These zucchini meatball subs are a miracle meal come true!
Ready in just 30 minutes and with only a few ingredients, this low carb dinners as delicious as they get! Plus, it’s packed with protein and good for you fat, making it keto as well!
Could you make these subs with low carb bread? Sure, and they’d be awesome…
But this zucchini recipes a creative way to sneak in some extra veggies, and it’s super tasty! Plus, the low carb meatballs in this are so simple, yet, so addictive!
Ready to get cooking? Let’s go!
Looking for more zucchini based recipes? Check out my favorite zucchini noodles. Or get creative with this zucchini lasagna or zucchini enchiladas.
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What I Love About This Zucchini Meatball Sub Recipe
Quick, easy, and delicious – what’s not to love? Plus:
- Super low carb – these zucchini meatball subs are keto!
- Made to order – swap out ingredients with your favorite low carb options!
- Ready in 30 minutes – everything cooks at once so it’s really fast!
Zucchini Boats Recipe Notes
These zucchini boats are ridiculously easy and so gorgeous! Oh, and they taste amazing, too!
Ingredient Notes
Inexpensive, easy to find, customizable – these are my favorite kind of ingredients!
The base – Zucchinis make for the perfect sub base, with only 3g of carb per 100 grams! Choose medium-sized keto vegetables that are firm and blemish-free.
The sauce – You probably wouldn’t guess, but store-bought sauce often has a LOT of hidden sugar! Check the labels carefully, or make your own keto spaghetti sauce to keep sugar to a minimum.
Everything else – we’re using provolone and parmesan in these zucchini meatball subs, 2 great keto cheese options.
Tools To Make
You definitely have these basic tools in your kitchen already!
- Baking sheets – you’ll need two pans for this recipe – one for meatballs and for zucchini. Use rimmed sheets if possible, to keep any liquids from escaping into your oven.
- Saucepan – you’ll use this to heat your spaghetti sauce while your other ingredients are baking. Use a lid – sauce often tries to splatter!
Cooking Tips
Hollowing the zucchini – When you halve your zucchinis, use a spoon to hollow them out enough that they can easily hold your meatballs. It may be easiest to make your meatballs first so you have a good idea what size you need this channel to be.
Remove liquid – When everything is done cooking, make sure to tip any extra cooking liquid out of your squash so it doesn’t make your freshly baked meatballs soggy.
Storing Tips
Store all of your ingredients in airtight containers in the fridge until ready to eat. This recipe makes 6 subs, so this is a great recipe for having dinner and prepping out a few meals.
Reheat your subs in the oven or even in the microwave (they’ll be a bit softer, but just as delicious!)
Serving Recommendations
Tender zucchini and savory meatballs make these a super satisfying lunch or dinner.
They’re great alongside a crunchy side, so whip up some quick jicama fries or keto chips to make a perfect meal!
Recipe Variations
Make your zucchini meatball subs your way with one of these variations:
- Want to switch up the meat? You can use whichever kind of meat you prefer or have on hand! Try my keto meatballs, or use the meat combo I use in these mozzarella stuffed meatballs.
- Orrrr, skip the meat. Instead, you can load these zucchini meatball subs with chopped, sauteed vegetables like bell peppers or spinach, or try making eggplant or zucchini meatballs instead!
- Love the ingredients, but want to change the format?? This can easily be turned into a zucchini pizza covered in meatballs!
- Forgot to grab squash at the store? Been there! Use keto hot dog buns instead! They’re the perfect sub sandwich bread.
- You can use any kind of sauce to change up the flavor profile on these zucchini meatball subs. Try using some keto pizza sauce, or get really crazy and use keto bbq sauce along with some cheddar.
More Zucchini Recipes
Hungry for more zucchini recipes? There are a lot more where this came from – try some of my current superfood faves!
Zucchini Meatball Subs
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 3 Zucchinis
- 1 Pound Italian Sausage
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan grated
- 1 Egg
- 6 Slices Provolone cut in half
- 1 Cup Keto Spaghetti Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut the ends off the zucchini (3) and slice in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and some of the flesh (enough room for your meatballs).
- Place zucchinis on one of the prepared baking sheets and brush with olive oil.
- Combine Italian sausage (1 pound), egg (1), and grated parmesan (1/2 cup) together in a large bowl using your hands until the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Roll the meat into 24 small meatballs, and place them on the second prepared baking sheet.
- Place both pans in the preheated oven, and bake for 16-18 minutes, you'll know they're done once the internal temp of your meatballs reaches 165 F, and the zucchinis are fork-tender to your liking.
- Meanwhile, heat your spaghetti sauce (1 cup), *I like to do this in a large pan*.
- Remove liquid (if any) has pooled in the center of each zucchini boats.
- Spoon sauce over each zucchini boat, then 4 meatballs, followed by another layer of sauce. Place 2 cheese slices of provolone halves over the top of each sub. Repeat until you've used all the ingredients.
- Bake in oven just until the cheese melts. Enjoy!
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Lindsey's Tips
- Nutritional information is for 1 sub if you make 6 subs using this recipe:
