Main Page
Fast and tasty
Zucchini with minced meat in a frying pan

Skillet Zucchini Stuffed with Ground Meat

Quick, made from simple ingredients, and really easy! You can have these skillet zucchini rounds stuffed with ground meat on the table in 20 minutes. They're the perfect quick, hot appetizer for when guests turn up at the door. And you can serve them all sorts of ways: on their own, with a side dish, with vegetables, or with fresh herbs.

Pearl

Recipe author

Zucchini with minced meat in a frying pan

Watch the video

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Zucchini

350

Ground meat

250

Onion

Flour

Salt

Pepper

Vegetable oil (or a little more)

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 19 % 5 g

Fats 59 % 16 g

Carbohydrates 22 % 6 g

191 kcal

GI: 67 / 0 / 33

Cooking method

Cooking time: 30 min

Step 1:

How do you make skillet zucchini stuffed with ground meat? First, gather all your ingredients. You can use any ground meat: chicken, beef, pork, or a mix. It's best to grind it yourself, but store-bought works too. Use a small to medium onion, and adjust the amount of garlic to your taste — or leave it out entirely.
Step 2:

Peel the onion and garlic and rinse them in cold water. Chop the onion as finely as you can, and mince the garlic or press it through a garlic press.
Step 3:

Add the onion and garlic to the ground meat and season with salt and pepper to taste. At this point you can also add your favorite dried seasonings, such as dried basil, oregano, or a fragrant dried-herb blend. Mix the meat thoroughly and let it rest for 5–10 minutes.
Step 4:

Wash the zucchini and pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Cut it into rounds about 1/2 inch (1–1.5 cm) thick.
Step 5:

Cut out the center of each zucchini round. You can use a small cutter, a shot glass, or a knife. I used a shot glass — the holes came out perfectly even and it was far quicker and easier than a knife. Lightly salt the rounds.
Step 6:

Stir the meat mixture well once more. Fill each zucchini ring with the meat. Don't pack it too tight or the filling will bulge out — otherwise it'll pull away from the zucchini as it fries and the dish won't look as appetizing.
Step 7:

Dredge each stuffed round in flour on all sides.
Step 8:

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the stuffed rounds and fry them over moderate heat for about 3–4 minutes until browned. Adjust to your own stove.
Step 9:

Flip the zucchini and finish cooking, frying for another three to four minutes. Set the finished rounds on paper towels to blot off the excess oil.
Step 10:

And they're done — serve them while they're still hot.
Step 11:

If your zucchini are young, seedless, and firm-centered, you can salt the cut-out centers a little and fry them up too.

This dish pairs really well with fresh vegetables or a salad. Serve the stuffed zucchini with your favorite sauces and tender fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Use a high-smoke-point oil for frying! Every oil is only good up to a certain temperature — its smoke point — beyond which it starts to burn and forms harmful compounds, including carcinogens. Unrefined oils, with rare exceptions, have a low smoke point; they contain lots of unfiltered particles that scorch quickly. Refined oils stand up to heat better and have a higher smoke point. If you're cooking in the oven, in a skillet, or on the grill, make sure you use an oil with a high smoke point. The most common high-smoke-point choices are refined sunflower, olive, and grapeseed oils.