Ground turkey zucchini boats are easy to make and perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! Fresh zucchini is stuffed with a healthy meat sauce for a dinner that's naturally gluten-free and high in protein. They only require six ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to prepare. See below for Paleo and Whole30 modifications.
Recipe: $6.90 | Per Serving: $3.45 | Servings: 2
This recipe was originally posted in September 2015, back when Zac & I were just little babies living our best lives in Japan (we lived in the Azamino neighborhood of Yokohama for 1 year.) The recipe has been updated for clarity, with slightly modified instructions and new photos, and with current 2023 pricing. Thank you for being here!
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Initially, this delicious recipe came about as a great way to use up my giant batch of sausage bolognese. And since zucchini are abundant and cheap in the summer, it was a perfect pairing!
I've tweaked this original recipe just a bit to use ground turkey and a jarred marinara sauce to transform it into a quick meal. (In case you don't have the world's best meat sauce in your fridge.)
And if you're here for gluten-free zucchini recipes, you're going to love this zucchini bread, this breakfast skillet with chorizo, and my amazing zucchini rollatini.
Why You Will Love These Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- An easy weeknight dinner - comes together with minimal prep in under 30 minutes!
- A great way to use up summer zucchini!
- A family-friendly dinner that's also gluten-free.
- Uses simple, wholesome ingredients.
Ingredients
We're keeping it super simple here, and you can find these ingredients at nearly any market. Here's a closer look at what you need to make healthy zucchini boats:
- Zucchini: Choose fresh, firm medium-large zucchini (12-14 oz each). Smaller zucchini will also work, but you'll need twice as many. I do not recommend extra-large zucchini.
- Ground turkey: Perfect for making Italian zucchini boats though of course you can really use any ground meat if you want to change it up or pick up whatever is on sale.
- Italian seasoning: This spice blend adds a bit more flavor to the ground turkey and marinara sauce mixture. If you have it, I highly recommend this Italian Sausage Seasoning.
- Marinara sauce: You can use any store-bought brand or homemade version. I think Rao's, while expensive, is delicious, and I also love Thrive Market (affiliate link)'s Low FODMAP marinara. (Since we're in Estonia now, any old marinara sauce will do!)
- Mozzarella cheese: Melted cheese always makes everything better! You can also use a mix of parmesan, mozzarella, gruyere, asiago, Romano, or another favorite Italian cheese.
Dietary Modifications and Variations
- Paleo and/or Whole30: To make this dairy-free, I recommend combining the filling with ⅔ cup macadamia-cauliflower ricotta and omitting the shredded cheese.
- Vegetarian: You can use lentil bolognese instead of the ground turkey and marinara sauce to make it vegetarian. Combine lentil bolognese and macadamia ricotta to make it vegan.
- Sausage zucchini boats: My favorite swap is using my sausage and mushroom bolognese for the best flavor and to save time. You can even make it with ground turkey meat!
- Summer squash: simply swap out the zucchini for summer squash, following the recipe exactly.
- Lasagna zucchini boats: Add a layer of ricotta cheese in the bottom of the boat and then add the turkey-marinara mixture.
- To increase the vegetables: stir in ½ a cup of frozen spinach into the turkey mixture (at the same time as the chopped zucchini insides).
How to Make Ground Turkey Zucchini Boats
In short: scoop out the insides of zucchini, give them a pre-bake, then fill them, top with cheese, and bake until bubbly! Here are your step-by-step instructions for making these easy turkey-stuffed zucchini boats.
- Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out insides, being careful not to puncture the outer layer.
- Roughly chop the insides into small pieces and set aside to add the sauce later on.
- Cook the ground turkey, Italian seasoning (or Italian sausage seasoning), and remaining salt & pepper in olive oil until the turkey is fully cooked.
- Add about a cup of the chopped zucchini insides (save the rest for soups or scrambled eggs) and cook until any water has evaporated.
- Add the marinara to the ground turkey mixture and cook for just one minute.
- Place the zucchini boats face up on a lined sheet pan. Sprinkle the zucchini with some of the salt and pepper and place in the oven for about 6 minutes.
- Remove the zucchini from the oven, then divide the filling between the zucchini boats.
- Top each with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the oven until the cheese is brown and bubbly. You can cook longer if you prefer a more tender zucchini.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can reheat them in the oven at 350° F for 10-12 minutes.
I do not recommend freezing zucchini boats (although I haven't tried it). Zucchini is likely to get pretty mushy in the freezer.
What to Serve with Zucchini Boats
- Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy these as a simple lunch or dinner alongside some crusty garlic bread or marinated white beans.
- For a lighter meal they work great on their own, or with a simple salad like my favorite arugula salad or roasted vegetable salad.
- If you prefer something a bit heartier I suggest pair with a source of carbohydrates such as spinach pesto pasta or caprese garlic bread. I also really love cheddar-garlic biscuits which can be made gluten-free with a combination of Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and buckwheat flour.
Expert Tips
- Feel free to cook the zucchini longer if your family prefers them softer. The recipe is for al dente zucchini because I don’t like it mushy!
- This ground turkey zucchini boats recipe makes 2 servings but it can easily serve 4 by adding on a few other side dishes.
- If you're looking for low carb or keto serve the recipe as it is.
- To make this more budget-friendly, purchase zucchini on sale or at the farmer’s market, and make your own marinara or bolognese.
FAQs
No, I don't recommend it! The zucchini will not freeze well and turn out rather mushy. However, you can make a double batch of filling and freeze the extras. Then thaw it out overnight in the fridge and use it to stuff you zucchini.
Yes, it is but it is also full of many nutrients and cooked zucchini is a decent source of vitamin A. Zucchini also contains antioxidants, especially the skin, which can protect the body from chronic disease. It also contains both insoluble and soluble fiber which promote healthy digestion.
More Ground Turkey Recipes
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Ground Turkey Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini about 14 oz each
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces ground turkey* or use 1.5-2 cups of sausage-mushroom bolognese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese 3-4 ounces
- Optional: fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF.
- Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out insides, being careful not to puncture the outer layer. Roughly chop the insides into small pieces and set aside.
- Place zucchini boats face up (inside facing up) on a lined sheet pan. Sprinkle the zucchini with some of the salt and pepper and place in the oven for about 6-8 minutes. (Once they’re done, remove from heat and set aside, but leave the oven on.)
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Warm the olive oil, then add the ground turkey, Italian seasoning, and remaining salt & pepper. Brown turkey until fully cooked, then stir in about 1 cup of the chopped zucchini insides (save the rest for soups or scrambled eggs). Sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until any water has evaporated. Stir in the marinara and cook for just 1 minute, and remove from heat.
- Divide the filling among each zucchini boat, about ⅓ - ½ cup per boat. Once full, top each with mozzarella cheese. If using fresh mozzarella, pull it apart with your fingers and place on top of each boat.
- Bake on 450ºF for 12-16 minutes on the top rack, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly.
- Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy either as is, or with something on the side such as pesto pasta, garlic bread, or cheddar-garlic biscuits.
Notes
(My favorite pairing with this dish is cheddar-garlic biscuits, which can be made gluten-free with a combination of Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and buckwheat flour.) To make this more budget-friendly, purchase zucchini on sale or at the farmer’s market, and make your own marinara or bolognese. Feel free to use a casserole baking dish instead of a sheet pan, but know that this may require a longer cooking time.
I’ve made this several times now and absolutely love it. I always end up with a ton of zucchini from our yard and this makes for such an easy summer dinner. I like to sauté some onion to mix in with the filling because, well, I love onions so there!
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Ani. And onions sound like a great addition. :)
I love cooking stuffed zucchini! This recipe sounds amazing.