These Mexican-inspired taco stuffed summer squash (or zucchini) are bursting with flavor!! They are such a fun change of pace from your usual taco night, and a great way to use up garden zucchini. (Not to mention a very tasty way to add in more veggies!). We discovered (post photo shoot, but thankfully pre-eating) that our favorite way to eat them is with crushed tortilla chips (or Fritos are my personal favorite) on top, plus diced avocado (or guacamole if you have it). I HIGHLY recommend adding these two foods for the ultimate best taste (and texture) and satisfying meal!! 😊

I’m excited to bring you another stuffed zucchini recipe! While I LOVE the pizza stuffed zucchini recipe on the blog, I also love this taco stuffed summer squash for variety. Clearly, my garden has been producing a LOT of zucchini/summer squash this year. I’m not complaining! Having an abundance of garden produce actually forces me to be creative in the kitchen with recipe development. I definitely plan our meals around the fresh produce we harvest from our garden.

This recipe was inspired by two other recipes already on the blog…this pizza stuffed zucchini (which you MUST try; it’s one of my all-time favorite recipes) and my Mexican layered enchilada bake. You’ll notice the meat filling is the same as the enchilada bake…I LOVE using this filling in taco recipes! It’s filled with both meat AND refried beans, which seriously makes for the best texture and a great way to add in nutritious, fiber and protein-packed beans. I also use a very simple homemade taco seasoning! The filling comes together in minutes; just as long as it takes to brown up some hamburger.

Let’s talk a bit more about the ingredients for this recipe!

Ingredients and Substitution Ideas

Yellow Summer Squash (or Zucchini!)

I used fairly large yellow summer squash for this recipe; each individual squash weighed almost 1 pound! If you’re buying smaller zucchini/squash from the store, you’ll want to buy more (or use the leftover taco meat filling for another use, such as with tortillas for tacos or a taco salad). You can also use zucchini for this recipe; it works just as well! As you can see from the photos, I used yellow summer squash and we couldn’t taste any difference whatsoever in taste/texture between the zucchini and summer squash.

Taco Seasoning

I love making my own taco seasoning versus using store-bought packets; this version has no preservatives and is MUCH lower in sodium! I used a mix of garlic, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Taco Meat Filling

Growing up, my mom would always add a can of refried beans to taco meat. I love this idea to get the added nutrition from the beans (fiber, plant-based protein, etc.) and it makes the meat go farther too! I used traditional refried beans (made with pinto beans), but I also think using black refried beans (something I’ve recently bought and tried) would be great in this recipe. And honestly, if you really want to I’m sure you could completely omit the refried beans from the meat mixture! Just note you won’t have as much filling and it won’t taste as creamy.

I used ground beef in these taco stuffed zucchini, but ground turkey or ground chicken would work too! You could even use a can of black beans in place of the meat or a vegetarian meat substitute (I’ve seen stores sell soy or pea-based ground meat substitutes now in the meat section!) to make this a vegetarian or vegan-friendly meal.

Taco Toppings

I topped these taco stuffed zucchini’s with salsa and shredded cheddar cheese prior to baking. I then added crushed tortilla chips (or Fritos) and diced avocado (or sub guacamole if you have it!) after baking which took these taco stuffed zucchini from good to GREAT. Highly recommend added these toppings 😊

Serving Suggestions

I served these taco stuffed summer squash (or zucchini) with crushed tortilla chips and avocado on top, with a side of chips and salsa. 🙂 These really can be a meal-in-one, especially since my husband and I each ate two large halves (1 entire summer squash). If tortilla chips aren’t your thing, a side of rice would also go great with these tacos!

Mexican Stuffed Summer Squash (or Zucchini)

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

These Mexican-inspired taco summer squash (or zucchini) boats are bursting with flavor!! They are such a fun change of pace from your usual taco night, and a great way to use up garden zucchini. (Not to mention a very tasty way to add in more veggies!). We discovered (post photo shoot, but thankfully pre-eating) that our favorite way to eat them is with crushed tortilla chips (or Fritos are my personal favorite) on top, plus diced zucchini (Or guacamole if you have it). HIGHLY recommend adding these two foods for the ultimate best taste and satisfying meal!! 😊

Author: Audra's Appetite

Recipe type: Dinner, Entree, Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian-friendly

Serves: 4 large servings

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 lb. ground beef (can sub ground turkey or chicken if desired)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 can refried beans
• 2 cups salsa
• 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 large zucchini OR yellow summer squash (this was almost 4 lb total for me!). if your zucchini are smaller, you will need more.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Wash outsides of zucchini or summer squash. Cut in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Then using a spoon, scrape out the inside of the zucchini flesh (see photo in post for a visual). I personally freeze the leftover zucchini/summer squash to use later for smoothies!
3. Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add in ground meat, diced onion, and fresh garlic and cook until meat is no longer pink and completely cooked through.
4. Add in spices and can of refried beans and stir until combined.
5. Spoon meat filling into zucchini (again, see photo in post for visual). Then spoon desired amount salsa over meat filling and top with cheese.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25-35 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted. Mine took 30 minutes, but note every oven is different and this will also vary based on the size of zucchini/squash you are using.
7. Enjoy! Makes enough for 4 large servings, 2 zucchini halves/serving.

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