Looking for a delicious way to enjoy Mexican food without all the carbs? This keto taco casserole is the perfect solution! It features ground beef, cauliflower rice, cheesy salsa, and shredded Mexican cheese.
Plus, it’s low-carb and gluten-free.
It’s a taco keto casserole that gives you all the Tex-Mex flavors in a healthy casserole!
At 7 net carbs per serving, it’s a keto-friendly taco casserole recipe that allows you to enjoy Mexican flavors guilt-free!
Simply bake and enjoy!
This low carb taco casserole is packed with flavorful ingredients, but because of the ground beef mixture and shredded cheese, it’s also a hearty meal!
If you’re on the hunt for more low carb casseroles that the whole family will enjoy during busy weeknights, then you should head over to our entire collection of keto casseroles for more delicious options!
And be sure to also check out our entire collection of keto ground beef recipes.
Keto Taco Casserole (Ground Beef)
I love casseroles because they are easy, make clean-up a breeze, and are great for potlucks and family gatherings.
This keto taco bake is destined to appear on repeat in your meal prep rotation because of its simplicity and deliciousness.
Make this keto ground beef taco casserole for Taco Night on Tuesday, and surprise your family with a delectable, healthy option.
It’s guaranteed to become a family favorite, even if they are not on a keto diet.
Main Ingredients Needed Keto Taco Ground Beef Casserole
The following are the ingredients you’ll need to make this keto taco casserole. Note that the full printable recipe card is at the bottom of the page.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
- Lean ground beef
- Cauliflower rice, cooked
- Lime juice
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin powder
- Garlic powder
- Sea salt
- Chipotle pepper powder
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Onion, chopped
- Green bell pepper, chopped
- Jalapeño sliced, optional
- Mexican blend shredded cheese or cheddar cheese, divided
Creamy Salsa Sauce
- Diced tomatoes and green chilies undrained Rotel
- Tomato sauce
- Onion chopped
- Mexican crema or sour cream thinned with two tablespoons of heavy cream
- Salt
- Cumin powder
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Mexican blend cheese or shredded cheddar cheese
- Heavy cream
Garnish
- Chopped cilantro
- Sliced green onions
- Hass avocado, sliced (optional)
How To Make Keto-Friendly Taco Casserole
Making this gluten-free taco casserole is pretty straightforward. You’ll cook the frozen cauliflower rice according to the package instructions.
If frozen cauliflower rice is not an option for you, you can make our recipe for cilantro lime keto cauliflower rice
Then, in a large bowl, combine the cooked cauliflower rice with the lime juice and the chopped cilantro. Spread the cilantro lime cauliflower rice evenly onto a greased 9×13 greased baking dish.
Next, over medium-high heat in a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Break up the meat and sprinkle with the baking soda and seasonings.
Note that if you opt to tenderize the ground beef with baking soda, it will need to sit for about 15 minutes before cooking the meat.
Cook the meat until brown, being sure to break it into pieces with a spatula until cooked. Set the ground beef aside in a large bowl, and cook the chopped onion and bell peppers in the same skillet you browned the meat.
Set your oven to 350 degrees and continue to assemble your taco casserole by adding the seasoned taco meat on top of the cauliflower rice, being sure to distribute the taco meat evenly.
Then, it’s time to prepare the cheesy salsa sauce. In a small pot, mix together until fully combined the tomato sauce, diced can of tomatoes with green chilies, heavy cream or sour cream thinned with heavy cream, and spices.
Cook on medium heat, and gradually add the shredded cheese. Stir the sauce until the cheese melts and is fully incorporated.
Pour the cheesy salsa sauce evenly over the taco meat and cauliflower rice in the baking dish.
Next, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the surface of the keto taco casserole. If adding the raw jalapeños, evenly distribute them over the casserole. Then sprinkle with the green onions.
Then sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top of the casserole.
Pop your keto casserole in a 350-degree oven and bake for 35–40 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the top is golden brown.
How To Tenderize Ground Beef With Baking Soda?
When cooking ground beef for this Mexican ground beef casserole, I sprinkle a little baking soda over the raw beef before cooking and let it sit for 15 minutes.
This helps tenderize the ground beef, making it cook more evenly and quicker.
The general rule is to add 1/4 teaspoon per pound of beef, and that’s why I added 1/2 teaspoon to the recipe.
This is totally optional; just note that it will take a little longer to cook the ground beef if you omit it.
Recipe Variations
My family declared this to be the best keto taco casserole out there.
They are a little biased, but this momma lives for those encouraging compliments.
But if you need more recipe variations for Taco Tuesday, you can try swapping the ground beef for ground turkey for those who are avoiding beef.
You can even use ground chicken instead, so you’ve got options.
Customize your cheese according to your personal preference. I chose to use a Mexican blend, but you could easily swap it for Monterey Jack, Colby, or cheddar cheese.
