It’s a good thing I live in Texas, because I loveeee Mexican food. Is there anything better than enchiladas smothered in awesome sauce and lots of melty cheese? Answer: no.
But then, there are the sides. Ever since doing the Whole30 in the beginning of this year, I’ve been trying to stick to a Paleo(ish) diet. And unfortunately, the traditional rice and beans that so frequently are served with Mexican food do not fit the bill.
I needed a low-carb, veggie based side to serve with Mexican food.
This Roasted Mexican Inspired Zucchini blows away any Spanish rice I’ve ever had. It’s bursting with flavor- spicy, savory, and slightly smoky.
And it’s healthy, low carb, Paleo (if you don’t include the cheese), and a great alternative as a side to traditional rice and beans.
I want to talk about this cotija cheese for a minute, and cheese in general.
The Paleo diet does not allow for grains, legumes, dairy, or refined sugars. This, sadly, means no cheese. That is- if you are strict about it.
But doing the Whole30 taught me to recognize exactly which foods caused me distress- whether it was through indigestion/bloating, weight gain, mood swings, or decreased energy.
I found that the foods that were higher in carbs- grains, sugars, and legumes- affected me much more than dairy.
So while I am trying my hardest to be grain free (for the most part), I am pretty relaxed on the cheese front. I don’t want to imagine my life without cheese. It’s too sad to think about.
So, inspired by Mexican street corn (which, by the way, is absolutely delicious), I sprinkled a moderate helping of cotija cheese on top of this roasted zucchini.
Don’t get me wrong: the zucchini is delicious on its own.
But the salty crumbly farmers cheese crumbled on top of it gives it an extra zing.
If you’ve never had cotija cheese, be prepared for your life to change. It’s like feta but… (dare I say it?)… BETTER. My Greek ancestors are probably rolling in their graves right now.
It’s a bit dryer and harder than feta, which makes it crumble much easier. It’s salty and has a similar simple taste to feta, but the flavor seems more concentrated.
Kind of like feta and parmesan had a baby. It’s inexpensive, lasts forever in the fridge (seriously- like a month or more), and a little goes a long way.
Put it on tacos, put it on veggies, put it in a salad, or eat it in slices while you are waiting for this zucchini to roast (ahem).
So do yourself a favor: next time you make your favorite Mexican meal (if you need a starting place, try these Quick and Easy Black Beans and Rice), make this zucchini to go on the side.
Other low-carb Mexican-Inspired Recipes:
Cotija cheese or not, it will be a delicious complement to whatever you choose to make!
Also check out this Greek Roasted Cauliflower, which is similar – topped with feta cheese, fresh herbs, and lemon juice.
Roasted Mexican Zucchini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium zucchini diced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 4 oz. cotija cheese crumbled
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix the diced zucchini, olive oil (2 tablespoons), chili powder (1/2 teaspoon), garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon), cayenne pepper (1/8 teaspoon), and salt/pepper until well coated.
- Spread evenly on baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, or until zucchini is browned.
- Serve sprinkled with lime juice, cotija cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Video
Notes
- Other ingredients and veggies, such as corn, chickpeas, summer squash, etc. can be added by roasting with the zucchini.
- Make it vegan: omit the cotija cheese or substitute with a vegan-friendly alternative.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Chris
We made this last night adding sliced mushrooms and using Penzy’s Adobo spice blend and cumin, it was outstanding. My husband has already asked me to include it in the menu more often.
Elizabeth
LOVE the idea of adding mushrooms! So happy you and your husband liked it :-)
Barb
I roasted some red and orange bell peppers, diced them, and added to the recipe. It was just fabulous. Thanks for posting this. Zucchini and bell peppers are some of my very favorite foods!
Elizabeth
Love the addition of bell peppers! Sounds so delicious.
Julia K
I made this tonight to accompany goat birria, but the zucchini totally stole the show! This is going on my shortlist of favorite recipes!
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it!
Sue Krohn
Can this be made ahead of time (like an hour) and heated up,, then add cheese?
