Easy Keto Taco Salad w/ Ground Beef

Looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal for your family? Look no further…this Keto Taco Salad is going to be a new go-to meal for you and your family. Our healthy taco salad is loaded with common ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen!

We’ve been able to share some great recipes for Taco Tuesday with you, including homemade low carb taco seasoning, keto cheese taco shells, and keto tacos. But today we’re happy to share a new one with you….low carb taco salad! 

I know there are some out there who love salads more than anything…my dad being one of them. For some odd reason anytime we ever have had tacos he always just puts his taco meat and toppings on a salad.

I figured there would be some of you out there who feel the same way as my dad so I wanted to share this easy taco salad recipe with you. I hope you all enjoy the best taco salad as much as we do!

What is Taco Salad?

So what is a taco salad? A taco salad is a Tex-Mex dish that combines the same ingredients that are used in Tex-Mex tacos but served in a bowl instead. You can find taco salads in 2 different ways:

1. Served in a fried tortilla shell, then filled with lettuce, ground beef, tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. Normally rice and beans are also added. 
2. Skip the shell, and just serve all the ingredients over a large heaping bowl of lettuce.

Is Taco Salad Healthy?

The real question is are taco salads healthy? It really depends on where you are finding it. Most restaurants will offer salads as their “healthy” option on a menu, but let’s be honest, most of them really aren’t healthy at all. They contain heavy creamy dressings, high-fat options, and other added ingredients that just aren’t necessary. 

For instance if you were to go to Taco Bell and get their Fiesta Taco Salad it contains 740 calories and 62 net carbs. That’s crazy!!! 

But the good news is that when you make your own homemade low carb taco salad, you are in complete control of what you are adding to your salad, so yes you can make it a truly healthy salad. 

Based on our recipe for a heaping bowl it’s only 350 calories. Quite a difference from what you can get out at a chain restaurant.

Is Taco Salad Low Carb?

Getting a taco salad at a restaurant or chain restaurant is not going to be a good low carb option. Mostly because you don’t have control of what goes into it. A lot of taco salads use a crispy tortilla shell or use tortilla strips on top. Plus they are full of high carb dressings and other ingredients. 

Now obviously this keto taco salad still contains carbs, but remember vegetables do contain carbs, some higher than others. The nice part about making your own homemade taco salad you get to pick and choose what ingredients to use. 

Our low carb taco salad is only 6.1 NET CARBS for a heaping bowl. 

Here’s how we made it low carb for you. For starters using our homemade low carb taco salad will cut down on your carbs, and also using homemade seasoning doesn’t contain any added fillers like cornstarch or sugar. 

Rather than using tortilla strips or a tortilla shell, you can use parmesan crisps or some low carb tortilla chips to give you that nice crunch you would get in a normal taco salad.

Taco Salad Ingredients?

This tex-mex low carb taco salad is great because you can customize it however you and your taste buds like! 

Lettuce  – 

• I chop heads of fresh romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces. It gives you a good crunch. 

Meat  – 

• 80% lean is my favorite ground beef of choice.
• Ground chicken, pork, or shrimp will work as well. 
• Add 2 tablespoons of homemade low carb taco seasoning to the ground beef. 

Toppings  – 

• Cheese – Shredded cheddar, Monterey jack, pepper jack, and mozzarella are all great options.
• Veggies – Red onion, chopped tomatoes, avocado, and salsa.
• Low carb tortilla chips or parmesan crisps add some nice crunch to your salad.

Dressing  – 

• The combo of sour cream and salsa is our go-to for this salad. It’s easy and delicious.

What Type of Meat is Best for Taco Salad?

So what is the best meat option for a low carb taco salad? That is ultimately up to you and what you like. For me I choose to use ground beef, 80% lean to be exact. I like my ground beef to have more flavor and not dry out. 

Other meat options that work great as well are:

• Steak
• Ground Chicken
• Ground Pork 
• Grilled Shrimp

Homemade Taco Seasoning

If at all possible try making homemade taco seasoning, it makes a world of difference. For starters using our homemade low carb taco seasoning doesn’t contain any fillers including sugar, cornstarch, and other ingredients we can’t even pronounce. 

Plus it’s lower in carbs than store-bought taco seasoning. For 2 tablespoons it’s only 3.6 NET Carbs.

How to Make Low Carb Taco Salad

Making homemade taco salad is super easy and doesn’t take long at all. Follow these simple steps:

Chop the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place into a large bowl. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. 

Move on to chopping the onions, tomatoes, and avocado. If you don’t like avocado then don’t add it, or if you want to use guacamole then that works too. 

