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MEDITERRANEAN GROUND BEEF ZUCCHINI SKILLET
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 quick and easy.
If you like zucchini recipes with beef check out these Beef Bulgogi with Zucchini Noodles, Mexican Zucchini or Mediterranean Zucchini Boats.
MEAL-PREP COOKING TIP:
You can prep the beef for all three recipes by browning the ground beef with the salt, pepper, garlic and spices and cooking until the beef is browned. Optional: you can add in the pine nuts at this step if you want.
Drain the beef and add to a large mixing bowl. Mix in the diced tomatoes and rice with the beef and stir well. You can then use this beef for all three recipes!
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS MEDITERRANEAN ZUCCHINI SKILLET:
- Amazing flavor combo. 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.
- A delicious low-carb meal. 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.
- Quick and easy. Dinner can be on the table in under 30 minutes with this recipe. I love quick and easy meals that are also healthy. 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.
- Fresh, minimal ingredients. The start of this recipe is the beef and zucchini noodles. Aside from that it uses a simple combination of spices, feta cheese, red onion, fresh tomatoes, parsley and green onions.
MEDITERRANEAN ZUCCHINI SKILLET INGREDIENTS AND SWAPS
GROUND BEEF: When I use ground beef I like to use 80/20 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.
GARLIC
RED ONION
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!
PARSLEY: Everything is better with fresh herbs! I love adding fresh parsley to the finished dish but you could also do mint, oregano or basil.
GREEN ONION
HOW TO MAKE THIS ZUCCHINI WITH GROUND BEEF?
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.
ADD THE ZUCCHINI: Add the zucchini noodles to the skillet and heat on low for about 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
GARNISH: Sprinkle the feta cheese on top of the noodles and beef. If you want the feta chees slightly melted you can quickly heat it in the oven for about 3 minutes on 350 degress 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.
TIPS WHEN COOKING WITH GROUND BEEF:
- Pull meat directly from fridge and heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. It’s important to have a large skillet so there’s plenty of room for the beef to brown evenly.
- Pro-tip! Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to break the Ground Beef into crumbles as you’re cooking. Stir lightly to ensure even cooking.
- Most recipes call for the Ground Beef to be drained after browning. In extra-lean Ground Beef, there may not be much to drain at all.
- Fresh Ground Beef can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days (3-4 days if cooked) or in the freezer for 3-4 months (2-3 months for cooked). To thaw frozen Ground Beef, refrigerate for 12 hours or microwave using our simple steps.
- Ground Beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160F. Always use a meat thermometer as the best way to check beef’s temperature.
OTHER GROUND BEEF RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
Mediterranean Ground Beef Zucchini Skillet
Mediterranean Ground Beef Zucchini Skillet mixes Lebanese spiced ground beef with zucchini noodles, fresh diced tomatoes, feta cheese and fresh herbs. This is an easy meal to put together and is healthy and low carb. It is packed with protein and so flavorful!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 of a red onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon clove
- 2 medium zucchinis, spiralized
- 1 medium tomato, diced {or use canned diced tomatoes}
- 1 cup feta cheese {you could try goat cheese or mozzarella}
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 4 green onions, chopped
Instructions
- 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.
- Add the zucchini noodles to the skillet and heat on low for about 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
- Sprinkle the feta cheese on top of the noodles and beef. If you want the feta chees slightly melted you can quickly heat it in the oven for about 3 minutes on 350 degress F.
- Top with diced tomatoes, parsley and green onions and serve warm.
Today’s recipe is sponsored by the Ohio Beef Council. As always, opinions are 100% my own.
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Debbie
Friday 2nd of June 2023
I made this tonight for my family of 3 fellas and myself. I doubled the recipe so I could hopefully have leftovers. I have 2 picky eaters so went light on some of the spices and added a little soy sauce. My husband like paprika so I went heavy on it. Also I offered my picky eaters to have it over rice. I believe it was a hit! Maybe over time over time I can put the regular amount of spices. As I made it tonight, it was really yummy, but I believe it would be delicious exactly as the recipe is here.
Julia
Saturday 3rd of June 2023
I am so glad you enjoyed it! I like the idea of adding it over rice- my kids would like that too. Hope you try it again!
Barbara
Thursday 27th of April 2023
Can you provide the calorie count per serving for this very yummy dish? I want to try it with ground lamb too!
Julia
Friday 28th of April 2023
Hi there, At this time I don't have nutritional data. I am hoping to have it soon. You could try entering it into a calorie tracker for an idea.
Ettore
Wednesday 19th of April 2023
I prepared this last evening and it was a delicious hit. Easy & quick preparation Thank you for this inspiration
Julia
Wednesday 19th of April 2023
So glad you liked it!