At first glance, the idea of enjoying Mexican food while adhering to a ketogenic diet might seem impossible. However, with some knowledge and mindful choices, Keto Mexican food is indeed a thing! This article will provide tips, tricks, and delicious keto-friendly Mexican food options and recipes.
Understanding the Keto Diet and Mexican Cuisine
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan designed to shift the body's primary fuel source from glucose to ketones. This metabolic state, called ketosis, is achieved by drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing fat consumption.
Traditional Mexican cuisine, while rich in flavor and variety, often relies heavily on high-carbohydrate staples like tortillas, rice, beans, and corn. The key to enjoying Mexican food on a keto diet lies in identifying and avoiding these carb-heavy ingredients while focusing on the naturally keto-friendly components of the cuisine.
Keto-Friendly Mexican Food Options
Several Mexican dishes and ingredients are naturally low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats, making them perfect for a ketogenic diet. Here are some excellent choices:
Guacamole
Guacamole is a Tex-Mex staple and a refreshing mix of low-carb vegetables with high-fat content. This avocado-based dip provides the healthy high-fat content that a creamy avocado boasts. One serving of guacamole only has approximately 2g of carbohydrates but packs in an incredible 13g of fat. Containing 150 calories, guacamole is a delicious cooling dip or sauce that perfectly complements just about any Mexican dish. The fact that it is so naturally keto-friendly just makes it taste even better!
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo contains a wealth of fresh vegetables that will help to complement your low-carb Mexican dish. Incorporating tomato, onion, and peppers, the mixture will help to add some welcomed moist texture into any dry or meat-based dish. Many keto Mexican recipes use Pico de Gallo instead of cooked salsa in order to avoid unnecessary added sugars. Pico de Gallo is a fan favorite as a side salad to any meat dish.
Keto Taco Salad
By getting rid of the taco shells and enjoying it burrito bowl style instead, you can easily enjoy the delicious taste of Mexican food whilst staying on track in the keto lifestyle. With a chicken filling and plenty of low-carb vegetables, the keto taco salad will become a family favorite dinner to add to your eating plan.
Ceviche
Ceviche will add a range of spices to your low-carb keto Mexican recipes. The health benefits of ceviche will ensure that your body is gathering the right amount of nutrients and energy needed to remain fulfilled throughout the day. Ceviche is a great option that’s typically found on the appetizer menu. It’s made of light, flavorful seafood combined with refreshingly crisp chopped vegetables. Ask your server to have it prepared without the fried tortilla bowl or tortilla strips on top. If they come with beans, skip those too.
Carne Asada
Carne Asada can be enjoyed in a keto-friendly way by serving it with a low-carb salad. This grilled steak is a Mexican keto dish that is safe to order in restaurants or make yourself at home! You can season your cut of grilled meat using garlic and cilantro. Carne asada is a marinated, grilled steak dish. The steak itself has no carbs, but the marinade may provide a trace amount. This dish is available at many Mexican restaurants. You can purchase raw, ready-to-grill carne asada from many Mexican markets as well.
Other Meat-Based Dishes
Other meat-based Mexican dishes, such as burritos, can still also be enjoyed! Just make sure to substitute any high-carb ingredients with keto-friendly alternatives. Choose an item off the menu that features meat. This can be tacos, fajitas, carne asada, etc. Instead, ask them to add extra lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo or salsa and sour cream. These toppings can be a delicious low-carb alternative (and are typically free or very inexpensive).
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Fajitas
Fajitas are truly a great way to go if you want to treat your taste buds and be kinder to your waistline. But, don’t forget: if you go for fajitas, make sure that you don’t get the tortillas (nope, not even corn-just skip them entirely). You’ll want to ask for the beans and rice to be left out too, but go ahead and double up on sour cream, guac and cheese instead. Fajitas are a popular sizzling-hot dish that usually includes bell pepper and onion, along with a protein like chicken, beef, or shrimp. They’re served with tortillas, but you can skip those and just eat the fajita filling to keep it low carb. Still, because the carbs from onions add up fairly quickly, it’s best to cook a small portion or split your order into two meals (1).
