If you want an easy, flavor-packed dinner that’s satisfying without feeling heavy, these Chorizo Stuffed Zucchini are a perfect choice. Tender zucchini boats are filled with smoky Mexican chorizo, sautéed onions and garlic, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with green chiles, warming spices, and plenty of melty cheese for a bold Southwestern meal. This dish is ideal for using garden zucchini, stretching a meal, or keeping dinners low-carb while still offering big flavor.
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
This Chorizo Stuffed Zucchini recipe highlights an inexpensive, abundant vegetable and transforms it into a satisfying main course. It’s an easy way to use extra zucchini from the garden, perfect for meal prep, and simple to adapt to different dietary preferences. The combination of smoky chorizo, aromatic spices, tomatoes with green chiles, and creamy cheese gives each bite a distinctive Southwestern character.
What makes this recipe great:
- One-dish meal: Protein, vegetables, and cheese all baked together for an easy dinner.
- Make-ahead friendly: Assemble in advance, refrigerate, and bake when needed.
- Customizable: Swap cheeses or use ground beef, turkey, chicken, or a plant-based chorizo alternative.
- Freezer-friendly: Freeze before or after baking for up to three months; thaw overnight and reheat.
How to Make Chorizo Stuffed Zucchini
Recipe Ingredients
The full quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Use zucchini of similar size for even cooking. If your zucchini are oversized, remove watery pulp and larger seeds, reserving the firmer flesh to add back into the filling.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Zucchini: Choose 8–10 inch zucchinis when possible. Leave a 1/4″–1/2″ shell when hollowing so boats hold their shape; chop and use the firm flesh in the filling.
- Chorizo: This recipe uses fresh Mexican chorizo (raw, seasoned sausage) that must be cooked. Cured Spanish chorizo has a different texture and is not a direct substitute. You can replace chorizo with ground beef, chicken, turkey or a plant-based alternative if desired.
- Tomato sauce and tomatoes with green chiles: Use plain tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles for mild heat and texture.
- Cheese: Pepper Jack adds a hint of chile flavor; Monterey Jack, mild cheddar, or a Mexican cheese blend work well too.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Gather and prep all ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Lightly oil a large baking dish (about 13 x 9 inches) and set aside.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise to make 6 halves. Scoop out the center with a spoon or melon baller to create a trench. Discard watery, seedy pulp; coarsely chop and reserve the firmer flesh.
- Brush each half lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place cut side down on the baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. The zucchini should be slightly firm—this removes moisture and concentrates flavor. Reduce oven to 375°F (190°C) and transfer zucchini, cut side up, to the prepared baking dish.
- Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and reserved zucchini flesh, reduce heat to medium, and cook 5–6 minutes until softened. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking it into pieces, until done. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, and dried Mexican oregano and cook briefly until fragrant (about 10 seconds).
- Pour in water or broth, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes with green chiles. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens and excess liquid reduces.
- Remove from heat and let the filling cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Stir in half of the shredded cheese while the filling cools.
- Divide the filling evenly among the zucchini halves, mounding as needed.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese over the stuffed zucchini. Cover with foil and bake 30–35 minutes until heated through. Remove foil for the last 5–10 minutes if you want the cheese lightly browned.
Chef Tips and Tricks
- Leave a 1/4″–1/2″ border when hollowing zucchini so the boats hold their shape. Chop and use the firmer flesh in the filling; discard watery seedy bits.
- Prebaking the zucchini briefly helps release excess moisture and concentrates flavor—don’t skip this if you can.
- If using pork chorizo, drain excess fat well before finishing the filling to avoid a greasy result.
Recipe FAQs
Use fresh Mexican chorizo (raw and seasoned) for this recipe. Cured Spanish chorizo is firmer and not a direct substitute. Ground beef, turkey, chicken, or plant-based options can be used instead if preferred.
Prebaking the zucchini and simmering the filling until it thickens both help reduce excess liquid. Avoid very large zucchini or remove watery center pulp before filling.
Yes. Assemble the stuffed zucchini up to two days ahead, cover and refrigerate, then bake as directed, adding a few minutes if baking from chilled.
Yes. Freeze before or after baking in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating; the texture of the zucchini will be softer but still tasty.
Variations
- Add cooked rice or diced cooked potatoes to stretch the filling and feed more people.
- Stir in chopped roasted Poblano peppers with the onions for extra smoky depth.
Serve With
- Southwestern salads, such as a black bean and corn salad or a cilantro-lime slaw.
- Simple sides like roasted sweet potato wedges or a fresh green salad.
More great stuffed vegetable recipes
- Stuffed eggplant variations with similar savory fillings.
- Italian-style stuffed bell peppers or cabbage rolls for a change of cuisine.
Chorizo Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini (approximately 1 lb each) or 6 smaller zucchini (total 3 lb)
- 2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo, bulk or removed from casings
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
- 1 cup water or chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out centers, reserving firm flesh and discarding watery seeds.
- Brush zucchini with oil, season with salt and pepper, and place cut side down on the sheet pan. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 375°F and transfer zucchini cut side up to the baking dish.
- In a skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high. Add onion and reserved zucchini flesh, lower heat to medium, and cook 5–6 minutes until softened.
- Add chorizo and cook until no longer pink, breaking it into pieces. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook briefly until fragrant.
- Stir in water or broth, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes with green chiles. Simmer 10 minutes until mixture thickens and most liquid evaporates.
- Let filling cool 10–15 minutes, then stir in half the cheese.
- Divide filling among zucchini halves and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
- Cover with foil and bake 30–35 minutes until heated through. Remove foil for the last 5–10 minutes if you want browned cheese.
Notes
Substitutions: Use ground beef, chicken, turkey or plant-based options instead of chorizo. Monterey Jack, mild Cheddar, or a Mexican cheese blend can replace Pepper Jack.
Tips: Choose zucchinis of similar size for even cooking. Leave a border when hollowing so boats hold their shape. Prebake zucchini briefly to remove moisture. Drain pork chorizo fat to prevent a greasy filling.
Make ahead: Assemble up to two days ahead, refrigerate covered, and bake when ready, adding a few extra minutes if bakin from chilled.
Freezer-friendly: Freeze before or after baking in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat; the texture will be softer but flavorful.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 344 kcal | Carbohydrates: 8 g | Protein: 19 g | Fat: 27 g | Saturated Fat: 14 g | Sodium: 255 mg
Values are estimates and may vary based on exact ingredients and portion sizes.
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