Air Fryer Zucchini Stuffed With Hamburger (Keto & Low Carb)
Air fryer zucchini stuffed with hamburger seasoned with Italian spices, then topped with gooey cheese. Healthy and delicious meal is ready in 20 minutes!
When you want a flavorful meal that can be on your table in 20 minutes, zucchini boats are your answer!
Air Fryer Zucchini
Stuffed zucchini has been around for awhile. This dish is quite popular among the low carb community, and for good reason!
Zucchini is one of those vegetables that are low in calories, filled with nutrients and has plenty of fiber to keep us full, and of course low in carbohydrates!
Plus, zucchini can be incorporated in our diets super easily. Have you tried my baked zucchini sticks? They’re the best snack EVER!
However, I think the quickest way I eat this veggie is as a side dish. See how I tucked them into this Chicken Butternut Squash dish?
Plus, I can ALWAYS find zucchini in my grocery store or the produce stand year round.
Ingredients:
You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make air fryer zucchini stuffed with hamburger. Go ahead and adapt to what you have on hand. Let’s discuss:
- Ground hamburger – feel free to use ground turkey, pork or chicken. You can also use a mix. One of my favorites combinations is ground beef and pork.
- Zucchini – obviously! Pick ones that are about the same size in diameter and length. Take note of what will fit in your air fryer. The internal diameter of my air fryer is 7-inches. I want zucchini that are about 6 1/2-inches long.
- Tomato sauce – I like tomato sauce because it’s flavorful and sugar free. You can also use a marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce. Just make sure to pick sugar free brands if you want to keep this dish low carb.
- Spices – Italian spice blend is my go to because you get all the spices in one swoop. Add additional spices of your choice. I like to add a little more dried basil.
- Cheese – mozzarella is always stocked in my refrigerator, but and combination of cheese will add a nice flavor. Sometimes I grate a little Parmesan cheese first, then top it with shredded mozzarella. Another delicious option if to spread a spoonful of ricotta over the meat before adding shredded cheese. Heavenly!
Preparing zucchini
As I mentioned earlier, pick zucchini that is close in size that can fit in your air fryer.
If you don’t have a small dish that fits in the air fryer, then you can place the prepared zucchini right in the air fryer.
Just spray with a little cooking spray or add a small sheet of foil to the bottom, but be sure that you allow for the air to circulate.
Step 1 – Clean zucchini
The first step is to wash the zucchini under cool water. Don’t scrub the zucchini with a vegetable brush.
Use your fingers to gently rub off any dirt or grime.
Step 2 – Cut zucchini
Remove the stems with a sharp knife, then cut the zucchini in half lengthwise.
Now you want to scoop the seeds out of the center of the zucchini to make room for the meat. Clear out the center, but leave plenty to keep the shape of the boat intact.
Step 3 – Cook hamburger filling
Once you have prepared the zucchini boats season them and set them aside.
In a medium saucepan cook beef (drain if extra greasy), then add spices and tomato sauce. Fold in all ingredients until well incorporated.
Step 4 – Fill zucchini and cook in air fryer
Scoop the meat in the center of the prepared zucchini boats.
Place in the air fryer and top with cheese. Air fry at 350°F for 10 minutes. Note that you may need to to cook in batches depending on the size of your air fryer and zucchini.
What to serve with air fryer zucchini with hamburger
Although this dish is hearty and covers all your food groups just as it is, you may consider adding one of the following to this meal:
- Persimmon Salad – This is a great basic salad even if you don’t add slices of persimmons.
- Low Carb Cucumber Salad – Fresh herbs and vegetables. You’ll want to keep this one for your cookouts too.
- Cabbage Salad Recipe – The textures and flavors are spot on – sweet and salty from feta and cranberries over a light vinaigrette.
Hope you enjoy this air fryer zucchini boats and find ways to add them to your meal plan!
Did you change anything? Let me know!
Air Fryer Zucchini Stuffed With Hamburger (Keto & Low Carb)
Ingredients
- 3 Zucchinis
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning dived in half
- 1 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 Cup Mozzarella grated
- Olive Oil Spray
Instructions
- Gently wash and dry zucchini.
- Cut off the stem from the zucchini, and slice each zucchini in half lengthwise.
- Scoop out the interior of the zucchini seeds with a spoon to
make a boat shape for the ground beef. - Generously season the zucchini with salt and pepper. Then, season with half a tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
- Spray the interior of the air fryer safe small casserole dish. Alternatively, place zucchini on foil in the air fryer.
- In a saucepan, brown the ground beef on medium heat with the garlic, ½ tbsp Italian spice, and season with salt and pepper. As beef starts to brown, add the tomato sauce.
- Mix well and cook for another 3 minutes until the sauce and
beef are incorporated together. - Then, spoon the ground beef into the prepared zucchini
boats. - Grate fresh mozzarella on top of the ground
beef. - Place the zucchini boats into the air fryer basket or into a small casserole dish that will fit into the air fryer. Depending on the size of the air fryer you might need two batches.
- Air fry the zucchini boats at 350°F for
10 minutes. - Serve Hot.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
PIN TO YOUR AIR FRYER, LOW CARB AND KETO BOARDS
Delicious! Besides fries, this was my first “real” recipe in my air fryer and it did not disappoint!