Shred the cheese and set aside.

Now let’s make the ground beef. In a frying pan add the ground beef and 2 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning and stir together. Cook for about 8-10 minutes on medium-high heat. 

Once the taco meat has finished cooking let’s assemble the salad. 

Place the taco meat, shredded cheese, chopped onions, tomatoes, avocado, salsa, and sour cream on top of the lettuce.

This is where you can get as fancy as you want…place it nicely on top or just through it all together. 

Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy!!

Best Tips for Keto Taco Salad 

A few tips for making a delicious keto taco salad:

• If you buy pre-washed and pre-cut lettuce it may save you some prep work. 
• Pre-shredded cheese will also save prep time but freshly shredded cheese always tastes better. 
• Adding other ingredients such as black olives, guacamole. If you aren’t counting carbs then adding black beans or corn would be a great addition.
• Use a big enough bowl so it’s easy to mix your ingredients well.
• Don’t dress the salad until you are ready to serve so it doesn’t get soggy.

Best Dressing for Healthy Taco Salad

Most likely you were going to put some fresh homemade salsa and sour cream on your salad anyways right? We found that just using these 2 ingredients made the perfect dressing. 

Simply combine the two in a separate bowl until mixed well and pour over the taco salad.

Now if you want to add a dash of taco seasoning to the sour cream or some fresh lime juice to give you some extra flavor. 

If you are dairy-free then you can replace the sour cream with a coconut yogurt instead.

Taco Salad Add-Ins & Toppings

Toppings are all a matter of your liking:

• Low Carb Taco Shells (can be used a taco bowl)
• Jalapenos
• Fresh Cilantro
• Guacamole
• Black Olives
• Mango Salsa
• Avocado Salsa
• Low Carb Tortilla Chips
• Black Beans (if not eating low carb)
• Corn (if not eating low carb)

Different Variations

Variations are great for a lot of recipes including this easy low carb taco salad. 

• If you want more of a kick to your salad, use a spicier salsa, or even add fresh jalapenos. 
• Feel free to add any other veggies you might have on hand, or omit any of the ingredients in my recipe if you don’t care for some of them. 
• Instead of cheddar you can use Monterey jack, mozzarella, pepper jack or another one of your favorites.
• Use another kind of dressing like a Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Should Taco Salad Be Served Hot or Cold?

Whether to serve your taco salad hot or cold is a matter of personal preference. I like eating this keto taco salad when the ground beef is still warm, but all the other ingredients are cool, including some cold crisp lettuce.

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

Salads are awesome because you can customize them based on your dietary needs or the dietary needs of your guests. This salad done exactly the way it is is completely Gluten-free. Be sure to use homemade taco seasoning because a lot of store-bought taco seasonings contain gluten. 

This recipe is not dairy-free but it can be. Either omit the cheese entirely or use a vegan cheese of your choice. Replace the sour cream with coconut yogurt or leave it out altogether.

What to Serve with Taco Salad?

This keto taco salad recipe can definitely be served as a meal in itself and you can pour yourself a delicious Keto Skinny Margarita and you’ve got yourself the perfect dinner. 

Or you can have some fresh mango salsa on top of it, or bake some Keto fathead dinner rolls. I find that dinner rolls pretty much go with anything. I love bread! 

If you aren’t on keto or watching your carbs then serving this healthy salad with some Mexican quinoa, cilantro-lime rice, or black beans. 

Can I Make Taco Salad Ahead of Time?

Making this healthy taco salad in advance is great for meal prepping. All you need to do is cook the ground beef, and store all your prepped veggies in the fridge. 

When you are ready to assemble your Keto taco salad, toss all the ingredients together and serve. If you want your ground beef warmed, then microwave it separately before adding to the salad.

Just remember not to dress the salad until you are ready to eat.

How to Store Taco Salad

To store your leftover taco salad, place it in an airtight container, and place it in the fridge. It can last about 1-2 days. Keep in mind though, that it may be soggy if left in the fridge for too long. 

Can You Freeze Taco Salad? 

No, I wouldn’t freeze this low carb taco salad, it will not freeze well. But if you have any leftover ground beef taco meat, then go ahead and freeze that. You can place it in an airtight container or in a Ziploc freezer bag. That should last in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

More Keto Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other Low Carb Mexican Recipes then try our:

• Homemade Salsa
• Keto Tortilla Chips
• Avocado Salsa
• Keto Chicken Enchilada Casserole
• Mango Salsa

They all are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will be a hit at your next meal!

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