Craving the flavors of both pizza and tacos while sticking to a keto diet? Look no further! This keto Mexican pizza recipe combines the best of both worlds, offering a satisfying and flavorful meal that won't break your carb budget. Enjoy a slice of cheesy taco pizza topped with all your favorite Mexican fixings!
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe remakes the classic dish from Taco Bell, providing a low-carb alternative to a beloved fast-food favorite. It's not your typical Italian cheese and tomato sauce pizza; instead, it's something you can enjoy on Taco Tuesday or whenever you crave Mexican food. The recipe is customizable, allowing you to adjust the toppings and ingredients to your liking.
Ingredients Overview
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients you'll need:
For the Crust:
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Cream cheese
- Almond flour (not almond meal)
- Ground flax meal
- Egg white (optional)
For the Toppings:
- Ground beef (or ground chicken, turkey, or a meat substitute)
- Taco seasoning
- Green chilies
- Shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, or your preference)
- Enchilada sauce
- Optional toppings: sour cream, avocado, salsa, tomato, jalapeno, lettuce, black olives, chopped bell peppers
Keto Taco Pizza Recipe
This recipe provides two variations: one with a zucchini crust and another with a fathead dough crust.
Zucchini Crust Keto Mexican Pizza
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cup ground zucchini
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoon coconut flour
- 2 teaspoon golden flax meal
- ⅓ cup grated cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 lb ground beef
- Taco seasoning mix
- ⅔ cup water
- ⅔ cup cheese
- Optional: chopped bell peppers, olive slices, avocado, tomatoes, salsa, hot sauce
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a pizza pan with parchment paper.
- Grind zucchini in a food processor until it is the texture of rice, or finely grate it with a grater.
- Place grated or ground zucchini in a few layers of paper towels or cheesecloth. Squeeze and drain zucchini to get the liquid out.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground zucchini, garlic powder, chili powder, sea salt, coconut flour, golden flax meal, grated cheese, and eggs. Mix thoroughly.
- Place zucchini dough on the lined pizza pan. Use the back of a spoon to spread dough evenly over the pan. Smooth the edges of the dough.
- Bake the pizza dough for 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place another sheet of parchment paper over the top of the pizza dough. Flip the pizza dough over. Carefully peel back the top parchment paper from the dough.
- Bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven.
- In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef. Drain the beef and return to the frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the taco seasoning mix and water to the beef and stir together. Bring to a boil, then turn to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Cover pizza dough with the ground beef mixture. Top with cheese, and optional chopped bell peppers & olive slices.
- Place pizza back in the oven and bake at 400°F for 4 to 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and top with avocado and tomatoes. Garnish with salsa or hot sauce if desired.
Fathead Dough Keto Taco Pizza
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a microwave-proof mixing bowl, combine 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese and 2 ounces cream cheese. Heat in 30-second increments, stirring in between until completely melted.
- Add the almond flour and ground flax meal. Mix the dough well until it begins to form a soft dough. Fold in the beaten egg white if using (for a more traditional pan crust).
- Spread onto a greased pizza pan (approximately 10-11 inches).
- Pre-bake the crust for 7 minutes, until slightly brown.
To Assemble:
- Spread the prepared taco meat over the crust.
- Top with the drained green chilies and remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes on the top rack, until the cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes.
- Top with your favorite taco toppings.
Customization Options:
- Meat: Ground beef, ground chicken, turkey, or a plant-based ground meat product all work well.
- Cheese: Use your favorite type of cheese. Cheddar cheese crust will taste a bit like a CheezIt!
- Toppings: Create a taco bar with various options like sour cream, avocado, salsa, tomato, jalapeno, lettuce, and black olives.
Air Fryer Keto Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
This version uses low-carb tortillas for a crispy, layered pizza.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Ingredients:
- Low carb flour tortillas
- Ground beef
- Onions
- Taco seasoning
- Refried beans
- Tomatoes
- Mexican cheese
- Enchilada sauce
- Vegetable oil
- Optional: jalapenos
Instructions:
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and seasonings and cook for three more minutes until onions are translucent. If the taco meat is dry, add 1/2 cup of water to make it saucy. Set aside.
- Brush the tortilla with vegetable oil and then air fry for 2 minutes on each side at 370 degrees F. Repeat the process for the rest of the tortillas.
- Place one tortilla on a flat surface, spread refried beans on the tortilla, and then taco meat, followed by tomatoes, cheese, and enchilada sauce.
- Then, add the other tortilla on top, and spread the enchilada sauce over the top.
- Air fry at 400 degrees for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Tips and Tricks
- Crispy Crust: For a crispier crust, leave out the egg white in the fathead dough recipe.
- Preventing a Soggy Pizza: Make sure your beans aren’t too liquidy. Spread some salsa over the beans, but not so much that the tortillas become soggy.
- Cheese Matters: the cheese in this recipe really matters. You haven’t had Mexican Pizza until you’ve had it on a 100% cheddar cheese crust.
- Kid-Friendly: Omit the jalapenos and replace the enchilada sauce with another sauce of your choice to make this pizza kid-friendly.
- Vegetarian: Double up on the refried beans for a vegetarian option.
- Make Ahead: Cook the taco meat ahead of time for a quick and easy dinner. You can freeze the seasoned ground beef easily. Place the frozen meat in the refrigerator overnight to defrost. Wait until you’re ready to eat the pizza before assembling it.
- Reheating: Reheat this Taco Bell pizza in a microwave oven or pop back in the air fryer basket on 400 for 3 minutes.
Serving and Storage
This Mexican pizza is best served fresh. For storage, it's recommended not to assemble everything. You can store the extra ground beef mixture in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If you do have any leftovers, wrap them in foil (put in an airtight container) and store them in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information for this recipe is calculated as a courtesy and is an approximate only. Each small pizza contains about 6 grams net carbs.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto