This low carb Mexican zucchini and ground beef recipe is a simple dish made with low cost ingredients. It’s an easy low carb high fat dinner recipe perfect for summer.
We had a really good zucchini crop this year. The last few years, our plants ended up getting powdery mildew so they didn’t produce but one or two fruit.
However, I think some of the issue was due to us overwatering the plants in the evening. This year, there was a lot of rainy days so we didn’t bothering adding any additional water and the plants did amazing.
Chopped zucchini pairs well with ground beef. I came up with this Mexican Zucchini and beef skillet dish recipe one night for an easy dinner.
I’ve made a similar dish in the past using leftover salsa. This time, I just added a whole can of diced tomatoes with green chilis.
I added a few Mexican spices to give it a little more flavor to make up for the salsa seasonings. If you can’t find canned tomatoes with chilis, a can of regular diced tomatoes will do.
You can even add a few diced peppers if you have some. I typically just taste as I go and look around to see what ingredients I have on hand that would be great additions. My cooking is super simple as I don’t have a lot of time to fuss.
I like to slice up fresh zucchini into bite size pieces. My favorite cut is to cut each slice into quarters. You can cut them into smaller diced pieces, if you prefer.
It’s been a long time since I’ve bought actual ground beef. When I call for ground beef in a recipe, that means ground hamburger venison for me. We always have a freezer full of ground venison which seems like an endless supply.
Zucchini tastes best when it’s cooked al dente. If you cook it too long it gets mushy which isn’t good. Cooking the zucchini for five to ten minutes in the covered skillet should warm it up and still keep it firm.
This low carb Mexican zucchini and ground beef skillet dish is a simple recipe that uses inexpensive ingredients. It goes well with cauliflower rice. What’s your favorite way to eat zucchini?
Looking for more recipes that won’t take a lot of time? Check out this collection of easy low carb recipes at Community Table that I put together.
Mexican Zucchini Beef Skillet Recipe Video
Low Carb Mexican Zucchini Beef Skillet Recipe
Mexican Zucchini and Beef
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini sliced and quartered
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 10 ounces Mexican style diced tomatoes with green chilis (salsa or diced tomatoes could be used), canned
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
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Brown ground beef with minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
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Cook over medium heat until meat is browned.
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Add tomatoes and remaining spices. Cover and simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes.
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Add the zucchini. Cover and cook for about 10 more minutes until zucchini is cooked, but still firm.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition per serving: 4.1g net carb
Mary T says
I made this tonight for a friend and she even had seconds. She thought it was so good. I did add salsa and cheese. Put in oven to melt cheese. It was great. Will make again.
Lisa says
Cheese is always an excellent add!
Meaghan says
Added a small diced onion when I browned the meat and omitted the onion powder. Added cauliflower florets since I had some on hand that were getting ready to go bad. I thought the cauliflower added a nice texture. Had a serving with cheese and one without. In a rare change of pace, I didn’t feel like the cheese added anything. A good quick meal full of flavor
Lisa says
Great idea adding in the cauliflower!
Mike says
I added diced onion,bell pepper, green onion and Roma tomatoes. Drained the grease and water off of the meat and added shredded cheddar and baked in 350 for 20. Very good!
Lisa says
Great add-ins for flavor! Thanks for sharing.
Charane says
How much onion and bell pepper did you use?
Maria says
Looks delicious, Can i use turkey ground meat instead of beef?
Lisa says
Turkey works too.
Cari says
My family LOVED THIS!
Lisa says
That’s awesome! It’s become a regular for my family.
Yvonne says
Hi Lisa I came across of your Mexican Zucchini Beef Skillet Recipe and I had to make it. I didn’t change anything on your recipe. I have to say it’s really good. Of course my hubby has to put shredded cheese on top of the skillet. Men need their cheese. Lol. Thank you again for sharing your recipe. I will be making this again.
Lisa says
You’re welcome Yvonne! I’ll have to try it with cheese!
Kim says
This is delish!!! Loved it!
Lisa says
I’m so glad it worked out for you!
Cheri says
It was delicious. I added corn and a couple tablespoons of V8 to give a little extra moisture. Turned out great.
Aarron says
I made this last night. I cut up two boneless skinless chicken breasts to use in place of the ground beef. I also left out the red pepper flakes and sprinkled just a tine bit of shredded cheese on my serving before eating. It was SOOOOO yummy! Thank you!
Lisa says
Thanks for sharing your version!
Pat Ibarra says
Love this recipe. Make it every other week, it’s quick and easy. I call it Calabasitas like what my mom use to make but with corn. I’m making this tomorrow. Thank you
Lisa says
That is the name for sauteed squash so it fits perfect for the dish. We make this a lot too.
Sheila says
Add Green Chile, preferably Hatch for CalabAnita’s! Yumm!
Kate Ladd says
Just made this dish – very good! Will definitely make again😊
Lisa says
Thanks so much Kate!
Aaron says
Thanks Kate gotta love it!!
Natalia says
Is there any other vegetables, or possibly greens, that you would recommend could be used in this dish?
