Keto Zucchini Boats with Bacon

These Keto Zucchini Boats with Bacon are made with bacon, corn, red onion, garlic, cilantro, and filled into zucchinis and baked with melted cheese on top.

These Keto Zucchini Boats with Bacon are out of this world. My housekeeper in Mexico loves making these on the side or chicken or beef, and so I had to snag the recipe from her. Believe it or not, zucchini is a great vegetable that is widely used in Mexico. You would know this if you tried my Cheesy Zucchini with corn dish. The best part about this delicious dish is that it is super keto friendly and a low carb meal. The combination of the zucchini, corn, and cheese is so delicious to me. I have ever seen people add poblano peppers into the filling as well, which gives the dish a nice spice to it.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Keto Zucchini Boats with Bacon
• Food safety

Ingredients

• Zucchini
• Vegetable oil
• Bacon or ham
• Corn
• Red Onion
• Garlic
• Cilantro
• Cheese

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

In a large pot, add a good amount of water and bring to a boil. Add the zucchini and boil the zucchini for 10-15 minutes. Take them out and strain.

Once the zucchini has cooled, cut them in half lengthwise.

With a spoon, carve out the insides of the zucchini and place to the side.

Add the zucchini into a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large skillet on medium heat, add oil and wait for it to shimmer.

Add the onion, bacon and corn and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until the bacon is toasty, the onion is soft, and the corn is starting to pop. Take the zucchini insides you can placed on the side and add into the skillet. Cook on medium heat, until all of the liquid has been evaporated. This is your filling!

With a spoon, scoop the filling into each halved zucchini and repeat with the rest. Top with the shredded cheese and bake in the oven for 6-10 minutes, until the cheese melts.

Hint: I love to use canned corn but if you are using regular corn, you will need to cook it for a bit longer. Do a taste test!

Substitutions

Zucchini: The zucchinis are an essential ingredient for this dish and can be found in the produce section of your local grocery store. Do not confuse it with a cucumber or squash!

Bacon: I usually use bacon for this dish and we had ran out and I used some ham that I diced up. It ended up adding a great flavor once I toasted the ham on the skillet. Feel free to try out my friend Kelly's Bacon Bits which you can add on the zucchini boats as well.

Corn: I have used corn from a can many times to make this dish, but I am sure using a fresh corn on the cob and sawing off the kernels to use will taste much better.

Onion: I used red onion for this recipe, although you can use yellow or white. The red onion is the more traditional onion to use though. 

Garlic: For best quality results, use fresh garlic. You can always use garlic from the jar although it is less fresh that way.

Cilantro: Some people have a love/hate relationship with cilantro. I love adding cilantro into the filling of the zucchini as it gives it such a nice kick. You could always use chopped green onion or scallions if you prefer.

Cheese: You will need a cheese that melts easily, like mozzarella cheese. In Mexico, the traditional cheese used for melting (like quesadillas) is Oaxaca cheese. This type of cheese can be more difficult to find, so mozzarella cheese can do the trick.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking the onion to imbue heat into the dish. You can also add chopped pickled jalapeños.
• Deluxe - add pickled onions at the end for a nice kick.
• Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips on top after baking!

These Zucchini boats are kid friendly and will play with your child’s imagination when they imagine a real boat. I used to eat these as a kid all the time. I would love making these Zucchini Boats alongside a Mexican Picadillo or Chicken Tinga Tacos.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!

Storage

These Keto Zucchini Boats with Bacon will be good in the fridge for 3-4 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

Don't overcook the zucchini! You just want it to get soft enough so you can carve out the insides before baking them.

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Food safety

We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.