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Zucchini Rice

Snejana Andreeva - 1

By Snejana Andreeva

on Oct 19, 2021, Updated Jun 06, 2024

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This is my favorite style of home-cooking 🏠❤️: an easy, healthy, balanced dish made from humble ingredients. My mom and I have been making this recipe for as long as I can remember and it’s a go-to lunch or dinner in our house. We love to pair this recipe with some plain yogurt as a “sauce” or a bowl of Cold Cucumber Soup (aka Tarator) 🥒. The beauty of this recipe is it requires minimal ingredients but delivers maximum flavor . Where I’m from in Bulgaria 🇧🇬, we are known for throwing random ingredients in a pot and making a meal from “nothing”; this recipe embodies that way of living.

  • Why You’ll Love Zucchini Rice
  • How to Prepare Zucchini Rice
  • Nonna’s Tip
  • Variations and Substitutions for Zucchini Rice
  • Similar Recipes
  • Best Served With
  • Common Questions
  • Zucchini Rice with Meat Recipe

Why You’ll Love Zucchini Rice

This meal comes together in less than 20 minutes and is packed with fiber, protein, and carbs 👊. It’s the perfect answer to busy weekdays, when you hardly have the time or energy to cook. Start with a pot of rice and while that steams, fry up your favorite ground meat with some zucchini. Of course you can use any ground meat of choice, and for that matter, any vegetable or variety of rice. This recipe is endlessly customizable . Think of like a European fried rice 🍚.

How to Prepare Zucchini Rice

🍚 Rinse the rice well and then cook the rice per the package instructions and set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the dish.

🍗 In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground meat and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Using a wooden spatula, break up the meat and stir while it cooks, 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and no pink remains.

🧅 Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and remove the skillet from the heat.

🍽 Stir in the fresh dill, if using, and the cooked rice. Gently mix everything together and enjoy.

Nonna’s Tip

This recipe comes together even more seamlessly if you “cheat” with the rice : use leftover cooked rice, microwave rice, or try using a rice cooker , which is completely hands-off cooking. 🍚

Ground Meat and Rice - 3

Variations and Substitutions for Zucchini Rice

  1. Rice not fitting into your low-carb diet? ⚖️ No problem! You can make this with cauliflower rice instead.
  2. All varieties of rice work here: brown, short grain, Basmati, sushi, and wild rice.
  3. Vegetarians can enjoyed this with a plant-based meat substitute. 🪴
  4. Mushrooms are delicious in this dish! 🍄 Add them instead of or alongside the zucchini.
  5. Any ground meat is good in this recipe: chicken, turkey, beef, pork, or lamb.

Similar Recipes

A close-up of a spoonful of rice with herbs and pieces of chicken, held above a bowl filled with the same mixture. Another similar bowl is visible in the background. - 4 A close-up of a spoonful of rice with herbs and pieces of chicken, held above a bowl filled with the same mixture. Another similar bowl is visible in the background. - 5

Meal Prep Chicken Bake

50 mins

Three stacked slices of oven baked rice casserole with a golden top, served on a white plate with a fork and a small portion of the casserole next to the stack. - 6 Three stacked slices of oven baked rice casserole with a golden top, served on a white plate with a fork and a small portion of the casserole next to the stack. - 7

Oven Baked Rice Casserole

Three Stuffed Zucchini Boats filled with a hearty meat sauce, topped with melted cheese and chopped herbs, and elegantly served on a white plate. - 8 Three Stuffed Zucchini Boats filled with a hearty meat sauce, topped with melted cheese and chopped herbs, and elegantly served on a white plate. - 9

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

55 mins

A close-up of a spoonful of creamy orzo pasta with chunks of chicken and zucchini, held above a glass bowl of the same dish. A baking dish with more of the casserole is in the background. - 10 A close-up of a spoonful of creamy orzo pasta with chunks of chicken and zucchini, held above a glass bowl of the same dish. A baking dish with more of the casserole is in the background. - 11

Lemon Orzo Bake

50 mins

Best Served With

  • I love to enjoy this with a bowl of Cold Cucumber Soup 🥒.
  • You can’t go wrong with a side of Tzatziki .
  • Pickled Onions are a great condiment to have on hand to add some zest and crunch to this meal.
  • A simple green salad always feels like it balances out a meal perfectly.

Common Questions

Yes, all varieties of ground meat are good here: chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, and beef.

I like to use a rice cooker or follow the directions on the package, which usually have you combine the rice in a pot of water, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer until all the water has been absorbed.

If you finely mince the garlic and add it to the hot pan, it mostly gets cooked but leaves a pungent flavor. If you prefer it more mild, add the garlic along with the vegetables.

YES! It reheats so well in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can portion it out and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Definitely! Frozen spinach or a chopped veggie medley would be perfect here.

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Video

Equipment

  • ▢ Cutting Board
  • ▢ Chefs Knife
  • ▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
  • ▢ Rice Cooker
  • ▢ Redmond Real Salt
  • ▢ Garlic Press
  • ▢ Ceramic Pans

Ingredients

  • ▢ 1 cup jasmine rice , (or your favorite rice)
  • ▢ 3 tablespoons avocado oil , or any neutral oil
  • ▢ 1 pound ground turkey , or any ground meat you like
  • ▢ salt , to taste
  • ▢ pepper , to taste
  • ▢ 1 onion , finely diced
  • ▢ 1 medium zucchini , finely diced
  • ▢ 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • ▢ 1 handful fresh dill , finely chopped

Instructions

  • ▢ Rinse the rice well and then cook the rice per the package instructions and set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the dish.
  • ▢ In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground meat and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Using a wooden spatula, break up the meat and stir while it cooks, 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and no pink remains.
  • ▢ Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and remove the skillet from the heat.
  • ▢ Stir in the fresh dill, if using, and the cooked rice. Gently mix everything together and enjoy.

My Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Zucchini Rice with Meat

Equipment

  • Cutting Board
  • Chefs Knife
  • Measuring Cups + Spoons
  • Rice Cooker
  • Redmond Real Salt
  • Garlic Press
  • Ceramic Pans

Ingredients

  • 1 cup jasmine rice (or your favorite rice)
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil or any neutral oil
  • 1 pound ground turkey or any ground meat you like
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 1 medium zucchini finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 handful fresh dill finely chopped

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice well and then cook the rice per the package instructions and set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the dish.
  • In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground meat and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Using a wooden spatula, break up the meat and stir while it cooks, 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and no pink remains.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and remove the skillet from the heat.
  • Stir in the fresh dill, if using, and the cooked rice. Gently mix everything together and enjoy.

Video

Nutrition

Zucchini Rice with Meat https://themodernnonna.com/zucchini-rice/ October 19, 2021