How to Make the Perfect Keto Taco With Multiple Stuffings, Shells, and Meats Variations

Keto taco recipes with the right ingredients can put your mind at ease. You worry about eating too many carbs with tacos. Still, you love Mexican-inspired food and would do anything to discover easy and tasty keto-friendly taco recipes. If you love crunchy tacos, you are in the right spot.

Fortunately, you can eat keto tacos made with other ingredients, minimizing the carbs per shell. However, you must first find out what goes into keto tacos. After that, you can dive into our top recipes for low-carb taco shells that leave your mouth watering. 

Can I Eat Tacos on the Keto Diet?

You can eat keto taco recipes on the keto diet, as you can see by the following ideas:

• Keto taco seasoning (14)
• Keto taco meat (19)
• Homemade keto taco guacamole (3)
• Keto taco tomato salsa (10)
• Keto taco shells with cheese (13)
• Keto taco shells with almond flour (2)
• Keto taco shells with cauliflower (6)
• Keto taco bowl (15)
• Keto taco casserole (18)

Still, keto tacos require some changes. Let’s understand how you can eat tacos on keto.

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What Are Keto Taco Shells Made Of?

The most keto-friendly keto taco shells use cheese, almond flour, or cauliflower (13, 2, 6). Cheese taco shells have 3.5 g of carbs, while almond flour taco shells have 7 g per serving of two shells. Cauliflower taco shells have 5 g of carbs per serving of two. Meanwhile, traditional taco shells with corn flour have 8.3 g of carbs per shell (5). 

How Many Calories Are in a Keto Taco?

Stick to the recommended two-taco serving for most keto taco shell recipes because some have high calories (13). For example, the keto taco shell with cheese recipe has 375 calories per serving. However, the keto taco shells with cauliflower only have 48 calories per serving (6). In addition, you add calories with other ingredients. For example, homemade keto taco guacamole has 83 calories per serving (3). 

Is Cheese Okay for Keto?

Cheese is ideal for keto. Medicine Net suggests cheese has the low-carb, some protein, and high-fat content you need on keto (20). However, some low-carb cheeses include: 

• Blue
• Cheddar
• Cream
• Goat
• Gouda
• Parmesan

Are Tortillas Keto-Approved?

Modified tortillas are keto-approved. Tortillas with almond flour only have 3 g of net carbs per serving (2). Unfortunately, WebMD shows that corn tortillas have 43.18 g of carbs per 100 grams, and flour tortillas have 48.21 g of carbs per 100 grams (9). If you’re on a keto diet, you should make keto-friendly tortillas or taco shells. 

Build-A-Taco Recipe Steps for Keto

This build-a-taco recipe has suitable keto ingredients that allow you to change stuffings, shells, and meat. Meanwhile, you’ll use homemade seasoning to avoid added sugars and carb-heavy store versions. Then, build your taco by following the steps:

Step 1: Use Keto Taco Seasoning

First, use a homemade keto taco seasoning to ensure you’re starting your taco Tuesday correctly. Unfortunately, store-bought taco seasoning can include added sugars and corn starch. Keto Focus suggests the average store taco seasoning has 4 g carbs (14). Instead, make homemade taco seasoning with only 1.2 g net carbs per serving. This blend is 4 servings:

• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 ½ tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp. oregano 

Step 2: Pick a Keto Taco Meat

Your keto taco meat depends on the flavors you crave. The only rule is to use your homemade taco seasoning with keto-friendly oils or fats to fry keto-friendly meat. Healthline recommends coconut, olive, or avocado oil (1). Alternatively, use butter or ghee for keto taco meat. 

Then, pick your meat and fry your taco filler. Eating Well suggests seafood and fish have no carbs and give you plenty of protein (12). Both fish and shrimp tacos are popular options.  

Meanwhile, chicken and beef are the ultimate taco meats with no carbs but plenty of nutrients (12). Chicken strips or numerous beef cuts will work the best for keto tacos. Turkey and pork also work. Let’s show you a simple keto taco meat recipe to inspire yours. 

