Keto-Friendly Mexican Food: Recipes and Dining Guide

Craving the vibrant flavors of Mexico while maintaining a ketogenic lifestyle? It's entirely possible! Mexican cuisine, with its emphasis on flavorful meats, fresh vegetables, and zesty herbs, can be adapted to fit a keto diet. This article provides a comprehensive guide to enjoying keto-friendly Mexican food, both at home and in restaurants, complete with delicious recipes.

The Keto-Mexican Food Connection

Many people love Mexican dishes. Thankfully, there are tons of options for keto-friendly Mexican food recipes with incredible flavor. While your favorite Mexican style recipes might not be keto due to their high carb count from beans, rice, and tortillas, there are ways you can make dishes that are low carb and delicious. The key is to be mindful of high-carb ingredients and substitute them with keto-friendly alternatives.

Keto-Friendly Ingredients and Substitutions

• Rice: Replace with riced cauliflower. 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!
• Tortillas: Use low-carb tortillas or skip them altogether.
• Beans: Avoid refried beans, which are high in carbs.
• 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.
• Alcoholic Drinks: Fruity alcoholic drinks are often packed with unnecessary volumes of carbohydrates that do little to satisfy your hunger.

Keto Mexican Food Recipes to Make at Home

Keto 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. My keto taco casserole has all the Mexican flavors you love- slightly spicy, extra cheesy, and super comforting, you won’t miss the carbs! Most keto versions skip tortillas, but I stay true to the classic by layering it with my homemade keto tortillas. They hold up beautifully and make it taste that much more authentic. The best part? It’s completely family-friendly! If you’ve prepped some of my homemade taco meat, this dish is a breeze; if you haven’t, it’s just as easy to make from scratch.

Ingredients:

• Lean ground beef
• Olive oil
• Keto taco seasoning (homemade is best to avoid hidden sugars)
• Keto tortillas (homemade or store-bought low-carb options like Mission Carb Balance or Siesta Foods)
• Shredded Mexican cheese
• Optional toppings: Sour cream, sliced avocado, diced tomatoes

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
2. Make the beef filling: Add oil to a skillet and, once hot, add the ground beef. Break it apart and cook until no longer brown. Add the taco seasoning and water, and let everything simmer until thick.
3. Assemble the casserole: Place half the tortillas into the base of the casserole dish. Top with half the seasoned beef mixture and half the shredded cheese. Add the remaining sliced tortillas, followed by the beef, then the remaining cheese.
4. Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese melts and is bubbly. Let it rest for five minutes before serving.
5. Dress it up with toppings: I love adding a generous serving of sour cream, sliced avocado, and diced tomatoes on top.

Tips:

• Make it spicy: Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes into the ground beef mixture for an extra spicy kick.
• Switch up the protein: For a chicken taco casserole, use shredded chicken breast or ground chicken.
• Make it saucy: Instead of adding water to the meat mixture, add the same amount of tomato sauce or even pomodoro sauce (Italian tomato sauce).
• Add more vegetables: I sometimes add sliced bell peppers, or if I want to add some bulk, some cauliflower rice.
• Can I make this casserole ahead of time? Yes! You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Cover the prepared casserole and refrigerate. When you are ready to bake, I recommend bringing it to room temperature first, then baking it as instructed.
• Can I make this without tortillas? Yes, and it will be a little like a taco lasagna. However, I do recommend serving it over cauliflower rice or with some toasted keto bread, as it’s pretty rich on its own.
• How do I prevent the casserole from getting watery? When made as is, you shouldn’t have any issues with the casserole turning watery. However, if you notice liquid pooling at the base of the skillet after adding the salsa, I do recommend removing a few tablespoons before assembling.

Keto Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet

Keto Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet is going to become one of your all-time favorites! It is delicious, full of flavor, and super simple since it’s a one-pan meal. I don’t know about you, but we love Mexican dishes. This Keto Mexican Cheesy Skillet Chicken is incredibly flavorful, filling, and easy to make when you need dinner on the table quickly without skimping on taste.

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts
• Chicken broth
• Salt and pepper
• Butter
• Onion, green bell pepper, and garlic
• Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)
• Riced cauliflower (steamed)
• Taco seasoning
• Shredded cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions:

1. Slow cook the chicken in a bit of chicken broth with salt and pepper.
2. Saute the onion, green bell pepper, and garlic in butter to help release the flavors.
3. Add Rotel to the pan.
4. Add a bag of riced cauliflower. Make sure to steam it first so that it is nice and tender before adding it to the recipe.
5. Add homemade taco seasoning, Rotel, chicken broth, and cauliflower to skillet. Stir to combine then cook on medium/low approx 10 minutes until extra liquid is absorbed.
6. Next, add the shredded chicken to the mixture.
7. Then top with the shredded cheese.
8. Instead of melting the cheese on the stove, pour into a casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. You can store in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. When you are ready to enjoy the casserole, allow the dish to come to room temperature then pop in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes covered with foil until it is hot and bubbly.