Carnitas
Carnitas is a dish of shredded slow-cooked pork. It’s usually made from a fatty cut like pork shoulder, and some of this fat melts during cooking to coat and flavor the meat. The meat itself contains no carbs, so it’s an excellent keto-friendly choice at Mexican restaurants or to make at home (5).
Al Pastor Pork
Tacos al pastor are made from al pastor pork, which is thinly sliced, marinated pork shoulder. You can forego the tortillas and eat the pork by itself or with a side salad for a keto-friendly meal.
Chorizo
Chorizo is a Mexican sausage made from beef or pork. It’s available either fresh (raw and ground) or dried (cured, ready to eat, and sliceable). All types of chorizo are low in carbs, high in fat, and flavorful (6).
Birria
Birria is goat meat seasoned with various herbs, spices, and chiles. Some versions may also be made with beef. It’s used to make birria tacos or a traditional Mexican soup that’s also called birria, which contains broth and added salsa, onions, or cilantro. Both the soup and the meat by itself are good keto-friendly options.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Huevos a la Mexicana
This breakfast dish is made from scrambled eggs cooked with onions, diced tomatoes, and sauteed peppers such as jalapeño. Because it doesn’t contain tortillas or tortilla chips, it’s much lower in carbs than other Mexican breakfast dishes like huevos rancheros and chilaquiles.
Salsa
This dip is made from tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro, or various combinations of these ingredients. Salsa contains small amounts of carbs from the tomatoes and onion, but small portions - such as 1-2 tablespoons (16-32 grams) - will flavor your meal without sabotaging your keto diet (8). Ditch the chips and instead hang on to the salsa and enjoy it drizzled over meat or over a salad.
Queso
“Queso” is Spanish for “cheese,” but in the United States, this term often refers to cheese dip. In many cases, these dips are very low in carbs, although some may contain carbs from milk or starch-based thickeners. Be sure to check the label, ask about ingredients, or make your own low carb version at home. My favorite keto-friendly way to enjoy dips like queso is with pork rinds or homemade tortilla chips made from low carb tortillas (7). Even though queso is keto friendly, we recommend you save it for the entree.
Camarones a la Diabla
This spicy shrimp dish - a staple at many Mexican restaurants - uses a sauce made from various types of chiles (and possibly tomatoes). It’s low in carbs, but if it’s served with rice and beans, you may want to choose a salad or a side of guacamole instead - both are keto-friendly and may help temper the heat.
Ingredients to Avoid or Substitute
To successfully navigate a keto diet at a Mexican restaurant, it's crucial to be aware of high-carb ingredients and identify suitable alternatives:
Tortilla Chips and Tortillas
No matter if they are corn or flour-based, tortilla chips are far too high carb to suit your keto diet. Whether it’s flour or corn tortillas, the truth is the same: they are filled with empty carbs. You’ll want to steer clear of the tortilla chip basket. It may be easier to ask them to remove it from the table completely or put it on the opposite end of the table from you.
Alternatives: Request jicama sticks for dipping instead of chips, or explore keto-friendly tortilla alternatives made from low-carb flours like almond or coconut flour.
Rice and Refried Beans
As a high-carb meat alternative, rice and refried beans can negatively impact your body's movement towards achieving ketosis. Mexican rice is a side that likely comes with many dishes on the menu. But it’s high in carbs and low in protein and will leave you feeling sluggish and unsatisfied. While beans are high in fiber, they are loaded with even more carbs, so save those for Phase 3 in our program, and even then, sparingly. Refried beans are definitely not a good choice if you’re following a low-carb lifestyle. A single cup of refried beans has 40 grams total carbs. We recommend you leave that one on the menu and off your plate.
Alternatives: Substitute with cauliflower rice, a low-carb and versatile option that mimics the texture of rice.
Starchy Vegetables
Starchy vegetables like corn and potatoes may taste delicious, but they lack the necessary nutrients needed to put your body into a state of ketosis. It is best to incorporate vegetables with healthy fat content, such as avocado, into your Mexican-inspired keto recipes.
Fruity Alcoholic Drinks
Fruity alcoholic drinks are often packed with unnecessary volumes of carbohydrates that do little to satisfy your hunger. Sometimes you might think there’s nothing like a margarita or two to sweeten your night. The good news? Alcohol isn’t totally off the table.
