Meatless Monday gets a Taco Tuesday twist with these Veggie Zucchini Taco Bites! This easy meal is a healthy dish the whole family will love!

I have the hardest time coming up with recipe names. I always gravitate towards complicated, ingredient-driven titles, but that’s not always great from a blog standpoint. Instead of naming this dish Veggie Zucchini Taco Bites, I really wanted to call them Veggie Taco Innertubes but my SEO-loving heart wouldn’t allow it.

You may or may not get the joke depending on whether you’re familiar with the trend of zucchini boats. Instead of the long version of stuffed zucchini, I wanted to make something smaller and more bite-sized. Hence, innertube. 

I recently made these for a vegetarian friend who came over for dinner. Needless to say, she had to leave with the leftovers. This dish is so hearty despite being totally meatless. The mix of beans and grains really helps you stay full and all of the flavors are so delicious together.

I love that they can be served as a main dish or an appetizer because of their cute bite-sizedness! The best part? Everything comes together in 30 minutes and even the kids will love them!

Ingredients & Subs

• Zucchini — This should work for yellow squash as well! You could also roast spaghetti squash and replace the grains with its scooped-out flesh. Mix everything together and spoon back into the spaghetti squash cavities and top with cheese! 
• Quinoa — Brown rice, farro, or barley would all be great!
•  Black beans — Pinto beans would be a great choice.
• Frozen Corn — You could definitely use fresh corn or even canned corn that’s been drained and rinsed!
• Enchilada sauce — You could possibly try to use salsa verde or a green enchilada sauce instead.
• Mexican blend cheese — Any shredded cheese should work just fine! Pepper jack or cheddar would be great.
• ground cumin & chili powder — If you don’t have these in your pantry (get on that!), you could use 2 tsp of a taco seasoning packet!

Topping options

• Sour cream, diced tomatoes, avocado, sliced olives, green onions, cilantro optional toppings
• Diced tomatoes or Salsa
• Avocado or Guac
• Cilantro
• Pickled jalapeño
• Sliced radish
• Lime wedges 

How to store

These bites will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days! You could also just mix up the filling and keep it in an airtight container or freeze it for up to 6 months. Then, when you’re ready to cook, all you have to do is prep the zucchini right before you cook. 

Hot Tip

Try making these ‘Bites’ as ‘Boats’! You know the ones. Just halve the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seedy bits and into the flesh a bit. Pile the filling in just like these and top with cheese. Easy peasy!

Also, This is a great time to use those microwaveable bags of rice, quinoa, farro, or barley. That’s exactly what I did and there’s no shame in that game.

If you choose to go the homemade route, I’d suggest making a big batch at the beginning of the week and using it in meals all week long! 

More Zucchini recipes you’ll love!

Low-Carb Million Dollar Zoodle Spaghetti

Savory Italian Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies

Grilled Ratatouille Foil Packets

Spring Lemon Vegetable Pasta

Simple Zucchini Salad

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Take a browse around the site and please let me know if you make anything by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or requests!

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Yield: 4

Veggie Zucchini Taco Bites

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Meatless Monday gets a Taco Tuesday twist with these Veggie Zucchini Taco Bites! This easy meal is a healthy dish the whole family will love!

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Ingredients

• 3-4 medium zucchini
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, brown rice, barley, or farro
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted and drained
• 1 15-ounce can enchilada sauce (spice level of your choosing)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste (some enchilada sauces are saltier than others)
• sour cream, diced tomatoes, avocado or guac, green onions, and/or cilantro, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cut off the very tip and end of the zucchini and slice in 1-inch rounds. Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out the center and discard. You want to leave about an 1/8 inch around the inside and make sure you don't scoop through to the bottom. Place side by side, scooped side up, on a foiled baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl stir together your grain of choice (quinoa, brown rice, barley, or farro), black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese, cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper.
3. Spoon mixture into zucchini bites, don't be afraid to pile in. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Top zucchini with remaining cup cheese. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. Add desired toppings and serve immediately.

Notes

See post above.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 687Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 1507mgCarbohydrates: 94gFiber: 23gSugar: 17gProtein: 31g

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