Crab stuffed zucchini is a low-carb recipe that can be served as lunch or alongside a dinner main dish.
This recipe uses fresh zucchini as a base where the flesh has been scooped out, sauteed with onions and combined with crab meat and cheese. Next, it’s spooned back into the zucchini skins and baked until bubbly and golden brown.
Grab a fork and knife and dig in! No need to remove the skin, it can be eaten along with the filling!
Easy Healthy Side Dish or Appetizer
This is an easy and beautiful dish to serve to guests. It pairs nicely with a variety of beef, pork and chicken recipes.
- It’s budget-friendly using canned crab meat and a few fresh ingredients.
- It doesn’t take long to make: scoop out the zucchini, sautee the veggies, scoop into zucchini and bake!
- This recipe can be prepared ahead of time and baked just before serving.
- The zucchini skin can be eaten making it an all-in-one dish with no food waste.
- You can meal prep these for a healthy lunch option throughout the week. Just reheat in the microwave!
Recipe Ingredients
ZUCCHINI can be eaten with the skin on, making it the perfect base for this recipe. I used three medium-sized zucchinis. Free to use more if needed. You can also use yellow zucchini.
FILLING is made with crab meat, mozzarella and feta cheese. Fresh herbs including parsley and dill smell soo good as you bake this recipe! An egg and flour will help thicken the ingredients making it easier to scoop.
VARIATIONS: Crab meat can be substituted for canned salmon or canned tuna. Swiss cheese and freshly grated parmesan can be used instead of mozzarella and feta.
How To Make Crab Stuffed Zucchini
- Slice zucchini in half and scoop out the inside pulp.
- Saute the onion, garlic and zucchini pulp according to the recipe below.
- Mix together filling ingredients in a bowl and spoon onto zucchini skins.
- Sprinkle with more cheese and bake until golden and bubbly on top.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave until warmed through.
Recipe Tips
- Zucchini produces a lot of excess liquid once cooked. I like to add cooked zucchini to a strainer and then blot it with paper towel to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the zucchini flesh. Scoop out as much as you can to make the skin about ½” thick.
- If you have extra filling, save leftovers for lunch in a wrap or sandwich. Extra filling can be sauteed and stored in the fridge.
- Add a bit of extra mozzarella, fresh dill and ground pepper on top just before baking. The cheese will turn golden brown as you bake.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Turkey Zucchini Chickpea Skillet is the perfect healthy dinner for busy weeknights.
- Zucchini Parmesan Frittata is a simple low carb and budget-friendly recipe.
- Zucchini Spinach Quesadilla takes 10 minutes to whip up for breakfast or lunch.
- Chickpea Zucchini Stir Fry Wraps are made with a quick stir fry that’s eaten as a wrap.
Did you love this crab-stuffed zucchini recipe? Be sure to leave a rating below!
Crab Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
- 3 zucchinis - medium-size
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 6 oz canned crab meat - drained
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella - divided
- ½ cup feta cheese
- 1 egg - beaten
- 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley - or 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 Tbsp fresh chopped dill - or 1 tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Slice the top and bottom off of 3 zucchinis. Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise then scoop out the inside pulp with a spoon leaving a bit for stability. Chop the zucchini pulp into small bite-size chunks.
- Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, ½ cup chopped onion, and 4 minced garlic cloves. Saute for 1-2 minutes, until onion turns translucent.
- Add the chopped zucchini pulp and cook another 1-2 minutes until softened.
- Add the cooked zucchini mixture to a strainer to remove any excess liquid. To remove even more moisture you can squeeze it through a kitchen towel (optional).
- Now add the cooked zucchini mixture, 6 oz crab meat, ½ cup shredded mozzarella, ½ cup feta cheese, 1 beaten egg, 1 Tbsp all purpose flour, 1 Tbsp chopped parsley, 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper to a large bowl. Mix everything together.
- Scoop the mixture onto the sliced zucchini. Top with the last half of shredded mozzarella, and more fresh dill. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the tops begin to slightly turn golden brown. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Zucchini produces a lot of excess liquid once cooked. I prefer to add it to a strainer and then blot it with paper towel to remove as much as possible.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the zucchini flesh. Scoop out as much as you can to make the skin about ½” thick.
- If you have extra filling, save leftovers for lunch in a wrap or sandwich. Extra filling can be sauteed and stored in the fridge.
- Add a bit of extra mozzarella, fresh dill and ground pepper on top just before baking. The cheese will turn golden brown as you bake.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or in microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.