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In the foreground, 2 turkey taco zucchini boats are placed on a gray plate. The boats are garnished with a sour cream drizzle and accompanied with a dollop of guacamole. In the background is part of the baking dish used to cook the boats.

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.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:35 minutes
Total Time:50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, California, Fusion, Mexican
Keyword: Easy, Low-Carb, Turkey
Servings: 8 zucchini boats (1 to 2 per person)

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