Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats (a.k.a. Shipwrecks)
These Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats are an excellent low-carb dinner option! They’re stuffed with seasoned ground turkey, black beans, onions, and corn, and topped with a layer of cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro.
Why We Love Zucchini Boats
We’re no strangers to carbs, but we also know that increasing the amount of vegetables we eat is a good thing. Using hollowed out zucchini (zucchinis?) as the vehicles for a bunch of tasty protein-packed filling seemed like a no-brainer here. The zucchini provide some extra nutrients and flavor, and they are sturdy enough to hold all of the toppings. They’re also available at most grocery stores year round and they aren’t too expensive.
Zucchini are also low in calories, high in fiber, and full of vitamins and minerals, especially if you leave the skin on. The skin of zucchini has good amounts of vitamins C and B6, as well as manganese, potassium, and folate, so we recommend not peeling the zucchini to ensure you get the most nutrients possible from this recipe.
In Support of Messy Food
When we set out to make Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats back in 2022, we had envisioned nice, neat little boat-like zucchini halves with just enough filling for the hollowed out middles of the squashes. However, we got a little enthusiastic when making the filling, adding lots of protein and fruits (savory fruits only, of course) and veggies to the mix. As a result, this recipe makes a lot of filling, which spills over the sides of the zucchini boats in a slightly less neat, but incredibly effective, fashion.
We like to think that these boats encountered a bit of a storm on the open seas and turned into shipwrecks! We ended up preferring them that way, so we hope you do too!
Why You Should Make These Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats
- Great weeknight meal option. This recipe is easy, and it comes together in under an hour, which is a win in our books.
- Easy way to sneak in extra fruit and veg into a meal. If you’re trying to get your kids, or yourself, to eat more produce, this recipe is an easy way to reach that goal.
- Low in carbs. Again, we love carbs, but we understand that some people like to reduce their carbohydrate intake. This recipe uses zucchini, which are lower in carbs than flour or corn tortillas, which we might typically use in a dish like this.
- Delicious combination of flavors. All of the ingredients work really well together and balance each other out.
- Customizable. We love this recipe with turkey, but it’s easy to change up the protein option. You can swap out the turkey for mushrooms for an all veggie dish or use a different ground meat, if you want.
Ingredients in Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these boats. For exact measurements, make sure to check out the recipe card.
- Ground turkey – we love using ground turkey in this dish because it’s fairly lean and its mild flavor pairs well with taco seasoning and the other fresh ingredients. If you’re not a fan of turkey, feel free to swap it out with another protein or go full veg by replacing the meat with mushrooms or more beans.
- Onion – we like using sweet or yellow onions in this recipe.
- Frozen corn – we use frozen roasted corn that we thaw a little before adding it to the pan with the other ingredients. If you can’t find roasted corn, regular would work just as well.
- Black beans – to keep it easy and simple, we use canned black beans that we drain and rinse well.
- Green chilies – you can use mild or hot canned green chilies.
- Taco seasoning – we prefer using our own taco seasoning, but you can use whatever mix you like best.
- Zucchini – use medium-sized zucchini that are on the skinnier side, if possible. This will ensure that they all fit into one baking dish. If your zucchini are larger, you may need to cook them in two baking dishes because they may not all fit in one.
- Water – a little water helps to loosen up the taco seasoning and allow it to coat the turkey and veggies.
- Roma tomatoes – we like topping these boats with fresh Roma tomatoes after baking.
- Pepper jack cheese – we almost always opt for shredding our own cheese instead of buying the pre-shredded versions because it melts better. Pre-shredded cheese is usually coated with anti-caking agents that keep it from clumping and melting uniformly. But if you only have pre-shredded cheese, it’ll still work.
- Cilantro – for added fresh flavor, we like to top our boats with cilantro after they’ve baked.
- Sour cream or Mexican crema – this is optional, but we like to top our boats with a little Mexican crema or sour cream mixed with some water to thin it out. Alternatively, you could use plain Greek yogurt instead.
Instructions for Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats
Before you start cooking, first preheat your oven to 400°F and measure and chop your ingredients.
Make the Filling
In a pan, cook the turkey in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until the juices start to release, about 5 minutes.
Add the onion and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the beans, corn, green chilies, and taco seasoning and stir to combine.
Mix in the water, which will help the taco seasoning coat the turkey and the veggies. If you want it saucier, you can add more water. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes to allow the turkey and veggies time to stew together.
Prepare the Zucchini
Cut the very ends off the zucchinis, then cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and some of the pulp creating a canoe-like shape. If you want, you can chop the pulp and add it to the turkey mixture. However, this will increase the volume of the filling, so you may have extra. We usually don’t do this, and instead use the leftover zucchini pulp for scrambled eggs or in another dish.
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with olive oil spray. Place the halved zucchini in it, cut sides facing up. Spray the zucchini with olive oil spray and season each with a little salt. Bake the zucchini for 5 minutes. Note: to save time, you can do this while the turkey filling is finishing up cooking.
Make the Boats
1. Partially cook the zucchini boats for 5 minutes. 2. Fill the boats with turkey and veggies, then top with cheese. 3. Bake the filled zucchini boats until cheese is melted. 4. Top zucchini boats with fresh tomatoes and cilantro.
Remove the zucchini from the oven and fill them with the turkey mixture. Remember, these are shipwrecks, so be sure to use all the filling! Distribute the shredded cheese on top of the filling. Bake the stuffed zucchini for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melty and bubbly. Top the boats (shipwrecks) with diced tomato and cilantro, and garnish with crema or sour cream, if desired.
Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats (a.k.a. Shipwrecks)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ sweet or yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup frozen corn, lightly thawed
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 oz can green chilies
- 3 tbsp taco seasoning
- ½ cup water
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- Olive oil spray, as needed
- Handful of cilantro, chopped
- Crema or sour cream, optional topping
Instructions
Prepare Oven
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Make the Filling
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large frying pan set over medium-high heat.1 Tbsp olive oil
- Add the turkey and cook until the juices start to release, about 5 minutes.1 pound ground turkey
- Add the onion and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the beans, corn, green chilies, and taco seasoning to the pan and stir to combine.½ sweet or yellow onion, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 cup canned black beans, 4 oz can green chilies, 3 tbsp taco seasoning
- Mix in the water, which will help the taco seasoning coat the turkey and the veggies. If you want it saucier, you can add more water. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes to allow the turkey and veggies time to stew together.½ cup water
Prepare the Zucchini
- Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and some of the pulp, making a canoe-like shape.4 medium zucchini
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with olive oil spray and place the prepared zucchini in it, open side up. Spray the zucchini and season each with a sprinkle of salt. Bake the zucchini for 5 minutes. Note: you can do this while the turkey filling is cooking to save time.Olive oil spray
Make the Boats
- Remove the zucchini from the oven and fill each with the turkey mixture. Remember, these are shipwrecks, so use all the filling.
- Distribute the shredded cheese on top of the filling, then bake the zucchini for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melty and bubbly.1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- Top the boats (shipwrecks) with diced tomato and cilantro, and garnish with crema or sour cream, if desired.2 Roma tomatoes, Handful of cilantro, Crema or sour cream
