Stuffed zucchini, Middle Eastern style! In this recipe, the humble zucchini act as vessels for a special stuffing of spiced rice and ground beef with tomatoes and fresh herbs. See my step-by-step tutorial for foolproof, and absolutely delicious results!
When nostalgia takes me back to certain foods and flavors, sometimes all I have to help me is my memory to try and recreate foods I love.
But today is one of those very infrequent and fortune times when my mom happens to be right here in my kitchen! And with her help, I was able to recreate the stuffed zucchini of my childhood.
You already know how much I adore zucchini-- sauteed in a skillet; in the form of a boat topped with tomato and feta; rolled around feta and grilled; or these light Baked Zucchini Sticks. Whatever way zucchini is served, I love it!
But today's stuffed zucchini is kind of a big deal recipe; it's the stuff for special dinners and Middle Eastern banquets.
First, the zucchini are hollowed out using a vegetable corer like this one. Then they are filled with a hearty, spiced filling of rice and ground beef or lamb. Finally, the stuffed zucchini are cooked in red sauce until the filling is cooked through the zucchini is perfectly tender.
It may seem labor intensive, but these stuffed zucchini are easier to prepare than you think. And the result is worth every effort!
Here is the step-by-step tutorial for Middle Eastern Stuffed Zucchini
(scroll down for the print-friendly recipe)
In a large bowl, combine the stuffing ingredients of rice, ground beef, fresh parsley, dill, diced tomatoes, water, olive oil and spices. Mix by hand to combine.
Now, remove the tops of 3 tomatoes and remove the core to hollow out the tomatoes making room for the stuffing. Do this using a corer like this one; a melon baller or even a spoon may work here.
With a knife, remove the very top of the zucchini, then cut each zucchini in half to make shorter zucchini for stuffing. Now you need to hollow out the zucchini to make room for the stuffing. Insert your corer about ¾ of the way into the zucchini, making sure not to poke the bottoms. Twist the corer and pull out the zucchini cores or hearts. Do this a few times, and gently scrape the sides of the zucchini until you have hollowed each out making room for the stuffing. You'll want to leave about ¼ inch rim of zucchini.
Lightly oil the bottom of a large deep cooking pan like this one. Slice the remaining tomato and spread over the bottom of the pan. Now add the onion slices and the cores (or hearts) of the zucchini. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Now, using your hands, gently stuff the hollowed tomatoes with the rice stuffing. Then loosely stuff the zucchini with the rice stuffing about ¾ of the way (do not over-stuff or crowd the rice stuffing in the zucchini or it will not fully cook. Remember, rice needs room to expand as it cooks).
Arrange the stuffed tomatoes somewhat in the center of the cooking pan, then add the zucchini (stuffed side up) around them. Tilt the zucchini a little, this helps them cook nicely through using less liquid (it also allows the lid to close nicely on the pan). Now add the tomato sauce and water. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Place the pan on the stove and cook on medium-high heat until the liquid starts boiling. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for for 50 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the rice stuffing is fully cooked.Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls. Top with the sauce from the cooking pan. Enjoy!
You may also like: Greek stuffed peppers or stuffed tomatoes.
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Middle Eastern Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 4-8 1x
Description
Middle Eastern stuffed zucchini recipe with a spiced rice and meat filling, cooked in red sauce. A must-try!
Ingredients
For stuffing
- ½ cup long-grain rice, rinsed well
- ½ lb lean ground beef
- 1 small onion, shredded
- ⅓ packed cup chopped parsley
- ⅓ packed cup chopped dill
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomato with juice
- ½ cup water
- 2 tbsp Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
- Scant 1 tsp allspice
- Scant 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
For Zucchini
- 4 large and very firm tomatoes, divided (3 to be cored and stuffed, and 1 to be sliced)
- 1 small onion, sliced into rounds
- 2 ½ lb Medium-sized zucchini or Middle Eastern zucchini (about 8 or so zucchini), lightly peeled
- 1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the stuffing ingredients of rice, ground beef, shredded onion, fresh parsley, dill, diced tomatoes, water, olive oil, allspice, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Mix by hand to combine.
- Now, remove the top of 3 tomatoes and remove the core to hollow out the tomatoes making room for the stuffing. Do this using a corer like this one.
- With a knife, remove the very top of the zucchini, then cut each zucchini in half to make shorter zucchini for stuffing. Now you need to hollow out the zucchini to make room for the stuffing.
- Insert your corer about ¾ of the way into the zucchini, making sure not to poke the bottoms. Twist the corer and pull out the zucchini cores or hearts. Do this a few times, and gently scrape the sides of the zucchini until you have hollowed each out making room for the stuffing. You'll want to leave about ¼ inch rim of zucchini.
- Lightly oil the bottom of a large deep cooking pan like this one. Slice the remaining tomato and spread over the bottom of the pan. Now add the onion slices and the cores or hearts of the zucchini. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Now, using your hands, gently stuff the hollowed tomatoes with the rice stuffing. Then loosely stuff the zucchini with the rice stuffing about ¾ of the way (do not over-stuff or crowd the rice stuffing in the zucchini or it will not cook well).
- Arrange the stuffed tomatoes in the center of the cooking pan, then add the stuffed zucchini (stuffed side up) around them. Tilt the zucchini a little, this helps them cook nicely through using less liquid.
- Now add the tomato sauce and water. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
- Place the pan on the stove and cook on medium-high heat until the liquid starts boiling. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for for 50 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the rice stuffing is fully cooked.
- Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls. Top with the sauce from the cooking pan. Enjoy!
