We didn’t eat much beef growing up, but when we did it was usually ground beef. It was affordable and common at our table. My grandmother made carne molida tacos at least once a week. She would send me to the store to buy potatoes “para que rinda,” meaning to stretch the meat. She’d boil the potatoes, chop them, and mash them into the ground beef.
Her Tex‑Mex tacos were made with deep‑fried corn tortillas, filled with picadillo—a savory mix of ground beef and potatoes—and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and salsa. They were delicious, but as a kid I grew tired of eating the same thing so often.
I’ll never forget one afternoon when I wasn’t allowed to leave the table until I finished three tacos. After my grandmother left the kitchen I wrapped them in a napkin and hid them in the trash. I was so nervous when she came back; I’m pretty sure she knew what I’d done, but she let it go.
After I left El Paso I avoided ground beef for years. I even preferred spaghetti without meat and wasn’t a fan of meatloaf. When I moved to Colorado things changed. I met my husband and he introduced me to ground buffalo. It quickly became a staple in our kitchen—economical, leaner than beef, and full of flavor.
Some of our favorite ground buffalo recipes include chili beans, green chile cheeseburgers, Portobello mushrooms stuffed with picadillo, poblanos stuffed with picadillo, rolled taquitos (Chico’s Tacos), and chorizo chipotle meatloaf. Using buffalo in these recipes adds a rich, savory taste while keeping meals lighter.
These zucchini boats brought back memories of my grandmother’s tacos. It’s funny how the foods you once resisted as a child can become comforting favorites as an adult.
With an abundance of zucchini from our salsa garden, this recipe was perfect. The zucchinis are halved lengthwise, seeded, and broiled briefly to soften. The filling is a picadillo-style mixture of ground buffalo (or substitute ground beef or turkey), chopped zucchini, bell peppers, and Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix to give it Tex‑Mex flavor.
After filling the zucchini shells, sprinkle with grated Oaxaca cheese and return them to the broiler until the cheese melts and turns golden. Finish with chopped tomatoes and Old El Paso chopped green chilies. The result captures the flavors of my grandmother’s picadillo tacos without the carbs—comforting, flavorful, and easy to make. My family loved them.
Picadillo Zucchini Boats
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Zucchini Boats:
- 4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
Picadillo:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 pound ground buffalo, ground beef, or ground turkey
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 1 ounce packet Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
Toppings:
- 1 cup grated Oaxaca cheese
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1 2.25-ounce can sliced black olives
- 1 4.5-ounce can Old El Paso Chopped Green Chilies
Instructions
Zucchini boats:
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Preheat the broiler. Scoop out seeds from the zucchini, leaving a 1/4‑inch shell. Chop the scooped zucchini and set aside.
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Brush zucchini with olive oil and season with salt. Place on a baking sheet and broil until soft, about 2 minutes per side; set aside.
Picadillo:
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In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook about 2 minutes until the onion is translucent and the pepper softens.
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Add the ground buffalo and brown; drain any excess fat. Stir in water and taco seasoning and bring to a boil. Add the chopped zucchini, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens.
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Spoon the picadillo into the zucchini shells, top with cheese, and return to the broiler until the cheese melts and turns golden, about 1–2 minutes.
Serve:
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Top with chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, and chopped green chiles before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Disclosure: This post is in partnership with Old El Paso, but all opinions are my own.