The keto diet sharply limits your intake of carbohydrates, making traditional tacos with flour or corn tortillas off-limits. However, that doesn't mean you have to give up on this classic dish! This article explores various keto-friendly taco options, from alternative shells to flavorful fillings, ensuring you can enjoy tacos while staying within your carb limits.
Keto Taco Shell Alternatives
To enjoy keto tacos, the first step is finding suitable substitutes for traditional tortillas. Here are several delicious and creative options:
Cheese-Based Taco Shells
Cheese makes the perfect crispy taco shells when cooked correctly.
Parmesan Shells: Baked or fried Parmesan cheese is a great keto snack, and it makes an excellent taco shell.
- How to Make It: Place a ring mold into a skillet on medium-low heat, and fill the ring mold with a light layer of Parmesan cheese. When the cheese stops bubbling, remove it from the pan and drape it over a wooden spoon handle suspended on two overturned cups. When the cheese is completely cool, remove it from the spoon handle and add your favorite taco fillings.
Cheddar Shells: Cheddar is one of the most popular cheeses for keto dieters. One ounce contains over 9 grams of protein and only 0.9 grams of carbs. This recipe uses cheddar cheese for the shells, which adds a sharp bite to the tacos while also boosting the protein content.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
- How to Make It: Place small piles of cheese on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for around five minutes or until the cheese has started to brown at the edges. Drape the cheese over a wooden spoon suspended between two cups, and remove the cheese after it has cooled completely.
Vegetable-Based Taco Shells
Lettuce Wraps: Getting your greens in while following the keto diet can be difficult, but lettuce wraps will save the day! Romaine and iceberg lettuce both make fantastic taco shells, and both contain only about 3 grams of carbs per serving. However, romaine has slightly more fiber than iceberg.
- How To Make It: Wash your lettuce and gently separate the leaves before patting them dry. Fill the lettuce cups with your taco toppings. If you have leftovers, store the lettuce leaves separately from the taco fillings to keep them fresh for longer.
Cabbage Leaves: Just like lettuce, cabbage can make a fresh, crispy taco shell that adds some fiber to your keto meal.
- How To Make It: Wash the cabbage and carefully peel the leaves off the head one by one. Pat the cabbage leaves dry and fill with your favorite taco ingredients.
Protein-Based Shells
Egg Crepe Shells: Eggs are one of the best vegetarian sources of protein, and with this recipe, you can turn them into soft taco shells in under five minutes.
- How To Make It: Whisk two eggs, one tablespoon of milk, and salt together in a bowl. Pour about 3/4 cup of the mixture into a greased skillet. The mixture should be thin, like a crepe. Remove from the pan when the egg mixture is firm.
Chicken Shells: Chicken is packed with protein and contains no carbohydrates, making it the ideal ingredient for keto tacos. This recipe uses canned chicken, eggs, and cheddar cheese for flavorful taco shells, but if you want to keep it even simpler, you can bake plain ground chicken into tortillas.
- How To Make It: Bake drained canned chicken on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix the baked chicken, cheddar, and taco seasoning, then transfer the mixture back to the baking sheet in tortilla-sized circles. Return to the oven and bake at 500 degrees for 8 minutes.
Low-Carb "Flour" Shells
Coconut Flour Tortillas: Coconut flour is lower in carbs than all-purpose flour, and most recipes only call for a small amount because it absorbs so much liquid. This coconut flour tortilla recipe also calls for psyllium husk, which will make the tortillas fluffy and flexible.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
- How To Make It: Mix together coconut flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, and seasonings. Add egg whites and olive oil, and knead the dough by hand. Cut the dough into pieces and roll out your tortillas. Fry the tortillas in olive oil over medium heat until golden.
Almond Flour Tortillas: Containing only 3 grams of carbs per serving, almond flour is the most popular keto-friendly substitute for all-purpose flour. These almond flour tortillas are almost indistinguishable from regular corn tortillas, but they contain a fraction of the carbohydrates.
- How To Make It: Mix together almond flour, coconut flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, and salt. Add water and olive oil, then knead the dough until smooth. Roll the dough out into tortillas and fry over medium heat for about five minutes, flipping halfway through.
Specialty Shells
Chaffle Shells: If you have a waffle maker, you have to try making a cheese waffle, or a "chaffle." Made with just eggs and cheese, a chaffle is a delicious, satiating substitute for taco shells.
- How To Make It: Combine egg whites, cheese, coconut flour, baking powder, and seasonings. Cook the mixture in a waffle maker for four minutes. Set the chaffles between the cups on an overturned muffin tin so that they form a taco shell shape.
Keto Tortillas: These are available commercially and are a convenient option for keto tacos.
Keto Taco Fillings and Toppings
Making your keto-friendly taco shells is only the first step of the process. Once you have your base, you have to decide on your toppings.
