Ground Beef Stuffed Zucchini

This easy low carb ground beef stuffed zucchini with Middle Eastern flavors is easy to make and great way to use garden zucchini. Eat it  as is for a low carb dinner or serve with rice. Each stuffed zucchini boat has only 4.5 grams net carbs, 16.7 grams of protein and 201 calories.

You might also like this low carb Johnny Marzetti zucchini casserole!

Growing up my grandmother (and mother) would often make stuffed kusa (zucchini). There were two ways that they made it. One way was with a stuffing of meat, onions and pine nuts. The other way was with stuffing ingredients of meat and rice, sort of like a stuffed cabbage. And both were cooked in tomato sauce.

Both were excellent but my favorite was always this version of Middle Eastern ground beef stuffed zucchini. I love the meat and pine nuts together because who doesn’t love pine nuts! The only difference from theirs is that I made them as boats because it was easier to clean out and stuff.

So today I made this dish because a) it reminds me of my mother and grandmother b) it’s low carb and I like to follow a keto diet c) we have a lot of zucchini from the garden. These make a delicious low carb summer meal.

Recipe ingredients and substitutions.

The simple ingredients I used were small to medium zucchinis, ground beef, onion, pine nuts, olive oil, cinnamon, salt, black pepper and tomato paste.

• zucchini – In the past I have made it with super big and smaller zucchini. I prefer the smaller size as the ratio of meat to veggie is better. On the other hand it’s a great way to use those super big squash you get in summer and don’t know what to do with. So while my pictures show the large squash (bottom pic), I suggest you use medium to smaller sized ones (top pic). But as I said both will work.
• ground beef – While I used ground beef you could also use ground turkey. But the beef would be better. If you use a high fat content ground meat you might want to drain some of the excess grease when you cook it.
• pine nuts – Pine nuts are used a lot in Middle Eastern style recipes I just love them. But if you don’t have them you could skip them. Or you can possible add slivered almonds as a substitute.
• tomato paste – My grandmother use tomato paste and I like the sweetness of the tomatoes as opposed to plain tomato sauce or marinara sauce which has garlic and other more savory seasonings. But you could also use that if you prefer. 
• cinnamon – Again this spice is often used with Middle Eastern meat recipes. This is essential if you are family with the bit of sweetness it adds but if you know the flavor and don’t like it, you can skip it. But try it once and see if you do.

Short cut for cleaning out zucchini to stuff.

To clean out the zucchinis, my family used to use a vegetable corer like this and it was hard not to make holes in the walls of the squash. Over the years, I found that if I just cut them in half length-wise and scoop out the middle with a melon ball scoop (see photo below) it is much easier.

This is what they look like once you’ve cleaned them. Note that you really are supposed to keep the zucchini whole. This way just seems easier to me.

How to make ground beef stuffed zucchini.

This is not a hard recipe to make but I’ll give it to you in steps.

1. First clean out the zucchini by slicing in half lengthwise and use a melon baller to clean out the inside. 
2. Use olive oil or cooking spray to oil both sides of the zucchini and place on a baking tray. Broil 5-7 minutes on both sides. If you are using the big club like squash you might want to bake at 350°F them instead of broil for about 20 minutes or until they are nice and cooked through. The larger ones take longer to make.
3. Meanwhile heat up a large skillet to medium high heat to start the stuffing. Adding the olive oil and then the minced onions. Start sautéing for a few minutes, then add the ground beef and pine nuts. And then add the seasoning as the meat is browning.
4. When the zucchini is done, fill them up with the meat mixture. 
5. Take the tomato paste and add some water to make it thinner and spoon over the meat mixture.
6. Place in a baking dish or keep on the baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes. Let cool before serving. If you want to garnish these you can sprinkle some fresh herbs like chopped parsley over top.

Sometimes I add grated parmesan cheese over top for color for my husband but it doesn’t really go with other flavors in my opinion. You can serve this with white or brown rice or just eat it as is for a tasty low carb dinner.

Store leftovers in an airtight container. Please scroll down for the printable recipe card.

I sent a picture of the finished dish to my sister. She made a comment that if our grandmother was still alive she would go to her house every Wednesday for dinner. I forgot that we used to do that. Every Wednesday we would go to her house and she would cook the most delicious meals. Never a bad one. Ever. Funny how you never forget those things…gosh that was nice. <sigh> 

More Middle Eastern dishes to try.

• slow cooker Middle Eastern ribs
• chicken and rice skillet
• green bean beef or eggplant beef stew
• chicken and couscous soup
• low carb kibbeh meatballs
• Lebanese meat pies or spinach pies with naan bread

There is nothing like foods from your childhood to bring you comfort and joy and today it did just that. Even reminiscing with my sister today put a smile on my face. 🙂 I hope you like these ground beef stuffed zucchini boats as much as I did. Enjoy!!

I also have a similar recipe for keto zucchini boats. They are filled with Italian seasonings and spices, meatballs, marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. These are also a tasty low carb weeknight meal to try.

The nutrition facts for 1 serving (based on 8 medium sized zucchini halves making 8 servings) is: 201 calories / 12.2g fat / 6.6g carbs / 2.1g fiber / 16.7g protein = 4.5g net carbs