Keto Taco Meat Recipe

The Big Man’s World keto taco meat recipe with ground beef is ideal (19). You’ll use the seasoning above and add it to any taco shells below. However, the ground beef cuts down the fat slightly, or you can drain excess liquid after browning the ground beef. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 tbsp. avocado oil
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp. taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1 small tomato
• ¼ cup of iceberg lettuce
• ½ cup of sharp cheddar cheese

Directions: 

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet,
2. Cook the ground beef until browned, separating the lumps,
3. Add the seasoning and water until well combined,
4. Remove from the heat,
5. Add the tomato, lettuce, and cheese to your desired tacos with the ground beef.

Nutrition: 8 servings, 124 calories, 1 g carbs, 7 g fat, 14 g protein, and 1 g fiber (19)

Read more: Easy Homemade Keto Bagel Recipe Ideas

Step 3: Choose Keto Taco Stuffings

Eating keto tacos with the same stuffing each time sounds boring. Instead, use the stuffings in this section to easily count the carbs. 

Taco Vegetable Stuffings

Discover vegetable carbs you may use in tacos. The measurements simply show carbs but adjust them to your taco needs. Here are the carbs in ½ cup vegetable measurements (11):

• Spinach: 0.5 g
• Kale: 0.7 g
• Romaine lettuce: 0.8 g
• Cucumber: 1.9 g
• Onion: 3.4 g
• Tomato: 3.5 g
• Bell pepper: 3.5 g
• Cabbage: 3.3 g
• Carrots: 3.45 g

Other Keto Taco Stuffings

Also, sour cream makes a tasty stuffing for Mexican-styled foods. The USDA suggests soured cream only has 0.556 g carbs per tablespoon (7). Furthermore, guacamole makes tacos tastier than most fillers. Use this recipe for low-carb homemade guacamole (3):

Homemade Keto Guacamole Recipe

Homemade Guacamole Ingredients:

• 2 medium avocados
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• ½ tbsp. lime juice
• ¼ cup of minced red onion
• ½ medium jalapeno
• 2 tbsp. minced cilantro

Homemade Guacamole Directions: 

1. Slice your avocados in half, and spoon the pits out,
2. Add the salt and lime juice before mincing with a potato masher,
3. Fold the cilantro, jalapeno, and onion into your guacamole.

Nutrition: 8 servings, 83 calories, 4.9 g carbs, 7.4 g fat, 1.1 g protein, and 3.5 g fiber (3)

Keto Taco Tomato Salsa Recipe

Guacamole and sour cream taste magical, but you can also add a homemade tomato salsa filling. Wholesome Yum’s recipe takes five minutes to complete a low-carb taco salsa (10). One serving size will be a ¼ cup, giving you plenty of taco stuffing. 

Tomato Salsa Ingredients:

• 4 medium-halved tomatoes
• 1 small onion chopped in chunks
• 1 cup of cilantro
• 1 medium seedless jalapeno
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• ¼ tsp. salt

Tomato Salsa Directions:

1. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor,
2. Pulse your salsa until it reaches your desired consistency.

Nutrition: 16 servings, 9 calories, 2 g carbs, 0.1 g fat, 0.4 g protein, and 0.5 g fiber (10)

Step 4: Make Keto Tacos Shells 3 Ways

Keto taco shells can have as few carbs as you desire. You can also make them with various ingredients. Let’s see the keto taco shell recipes to use. 

Keto Taco Shells – Cheese

This simple weeknight keto taco recipe is courtesy of The Best Keto Recipes (13). It’s a favorite, especially if you enjoy cheese. However, you should eat them warm as they become rubbery if left to cool too much. Also, you can’t make them ahead of time. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of sharp cheddar (shredded)

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper while preheating the oven to 350°F,
2. Split your cheese into 8 heaps on the paper,
3. Spread each pile of cheese into a circle,
4. Bake the cheese circles for 10 minutes,
5. Let the cheese cool for 5 minutes before hanging it over a pole to form a taco shape.

