.

Alexis Z

05/10/2024 02:29:33 PM

Cut the recipe in half and used ground turkey. This was super flavorful and the zucchini wasn't mushy or soggy. Another win by Chef John!

Linda Kastner

07/08/2025 11:58:43 PM

Followed recipe as is except that I used ground turkey instead of beef. Wonderful flavor!

Pielady

01/09/2025 05:56:57 PM

Don’t hesitate to try this. I made it with ground chicken instead of beef and couldn’t tell a difference. Other than that followed the recipe to a tee. Delicious!

Sharyl

09/19/2025 11:32:47 PM

So happy to use some more zucchini squash. The taco filling is perfectly spiced and using the abundance of tomatoes in the house was a bonus. Made as printed with excellent results.

patfitzgerald53

09/07/2025 03:57:05 PM

My husband was skeptical about this dish, but is was love at first bite. Delicious!

Mark Keefer

08/08/2023 12:13:34 AM

made as written, except i didn't have pepper jack so i used 4 cheese Mexican blend. awesome, zero leftovers. i'm going to make some more to take for lunches.

ProLime2419

08/14/2022 06:40:50 PM

Chef John, could you please explain the stuffing recipe ingredient: 1 1/2 tsp boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 4 pieces. Thanks, Chef Jack

Kelly Murphy

07/14/2022 08:13:43 PM

Whole family love this and ask for it often. Much healthier alternative to tacos. Even picky guests have loved them.

fruitdog

03/05/2022 05:23:23 AM

I used extra jalapeno, mozzarella, meat alternative and no cornmeal. Even the hubs loved! Will make again because the leftovers were great for lunch!

Jane Mac

09/17/2021 11:16:50 PM

I made this exactly as per the recipe. Wow, so good! Tasty and just perfect amount of spicy zing. My husband loved it as well. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Gina

08/20/2021 09:24:00 PM

Added additional peppers; otherwise I kept to the recipe. I've made it four times. It has become a summer favorite when fresh summer zucchini is available.