Enchilada Zucchini Boats

Enchilada Zucchini Boats are a super flavorful and fun twist on traditional enchiladas. It is a great way to have enchiladas but keep it low carb and little healthier. In this recipe you will use a zucchini instead of a tortilla!

If you love this recipe you will also love the Supreme Pizza Zucchini Boats!

But if you are like… “hold up, I want traditional enchiladas!!”. Then pop over to one of these recipes to get your enchilada fix: Chicken Enchiladas, Enchilada Skillet, or Beef Enchilada Casserole.

Why This Recipe is Amazing

• You still have all the enchilada flavors- like red chile sauce, spices, cheese, and ground beef.
• Cutting the zucchini in half and then hollowing it out makes the perfect “boat” to hold all the enchilada filling.
• The zucchini cooks up perfectly in the oven!
• It is an EXCELLENT make-ahead dinner!
• Enchilada Zucchini Boats are also a great recipe to use up the abundance of summer garden zucchinis!

Ingredients

Here are the items that you need to make Zucchini Enchiladas, plus some tips on a few ingredints.

Beef– An 85/15 ground beef works great here because it has enough fat to be flavorful but not too much fat to be greasy.

But, use whatever beef you have or your family likes!

Enchilada Sauce– You can use store-bought or homemade red enchilada sauce in these zucchini enchiladas.

Cheese- Use whatever shredded cheese your family likes, or whatever you have on hand. I used a mild cheddar in these photos, but Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or Pepper Jack will all work perfectly!

Step by Step Picture Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 9×13 casserole dish by pouring half of one can of enchilada sauce over the bottom. Set aside.

In a large skillet sauté the onions, peppers and garlic in oil until they are fragrant and softened, about 4-5 minutes.

Next, add the ground beef and crumble it while it cooks thru. Drain excess grease before moving on.

Off the heat mix in the seasonings/spices, chopped cilantro, and half a can of enchilada sauce (5 oz.).

While the beef cooks, prepare the zucchini boats.

Start by trimming the stem end, then slice the zucchini in half, lengthwise. Using a spoon, core out the center of each zucchini half.

Pro Tip: Be careful not to dig all the thru, this is the “boat” part that holds the enchilada filling.

Lay the cored zucchini boats in the sauce, divide the beef mixture evenly between the zucchini boats.

Top the filled zucchini boats with the remaining can of enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the shredded cheese.

Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Pro Tip: If your zucchini are extra large or extra thick you may want to add 10 minutes to the covered cooking time.

Serving

Serve the Enchilada Zucchini Boats topped with Greek yogurt or sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado or guacamole.

They are great served with Mexican Rice or Cilantro Cauliflower Rice, chips with salsa or Pico, and refried beans or cilantro pineapple side dish.

Make Ahead

These are an EXCELLENT make ahead dinner for busy weeks. Simply prep completely and pop in the fridge for 1-2 days.

When you are ready to bake, pop in a 350 degree oven, cook for 30 minutes covered, then remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes.

Related Recipes

If you love having Mexican food for dinner check out these other Mexican inspired recipes from Mom’s Dinner.

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