Looking for an easy, healthy, and delicious weeknight meal? This Szechuan Keto Zucchini Stir Fry will become your next family favorite!
“What’s for dinner, mom?“
Do those four little words make you cringe some days?
Me too!
I usually try to plan my meals each week, but some weeks just get away from me.
I blink, and Monday’s over before I sat down to plan a menu, let alone make it to the grocery store.
One of those Mondays, my husband suggested ordering Chinese, but it’s hard finding healthy options from our local carryout.
So I decided to try making a healthier stir fry at home using what I had on hand.
If it bombed, my hubby and kids could always get that Chinese takeout!
I had a bunch of zucchini on hand because I never got around to making the THM Trimtastic cake I’d planned to make the week before.
And I had mushrooms left that were supposed to get ground up and hidden in tacos.
But since my kids were around when I was making tacos that night I couldn’t sneak them in…
So, I had ground beef, zucchini, and mushrooms, plus staples I keep in my home all the time: minced garlic, ginger, and coconut aminos.
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Tips for Making Stir Fry at Home
The key to making a good stir fry recipe is getting your pan really hot before adding the oil.
If you have a wok, they’re great for cooking quickly over a high heat because they have such a large cooking surface.
But I just have a large skillet, and it works just fine!
With lots of recipes, I start browning the meat and chop the veggies while the meat is cooking.
However, you really need to stick close to the pan while cooking this dish.
Otherwise, the meat may burn since you’re cooking at such a high temperature.
So be sure to chop the zucchini and mushrooms before you start cooking.
I like to whisk together the sauce while heating up my saute pan.
Use medium-high heat, and get the pan hot enough that when you sprinkle a few drops of water on it, the water vaporizes immediately.
Then add some of the coconut oil and swirl it to coat the pan.
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Brown the ground meat, then remove it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
After you remove the browned meat, get the pan hot enough to vaporize the drops of water again and add the rest of the coconut oil.
Add the veggies, and cook over medium high heat until they’re cooked to your family’s preferred level of “done.”
Then return the meat to the pan and add the sauce.
Mix it all together and heat it for another 30-60 seconds, just until the sauce is heated through.
And that’s it!
Dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredient Substitutions
You can use ground pork, ground beef, or ground turkey for this recipe. My family decided ground pork has the most flavor.
If you prefer, you can even use thinly sliced chicken or beef strips, it just requires a little extra prep time.
I’ve made this simple low carb dinner recipe with all kinds of vegetables.
It might be called a keto zucchini stir fry in the title, but it’s delicious with broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, and even brussel sprouts!
I also love adding some chopped onion, although skip the onion if you want to keep the recipe a THM Deep S.
Is This Recipe a THM Deep S?
If you follow the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle, then you know the benefits of Deep S meals!
What’s a Deep S meal?
Basically it’s a meal with virtually no carbs (other than those in non-starchy vegetables), that’s dairy-free, and contains only the purest fats.
Often a Deep S meal consists of some type of meat paired with non-starchy veggies (although there are lots of wonderful Deep S recipes that don’t fall into this generalization!).
You can learn more about the different types of S meals in the Trim Healthy Mama Plan Book.
This recipe is a THM Deep S recipe, so it’s a great option for a fuel cycle when you’re trying to break a weight loss stall and even during menopause.
What to Serve With This Zucchini Stir Fry
When I prepare this meal for my family, I often serve it with brown rice or fruit for my kids.
They’re still growing and do just fine eating crossover meals (that’s a THM meal that combines healthy carbs and fats).
My husband and I typically just have a healthy serving of the stir fry!
Another great option if you’re feeling hungry is konjac noodles. My family loves these Miracle noodles that star in my Vietnamese Noodle Bowl recipe.
I also like serving stir fries over thinly sliced raw cabbage. It’s a great way to add more non-starchy veggies to your plate to help fill you up!
If you happen to have any leftovers, be sure to store them in the refrigerator.
This recipe reheats beautifully for an easy lunch later in the week.
I hope you enjoy this tasty meal as much as we do!
Be sure to leave a star rating and review after you make the recipe.
This helps other people to find and enjoy it too.
Plus it means the world to us!
Szechuan Keto Zucchini Stir Fry
Looking for an easy, healthy, and delicious weeknight meal? This Szechuan Keto Zucchini Stir Fry is on the table in under 30 minutes! Serve with Miracle Noodles for a low carb meal or with brown rice for a THM crossover.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or ground pork
- 6 cups zucchini, about 3 medium
- 8 oz white or cremini mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, divided
- salt and pepper
Sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos or reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger, or 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp hot sauce,
Instructions
- Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds and then cut in half. Slice mushrooms into 1/4-inch slices.
- Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until a drop of water vaporizes immediately on contact. Add 1 Tbsp of coconut oil and swirl around the pan until evenly coated. Add the ground meat and season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, stirring often to break it up finely. Remove the meat to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
- Return the pan to the stove and re-heat the pan until it's hot enough to vaporize a drop of water on contact again. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of coconut oil and swirl around the bottom of the pan. Add the sliced zucchini and mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and saute for one more minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cooked meat to the pan with the veggies and add the sauce. Toss the meat, veggies, and sauce together and heat through, approximately 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Notes
Please note that we are not medical or nutritional professionals.
We include nutrition information for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. However, due to wide variations in brands, nutrition data is subject to change for every user. Nutrition data is calculated using WP Ultimate Recipe and we subtract all sugar alcohols from erythritol and xylitol from the final carb count because that is how THM calculates carbs. Please refer to our complete Nutritional Disclosure for more details.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4Amount Per Serving Calories 357Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 74mgSodium 459mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 27g
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