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Ground Beef Zucchini Boats

Ground beef zucchini boats with Italian-seasoned meat in a tomato sauce, baked until the zucchini is tender. Mozzarella melts golden and gets slightly charred across the top for a hearty low-carb beef dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini
  • 4 zucchini Medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
  • 0.25 zucchini Garnish after baking (use fresh parsley instead if preferred)
Meat filling
  • 1 lb ground beef Use 80/20 for best flavor unless you prefer leaner
  • 1 onion Small onion, diced
  • 3 garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes Drained
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 salt To taste
  • 0.25 black pepper To taste
Cheese topping
  • 1.5 cup mozzarella cheese Shredded
  • 0.25 cup parmesan Grated
  • 1 fresh parsley For garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake setup
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then scoop out the center of each half leaving about a 1/4-inch shell; chop the removed flesh and set it aside.
  3. Arrange the zucchini shells cut-side up in a greased baking dish.
Cook the beef and tomato sauce
  1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the diced onion until the beef is no longer pink, then drain excess fat.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then stir in the chopped zucchini flesh, diced tomatoes (drained), tomato paste, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
  3. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
Assemble and bake
  1. Fill each zucchini shell with the beef mixture, then top with shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan.
  2. Bake for 20–25 minutes at 400°F until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is golden and bubbly, then garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

For cleaner boats, lightly pat zucchini centers dry before filling so the tomato sauce doesn’t get watery. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days and reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through; freeze is not recommended because zucchini texture can soften. Dietary swap: use ground turkey instead of ground beef for a lighter take while keeping the same seasoning and sauce.