Instead of using a can of diced tomatoes, green chilies, and tomato sauce, you can use your favorite prepared low carb friendly salsa or even some of our homemade keto Guatemalan salsa.
Even using a prepared salsa verde works well with these flavors.
Feel free to use sugar-free taco seasoning for this low-carb taco casserole instead of the listed spices or your own taco seasoning.
Then, add more of your favorite fresh toppings, like sliced black olives, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, green peppers, and avocado slices, right before serving.
What To Serve With A Low-Carb Taco Casserole
This keto ground beef taco bake can certainly be enjoyed without any sides since it is a complete meal on its own.
However, if you want to round out your meal further, you can certainly serve this with a simple salad like our keto red cabbage cole slaw.
Tag Us
I sure hope you will make this keto taco bake. It’s a keto ground beef casserole that is not only delicious but also super easy to make!
I have a keto chicken taco casserole that has a similar flavor profile that you might also want to try.
Please remember to tag us on Instagram and Facebook with your pictures if you decide to make it. I can’t tell you how encouraging it is to see how well you are all duplicating our little recipes.
Grab Our Books!
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I pray these keto cookbooks will help make keto a delicious breeze for you.
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Keto Taco Casserole (Ground Beef)
This keto taco casserole is the perfect Taco Tuesday recipe. It features ground beef, cauliflower rice, and cheesy salsa, for a taco keto casserole that gives you all the Tex-Mex flavors, minus all the carbs!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of lean ground beef
- 2 (12 ounces) packages of frozen cauliflower rice cooked (24 ounces)
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 2 teaspoons of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle pepper powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 raw jalapeño sliced (optional)
- 2 1/4 cups of Mexican blend cheese or shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Cheesy Salsa Sauce
- 1 (10 ounces) can of diced tomatoes and green chilies undrained
- 1 (8 ounces) can of tomato sauce
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 cup of Mexican crema or sour cream thinned with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 1/2 cups of Mexican blend cheese or shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
Garnish
- 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup of sliced green onions
- 1 Hass avocado, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the 24 ounces of frozen cauliflower rice in the microwave according to the instructions on the bag and place it in a small bowl. Set it aside. If frozen cauliflower rice is not an option for you, you can make our recipe for cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
- In a large bowl combine the cooked cauliflower rice with the lime juice and the chopped cilantro. Spread the cilantro lime cauliflower rice evenly onto a 9x13 greased baking dish.
- Over medium-high heat in a large skillet brown the ground beef. Break up the meat and sprinkle the baking soda and seasonings. If you opt to tenderize the ground beef with baking soda it will need to sit for about 15 minutes before cooking the meat. Cook the meat until brown being sure to break it into pieces with a spatula until cooked. Set the ground beef aside in a large bowl and cook the chopped onion and bell peppers in the same skillet you browned the meat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Next, add the cooked taco meat on top of the cauliflower rice being sure to distribute the meat evenly.
- Prepare the cheesy salsa; instructions are below.
- Then spread the cheese sauce over the surface of the taco casserole.
- Next, sprinkle 2 cups of the shredded cheese over the surface of the taco casserole. If adding the raw jalapeños, evenly distribute them over the casserole. Next, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese on top of the casserole.
- Bake in the preheated 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the top is golden brown.
- Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, avocado slices, and green onions.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Cheesy Salsa Sauce
- In a small pot, mix together until fully combined the tomato sauce, diced can of tomatoes with green chilies, heavy cream or sour cream thinned with heavy cream, and spices. Cook on medium heat and gradually add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese.
- Stir the sauce until the cheese melts and is fully incorporated. Set it aside.
Notes
How To Tenderize Ground Beef With Baking Soda
When cooking ground beef I sprinkle a little baking soda over the raw beef before cooking and let it sit for 15 minutes. This helps tenderize the ground beef and helps it cook more evenly and quickly.
The general rule is to add 1/4 teaspoon per pound of beef and it's why I added 1/2 teaspoon to the recipe.
This step is optional, just note that it will take a little longer to cook the ground beef if you omit it.
Recipe Variations And Tips
Customize your cheese to your personal preference. I chose to use a Mexican blend but you could easily swap it for Monterey Jack, Colby, or cheddar cheese.
Instead of using a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles and tomato sauce you can use your favorite prepared low-carb-friendly salsa or even some of our homemade keto Guatemalan salsa. Or use salsa verde for another flavor profile.
Feel free to use sugar-free taco seasoning for this low-carb taco casserole instead of the listed spices.
If frozen cauliflower rice is not an option for you, you can make our recipe for cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 580Total Fat: 31.1gSaturated Fat: 14.9gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 900mgCarbohydrates: 9.8gNet Carbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2.8gProtein: 42.1g