Alternatives: Unsweetened tea is both refreshing and caffeinated! While everyone else is going into a sugar coma, you’ll feel energized after eating a low-carb, high-protein meal with plenty of water and tea. And if you just HAVE to have that sweetness, bring some liquid monkfruit drops, a stevia packet or one of our other recommended sweeteners, and add them to your unsweetened tea. Another popular tip that makes water taste so much better? Ask for a lime. Lime water just hits differently than lemon water does. Try it. Yes, you can have tequila…sparingly. Our advice? If you must, AFTER you have finished your meal, enjoy your tequila on the rocks with a little lime wedge and salt on the rim. Waiting until after you have eaten means you won’t allow the alcohol to cause you to overeat.
Hidden Sugars
Though cheese is generally allowed on the keto diet, cooked cheese (also known as queso in Mexican terms) can contain hidden ingredients! These sneaky ingredients, such as flour or added sugar, can quickly increase the carbohydrate content in your queso. Premade taco or fajita seasoning packets often contain unnecessary carbs that you can avoid by making your own seasoning blends. Try combining chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
Keto-Friendly Mexican Recipes to Try at Home
Here are a few delicious and easy-to-make keto-friendly Mexican recipes that you can enjoy at home:
Chicken Taco Soup
This Mexican recipe is perfect for a weekly keto meal prep due to its large volume (it makes around 20 cups) meaning you can freeze it in bulk! All you will need to do is swap out the ground beef for chicken and add taco seasoning to this recipe. With 4 servings coming in at under 500 calories, Chicken taco soup can be enjoyed by the whole family. This is the ultimate dish for all the meat lovers out there!
Steak Fajita Roll-Ups
These low-carb fajita alternatives focus on the meat as an external ingredient, rather than as a filler. The two main ingredients used in this Steak Fajita Roll-Ups Recipe are flank steak and Proper Good Chicken Bone Broth, and it will take around 4 - 6 hours to marinate.
Beef Burrito Bowl
A wholesome beef burrito bowl will keep you feeling warm and fulfilled inside. This recipe will make you some succulent meat cuttings partnered with lightly spiced Pico de Gallo and cooling cauliflower rice.
Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
Green chicken enchilada soup is a deliciously comforting low-carb version of a classic Mexican staple. This convenient meal can be easily prepped as it only requires 5 main ingredients and can be made in 10 minutes! With flavors of cream and cheddar cheese, shredded chicken, bone broth, and salsa verde, this soup is the ultimate warming meal on colder nights.
Tuna Keto Tacos
This tuna keto tacos recipe is the quickest and easiest low-carb Mexican meal on this list! These can be enjoyed as an alternative to a sandwich as they only take 3 minutes to prepare.
Cabbage Beef Skillet
This low-carb cabbage beef skillet can be ready in just 30 minutes! The main ingredients used in this recipe are ground beef alongside various low-calorie vegetables, including minced onion and cabbage. You can then spice and season to taste as the meal is super adaptable to different flavors, ensuring you will find the perfect optional ingredient combination for you.
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Bursting with antioxidants and essential nutrients, many people turn to cauliflower rice when joining the keto lifestyle. It is no question why - this Mexican cauliflower rice makes 4 - 6 serving portions for under 150 calories! For this tasty side dish, all you need to do is pulse some cauliflower florets in a food processor before seasoning them to taste over a frying pan. This low-carb delight is freezer-friendly, so it’s a great one for meal preppers!
Pork Chile-Verde
With only 383 calories, pork chile-Verde delicately simmers pork pieces in a flavorful tomatillo-based green sauce.
Cheesy Taco Casserole
A casserole is a staple home-cooked meal in a family dynamic. With protein-filled ground beef and oozing with cheese, this keto-friendly cheesy taco casserole is as easy to make as it is delicious! Eating one serving of this keto Mexican casserole dish will only set you back 317 calories, and will provide you with 27g of protein.
