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You’ll want to Pin this Mexican Zucchini Lasagna recipe for later! With the tender and spicy flavor of the taco seasoned ground turkey, creamy peppered ricotta, fresh cilantro, and a delicious blend of salsa and tomato sauce, you’ll be drooling over this cheesy, veggie lasagna goodness. 

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If you’re an Italian food purest, this recipe will shock you to your core. Lasagna made with zucchini? Who would have thought.

Okay, I’m obviously playing this up more than necessary but, this is one of my favorite dishes of all time!

Every time I serve it, people want the recipe– and I don’t mean that quick and polite comment of “oh this is delicious, I need to get your recipe.”

If I forget, they actually REMIND me to give it to them! 

This Mexican zucchini lasagna recipe is a spin off from another recipe I came across years ago. However, my version of the recipe amplifies the flavors by using a bit more of every key ingredient – which in my humble opinion makes it even tastier. 

Difference Between Mexican Zucchini Lasagna vs. Traditional Italian Lasagna? 

The obvious main difference between this Mexican and traditional Italian lasagna, the zucchini. The zucchini noodles offer a healthier alternative to traditional egg noodles. Let’s briefly discuss the healthy qualities of zucchini shall we? 

Cooking and Baking with Zucchini

Zucchini is a low-calorie vegetable that is rich in fiber.

Fiber is essential for maintaining digestive health, and it also helps to reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease. Zucchini is also rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and beta-carotene, which help to protect the body from cellular damage caused by free radicals.

For these reasons, zucchini is a great vegetable to incorporate into your diet. It can be cooked and baked in a variety of ways, making it an incredibly versatile ingredient in the kitchen. 

Zucchini can taste wonderful simply sautéed on the stove with a splash of olive oil and a dash of salt.

But what I really like about zucchini is that you can cook savory dishes with it– like this Mexican zucchini lasagna! You can also bake sweet breads or even cakes with it too! 

What Makes this Zucchini Lasagna Mexican? 

While I’m not certain that El Paso Taco Seasoning packets are authentically Mexican, it is the key ingredient in what makes this recipe “Mexican.”

In addition to the tender ground turkey cooked with original taco seasoning, there is also mild salsa used in this recipe. The blend of salsa and tomato sauce makes for an additional burst of Mexican flavor. 

Then we have the cheese, which undoubtedly has to be Mexican, because we use the Mexican Blend shredded cheese. So there’s that. 

Finally, the last key Mexican ingredient is cilantro, which is extremely popular in traditional Mexican food (although its roots actually came from the Middle East). 

It is the blend of traditional Italian, and Mexican-American ingredients that make this such a flavorful and colorful dish. 

How to Make Mexican Zucchini Lasagna

Because this recipe is so delicious, I always double the recipe and make two! I just figure, you might as well since you’re in the midst of the process anyway. 

I also find that this dish tastes even better the second day. So I always prepare and cook mine the day before and then simply refrigerate and reheat in the oven for an hour the next day.

Then, I store the additional one in the freezer for later in the week or a rain day. 

Ingredients

• 5-6 Large Zucchinis
• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
•  48 oz. Ground Turkey
• 1 Large Yellow Onion (diced)
• 4-5 Fresh Garlic Cloves (sliced)
• 2 Packets of Old El Paso Original Taco Seasoning
• 2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 24 oz Tomato Sauce
• 24 oz Pace Mild Salsa
• 40 oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Cup Cilantro (roughly chopped + additional for garnish)
• 16 oz Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese 
• 1 Large Red Pepper (finely diced)

Directions

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2. Using a sharp knife (or to make your life easier a mandolin), trim the ends of the zucchini and slice them the long way into thin slices, roughly 1/8 inch thick.

Step 3. Lay them out flat onto 2 parchment lined cookie sheets and sprinkle with the salt (you may have two rounds worth of baking the zoodles needed for two lasagna pans).

Step 4. Bake them for 15-20 minutes, until just lightly beginning to brown, to get all the moisture out.

Step 5. While the zoodles bake, heat the olive oil over medium/high heat in the large skillet. Add in the diced onion, sliced garlic, and ground turkey to cook through. Once the turkey is browned, add in the 2 packets of taco seasoning and bring to a boil until the turkey juices and taco seasoning thicken. 

Step 6. Once the zoodles are done baking, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel and then cover with another piece of paper towel to gently press out any excess moisture. Then set aside. 

Step 7. In a large bowl, stir together the tomato sauce and salsa to combine.

Step 8. In a separate bowl, use a fork to beat together the ricotta cheese, eggs, and black pepper. Then set aside.

Mexican Zucchini Lasagna ASSEMBLY

Step 9. Spray two 9×13 inch baking pans with cooking spray.