Sue Krohn
Can this be made ahead of time and warmed up to serve?
Elizabeth
I think it’s definitely best when it’s fresh. That said, I’m all for saving time. If you do make it ahead of time, I’d roast the zucchini and warm it up in the oven (not the microwave), and don’t add the cheese/cilantro until after you’ve reheated it. Hope that helps!
Sue Krohn
Yes, it does help. Thank you!
Barrie
I made this yesterday and added cubed chicken and let it all sit in the fridge for a day. I didn’t add cayenne pepper since I have heartburn issues. This was AWESOME! Very tasty and a complete meal with the added chicken!
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it, and I love the idea of adding chicken for a full meal!
Nancy
This was outstanding! It was such a perfect combination of flavors!
Elizabeth
Yay! So glad you liked it- thanks for the comment :-)
Terri
Made this tonight and it was a hit. Nice way to switch up our usual grilled veggie sides. I did a mix of zucchini and yellow squash cut into planks and seasoned, grilled it then chopped and tossed it all together. With the leftovers, cut some grilled corn off the cobb and mixed in, yum!
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it! Love the idea of mixing up zucchini and summer squash and using up the leftovers like that.
ReneeG
Made for dinner tonight, husband LOVED!
Sara J
I found this recipe on good ‘ol Pinterest, and now it’s my go to for my Taco Tuesday side. Thank you for sharing and yes, I agree, cotija is delicious!
Elizabeth
Yay! So glad you liked it. Cotija is the bomb. Also I’m thinking through meals to make for next week and now I can’t get Taco Tuesday out of my head- thanks for the inspiration!
RossC
As I frequently put together enchiladas to freeze for later, its great to have a healthy/delicious side to enjoy with them.. No doubt that this will become a favorite..
Thank you.. ;o)
Elizabeth
This zucchini + enchiladas is a match made in heaven. Hope you like it! :-)
Gail
Is this served hot or cold?
Elizabeth
I’ve always had it hot, but now that you mention it, I think it would be good cold! Great for a picnic.
Lisa
Just made this for dinner tonight, and it was excellent! The salty cotija cheese is a nice counterpoint to the spicy zucchini. I’ll be making this again!
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it, Lisa! Thanks for coming back and commenting :-)
Pegg
We grow a lot of zucchini so we’re always looking for ideas and this was AWESOME with our fajitas tonight! Will do a little less oil next time, but we will definitely be making this again! Followed recipe exactly as written except for the addition of a little cumin, too. Great recipe!
Elizabeth
Glad you liked it! LOVE cumin- it’s my favorite spice. I’ll have to try that next time!
Kayla
I just made this. I couldn’t find that cheese at my grocery store (I also didn’t look very hard as I was in a hurry) so I used Feta instead but holy cow…this. is. good.
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it Kayla!! I bet the feta worked really well. For some reason in my grocery store it’s in a different place than the feta… Maybe it’s hiding somewhere in your store too :)
lulu s
I just made this recipe and it is delicious ! ! Love that it is so easy to make. I did not find the Cohita cheese so I used low fat Ricotta cheese.
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it!! Nice substitution with the ricotta :)
Emily B.
Perfect to pair with a friend’s Mexican themed dinner. =)
Elizabeth
Awesome- have fun at your dinner!!
Emily | Oat&Sesame
Made these tonight! Delicious!
Elizabeth
Yay! Glad you liked it!
Chris
I really really hate zucchini (mostly because my mother used to serve it boiled to a tasteless pulp) but I’m going to try this. Not with Mexican though; I’m going to grill some Hanger (flank/skirt) steak until it’s all gnarly and crusty on the outside and pink in the middle, then slice it and serve it with the zucchini, homemade sour cream flatbreads and spicy hummus. Yum.
Elizabeth
That. Sounds. Amazing. Hope you like it! Roasted is ALWAYS > than boiled.
Shelly
Wow this looks amazing!!! I’m pinning for later.
Elizabeth
Thanks Shelly!! :-)