Lisa says
You can replace the zucchini with other vegetable if you wish. Kale or spinach may work or even green beans.
Bonnie says
Hi, I wonder if you’d consider starting with onion and garlic and then adding the beef? Thanks! It’s on the stove now and can’t wait to try it as is first!
Lisa says
You could start it that way, in fact, I often do cook onion and garlic first and then add meat.
kimberly says
Ive made it and it tastes great even though i didnt have the diced tomatoes with green chiles i just used some cherry tomatoes but i still love the recipe i just have one question how much is the serving size?
Lisa says
It’s a pretty good size serving. I’d say one and a half cups or so.
Kelli says
I love this recipe! I’ve made it using ground beef, ground turkey, and ground chicken. It was great everytime!
Lisa says
Wow! I never thought to make it with the other ground meats. I’ll have to try that.
Nick Morgan says
The wife and I are going to use ground bison meat.
Sherri says
We used ground deer.. homemade salsa, and my homemade taco seasoning…. and frozen zucchini that I chopped up from my harvest!!! Turned out awesome! Thank you
Lisa says
I always use deer meat in mine!
Ana says
Well, aren’t you Ms. One Upper
Mia says
Lisa is the one that shared the recipe. So I think she was just mentioning as a common thought and plus she put it in her article.
Raquel says
Very delicious and thank you so much
Lisa says
You’re welcome. I’m so glad it worked out for you.
Mary says
I made this but subbed out a 15 ounce can of diced petite tomatoes, juice included, and a 7 ounce can of diced green chilies, it was delightful. We also did the exact same thing but instead of ground beef we used diced chicken breast and my teenager love that version the best.
Lisa says
Never thought to use chicken. Great idea!
Applejacks21 says
What would be the weight on the “2 medium zucchinis”? Thanks
Lisa says
I’ll try to remember to weigh next time, but it doesn’t need to be a very accurate measurement.
Peggy says
Yummy. I have an Italian version: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/unstuffed-zucchini/
Lisa says
Sounds delicious Peggy!
Ben says
Ben, Waiting for my wife and Grandson to get home…had some ground beef and all the ingredients put it together in a snap. Even added a layer of Monterey jack on top.
Lisa says
The cheese topping is genius!
Nina says
That’s what I was thinking would be a great idea! Glad to know it was good!
Deborah says
Oh and adding chopped avocado gives more fat (healthier than sour cream) and the creamy texture and mild flavor are so delightful.
Lisa says
Thanks for this one too!
Deborah says
I had to add cilantro before serving! SO glad I did.
Lisa says
That is a great tip! Cilantro is perfect for Mexican dishes.
Roshelle says
Made the mexican zucchini and beef for dinner last night and I added srirracha sauce to it. My family loved it and I will be making this again.
Thanks for the recipe.
Lisa says
You’re welcome! Love the added srirracha sauce!
Mel says
I made this last night but skipped the red peppers and it was fabulous will make again!
Lisa says
It is less spicy without them. Glad you liked it!
Diane says
Made this for dinner tonight using can tomatoes and it was a hit! Will be adding this to my Low Carb recipe file 🙂 Ty so much for sharing !
Lisa says
Yea! Glad you liked it!
April says
My family really likes this recipe, including my picky 9 & 12 year olds. I make it with a can of fire roasted tomatoes in place of the tomatoes with green chilies or salsa and I leave out the red pepper flakes so the kids will eat it. It’s a great quick meal. Thanks for the recipe.
Lisa says
Great tips for getting the kids to eat a less spicy meal! 🙂
Melissa Schurer says
Loved the mexican zucchini and beef. I put my own twist on it by adding 2 tblsp of butter and 2 tblsp of sour cream to add more fat to it for my low carb high fat diet.
Lisa says
Great changes!
Karen says
I don’t have a food scale and am on a low carb diet. So how do I know how much 1 serving is?
Lisa says
Just divide the total amount into 6 equal servings. Nutritional data is approximate anyway.
Justbrit says
Low carb, high fat? Is that what it is supposed to say?
Cindy Cahanin says
I added a 1/2 can of enchilada sauce and 1/4 cup of salsa so it would be a little saucy and put it over rice. It was really good.
Lisa says
Great idea! The extra sauce is perfect for pouring over cauli rice!
Joanna says
I just started a low-carb diet and found your recipe on Pinterest. I made a single serving for myself, so I didn’t really measure the ingredients, but it still turned out delicious! Will definitely be making this again! Love some of the comments about adding cheese and sour cream. I’ll try that next time!
Lisa says
The added cheese and sour cream are good with this. Thanks for stopping in!
Amy Brown says
Served it over rice with cheese and sour cream on top. Cut the spice nicely for my spice-phobic husband. 🙂
Lisa says
It must be a guy thing. My husband also dislikes too much spice.
Kristi says
Soo good. We addd some cheese and some sour cream and I added some fresh cilantro I have popping up!
Lisa says
The added cilantro and sour cream sounds terrific!
Nelda says
I made zucchini noodles in place of the quartered zucchini.
It’s fun and tasty! Great recipe.
Lisa says
Cool change. I love zoodles!