Keto-Friendly Nachos
Though flour and corn tortilla chips should be avoided, there are many yummy recipes that offer keto-friendly alternatives! This means that you can enjoy classic Mexican nachos for a fraction of the carbohydrates. With a total prep and cooking time of 40 minutes, you can easily impress up to 6 people with this fulfilling and hearty recipe.
Keto Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients:
- flesh of 1 avocado
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) lime juice
- salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Steps:
- Smash avocado until it reaches your desired texture.
- Stir in lime juice and seasonings.
- Enjoy immediately to avoid browning.
Pico de Gallo Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- several cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
- Combine tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and seasonings.
- Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Carnitas Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 tablespoon (8 grams) chili powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1.5-2-pound (680-900-gram) pork shoulder, cut into 4-5 large sections
- 1 onion, cut into wedges
- water
- 2 bay leaves
Steps:
- Mix chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Rub this mixture on pork shoulder.
- Place pork shoulder and onion in a large ovensafe pot or Dutch oven. Add water to 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the top of the pot, then place bay leaves in the pot.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 3-4 hours, turning the pork halfway through cooking.
- The pork should be tender and easy to shred when finished. Serve with your favorite keto-friendly Mexican side dishes and condiments.
Carne Asada Fajitas Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) cooking oil
- 2 bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pound (450 grams) raw, pre-marinated carne asada
- salt and pepper to taste
- juice of 1 lime
Steps:
- Heat cooking oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add bell peppers and onion. Cook until vegetables start to become tender or blacken at the edges.
- Remove bell peppers and onion from the skillet and add carne asada. Fry until meat is fully cooked and has some crispy edges.
- Return vegetables to the pan and mix with meat. Add salt and pepper to taste, but remember that carne asada is already seasoned, so you may not need much.
- Squeeze lime juice over the finished fajitas, then serve with low carb toppings and sides.
Tips for Eating Keto at Mexican Restaurants
When dining out at a Mexican restaurant, keep these tips in mind to stay on track with your keto diet:
- Ask About Nutrition Content: The best thing you can do when visiting a Mexican restaurant is to ask about nutrition content. Staff at most Mexican establishments should be able to provide you with a list of the macros and calorie amount of each dish.
- Request Alternatives: To keep up your keto diet, feel free to ask for alternatives to high-carb ingredients.
- Look for Keto-Friendly Options: Additionally, there are also many Mexican restaurants and food joints that promote their keto-friendly dishes. Taco Bell is proud to label their fitting foods as keto, making them a brilliant place to grab a quick bite to eat in a rush. For more quick and convenient keto-friendly Mexican meals, Proper Good offers delicious Ready Build Your Own Pack catered for the keto diet! These tasty pouches are great for travel and will be fully cooked in under 2 minutes.
- Ask that no chips be brought to the table: Tortilla chips are high in carbs, so it’s best to skip them completely.
- Order fajitas with no tortillas: Fajitas, like several other Mexican dishes, make an ideal keto meal as long as you skip the tortillas.
- Choose a simple meat entree: Choosing a high fat, high protein meat dish as your main course means you may not have to make many special requests to keep your meal keto-friendly.
- Replace rice and refried beans with salad and guacamole: Side dishes like rice and refried beans are loaded with carbs, so you should ask to swap them with non-starchy veggies.
- Build Your Own Salad: You can always opt to build your own salad if you have any doubts. We recommend shredded lettuce, pico, guacamole, sour cream, shredded chicken or steak and shredded cheese.
- Load Up on Toppings: Want even more flavor? Splurge on avocados (as they are, or via guacamole).
Exploring Regional Mexican Cuisine
While many Americans associate Mexican food with Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, or New Mexico-style cuisine, there's a much broader culinary landscape to explore. Metropolitan Mexican food demonstrates the strong French influence exerted by the brief period of French rule under Maximillian and Carlotta. The Eastern and Western coastal regions of Mexico also feature some outstanding seafood, typified by dishes that originated in places like Vera Cruz and Oaxaca.
To go beyond border-style Mexican cooking, look for the names of the various regions of Mexico in a restaurant’s name or description. Or keep an eye out for the terms “interior Mexican cooking” or “cuisines of interior Mexico.” These regional specialties often feature flavorful meats, fresh vegetables, and unique spice combinations that are naturally keto-friendly.
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