Notes
- Recommended for this Recipe: Our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives!)
- Visit our store to browse our spices, olive oils and bundles!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean/Middle Eastern
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Could I make this without the beef? With rice only? Thanks!
Sure. You can omit the beef. Check out the stuffing we use for cabbage rolls here: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/vegetarian-stuffed-cabbage-rolls/
My family is from Turkey and this recipe is almost exactly how my Mom used to make it. It was one of my favorite dishes.
Oh really! That's awesome. This is more or less my mom's Egyptian version 🙂
Is the amount of tomato ounces correct in printed recipe It says 114.5 oz
Hi Michael, so you're looking to add 1 can diced tomatoes, the can size is 14.5 ounces. We'll be sure to make that more clear. Thanks!
do you have to use rice? can I use cauliflower rice?
Hi Abby, this is the traditional way to make it, but if you use cauliflower rice often and would like to give it a try, I'd love to hear how it turns out!
Silly question, do you put the stuffed tomatoes and Zucchini on top of the onion , tomatoes and Zucchini hearts that you fry before hand ?
Not silly at all, Lyn. Yes, I use the sliced onion etc. here as a bed for the stuffed veggies (hopefully the photo shows that)
Delicious ! I made a vegan version with pine nuts instead of beef and added some white wine to the sauce. It was surprisingly tasty 🙂
Oooh, like the idea! Thanks for sharing!
Why the need for 2 onions? Does the shredded one get added to the stuffing? I don’t see in the directions where the 2nd one gets incorporated.
The shredded onion will be used in the stuffing. Enjoy!
Love it! I just changed rice for bulgur.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, made this last night for guests using hollowed out yellow zucchini. Huge hit. Perfectly seasoned. Made half with sausage instead of beef and the other half used tuna. Everyone loved them.
Wonderful, Dave! And thanks for sharing your variation!
This totally looks like something that could b converted to an Instant Pot or pressure cooker recipe.....have you done that with this yet? If so, how'd it turn out? What changes needed to be made?
Hi kristn, I think it can easily be made in an instant pot...I personally have not tried it, so can't tell you from experience. If you do give it a try that way, we'd love to hear your feedback!
Thanks for the recipe Suzy. I made the dish and loved it. My zucchinis were small so only about half of stuffing fit in them. But, I will use the left over stuffing soon enough when I have more zucchinis. I am also very tempted to try your zucchinis omelet. Again, thank you.
Awesome, Jasmine! So glad you enjoyed the stuffed zucchini! Yes, do try the zucchini omelet...so simple, but we love it!
My stuffed zucchini is usually very tasty but the stuffing is hard and I have to cut the stuffed zucchini and add sauce so it is soft.
I fill 3 quarters of the zucchini I use ground beef and Egyptian rice salt and pepper for the stuffing no water or tomatoes or onion please advise?? Tried to soak the rice before hand but no luck??? Help
Hi Lina,
Thanks for your question. It sounds like your recipe is different from this one here. As you see here, the stuffing has rice, ground beef, fresh parsley, dill, diced tomatoes, water, olive oil and spices. The tomatoes, water and olive oil help in the cooking the rice all the way through. Plus more liquid/sauce in which the zucchini cooks. I would say look through the step-by-step pictures here, I think it will help to follow as listed.
I just put this on the stove to cook. I noticed that the filling was very wet. Is that normal?
I grew up eating my parent's stuffed zucchini and they made meatballs out of the extra filling, so I thought I would do the same, but it was too wet.
Sibyana, the stuffing in this particular recipe is meant to be wet to help the rice cook. You can certainly cook any remaining stuffing like you would a pot of rice, not as meatballs. So simply add the remaining stuffing in a medium-sized pot coated with a little olive oil. Add a little water. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer on low heat while covered. That's kinda how I use up any leftover stuffing.
I’m half Beneze and remember my grandmother making this I’m so excited to try and make it myself I do have a lot of extra stuffing left over I don’t know if maybe I use two small of zucchinis or something but how else could I use the leftover mixture?
Hi Erica, when we have leftover stuffing, I simply put it in a small pot, add just enough water to cover the stuffing say by 1/2 inch or so (it's already pretty moist) bring to a boil, then lower heat. Cover and let simmer on low till fully cooked. It's great!
I shortcut your recipe today, trying not to have to turn the stove on when it's 90 degrees! I had some cooked ground beef, that'd I'd cooked down with onion and garlic. I also had a bushel of fresh tomatoes from the garden. So, I pureed a couple of them into a quick tomato sauce, combined that with the herbs, another diced tomato, and ground beef, microwaved the rice and combined it all together. Then, I used the microwave to steam the zucchini, slice them lengthwise and scooped out the heart, mixed that with my meat mixture, and filled the zucchini boat-style. Topped it off with a little crumbled feta, and it was simply delish! Took about 20 minutes, total, and no hot kitchen! Obviously, not as luxurious as yours, but definitely a keeper recipe, no question!!!
This is beyond scrumptious! I always put the cores of zucchinis in the freezer to make fritters later. It's a great idea to use them at the bottom of the pan. Will try it next time.
This looks like the ones we have here in Turkey. We love to enjoy it with yogurt. The photos are gorgeous and making me hungry. YUM!
Hi Zerrin! Thanks so much for stopping in! I love that you have a version of this in Turkey!!!
Hi Suzy. I have a bunch of small Chinese eggplants. I am thinking of using the eggplants to substitute for the zucchini. What do you think? I also remember an Armenian coworker brought for lunch stuffed eggplants that looks somewhat like your stuffed zucchini. Your comments please.