Step 10. Pour ¼ of the sauce mixture on the bottom, spread out evenly and then follow with ¼ the ground turkey. 

Step 11. Layer zoodles in a single layer, lightly overlapping them. Then seal them in by gently spreading out ¼ of the ricotta/egg mixture. 

Step 12. Sprinkle ¼ the cilantro over and top with ¼ of the grated Mexican blend cheese.

Step 13. Repeat the layers once more, except garnish with half of the chopped red pepper on top of the last layer of Mexican cheese.

Step 14. REPEAT STEPS 9-13 AGAIN FOR THE SECOND LASAGNA PAN.  

Step 15. Turn the oven up to 375 and cover the lasagnas with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes. 

Step 16. When your timer goes off, uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Step 17. Finally turn the broiler up to high and broil for 2-3 minutes more, until the top is bubbling and golden brown.

Step 18. Garnish with any extra cilantro and cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Or if you’re like me, let cool for 1 hour before covering and placing in the refrigerator to reheat the next day! 

While this recipe is healthier than its carb-packed brother, traditional lasagna, it is still super simple to make. I would say the most labor intensive part is slicing the zucchini noodles by hand and baking them. 

Can I Make Mexican Zucchini Lasagna Ahead of Time? 

As I mentioned before, YES!! I personally prefer it that way.

All of the flavors sitting together overnight makes it extra delicious. It also has had time to bind itself together, making it less soupy when serving. 

Make it. Bake it. Cool it. Refrigerate it.

Then an hour before you plan to eat it the next day, pop it in the oven at 350 degrees to heat through to your desired temperature, checking the center after 25 minutes.

Want to make ahead for later in the week? No problem. You can make it. Bake it. Cool it. Then cover well and freeze it for up to 3 months!

While I wouldn’t be able to keep in there that long, you certainly could. I typically freeze it to use later that week. Just let it thaw in the refrigerator the day before reheating. 

Recipe Tips & Tricks

How Do I make Only One 9×13 Pan?

First of all, if you have a smaller family or simply want to only make one pan at a time, all of you have to do is cut the ingredients in half and follow the same directions!

Here is the ingredient list to make one 9×13 pan.

• 2-3 Large Zucchinis
• 1/2 Tbsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
•  24 oz. Ground Turkey
• 1/2 Large Yellow Onion (diced)
• 2-3 Fresh Garlic Cloves (sliced)
• 1 Packets of Old El Paso Original Taco Seasoning
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• 12 oz Tomato Sauce
• 12 oz Pace Mild Salsa
• 20 oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/2 Cup Cilantro (roughly chopped + additional for garnish)
• 8 oz Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese 
• 1/2 Large Red Pepper (finely diced)

Why Is My Zucchini Lasagna Watery?

If you discover that your Mexican zucchini lasagna is watery after the first time making it, then the likely culprit is that you skimped on steps 2-6.

Cutting the zucchini thinly, baking to dry them out, and removing the excess water afterwards are all vital steps to ensuring your lasagna doesn’t turn out watery.

Here are a few things you can try next time to remove excess water:

• Cut your zucchini thinner. This is where a mandolin is very handy to get very thin, even slices.
• Salt the zucchini and let sit for 15 minutes prior to baking to draw out excess water. Blot with a paper towel to remove excess, then bake as directed.
• Rather than baking in an oven, you can grill the zucchini. However, this can be difficult when sliced thinly so start with thinner slices and salting your zucchini and see if that does the trick.

Dietary Substitutions

I love the tender ground turkey and creamy ricotta cheese in this recipe, but if you wanted to go full vegetarian, or dairy-free you certainly could! 

To make this Mexican zucchini lasagna fully vegetarian simply swap the ground turkey for cooked mushrooms or tofu. 

Want to make this recipe dairy-free or vegan? Replace the ricotta with lactose free or dairy-free ricotta cheese substitute and dairy-free shredded cheese. 

Instead of using eggs as a binding agent, mix together 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder with 2 Tbsp water to replace 1 egg (double to replace the two eggs needed and mix into the ricotta substitute). 

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More Delicious Recipes

I really hope you enjoyed this delicious Mexican Zucchini Lasagna recipe! I’d love to know if you’ll ever go back to traditional lasagna! [devious laughter] 

If you’re looking for more filling and flavorful dishes like this one, check out these next: 

• The Best Creamy Cajun Chicken Stuffed Shells
• Pulled Pork Street Tacos Crockpot Recipe
• Easy Thai Orange Chicken Stir Fry 

And, make sure to serve up your lasagna with one of my favorite sourdough bread recipes on the side.

You can also visit my recipe archives here.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!

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~Sarah