Nutrition: 4 servings (2 shells each), 375 calories, 3.5 g carbs, 22.6 g fat, 38.3 g protein, and 0.8 g fiber (13) 

Keto Taco Shells – Almond Flour

Wholesome Yum’s almond flour tortillas can also work as keto taco shells (2). However, almond flour tortillas for taco shells have a different texture and feel softer. The recipe only contains 3 g net carbs, as 4 g fiber makes up the remainder of the total carbs. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. Psyllium husk powder
• 1 ¼ cups of almond flour
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• 1 tbsp. flavorless gelatin
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. warm water
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions: 

1. Blend the husk powder, almond flour, sea salt, and gelatin in a food processor,
2. Add your water and eggs, blending until the dough pulls away from the sides,
3. Add a little more water if the dough seems too dry,
4. Cut your dough ball into 12 equal sections,
5. Roll the dough into balls and flatten them into 1/16” circles,
6. Heat minimal oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat,
7. Drop the circles in a hot enough pan to get slightly crisp tortillas,
8. You should fry each side for roughly 60 seconds,
9. Pull them out quickly, placing them over a pole or pot’s handle to form taco shapes. 

Nutrition: 6 servings (2 smaller taco shells each), 172 calories, 7 g carbs, 13 g fat, 8 g protein, and 4 g fiber (2)

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Keto Taco Shells – Cauliflower

The Big Man’s World recipe is for cauliflower tortillas, but you can alter it to make keto taco shells (6). Cauliflower is surprisingly durable, and you can modify the recipe’s instructions to make low-carb taco shells for keto. You’ll simply crisp and shape the tortillas for taco shells.

Ingredients:

• 1 chopped head of cauliflower
• 2 large eggs
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper while the oven preheats to 350°F,
2. Blend the cauliflower in a food processor until it looks like flour,
3. Add salt and microwave the cauliflower for 5 minutes,
4. Squeeze all moisture out of your cauliflower with a kitchen towel,
5. Mix the eggs, cauliflower, and pepper in a bowl,
6. Form 12 balls before flattening them into circles on the baking sheet,
7. Bake the tortillas for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through,
8. Let them cool entirely before heating your oil in a pan over medium heat,
9. Crisp the tortillas in the pan for 60 seconds on each side,
10. Quickly remove them to lay over a pole or pot’s handle to shape taco shells.

Nutrition: 6 servings (2 shells each), 48 calories, 5 g carbs, 2 g fat, 4 g protein, and 2 g fiber (6)

Keto Taco Recipes Without Shells

Keto taco recipes include exciting ways to make tacos without shells. Let’s discover the tastiest ways to make keto tacos without shells. 

Keto Taco Bowl Recipe

Salt & Lavender has a delicious keto taco bowl salad recipe for a quick weekday lunch or dinner (15). Taco bowls often have too many calories, but this recipe is lower in calories and acceptable carbohydrates for a taco without shells idea. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 small cauliflower head
• 1.5 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Optional topping to taste: avocado, lettuce, cheddar cheese, or grape tomatoes

Directions:

1. Process the cauliflower until fine, like couscous or rice,
2. Fry the cauliflower rice in half of the olive oil on a medium-heat skillet for 8-10 minutes,
3. Stir occasionally to prevent the cauliflower from burning,
4. Season the cauliflower with salt and pepper,
5. Fry the beef in the other half of the olive oil in another skillet over medium heat,
6. Break the meat up with a spoon until browned,
7. Stir the spices into the meat, cooking for another 2-3 minutes,
8. Assemble the bowl by adding cauliflower, beef, and then the toppings.