Nelda says
I did the zucchini noodles in the recipe plus added some corn.
Great recipe!!!
K says
Tasty & simple. The second time I made it, I went Italian. Change out the spices and use plain tomato sauce. Voila! Oh, wait, that’s a French word….
Lisa says
Nice that a simple change makes it Italian. Will give that a try!
Sarah says
I am so glad I found your blog! This recipe was fantastic. I had a ton of zucchini and hamburger to use up so I simply did a layered dish after I cooked the ingredients topped with cheese and pop it in the oven for a bit . I can’t wait to share this with my low-carb friends on Facebook . Thanks!
Lisa says
Love the added cheese. Yum!
Susan says
Holy cow was this spicy! My dear hubby was unable to eat it! Recommend the”mild” Rotel tomatoes and perhaps cutting back on the red pepper flakes? However, the flavor was great. It would be good with corn added, sour cream or cottage cheese, tortilla chips on the side. Loved it — just be prepared for the heat!
Lisa says
Good point! Definitely adjust the spice to suit! Hot spice doesn’t bother me, but my husband is not a fan.
Chelsea Wong says
Hi Lisa! I meal prepped this today to have for lunches this week! It smelled wonderful while cooking and I’m so excited to eat this for lunch this week. Thanks for sharing such a simple yet tasty recipe! I actually shared your recipe on my blog as well and would love for you to check it out some time. Thanks again!
Lisa says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’ll certainly check out your site!
Malissa H says
Our family loved this. I diced up a medium onion and used that in place of the onion powder. I also used 2 lbs of ground beef and 3 medium zucchini. My daughter complained about the spiciness of it, so we spooned some cottage cheese over the top of our serving, and it was OMG great! Thank you so much for sharing!
Lisa says
Never would have thought to add cottage cheese, but any cheese or sour cream will kill some of the spiciness.
kim says
I love this recipe. So convenient and delicious. I’ve made this recipe twice, the second time I substituted lean ground turkey and added corn. Thank you for sharing!
Lisa says
Corn is a great addition! My daughter would love it that way.
Loyda says
This is a VERY old recipe…. Actually a recipe from New Mexico but its called calabacitas. My Parents always made this and I made it for my family growing up. Always served with fresh homemade tortillas. Although I never added tomatoes, and corn was used instead.
Lisa says
Great to know it has withstood the test of time! It’s one of those keeper recipes.
Stephanie says
Will this store well if prepared ahead of time for the week?
Lisa says
I make on the weekend and use for lunch during the week so yes it’s fine to prepare ahead.
Susan says
Do you drain the ground beef?
Lisa says
I used very lean meat and didn’t need to. If there is a lot of fat, you probably will want to spoon some of it out.
Mary says
Has anyone tried this with ground turkey?
Mary says
Made this tonight with organic ground turkey and it was delicious!
Lisa says
So glad you liked it!
Sara says
Made this tonight. Used the Rotel tomatoes with green chilies. Super easy and had lots of flavor!
Lisa says
So glad you liked it! 🙂
Ria says
Hello,
Whats the serving size ?
Lisa says
I’d say about 1 cup or a little more. I didn’t measure, but I was taking it to work in a 2 cup container that was a little more than half full.
Denise says
How many people would you say this recipe serves?
Lisa says
I’d say 6.
Karly F says
I made this last night. It was beyond delicious! I also added a little brown rice. Oh and my husband even liked it and he’s the one who usually doesn’t want to try my healthy dishes! Yummy, I will defiantly be making this dish again!
Lisa says
That’s great! So happy that you and your husband liked this one!
christina says
Made this last night it was a huge hit! We used mexican chili poweder and added a little pablano pepper for some heat. I ate it with brown rice and hubby had soft tacos.
Lisa says
Yay! Thanks for giving it a try and writing in!
Anonymous says
Made it tonight and everyone loved it!! Will make again for sure.
Lisa says
Perfect! Thanks for the comment!
Kelsey says
love this recipe ! I add sriracha sauce to it to add more spice !
Lisa says
Great add! The spicier the better!
Linda says
Great use of zucchini!
My usual question- leftovers freezable?
Lisa says
I’m not sure how this would be frozen. I’ve tried freezing cooked squash before and it was mushy after.
Aggie says
This looks and sounds delicious! I’m loving zucchini right now and love that you paired it up with beef. My family would dig this 🙂
Lisa says
I’m sure you and your family will enjoy this simple dish!
Joan McCallum says
You say to add jarred salsa to this recipe but is not mentioned in the ingredients…do you mean just the other spices mentioned?
Lisa says
Fixed. I’ve used both Rotel and jarred salsa in this recipe. In the one pictured, I used Rotel, but any kind of diced tomatoes can be used. Thanks for catching that. Fixed!
Tom says
Awesome recipe my wife and i botb work late and this is a great meal in no time thanks.
Lisa says
Quick and easy is the only way to do it after a long work day!
Sharon whitman says
Made this tonight fir first time. Added portable lo mushrooms. Was going to add corn didn’t have any. Would have popped with color. Loved it will do again