Easy 30-Minute Zucchini Pizza Boats

Name: Easy 30-Minute Zucchini Pizza Boats
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise; 1 small can Pizza Sauce; 1/2 8oz package button mushrooms, sliced; 1 small red onion, diced; 1/2 green pepper, diced; 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese; 1 tbsp fresh chopped basil (optional topping); 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional topping); 2 tsp olive oil; 1/2 lb ground turkey; 2 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or 1/2 tsp oregano & 1/2 tsp basil)

These Easy 30-Minute Zucchini Pizza Boats are a delicious low-carb dinner that will satisfy all your pizza cravings with your fave toppings!

Ingredients and substitutions

Zucchini – you can try making these pizza boats using squash but the flavour will be different.
Pizza sauce – make your own pizza sauce or mix things up by using pesto or alfredo sauce.
Button mushrooms – use any mushroom variety of your choice.
Red onion – white onion, yellow onion or shallots would also be good here.
Green pepper – swap out for red or yellow pepper instead.
Mozzarella cheese – use your favourite kind of cheese like cheddar, Tex Mex or even ricotta.
Basil – leave this out altogether if you don’t have any on hand.
Red chili flakes – leave these off altogether if you don’t like spice.

Homemade turkey sausage

Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
Ground turkey – ground chicken or ground pork would also work for this recipe.
Fennel seeds – anise or cumin would be the best substitutes here.
Garlic powder – finely minced garlic will work in a pinch.
Italian seasoning – use ½ tsp. of oregano and ½ tsp of basil instead.
Salt – to taste.

How to make zucchini pizza boats

Cook the turkey sausage.
Scoop the flesh out of the zucchini.
Add the pizza sauce and toppings.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!

Topping options

I love these zucchini pizza boats because you can make the toppings very similar to how you would your fave pizza! I opted for a “Deluxe” style pizza with sausage, mushrooms, green pepper and red onions, but the flavour combos are limitless with this recipe! Here are some more delicious ideas:

Meat lovers – sausage, pepperoni and bacon
Veggie – mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, broccoli
Pepperoni – just plain old pepperoni and cheese
Mediterranean – olives, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers
Hawaiian – ham and pineapple

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat the skin on zucchini boats?

You can eat the zucchini skin, but it has a bitter taste so it might not go well with the pizza flavours. That being said, zucchini skin is full of nutritional benefits!

How many calories are in this recipe?

This recipe has 346 calories per zucchini boat. It’s a lot more calorie-friendly than a few slices from your favourite pizza spot!

Should you cook the zucchini before adding the toppings?

You may want to cook your zucchini boats ahead of time before adding any pizza sauce, cheese or toppings. Personally, I don't like my zucchini overdone and I like a little bit of firmness to them, especially when they are loaded with toppings. However, I recognize that everyone has different tastes and likes their veggies cooked in a different way. If you want them to be softer, bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes before adding on your toppings.

How long do you need to bake them?

These zucchini pizza boats only need to bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, so they’re ready in the flash. If you want your zucchini boats to be a lot softer, pop them in the oven before adding on your toppings (see the instructions above).

Storing and reheating

This recipe makes for great leftovers! The only thing is that with the cheese, they won't last as long as traditional leftovers – you're looking at about 3 days before the cheese goes slimy.

To store the leftovers, add them in individual servings in glass meal prep containers, or store everything together in a casserole dish. You can reheat the casserole dish in the oven at 425° Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, or you can microwave the leftover individual portions for 1-2 minutes on high.

Can you freeze zucchini pizza boats?

I wish you could, but zucchini doesn't freeze very well! It would become super watery and inedible.

What you can do is cook and freeze the sausage ahead of time though, then when you go to make this recipe just defrost the sausage in the fridge for 24 hours and add to fresh zucchini.

You can also freeze grated cheese and it should require no defrosting time. I would add 5 more minutes of cook time to the recipe though if you are using frozen shredded cheese.

Want to Learn How to Meal Prep? Join Dinner Prep Pro!

Our meal planning service removes the guesswork and helps you get dinner on the table in 15-20 minutes each night thanks to our prep ahead checklists. It takes just one hour of ingredient prep on a Sunday!

Learn more

More low-carb pizza recipes

Meal prep tools for this recipe

Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this recipe into leftovers.
Rao's is a great option for a low-sugar pizza sauce.
I get all my free-range ground turkey from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.