Nutrition: 4 servings, 360 calories, 5 g carbs, 28 g fat, 21 g protein, and 2 g fiber (15)

Read more: 4 Easy Keto Wrap Recipe Ideas That Will Make You Forget About Carbs

Keto Taco Casserole Recipe With a Skillet

The Girl Who Ate Everything has a fantastic skillet taco recipe (18). It’s a simple one-pan recipe for busy weeknights. Also, it’s the ideal Mexican dish without the taco shells. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 cup of diced bell peppers
• ¾ cup of diced onion
• 3 tbsp. homemade taco seasoning
• ½ cup of water
• 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chile
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese

Directions: 

1. Cook the beef, peppers, and onion in a skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes,
2. Stir until the veggies are tender, 
3. Drain the liquids from the pan,
4. Stir the seasoning and water into the skillet and boil until the water dissolves,
5. Add the tomatoes and cook until the liquid absorbs, 
6. Sprinkle the cheese over and cover with a lid to melt.

Nutrition: 4 servings, 403 calories, 17.5 g carbs, 22.1 g fat, 35.1 g protein, and 11.5 g fiber (18)

For more keto meal ideas:

• Are Corn Tortillas Gluten-Free?
• Low-Carb Keto Tacos
• Mexican Quinoa Salad

Keto Tacos Near Me

The best way to find keto tacos near you is to use Yelp for real-person experiences and honest reviews (21). Additionally, you can use the platform to find reviews from real people in your area. Read the reviews to see which taco places have keto tacos. 

FAQs

• Are Tacos High in Carbs?

Regular tacos are high in carbs, but keto-friendly taco shells aren’t. For example, Fat Secret shows how corn or flour-made taco shells have 8.3-18 g of carbs each (5). However, our keto taco shells with cheese recipe only have 3.5 g of carbs per serving (13)

• Can You Eat Corn During Keto?

Corn tacos generally have too many carbs to eat on keto. For example, Fat Secret shows that corn-made taco shells have 7.3 g of net carbs each (5). It’s a starchy carbohydrate. On the other hand, making taco shells with almond flour tortillas only has 3 g of net carbs each because each one has 4 g of fiber (2).

• Is 3 Tacos Too Much?

Three regular tacos are likely too high in carbs for the keto diet, but keto tacos are a different story. Depending on your keto taco shell recipe and the fillings you choose, you may be able to eat 3 keto tacos and stay within your carb limit.

• Are Tacos Healthier Than Burgers?

Keto tacos are much lower in carbs than burgers because of the buns. That doesn’t necessarily mean healthier, but they are more keto-friendly. Carb Manager shows that a white hamburger bun contains 20.8 g of carbs (4). Most people eat a single hamburger bun, which excludes added ingredients. Let’s compare it to a single serving of keto tacos with cheese, which is two shells. You eat only 3.5 g of carbs per serving (13).

• Is Rice High in Carbs?

Rice is too high in carbs for keto. The USDA states a cup of cooked white rice contains 44.6 g of carbs (17). The USDA also shows a cup of cooked brown rice has 51.7 g of carbs (16). You can only use a little in tacos or tortillas, with a maximum allowance of 50 g of carbs daily on keto (8).

• Do Corn Tortillas Count as Carbs?

Corn tortillas are high in carbs. WebMD says corn tortillas have fewer carbs than regular flour but still contain 43.18 g of carbs per 100 g serving (9). Corn tortillas and tacos made with them contain too many carbs on the keto diet.

• What Kind of Tacos Are Healthy?

Keto taco shells made with cheese, almond flour tortillas, or cauliflower tortillas are the most keto-friendly, with lower carbs than regular tacos (13, 2, 6). That doesn’t necessarily mean they are the healthiest. If you’re not on keto, whole grain corn or whole wheat flour tortillas are among your healthy choices.

The Bottom Line

The best keto taco recipes start with build-a-taco options that allow you to control how many carbs you eat daily. However, you can also use the shell-free keto taco recipes to whip up easy weeknight dinners without the extra carbs. Either way, try one of the recipes for low-carb keto tacos today.