Ground Beef and Zucchini Skillet

Ground beef and zucchini skillet is an easy one-pan dinner made with taco-seasoned beef, tender zucchini and melty cheese. Ready in 30 minutes.

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Ingredients Notes

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Ground beef: Lean ground beef works best so the skillet doesn’t end up greasy. If you use a higher fat blend, just drain well after browning.
• Zucchini: One small zucchini, diced, about a cup. No need to peel it. If your garden zucchini are on the bigger side, scoop out the seedy center before dicing so it doesn’t water down the skillet.
• Bell pepper: Any color works, red is just the sweetest. Dice it the same size as the zucchini so everything cooks evenly.
• Onion: I used a yellow onion, but white or red onion work fine with these flavors.
• Black beans: Rinse and drain so the sauce doesn’t turn murky. Pinto beans are an easy swap.
• Fire roasted tomatoes: Draining keeps the skillet from getting soupy. Regular diced tomatoes work if that’s what you have, you’ll just lose a little of the smoky flavor.
• Corn: Frozen goes straight in, no need to thaw. Fresh corn cut off the cob is great in summer.
• Taco seasoning: Homemade taco seasoning or a store-bought packet both work.
• Cheese: Mexican blend or Monterey Jack both melt well. Shred it yourself if you can, it melts smoother than pre-shredded.

How to Make a Ground Beef and Zucchini Skillet

Cook the zucchini, bell pepper and onion in a little olive oil until tender, then stir in the garlic for the last minute. I like removing the vegetables before adding the beef so the zucchini keeps some texture instead of turning too soft.

Brown the ground beef in the same skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. Once it’s fully cooked, drain off any extra grease so the finished skillet stays hearty without feeling heavy.

Add the taco seasoning, black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, corn and cooked vegetables back to the pan and stir together. Let it warm through for a few minutes so the seasoning coats the beef and veggies.

Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle the cheese on top and pop the lid on. The residual heat melts the cheese in about 2 minutes without overcooking the zucchini. No oven needed.

Serve it as is, spoon it over cilantro lime rice or roasted sweet potatoes, or pile on the sour cream and avocado. This zucchini ground beef skillet is a meal I keep in rotation all summer long.

It’s an easy way to use up this versatile vegetable in a ground beef dinner the whole family gets excited about.

Variations

• Spice it up: Add a diced jalapeño with the peppers or a pinch of cayenne to the taco seasoning. A few dashes of hot sauce at the end works too.
• Swap the protein: I love zucchini with beef, but ground turkey or ground chicken work too. Just add a drizzle of oil when browning since they’re leaner.
• Make it heartier: Stir cooked rice right into the skillet before adding the cheese.
• Use up more garden veggies: Yellow squash, diced mushrooms or extra zucchini all blend right in.
• Turn leftovers into something new: Spoon it into tortillas for quick tacos, pile it over tortilla chips for nachos, or stuff it into a baked potato.