Tips:

• Slow Cooker: By cooking the chicken in my slow cooker first, it cuts back on cooking time so that I can have dinner on the table in a snap. I simply place the boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with chicken broth and salt/pepper.
• Instant Pot: If you don't have a slow cooker or forgot to it in earlier in the day, you can also cook the chicken in the Instant Pot.
• Substitute Ground Beef: Out of chicken, but still want to make this recipe? No problem, you can easily sub ground beef and beef broth instead of chicken and chicken broth for a nice variation.
• Freezing: Allow to cool first, then pour into a freezer-safe casserole dish. I often use disposable aluminum pans. Wrap with aluminum foil and freeze. To heat, thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake in a 350-degree oven covered with foil until hot and bubbly. It may take a little longer than 20 minutes.

Taco Skillet

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. I made this skillet for my low-carb/Keto husband and decided I should share it. It said it should be called low-carb ground beef fajitas.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Ingredients:

• Ground beef
• Bell peppers
• Yellow onion
• Taco seasoning mix
• Water
• Diced tomatoes
• Cheddar cheese
• Optional toppings: Sour cream, guacamole

Instructions:

1. 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.
2. Stir in water and taco seasoning mix; heat to boiling. Cook until water is absorbed.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook until liquid is gone.
4. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on and let it melt by covering with a lid.

Guacamole

A tex-mex staple, guacamole is a refreshing mix of low-carb vegetables with high-fat content. This avocado-based dip will provide you with 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 just as a little dip! 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!

Ingredients

• Flesh of 1 avocado
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) lime juice
• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Steps

1. Smash avocado until it reaches your desired texture.
2. Stir in lime juice and seasonings.
3. Enjoy immediately to avoid browning.

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.

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

1. Combine tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and seasonings.
2. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

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).

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

1. Mix chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
2. Rub this mixture on pork shoulder.
3. 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.
4. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 3-4 hours, turning the pork halfway through cooking.
5. 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

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.

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

1. 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.
2. Remove bell peppers and onion from the skillet and add carne asada. Fry until meat is fully cooked and has some crispy edges.
3. 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.
4. Squeeze lime juice over the finished fajitas, then serve with low carb toppings and sides.

Mexican Cauliflower Rice

With only 383 calories, pork chile-Verde delicately simmers pork pieces in a flavorful tomatillo-based green sauce.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Ingredients

• Cauliflower florets
• Seasoning to taste

Steps

1. Pulse some cauliflower florets in a food processor
2. Season them to taste over a frying pan.

Keto-Friendly Mexican Dishes to Order at Restaurants

When dining out, be proactive and informed to ensure your meal aligns with your keto goals.

• Fajitas: Order fajitas with no tortillas. Fajitas, like several other Mexican dishes, make an ideal keto meal as long as you skip the tortillas. 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).
• Carne Asada: Carne asada is a marinated, grilled steak dish. The steak itself has no carbs, but the marinade may provide a trace amount (2). This dish is available at many Mexican restaurants. You can purchase raw, ready-to-grill carne asada from many Mexican markets as well.
• Ceviche: Ceviche originated in Peru, but you can find it on many Mexican restaurant menus. This cold dish is made from raw or precooked seafood - usually fish or shrimp - brined in citrus juice and mixed with veggies and herbs such as tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. All these ingredients are low in carbs. If you make it at home, you can cut the amount of tomatoes and onion in half to reduce the carb count (1, 3).
• Guacamole: Guacamole is a dip made from smashed avocado, which is naturally high in fat and fiber and low in net carbs - total carbs minus fiber, which your body doesn’t digest. In addition, guacamole may contain small amounts of lime juice, onion, jalapeño, tomato, or cilantro. Although you should avoid the chips it’s typically served with, guacamole is perfectly keto-friendly (4).
• 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).
• 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.
• 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).
• 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).
• 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).
• 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.
• Tacos with Corn Tortillas: If you’re flexible with your carb intake, consider traditional tacos made with corn tortillas, which contain fewer carbs than ones made with flour - about 7 grams of net carbs per small, 18-gram tortilla (9). With careful planning, you may be able to eat a few regular tacos within your daily carb limit.
• Taco Salad: Taco salads contain lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, a meat such as seasoned ground beef or chicken, and sometimes other ingredients. Some may be served in fried taco shells or over tortilla chips, with or without a layer of refried beans at the bottom. You should forego both the shell and the refried beans to keep it keto-friendly. 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.
• 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.
• Pico de Gallo: Pico de gallo is a dip and condiment made from diced tomato, chopped onion, and cilantro. In small quantities, it’s low in carbs and adds a bright flavor to rich or high fat dishes. It’s also easy to make at home.

Tips for Keto Mexican Dining

• 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 substitutions: To keep up your keto diet, feel free to ask for alternatives to high-carb ingredients. 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.
• Choose simple meat entrees: 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.
• Avoid chips: Ask that no chips be brought to the table. Tortilla chips are high in carbs, so it’s best to skip them completely.
• Inquire about hidden ingredients: 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.

Quick Keto Mexican Options

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.

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.

Other Keto Mexican Recipes to Explore

• Chicken Taco Soup: 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! All you will need to do is swap out the ground beef for chicken and add taco seasoning to this recipe. 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!
• Steak Fajita Roll-Ups Recipe: 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.
• Low-Carb 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.
• Pork Chile Verde: With only 383 calories, pork chile-Verde delicately simmers pork pieces in a flavorful tomatillo-based green sauce.
• 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.

Crafting Your Own Keto-Friendly Mexican Seasoning

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.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

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