Keto Taco Salad Recipe (Low-Carb, Atkins)

An easy keto taco salad with ground beef features fresh greens topped with everything you love about a taco. It's a super tasty and satisfying low carb salad the whole family will love!

Before eating low carb, I used to love ordering taco salads at restaurants.

First, they have all the best flavors and ingredients of a taco. Second, they usually come topped with tortilla strips. Some are even served IN a fried tortilla.

Unfortunately, this means that restaurant-style taco salads are pretty high carb.

Reasons to make your own

Since I don’t order them anymore, I decided I wanted to create my own version. With a few simple tweaks, I was able to recreate a low carb taco salad right at home! 

Best of all, this version is so easy to make. Just cook up your ground meat, then add it to a bowl of greens with all your favorite toppings. Quick and delicious!

The blend of spices used to season the ground beef is essentially a homemade taco seasoning. You’ll get all the flavors, but none of the thickeners or cornstarch you find in store-bought taco seasoning.

Whether you need an easy lunch or a low carb meal the whole family will love, this keto taco salad recipe checks all the boxes.

How to make keto taco salad

Salads are a great option when you don’t want to spend a long time cooking. This keto taco salad recipe comes together in just a few minutes!

Cooking ground beef.

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Once hot, add the ground beef, diced onion, and minced garlic.
3. Cook until the beef is browned, then drain the excess fat.
4. Mix in the remaining seasonings, then set aside.

Assembling the salad

1. Set out four bowls or containers and add 1.25 ounces of spring mix to each.
2. Complete each serving with half of a diced tomato, half of a chopped avocado, ¼ of the meat mixture, and 1 ounce of shredded cheese.
3. For a little crunch, top each salad with 2 Parmesan crisps broken into pieces.
4. Feel free to top with salsa and sour cream too!

How many carbs in low carb taco salad

When you order in a restaurant, most taco salad carbs come from the added tortilla strips.

That’s why this keto taco salad replaces those tortilla strips with parmesan crisps! You still get a great crunch, just without the carbs.

Each salad comes out to 14 grams of total carbs and 7 grams of fiber. This means there are about 7 net carbs per serving.

Most of the carbs come from the fruits and vegetables used. Thankfully, onion, spring mix, tomatoes, and avocado are all good sources of fiber. This helps to keep the net carb count pretty low.

So if you’re searching for a low carb, keto, or Atkins taco salad, this recipe will satisfy your craving without the guilt!

Keto taco salad recipe for an easy lunch

I’m always looking for quick, easy recipes to make for lunch. I just never seem to have a lot of time right in the middle of the day to make an elaborate meal.

If I can save time by meal prepping my lunches, even better!

This keto taco salad is a great option for preparing your lunches ahead of time. Simply cook the ground beef in advance, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

When you’re ready to make your salad, reheat the ground beef in a skillet or in the microwave. Then you can assemble and enjoy the rest of the taco salad.

Baking your own cheese crisps

Did you know that you can make your own cheese crisps right at home?

I used premade Parmesan Crisps to replace the crunch of tortilla strips. However, you can use any kind of cheese you like.

Simply line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then sprinkle shredded cheese in small piles. Bake them 400°F for 8-10 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. 

Allow them to cool, then break them up into crunchy pieces to top your salad. You can even make a cheese salad bowl or cheese taco shells!

Other low carb salad recipes

Looking for a few other delicious and satisfying salads to enjoy? Check out a few of these favorites:

• Healthy Cobb Salad Recipe combines delicious ingredients like chicken, bacon, avocado, and hard-boiled egg into one amazing salad!
• The Big Mac Salad will satisfy your craving for the fast food staple, but you can enjoy it absolutely guilt-free.
• Southwest Steak Salad is topped with a spicy avocado dressing for a super tasty and satisfying low-carb meal.
• Baby Kale Salad With Avocado and Parmesan is a quick and easy salad to enjoy as a light lunch or to serve before your main course.
• Tilapia Salad With Spinach is served with a creamy avocado dressing for an amazing flavor combination that’s low carb and keto friendly!
• Spinach Strawberry Salad will become a favorite dish for summer!

Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!

Recipe

Keto Taco Salad

5 from 4 votes

Enjoy the taste of tacos in an easy to make low carb gluten free taco salad. Simply add taco meat and topping to your favorite lettuce mix.

Prep Time:5 minutes mins

Cook Time:15 minutes mins

Total Time:20 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mexican

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Servings: 5 people

Calories: 487

Video

Ingredients

Taco Seasoned Ground Beef:

• ▢ 1 pound ground beef
• ▢ 1 small onion diced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ ½ teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoons sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper

Salad:

• ▢ 5 ounces spring mix
• ▢ 2 medium tomatoes
• ▢ 2 medium avocados
• ▢ 4 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
• ▢ 8 Parmesan crisps homemade or store bought

Optional Toppings:

• ▢ salsa
• ▢ sour cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In large skillet, brown ground beef with onion and garlic.
• Drain off an fat, then mix in remaining seasonings. Set aside.
• For each salad, add 1.25 ounces spring mix, half of a diced tomato, half of a chopped avocado, ¼ of the meat mixture, and 1 ounce shredded cheese. Top each salad with 2 Parmesan crisps broken into pieces. Add salsa and sour cream if desired.

Notes

* Carb count may appear high, but more than half of those carbs are fiber. If you subtract fiber, the net carbs per serving is only 5.6 grams.

Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

Nutrition

Serving: 302g | Calories: 487 | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 728mg | Potassium: 901mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1687IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 3mg

Additional Info

Net Carbs: 7 g | % Carbs: 6 % | % Protein: 21.3 % | % Fat: 72.8 % | SmartPoints: 17

Values

Array
(
    [serving_size] => 302
    [calories] => 487
    [carbohydrates] => 14
    [protein] => 25
    [fat] => 38
    [saturated_fat] => 14
    [cholesterol] => 89
    [sodium] => 728
    [fiber] => 7
    [sugar] => 3
    [potassium] => 901
    [vitamin_a] => 1687
    [vitamin_c] => 35
    [calcium] => 215
    [iron] => 3
)

Notes on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Copyright

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First Published: July 11, 2016... Last Updated: January 30, 2020