Just like your favorite meatball subs, but without the bread! Low-carb meatball zucchini boats are the best way to cook zucchini.
Meatball Zucchini Boats
You will love sinking your teeth into these saucy meatballs zucchini boats. The sweet marinara sauce coats both the meatballs and the roasted zucchini boats, which makes the zucchini taste amazing!
Give this recipe a try, even if you think you don’t like zucchini. It doesn’t taste anything like the boring or soggy sauteed zucchini that you might have had before.
This is the perfect way to enjoy garden-fresh zucchini in a whole new way. While zucchini boats are nothing new, these meatball boats reimagine the meatball sub in a whole new way.
Low-Carb Zucchini Boats
In order to make zucchini boats, I suggest buying some zucchini from your farmer’s market. Look for large zucchini.
The really small ones that you find at the grocery store won’t be large enough to hold more than one meatball. If you want to recreate a meatball sub, then you need a zucchini squash that is thick enough.
Before you add the meatballs on top, you’ll need to roast the zucchini. To do this, I suggest adding some type of oil on the zucchini halves.
This will prevent the zucchini from drying out as it roasts in the oven.
Can you air fry zucchini boats? Yes, you can! Follow the same temperature and cooking time as the oven.
Meatballs and Zucchini
To save time, buy pre-made meatballs but be careful! It can be tricky finding meatballs that are made with keto-friendly thickeners.
Most types of meatballs in the store are made with flour. If you have time, I have a few different recipes for low-carb meatballs that you can make.
Keto cottage cheese meatballs taste amazing with marinara sauce. You can also make my low-carb meatballs from my spaghetti recipe.
For a bit of heat, make some keto Cajun chicken meatballs. And my keto Swedish meatballs are thickened with crushed pork rinds.
What To Eat With Meatballs
The meatball zucchini boats taste like a classic pizza parlor or Italian restaurant recipe. So, share it with some Italian-inspired side dishes.
I like to add my keto garlic knots – they taste just like garlic bread! If you prefer a toast, make some low-carb garlic toast on the side with it.
A chopped salad will be perfect with the zucchini boats, too. This shrimp avocado and spinach salad is one of my favorites! Low-carb chicken cobb salad is another contender. They both taste delicious with this zucchini boats recipe.
How To Store Meatballs
If you want to add the zucchini boats to your weekly meal prep, I suggest storing the meatballs separately from the zucchini. This way, the meatballs will stay fresh-tasting for longer.
Keep the meatballs and the zucchini boats in airtight containers and keep them in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can freeze the zucchini boats, too.
Wrap the cooked boats – with the meatballs in them – in aluminum foil and place them in a freezer-safe food storage bag. Keep them frozen for up to six months.
Low-Carb Meatball Zucchini Boats Recipe
Here’s the list of ingredients (and pictures of each step) to make low-carb meatball zucchini boats. The exact measurements and instructions are located for both are located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Zucchini
- Olive Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic
- Italian Seasoning
- Meatballs
- Tomato Sauce
- Mozzarella Cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the ends off each zucchini and slice in half lengthwise.
Brush the top of each zucchini half with olive oil and place top down on the baking sheet. Bake for around 10 minutes, until tender.
While the zucchini is cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot add the onion and garlic and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender.
Add the meatballs, sauce and Italian seasoning to the pan. Stir to mix. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, stirring often to coat the meatballs in sauce, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has reduced, around 10 minutes.
When the zucchini is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then, flip the zucchini over and carefully scoop out the center of each zucchini.
Place 4 meatballs in the center of each zucchini, then top with mozzarella cheese.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted.
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Low-Carb Meatball Zucchini Boats
Equipment
- Skillet
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2 large Zucchini
- 1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Yellow Onion diced
- 2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 16 Frozen Meatballs
- 15 ounces Tomato Sauce 1 can
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the ends off each zucchini and slice in half lengthwise.
- Brush the top of each zucchini half with olive oil and place top down on the baking sheet. Bake for around 10 minutes, until tender.
- While the zucchini is cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot add the onion and garlic and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender.
- Add the meatballs, sauce and Italian seasoning to the pan. Stir to mix.
- Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, stirring often to coat the meatballs in sauce, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has reduced, around 10 minutes.
- When the zucchini is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then, flip the zucchini over and carefully scoop out the center of each zucchini.
- Place 4 meatballs in the center of each zucchini, then top with mozzarella cheese.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted.
Notes
Zucchini Boat Recipes
If you enjoyed making and eating these delicious low-carb meatball zucchini boats, here are some more keto-friendly zucchini boats you should make next.
- Cheesy Garlic Spinach Parmesan Zucchini Boats
- Keto Spinach Artichoke Zucchini Bites
- Keto Cheesy Shrimp Zucchini Boats
- Keto Chili Cheese Dog Zucchini Boats
- Keto Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats
