This is a healthier, low carb and gluten free version of one pot taco spaghetti, using ground turkey and zucchini noodles. It’s an easy meal and everything cooks in one pan.
One of Mr. K’s favorite dishes is one pot taco spaghetti. But since we’ve been trying to eat healthier, I decided to make a lighter version, using ground turkey instead of ground beef and zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti. I was worried he’d complain that this version is too healthy but he actually loved it.
The zucchini noodles hold up quite well and soak up a lot of the taco tomato sauce. I’ll definitely be making this again next time we’ve craving taco pasta.
SPECIAL TOOLS
Paderno World Cuisine Vegetable Spiral Slicer
Recipe now updated with video! You can also view all my recipe videos on my youtube channel.
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One Pot Taco Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large zucchinis spiralized
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 small brown onion peeled and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp of homemade taco seasoning or one packet of your favorite taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- fresh cilantro leaves
- one lime sliced into wedges
HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large pan or skillet, add olive oil and bring to medium high heat. Add zucchini noodles and cook until zucchini release water and are just cooked. Drain water and remove noodles from pan, setting them aside for later.
- Add garlic, onions and ground turkey to your skillet. Cook until ground turkey has browned, crumbling the ground turkey as you cook it. Drain out excess fat.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning across turkey. Add entire contents of the diced tomatoes (including the liquid), 1/4 cup water and stir into the turkey mixture. Stir and cook on medium heat until everything is evenly mixed, turkey is cooked through, and sauce has thickened.
- Turn heat down to low and add in zucchini noodles. Gently toss zucchini into the sauce, but be careful not to cook the zucchini further or else the noodles will release more water and make the sauce watery. Sprinkle cheese over the pasta. Turn off heat and cover with a lid until cheese is melted.
- Garnish with cilantro and squeeze lime juice if desired before serving.
Notes
- I use the Paderno World Cuisine Vegetable Spiral Slicer to make thick spiralized zucchini noodles.
- *Some of the product links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Made this, we topped this with sour cream
fabulous!
So glad you loved it!
I love this recipe and have made it twice now. But what is a k calorie? There can’t be 318 calories in a serving of this?
Yep, that’s the estimate – the zucchini is low-cal, but the other ingredients add to the total, mostly the turkey and cheese! We’re glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe has been on constant rotation in our household. So delicious!
So glad you’re loving it!
Loved the recipe. However, I had a very severe reaction to the homemade taco seasoning the very next day as did my husband. Our symptoms were the same and became worse everyday. Went to urgent care, Doctor said stay away from any hot spices. My word of advice: Use mild spices if you are a senior, sensitive, and less tolerable.
is it possible to substitute TVP for the ground turkey in the recipe for One Pot Taco Zucchini Noodles? I am vegetarian.
We haven’t tried TVP and can’t say how it would work or what adjustments you would need to make to the recipe.
This was so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. Came out great and I will be making it again soon.
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Made this many times, I always use Rotel, Mexican style with cilantro and lime for a little more flavor. This time I added some left over black beans and topped it with some sour cream, really tasty This recipe is a keeper, thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy you like the recipe!
Just finished off a plate of this and am glad I made a double portion of sauce so I can have it again tomorrow. The recipe says it is for 4 servings. For 2 servings I halved the amount of mince but kept all other ingredients as stated in the recipe. I did use 4 cloves of garlic and a whole onion. It was lovely and spicy. I think next time I will add chopped mushrooms….maybe a small can of black beans. Definately a keeper!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Just made this for dinner. Used ground beef but followed recipe otherwise, including using your taco seasoning instructions not a packet. So good! Thank you for the easy and yummy recipe.
So glad you liked it!
So glad you tried and enjoyed it!
I am just curious as to why you would use ground turkey instead of ground beef? Shouldn’t the fat content be higher for keto? Trying to learn.
this is not a keto recipe. As stated in the post, it is a healthier, lighter and gluten free version of taco pasta.
OMG, this was so delicious! I think its even better than any traditional taco bowl. I did add a little Greek yogurt on top which made it heavenly. Thank you!
wow, so glad you liked it so much!
Getting into the healthier groove and made this tonight..
Oh My WOW. So good! New to ground turkey too – the whole time I was cooking it, I was like… I think it’s browned 😉
I added a can of Rotel Mild Tomatoes because that’s all the diced tomatoes I had.
My 8 year old hasn’t been the most enthused with all the zoodle meals I’ve been making. I told her this was taco zoodles and she moaned.
Then, she took a bite.
She LOVED it! She was like – It’s like a taco in a bowl! I couldn’t even tell it had zoodles in it!
Mom. Win.
Thank you for posting this deliciousness!! Can’t wait for my hubs to get home and try it. He will love the spiciness the Rotel Tomatoes add.
I love this comment! So happy your daughter enjoyed it. My husband feels the same about my zoodle recipes but he loves this one too!
Trying to use Zucchini noodles more often and found this recipe. Made it for dinner tonight for me and my husband. It was delicious. Can’t wait for leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
I’m so glad this turned out well for you!
I can never seem to cook my zucchini noodles correctly – they always end up a packed mound. Am I slicing them too thin?
I like making thicker noodles and that might help.
I just purchased a spiralizer and had seen this recipe so I gave it a try. In one word AWESOME! It’s delicious and not too hot spicy! My dish came out looking like yours and my zucchini was cooked perfectly! This will be a keeper for our family! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Would you happen to know the calorie info on this recipe?
I do not currently have that information. I would suggest an online nutritional calculator like verywell.com
Great recipe. Very easy!!!
thank you!
I am trying to find more ways to use the Zoodles & this was perfect loved the home made taco seasonings as well!
It was very yummy! I will make this again!
So glad you enjoyed it! I’m always looking for more ways to use zoodles too
Do you know what the nutrition facts are for this dish?
I suggest using the Very Well recipe calculator. You just input the ingredients and it will provide the nutrition facts.
Thanks for the recipe! I’ve been trying to eat cleaner and this is a quick , easy recipe. Yummy too!
so glad you liked it!
Love this post! Looks amazing. I am a dairy free cook myself but would love to experiment with this recipe. I have just recently started looking into zucchini noodles for a healthier choice. I find they taste just as delicious are regular noodles. I am also a new blogger and love to be inspired by blogs like yours. Great blog. thanks for sharing 🙂
thanks for the kind comment!
How many does this serve please?
2-3
How well do these reheat? Do zoodles get soggy or watery?
they may release some more water when you reheat.
About how long would you cook the zucchini noodles? I’m not a cooker and need serious specific directions to be successful. This dish sounds delicious!
Zucchini does not take that long to cook. No more than 3-5 minutes. Time will vary depending on the thickness of your noodles, how hot your stove is at, etc. You should see the zucchini start to change color when it cooks and you can always taste a test strand.
Would this work with a tomato sauce that doesn’t have tomato chunks in it?
yes and no. you can make one pot pasta with tomato sauce however it won’t be quite the same. This one tastes like taco filling but in a saucier form with the addition of tomatoes. If you use tomato sauce, it will likely taste more like a tomato sauce with seasoned ground turkey added in.