Proteins
It's hard to go wrong with chicken, especially when you're on the keto diet. Cashew chicken stir-fry makes a great filling for cheese or lettuce taco shells. If you want to stick to a classic taco recipe, fill your shells with lean ground beef, which has a whopping 24 grams of protein per serving.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
- Lean Ground Beef: Lean ground beef is a popular choice for keto tacos. Laura’s Lean Ground Beef is a good option, with each 4oz serving containing less than 10g of fat, 4.5g or less of saturated fat and less than 95mg of cholesterol per 100g serving. Ground beef can be seasoned with a homemade taco seasoning.
- Chicken: You can bake a couple of large chicken breasts, then shred them and briefly sauté them in oil with taco seasoning.
- Other Ground Meats: Substitute any ground meat of preference including plant-based mince for a vegan keto taco recipe.
Keto-Friendly Veggies
Low-carb veggies provide much-needed fiber, vitamins, and micronutrients. Try out our Brussels sprout taco recipe and simply swap the corn tortillas with your favorite keto-friendly shell. Roasted cauliflower is another delicious taco filling that pairs well with almost any sauce. Salsa is also a great way to add some fiber and greenery to your tacos. If you're a fan of spices, try topping your keto tacos with our charred green onion salsa made with serrano and chipotle peppers.
Herbs and Aromatics
Herbs and aromatics are essential for a flavorful taco, too. Add some chopped green onions or cilantro to your taco filling to take the meal to the next level.
Healthy Fats
Whether you're on the keto diet or not, avocado is one of the best taco toppings. It's a fantastic source of healthy fats, and its mild flavor balances out the kick of a spicy salsa or sauce. Cheese is another classic keto staple that goes great on any taco.
- Avocado: Replace the guacamole with sliced avocado.
- Guacamole: Guacamole is a classic taco topping that fits perfectly into a keto diet.
- Cheese: Cheddar cheese is a great option.
Condiments
- Salsa: Salsa is a great way to add some fiber and greenery to your tacos.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream adds a tangy and creamy element to your tacos.
Keto Taco Salad
When you crave tacos, this keto taco salad is a great option. Traditional recipes often contain black beans, corn, and tortilla chips. In this keto version, we remove those ingredients.
Ingredients:
- Lean ground beef: 85/15
- Lettuce: A bag of mixed salad greens is the easiest. If you prefer to buy a head of lettuce and shred it yourself, you can use iceberg lettuce for its crispness and mild flavor. Romaine is another good option, and while it's not as crispy as iceberg lettuce, it's more flavorful.
- Tomatoes
- Red onions or chopped green onions
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Jalapeno: This is an optional ingredient. If you don't like spicy food, you can omit it.
- Condiments: Salsa, guacamole, and sour cream
Instructions:
- Mix the taco seasoning ingredients: salt, chili powder, onion powder, coriander, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat as you cook, until it's browned, for about 5 minutes. Drain, then return to the skillet.
- Add the garlic and taco seasoning. Cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes, until the meat is well-coated. Turn the heat off.
- To make the salad, arrange the ingredients on a large serving plate. Start with a layer of shredded lettuce, then arrange the remaining ingredients on top of the lettuce: cooked ground beef, shredded cheddar, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, sliced red onions, sliced cherry tomatoes, and sliced seeded jalapeno pepper.
Dressing:
There's no need to add a dressing to this salad. The toppings - salsa, guacamole, and sour cream - work beautifully as a tasty dressing when mixed into the salad. However, if you would like to make a dressing, whisk 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, and ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. You can also use ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.
Keto Taco Skillet Recipe
Dinner recipes don’t have to be complicated. This Taco Skillet is made with taco meat, bell peppers, and diced tomatoes. Top with plenty of cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.
Ingredients:
- Ground beef
- Bell peppers
- Yellow onion
- Diced tomatoes
- Water
- Taco seasoning mix
- Cheddar cheese
- Optional toppings: sour cream, guacamole, chopped cilantro
Instructions:
- In large non-stick skillet, cook beef, bell peppers, and yellow onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until meat is thoroughly cooked and veggies are tender; drain.
- Stir in water and taco seasoning mix; heat to boiling. Cook until water is absorbed.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until liquid is gone.
- Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on and let it melt by covering with a lid.
- Top with sour cream, guacamole, and chopped cilantro, if desired.
Tips for Making Keto Tacos
- Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the tacos will taste.
- Don't be afraid to experiment: Try different combinations of shells, fillings, and toppings to find your favorites.
- Make it ahead: Taco meat and many of the toppings can be made ahead of time, making it easy to assemble tacos when you're ready to eat.
- Consider meal prep: Prepare everything in advance except for the lettuce and guacamole, and add those at the last minute for the taco salad.
Homemade Taco Meat Recipe
Homemade Taco Meat is a quick and easy stovetop recipe using seasoned ground beef and simple pantry spices. This is a great way to avoid the sugar and starches found in store-bought seasoning packets.
Ingredients:
- Ground beef
- Taco seasoning (salt, chili powder, onion powder, coriander, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper)
- Avocado oil
- Garlic
Instructions:
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook the ground beef, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes, or until beef is browned.
- Stir in the homemade taco seasoning until meat is well coated.