What to Make With Ground Beef and Zucchini: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners
Ground beef and zucchini is a taco filling or a plain skillet, and the zucchini will water down the beef if you add it too early. Brown the beef until the fat is useful, then add the zucchini and let its water cook off. A skillet, a sheet pan, and a soft soup. Salt both. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Quick picks: 3 dinners with ground beef and zucchini in 30 minutes or less
Fastest option: a 20-minute dinner
20 min
Beef and zucchini soup
Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
A little beef, a lot of zucchini, and onion in a salted pot.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 2 zucchini
- 1 onion
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
- Brown the ground beef with the onion and salt. Drain the fat.
- Add diced zucchini and water.
- Simmer until the zucchini is soft, about 8 minutes.
- Taste. A pale soup needs salt more than it needs another ingredient.
Keeps: Fridge for 2 days.
One-pan or sheet-pan option
25 min
Sheet-pan beef and zucchini
Total time, start to plate · One sheet pan · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Zucchini planks and crumbled beef roast in one layer.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 zucchini
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the zucchini into thick planks and toss with oil and salt.
- Crumble the ground beef on the same pan in small bits, not one slab.
- Roast until the beef is browned and the zucchini is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Pour off any watery juice or let it roast a few more minutes. Taste for salt.
Keeps: Fridge for 2 days.
The other dinner
22 min
Beef and zucchini skillet
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Ground beef browns, then zucchini cooks until its water is gone.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 zucchini
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 cloves garlic
Steps
- Brown the ground beef with half the salt and the cumin. Drain if it is greasy.
- Add the zucchini, cut into half-moons, and the rest of the salt.
- Cook until the zucchini's water boils off and the edges brown.
- Stir in the garlic. Taste. It should taste like beef, not like steamed squash.
Keeps: Fridge for 2 days.
Make it with leftovers
Cooked beef can start the skillet. Zucchini that is already sautéed should be warmed, not recooked into mush. Raw zucchini on the sheet pan needs space so it roasts.
Pantry staples you'll need
- Oil
- Salt
- Cumin
- Garlic
- Onion
No zucchini: mushrooms take a similar browning. See ground beef and mushrooms. No beef: the zucchini skillet on the chicken page, or beans.
Picky-eater and healthy tweaks
Beef on one side, zucchini coins on the other, both salted. Cumin on the adult beef. Zucchini cooked until sweet is more likely to get eaten than raw-crunchy zucchini.
This is a lighter beef dinner because the zucchini stretches the meat. Drain extra fat. You don't need a cheese blanket, though a sprinkle is a fair kid tax.
Have something else in the fridge?
Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Snap your fridgeRelated dinners
Questions
What can I make with ground beef and zucchini in 20 minutes?
Beef and zucchini soup takes 20 minutes, start to plate. A little beef, a lot of zucchini, and onion in a salted pot.
What's the easiest dinner with ground beef and zucchini?
Sheet-pan beef and zucchini is the low-fuss one: one sheet pan, 25 minutes. Zucchini planks and crumbled beef roast in one layer.
Can I make this with leftover or cooked ground beef?
Cooked beef can start the skillet. Zucchini that is already sautéed should be warmed, not recooked into mush. Raw zucchini on the sheet pan needs space so it roasts.
What else can I add to ground beef and zucchini for a full meal?
The cards already use ground beef, zucchini, salt. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.
Is ground beef and zucchini a healthy dinner?
This is a lighter beef dinner because the zucchini stretches the meat. Drain extra fat. You don't need a cheese blanket, though a sprinkle is a fair kid tax.
How do I make ground beef and zucchini kid-friendly?
Beef on one side, zucchini coins on the other, both salted. Cumin on the adult beef. Zucchini cooked until sweet is more likely to get eaten than raw-crunchy zucchini.
Can I make ground beef and zucchini in one pan or a sheet pan?
Sheet-pan beef and zucchini uses one sheet pan and takes 25 minutes. Zucchini planks and crumbled beef roast in one layer.
What if I don't have zucchini?
No zucchini: mushrooms take a similar browning. See ground beef and mushrooms. No beef: the zucchini skillet on the chicken page, or beans.