With 3 simple ingredients, these pulled pork stuffed zucchini boats are a tasty low carb dinner idea that is ready in 30 minutes! With juicy pulled pork, tender zucchini and gooey cheese, they are the perfect way to use up pulled pork, you can make extras and freeze.
We are huge fans of pulled pork at my house, making this crock pot pulled pork alllll the time. The problem with pulled pork? It makes a huge batch, and often on day 3, we are so over it. These pulled pork zucchini boats are the perfect solution!
Not only are they simple to prepare, but they are freezer-friendly as well! With three simple ingredients: leftover pulled pork, zucchini and cheese.
They are lighter (and low in carbs), and delicious loaded up with your favorite toppings.
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Reasons you’ll ♡ pulled pork stuffed zucchini boats are
- lower in carbs, but still filling
- simple to prep on a busy weeknight
- easy to customize with your favorite toppings
Recipe video
Are you a visual learner? See how this recipe comes together by watching the 1-minute video below! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Pick the right zucchini
You can use any summer squash (green or yellow) to make pulled pork zucchini boats! Make sure you pick a straight one and stay away from curvy ones so that you can pack them side by side in the baking dish. You also want to avoid overly-large zucchinis, as they will be too large to fit into a 9 inch pan. You may need to trim some of the end off the zucchini to get it to fit.
Fill it up
For this recipe, we are filling our zucchini boats with pulled pork, but you can get creative and stuff them with all sorts of different proteins:
- Slow Cooker Honey Lime Shredded Chicken
- Taco Meat (use this Homemade Taco Seasoning to take them over the top!)
- Italian Sausage
- Enchilada Quinoa would be a great vegetarian filling
- Smoky Slow Cooker Turkey Chili would also be great in zucchini boats!
Cover to bake
Covering the baking dish that contains the zucchini boats helps trap the liquid, steaming the zucchini and helping them soften through. I highly recommend these reusable silicone lids (they come in all sizes), but you can use aluminum foil as well.
Prep ahead to enjoy later
These pulled pork zucchini boats work great for meal prep and are also freezer-friendly! Here’s how to meal prep them:
Fridge
- Uncooked– You can prep the zucchini boats up to the point of baking, but store in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you are ready to cook, remove from the fridge, and add 5 minutes onto the bake time.
- After cooking– You can store leftover zucchini boats in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container (slicing them in half and placing in a 2 cup meal prep container works as does storing in a larger 8 cup meal prep container). Reheat at 350°F in a covered dish for 15 minutes, or heat in the microwave.
Freezer
Freeze the uncooked zucchini boats in a covered meal prep container or metal baking dish. If you freeze in a metal baking dish (like the one pictured), you can place in the oven and cook from frozen! If you freeze in a glass baking dish, I recommend you fully thaw before baking up.
- to bake frozen– bake (covered) at 400°F for roughly 35-45 minutes, or until heated through
- to bake after thawing– bake (covered) at 400°F for 25 or so minutes
These pulled pork zucchini boats are part of a pulled pork meal prep plan. Find the full meal prep plan + shopping list here!
What to serve with zucchini boats?
We enjoyed them with a big dollop of greek yogurt, some fresh tomatoes, and green onions, without any side dishes. However, you could also serve them with:
- a side of cilantro lime rice
- this Quinoa Black Bean Salad, this Charred Corn Salad with Feta & Mint, or a salad tossed in this Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
- or keep thing simple with some Instant Pot corn on the cob
More zucchini recipes
- How to Cook Zucchini Noodles
- Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai
- Healthy Zucchini Bread
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
- Freezer Turkey Zucchini Noodle Lasagna
Pulled Pork Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 2-3 zucchini (medium-sized and straight)
- 2 cups Pulled Pork (including some of the sauce)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella pictured)
Suggested toppings
- 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes (chopped)
- green onions
- salsa, greek yogurt, guacamole
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Slice zucchini in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Arrange in a 9x9 or 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Spoon the pulled pork into the cavity of the zucchini. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Cover with foil or a silicone cover, then bake in for 20-25 minutes, until zucchini is slightly softened and cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve with suggested toppings
To prep ahead
- You can assemble and store unbaked zucchini boats in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cook as directed above plus 5 extra minutes.
- You can cook these ahead and store in meal prep containers for up to 4 days. Re-heat until steaming hot in the microwave.
Notes
- to bake from frozen- bake at 400°F for 35-45 minutes, until zucchini is softened and cheese is bubbly and melted
- to bake after thawing- bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes
- Taco Meat
- Chili
- Shredded Chicken
- Enchilada Quinoa
