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This easy Easy Mexican Zucchini with Ground Beef is made in one skillet and is sure to be a family favorite. You will love your favorite taco ingredients mixed with light zucchini noodles creating a low-carb, filling meal.
This Easy Mexican Zucchini with Ground Beef comes together in 20 minutes using one pan, ground beef, spiralized zucchini noodles, and taco seasoning. The result is a hearty, low-carb dinner with all the bold flavors of taco night, without the tortillas or the cleanup. It is the kind of meal I make on busy weeknights when I need something on the table fast. The beef is seasoned with homemade taco seasoning (though store-bought works perfectly), stirred together with salsa, and tossed with zucchini noodles that soak up all that flavor in just a few minutes. Top it with shredded cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions and dinner is done.
If you have a spiralizer, this is one of the best ways to use it. The zucchini noodles hold the taco-seasoned beef beautifully and the whole skillet has the satisfying feel of a pasta dish, with about 10 grams of carbs per serving. My kids love the noodle shape and honestly don’t miss the pasta at all. If you like zucchini recipes you also mighty like this Mediterranean Ground Beef Zucchini Skillet, Mediterranean Ground Beef Skillet or these Mediterranean Zucchini Boats.
Why This Recipe Works
• Spiralized zucchini noodles instead of chopped zucchini — the noodle shape catches and holds the seasoned beef, salsa, and juices in every bite, making it feel more like a complete pasta dish than a vegetable side.
• Salsa does the heavy lifting on flavor — stirring in salsa at the end adds depth, acidity, and a little heat without any extra chopping or prep. It also keeps the noodles from drying out.
• Homemade taco seasoning lets you control the salt — store-bought works fine, but making your own means you can dial up the cumin or chili powder to taste. Try my Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe. The beef ends up more flavorful and less one-note.
Recipe Ingredients
For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below.
- Ground Beef: The ground beef is what gives you the bulk of your recipe and the protein. I like to use 80/20 because the fat gives it more flavor. You can easily substitute ground turkey or chicken in place of the beef.
- Zucchini: I love adding zucchini noodles to skillet dishes like this along with soups, salads and casseroles. If you don’t have a spiralizer feel free to use a mandoline to create thin zucchini noodles or you can just chop up the zucchini. If you chop up the zucchini you will want to cook the zucchini with the beef for a few minutes until the zucchini gets tender.
- Taco Toppings: I use a variety of my favorite taco ingredients on this skillet recipe. My favorites are cheese, diced tomatoes, cilantro and green onion. You can also add avocado, jalapeños, salsa and sour cream.
- Seasonings and Salsa: The taco seasoning brings flavor to the beef in this recipe. I use this homemade taco seasoning but you can also use store-bought. I also like stirring in salsa that I have on hand for added flavor at the end of cooking. The juices from the salsa also help the noodles soften.
How Do You Make Mexican Zucchini?
Step 1. Brown Beef: You will start by cooking the ground beef until it is browned. Then add a homemade taco seasoning and water and simmer until most of the water is cooked off.
Step 2. Stir in Salsa: Stir in 1/2 cup of salsa to the cooked ground beef.
Step 3. Add Noodles: Next, add the zucchini noodles to the skillet and continue to cook for another few minutes until the zucchini noodles are starting to soften.
Step 4. Add Favorite Garnishes: Add your favorite toppings to the finished skillet including cheese, tomatoes, green onion and cilantro. If you want the cheese to melt you may want to continue to heat the skillet for a minute or two.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Cooking the zucchini noodles too long — zucchini releases water fast. Two to three minutes on low heat is all they need. Overcooking turns them mushy and watery.
- Adding noodles to the pan too early — always add the zucchini after the beef is fully cooked and the salsa is stirred in. They are not meant to cook alongside the meat.
- Skipping the draining step — after browning the beef, drain the fat before adding seasoning. Leaving excess fat in the pan makes the finished dish greasy and dilutes the taco flavor.
- Using a spiralizer setting that is too thick — thinner noodles soften faster and pick up more flavor. If your noodles are very thick, they may need an extra minute or two and can end up unevenly cooked.
- Storing with the noodles already in the dish — zucchini noodles continue to release moisture in the fridge. For best results, store the beef separately if meal prepping and combine when reheating.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For best texture, reheat in a skillet over medium heat rather than the microwave, it takes about 3-4 minutes and keeps the zucchini from getting rubbery.
- If you are meal prepping, store the seasoned beef mixture and the spiralized zucchini separately. The beef keeps for 4 days and the raw spiralized zucchini keeps for up to 5 days in a glass container lined with a paper towel. Combine them in the skillet when you are ready to eat.
- This recipe does not freeze well because of the zucchini noodles, which lose texture completely once thawed. The beef mixture on its own freezes fine for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, with one important note: store the beef and the zucchini noodles separately. The beef mixture (ground beef, taco seasoning, salsa) keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Spiralized zucchini also stores well for up to 5 days in a glass container lined with a paper towel, which absorbs extra moisture. When you are ready to eat, heat the beef in a skillet, add the zucchini noodles, and warm together for 2-3 minutes. This approach keeps the noodles from getting soggy and makes the meal feel fresh even on day three.
No. A spiralizer gives you the noodle shape, but you can also use a mandoline to cut thin ribbons, a vegetable peeler for wide flat strips, or just chop the zucchini into small chunks. If you go with chopped zucchini, add it to the skillet with the beef for the last 3-4 minutes rather than at the very end, since chunks take a little longer to soften than noodles.
Yes. Ground turkey is a great lighter swap and works the same way in this recipe. The flavor will be slightly milder, so you may want to add a little extra taco seasoning or a pinch of smoked paprika to make up for the lower fat content. Ground chicken also works well.
This recipe is flexible the way taco night is flexible. The base toppings are shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, cilantro, and green onion. From there you can add avocado or guacamole, pickled jalapeños, a dollop of sour cream, hot sauce, or a squeeze of lime. If you want to stretch it into a bigger meal, serve it over cauliflower rice or with warm tortillas on the side.
More Zucchini Recipes
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Easy Mexican Zucchini with Ground Beef (One Skillet, Low-Carb)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef , {or ground turkey or chicken}
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/4 sweet onion, diced
- 3 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup salsa , of your choice
- 2 medium zucchinis, spiralized
- 1 medium tomato, diced {or use canned diced tomatoes}
- 1 cup cheese, shredded {try sharp or pepper jack cheese}
- 1/4 cup cilantro, 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 and cook until browned and cooked through. Drain the fat from the ground beef and return to the pan.
- Add the taco seasoning and water and simmer until most of the water is absorbed. Stir in the salsa.
- Add the zucchini noodles to the skillet and heat on low for about 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
- Sprinkle cheese on top of the noodles and beef and let sit until the cheese melts or you can quickly warm it in the oven for about 3 minutes on 350 to heat the cheese. Top with diced tomatoes, cilantro and green onions and serve warm.
Notes
- For less soggy noodles, add zucchini at the very end on low heat for 2-3 minutes only. Do not overcook.
- Store beef and zucchini separately if meal prepping. Spiralized zucchini keeps up to 5 days in the fridge in a container lined with a paper towel.
- No spiralizer? Use a mandoline for thin ribbons, or chop zucchini into small chunks and add with the beef for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking.
- Ground turkey or ground chicken work as a 1:1 swap for the beef. Add a little extra seasoning to compensate for the lower fat content.
- Use store-bought taco seasoning if you are short on time, or try this homemade taco seasoning for more control over salt and spice level.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
can you use cut up zucchini? I don’t have a spiralizer
Yes! YOu can easily cut it into small chunks or thin strips. Really anyway you like just make sure to saute the zucchini to soften. It might take a bit longer because spiralized zucchini is quick to cook and is often already soft. Hope you like it! It would be more like this recipe but with the Mexican flavors: https://www.acedarspoon.com/mediterranean-ground-beef-skillet/
My favorite way to make zucchini with beef!
This is my type of meal……one dish. Making this week. Do know how many carbs are in it?
I do not I am sorry! I think it helps that it uses zucchini versus pasta.
I made this for dinner and it was incredibly flavorful! Loved the zucchini noodles. I put some extra heat to it with Rotel and pepper jack cheese. Delish!
Love the pepper jack cheese idea- I am trying that! Glad you liked it!
Do you have the nutritional values for this recipe?
I do not currently- I am sorry. You can enter it into something like Fitness Pal to get that.
A perfect way to use up garden summer zucchini this summer!!
It sure is! I love this one in the summer with the fresh zucchini.