Mediterranean Ground Beef Zucchini Skillet

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Today is the second recipe in a three part series of Mediterranean recipes I am sharing this Mediterranean Ground Beef Zucchini Skillet in partnership with the Ohio Beef Council using ground beef. 

Yesterday I shared these Mediterranean Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers that stuffs bell peppers with a delicious Mediterranean ground beef mixture, rice and diced tomatoes. Tomorrow I am going to be sharing Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pitas (Arayes) which is another quick and easy protein packed meal idea. 

My favorite thing about today’s recipe is that it is packed with protein and low-carb. 

The juicy, flavorful beef pairs so nicely with the zucchini noodles.

And zucchini noodles only need to be heated for a few minutes making this easy one skillet meal!

If you like zucchini recipes with beef check out these Beef Bulgogi with Zucchini Noodles, Mexican Zucchini or Mediterranean Zucchini Boats. 

Why You will Love this Mediterranean Zucchini Skillet

• Great Flavor: The combo of the spices in the beef is my favorite. The spice mixtures uses cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, paprika and cloves. The warm, rich combination of spices is one I love using with a lot of my beef recipes like this Hummus with Spiced Beef and this Spiced Beef and Hummus Pita Pitza. 
• Low Carb: Trying to add more low-carb meals to your menu? This one is a great one and so easy to make. I also like making this Mexican Zucchini from time to time. 
• Easy to Make: Dinner can be on the table in under 30 minutes with this recipe. I love quick and easy meals. If you meal-prep ahead of time and make the zucchini noodles and beef ahead you can have this on the table in under 10 minutes. 

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions. 

• Ground Beef: I like to use 80/20 ground beef to get that extra flavor from the fat in the meat but if you want a leaner beef you can use 90/10. Make sure that you drain the fat from the ground beef before adding it to the zucchini noodles. 
• Spices: When making Mediterranean beef recipes I often use the same mixture of spices: cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, paprika and cloves. They are warm, rich and add a ton of flavor to the dish. 
• Zucchini Noodles: I love making zucchini noodles using my spiralizer. If you don’t have a spiralizer you can dice the zucchini or cut it however you prefer. Just make sure that you cook the zucchini a bit to make is soft. The nice thing with the zucchini noodles is they are pretty soft already and don’t need much cook time. 
• Tomatoes: I like adding freshly diced tomatoes to this recipe but if you prefer you can add canned diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. 
• Feta Cheese: Feta cheese adds that extra creamy, salty flavor to the finished dish. If you don’t like feta cheese you can skip it – it will still taste great! 

How to Make Zucchini with Ground Beef:

Step 1. Cook the Beef Mixture: Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium high heat. Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the ground beef, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, paprika and clove and cook until browned and cooked through. Drain the fat from the ground beef and return to the pan.

Step 2. Add Zucchini: Add the zucchini noodles to the skillet and heat on low for about 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.

Step 3. Garnish: Sprinkle the feta cheese on top of the noodles and beef. If you want the feta cheese slightly melted you can quickly heat it in the oven for about 3 minutes on 350 degrees F. Top with diced tomatoes, parsley and green onions and serve warm.

How do I Store Zucchini Noodles?

You can make vegetable noodles ahead of time as part of your meal-prep.

This will save you time when it comes to actually cooking during the week. My suggestion is to spiralize the vegetables and keep them in glass Tupperware lined with a paper towel for up to 5 days. You can also use a ziplock bag to keep them in the refrigerator. 

Can I Make this Zucchini Skillet Recipe Ahead of Time?

I find that zucchini noodles will start to get soggy a couple days after they are made.

I would suggest you make the beef for this recipe ahead of time and also spiralize your noodles if you would like. Then when you are ready to make this dish you can just heat the beef and noodles in a skillet, add the toppings and serve it warm.