This keto ground beef taco salad is delicious, flavorful, hearty, and can be made in 20 minutes! It’s a great keto meal that features a creamy salsa dressing.
It’s a low-carb ground beef keto taco salad that is ideal for anyone on a low-carb or ketogenic diet.
It’s a wonderful option for anyone restricting their carbs, as it has just 6.6 net carbohydrates per serving.
This taco salad is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or for entertaining since the whole thing takes only 20 minutes to prepare.
Stop craving Taco Bell and make your own taco salad at home with fresh, wholesome toppings.
Mexican food goes keto with this easy taco salad recipe!
If you’re looking for a keto salad that uses traditional ingredients and can serve as a meal, this low-carb taco salad is it!
It is high in protein and healthy fats, allowing you to stay satiated for hours.
I have a keto chicken taco salad that has a similar flavor profile that you might also want to try.
If you’re a fan of salads, you should also check out our collection of keto salads for more tasty options.
Keto Ground Beef Taco Salad
All the taste of a Mexican salad without all the carbs to derail you. That’s what this salad offers you.
This keto-friendly taco salad is a fantastic way to stay on track without having to compromise on taste.
Think of this as a healthy taco salad bowl that uses only wholesome ingredients. Winning!
It’s a gluten-free taco salad that is so delicious that you won’t miss the taco shell. I promise.
Do you know what else is great about this recipe? It takes minimal prep work. This is perfect during the hot summer months when you want to use your stovetop for as little time as possible.
The only cooking in this recipe is browning the ground beef on your stove. Easy peasy.
After cooking the ground beef, you simply chop up all the vegetables and make the easy, creamy salad dressing.
Oh, and did I mention you can use store-bought salsa for this dressing?
Ingredients Needed For A Keto Ground Beef Taco Salad
The following are the ingredients you’ll need to make this keto ground beef taco salad. Note that the full printable recipe card is at the bottom of the page.
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- Lean ground beef
- Cooking Oil, I like using avocado oil
- Green bell pepper, finely chopped
- Onion, finely chopped
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Cumin powder
- Chipotle chili powder
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Romaine lettuce, torn into bite sizes
- Grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese or cheddar cheese
- Hass avocado, diced
- Red onion, sliced
- Green onions, sliced
- Sliced black olives
- Storebought Salsa or some homemade leftover salsa
- Mexican crema or sour cream thinned with two tablespoons of heavy cream
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Cumin powder
- Chili powder
- Black pepper
- Chipotle pepper
How To Make A Keto Taco Ground Beef Salad
Over medium-high heat, in a large skillet, cook the bell peppers and onions with the two tablespoons of cooking oil until translucent, then set them aside.
Add the ground beef to the skillet, sprinkle all the dry seasonings, and cook the meat until brown, being sure to break it into pieces with a spatula until cooked.
Refer to the section below on how to tenderize the ground beef with baking soda for an easy way to ensure perfect browning every time.
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Once the ground beef is cooked, stir in the cooked bell peppers and onions to the cooked ground beef and set it aside
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.
It’s a great option when you need to brown ground beef since it speeds up the process. It helps meal prep become a breeze.
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, note that it will take a little longer to cook the ground beef if you omit it.
Creamy Salsa Dressing
In a small mixing bowl, combine the salsa, Mexican crema, or sour cream thinned with two tablespoons of heavy cream and the dry seasonings. Combine well until thoroughly mixed.
Assembling The Ground Beef Taco Salad
This full-meal salad can be served individually or in a large salad bowl.
Place the torn lettuce in a large bowl or serving tray as the bottom layer. Then, arrange the halved tomatoes, cheddar cheese, black olives, avocados, green onions, and red onions on top of the romaine lettuce.
Next, you’ll add the cooked chicken to the top of the salad. At this point, you’ll toss the salad and serve the salsa dressing on the side.
Low Carb Taco Ground Beef Salad Recipe Variations
Do you know what else is great about this ground beef taco salad? How easy it is to customize. It’s easy to add or remove any of the listed ingredients to make it your own.
Some ways you can change up this recipe are to add some of your favorite toppings.
The following are some good keto-friendly substitutes to try. It’s a great way to keep adding this recipe to your keto meal planning rotation with minor tweaks.
- Add raw jalapeño slices for extra spice.
- Replace the romaine lettuce with iceberg lettuce or mixed greens like a spring mix.
- Use ground turkey or ground chicken for an even leaner option.
- Rather than diced avocado top each salad serving with a scoop of low-carb guacamole.
- Add keto tortilla chips for extra flavor and crunch. It’s like having tortilla strips. I like using Quest chips, which are gluten-free. Their cilantro-lime chips are my personal favorite. But any in their variety pack would work with this recipe.
- Instead of grape tomatoes use cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes.
- Replace the Mexican blend cheese with cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, queso fresco, or your favorite shredded cheese.
More Keto Taco Flavored Recipes
For more taco-flavored dishes, be sure to also check out these recipes:
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Keto Ground Beef Taco Salad (Gluten-Free)
This keto ground beef taco salad makes a delicious, flavorful, hearty meal. It's loaded with taco meat, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, black olives, red onions, green onions, and avocados. The creamy salsa dressing complements the salad perfectly.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped finely
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 3 hearts of Romaine lettuce, torn into bite sizes
- 2 cups of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 cup of Mexican blend shredded cheddar cheese or shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 medium Hass avocado, diced
- 1/2 a cup of red onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup of green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro (garnish)
- 1/4 cup of sliced black olives
Creamy Salsa Dressing
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup sour cream thinned with two tablespoons of heavy cream or Mexican crema
- 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Over medium-high heat, in a large skillet cook, the bell peppers and onions with the two tablespoons of cooking oil until translucent then set them aside.
- Turn the stove to high and add the ground beef to the skillet. Then sprinkle all the dry seasonings and cook the meat until brown being sure to break it into pieces with a spatula until cooked.
- Stir in the cooked bell peppers and onions to the cooked ground beef and set it aside.
- Proceed to make the creamy salsa dressing.
Creamy Salsa Dressing
- In a small bowl combine the salsa, Mexican crema, or sour cream that has been thinned with two tablespoons of heavy cream, and dry spices. Mix well until it is well incorporated. Set it aside.
Assembling The Salad
- Note that the salad can be served individually or in a large bowl. Place the torn lettuce in a large bowl or serving tray as the bottom layer. Then arrange the halved tomatoes, cheddar cheese, black olives, avocados, green onions, and red onions, on top of the lettuce.
- Place the cooked taco meat on top of the salad. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
- Toss the salad and serve the salsa dressing on the side.
Notes
Recipe Variations
The following are some good keto-friendly substitutes to try. It's a great way to keep adding this recipe to your keto meal planning rotation with minor tweaks.
- Add raw jalapeño slices for extra spice.
- Use ground turkey or ground chicken for an even leaner option.
- Replace the romaine lettuce with iceberg lettuce or mixed greens like a spring mix.
- Rather than diced avocado top each salad serving with a scoop of low-carb guacamole.
- Add keto tortilla chips for extra flavor and crunch. I like using Quest chips, which are gluten-free. Their cilantro-lime chips are my personal favorite. But any in their variety pack would work with this recipe.
- Instead of grape tomatoes use cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes.
- Replace the Mexican shredded cheese with pepper jack cheese, queso fresco, or your favorite shredded cheese.
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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 420Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11.1gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 1000mgCarbohydrates: 8.7gNet Carbohydrates: 6.6gFiber: 2.1gSugar: 3.6gProtein: 35.7g