A healthy and filling Keto Taco Salad that’s perfect for lunch or dinner! This low carb salad is made with ground beef, keto-friendly veggies, cheese and is drizzled with a deliciously creamy taco dressing!

How to make a taco salad keto-friendly

If you love Mexican food, you’ll love this taco salad. It is basically your standard taco converted into a tortilla free version. A salad, without a taco shell, can still be delicious and just as filling as having multiple tacos without all the carbs! This version is simple but flavorful and can easily be a quick dinner or lunch option when you don’t have the time to cook. You can even prepare the taco meat in advance and have it read-to-go in the fridge to make an already quick meal even quicker!

Taco Salad Ingredients:

• Ground beef: Beef has the most flavor and also carries a good amount of fat. If you wish, you can swap out the beef for ground chicken, pork, or turkey!
• Taco seasoning: The spices are what make this salad a TACO salad. To keep this recipe 100% keto-friendly, you can use my homemade taco seasoning.
• Beef broth: Broth adds moisture and flavor to your taco meat. You can use chicken or veggie broth if you don’t have beef broth on hand.
• Lettuce, Avocado, Red onion, Grape Tomato, Bell pepper: Every salad is all about the veggies! They add nutrients, fiber, and flavor to your salad.
• Sharp cheddar cheese: Freshly shredded cheddar cheeses add fat and even more flavor to your salad!

Steps for how to make keto taco salad:

Step 1: In a medium skillet, brown ground beef then drain. Add the taco seasoning to the ground beef with ⅓ cup of beef broth and simmer on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced and the meat mixture thickens.

Step 2: In a large bowl, add the lettuce first. Then, top the chopped lettuce with the taco meat mixture, shredded cheese, and the rest of your toppings leaving out the avocado.

Step 3: In a small bowl, mix salsa, ranch dressing, and fresh lime juice until thoroughly combined.

Step 4: Drizzle ¼ of the dressing on the top of the taco salad reserving the rest for individual servings. Garnish with jalapeno slices, avocado, and freshly chopped cilantro.

Can this keto taco salad recipe be made ahead?

Yes, the taco meat can be made ahead. For convenience, the veggies can be washed and chopped up to a day ahead. When it is time to put everything together, first reheat the taco meat. While it is reheating, add the lettuce to a large salad bowl along with the veggies. Once the meat is ready, add the ground beef to the top. I would not recommend putting the salad together until right before serving. The taco salad dressing can also be prepared a day in advance.

Taco salad dressing

This dressing is deliciously creamy and rich with flavor! The salsa adds more of those traditional taco flavors and is paired with a creamy ranch dressing that everyone will love. If you’d like to make homemade ranch dressing for this recipe, give this keto version a try. Finishing the taco dressing with some freshly squeezed lime juice adds brightness and acidity that goes perfectly with those bold taco flavors.

Tip: If you don’t love ranch dressing, you could use sour cream instead. Salsa and sour cream also make a delicious low carb dressing.

Choosing the right salsa

Salsa is sometimes just not worth the extra effort to make, especially if you don’t have the time. However, if you DO want to make your own, try this easy keto salsa. If you choose to purchase a store-bought brand, just make sure you read the labels! Some brands add sugars and other ingredients you may be surprised to find that are not keto-friendly.

If you want to keep your keto taco salad more on the mild side, stick with a mild salsa. If you like a little kick, use a medium or hot salsa. There are many different varieties, so feel free to play around with different dressing flavors.

Other keto-friendly taco salad toppings

You can have fun with adding different toppings to your low carb taco salad or simply swap out some I used in this recipe. You can leave out what you don’t like or add other toppings that may not be so traditional. It’s your salad, so you choose what goes on top! Here are some other low carb topping suggestions:

• Bacon
• Sour Cream
• Scallions
• Black Olives
• Shredded Chicken/Pork
• Roasted Peppers
• Diced Chilies

You can also serve your taco salad with these keto tortilla chips if you like some added crunch!

Other Keto Mexican Recipes You May Like:

Cheesy Keto Nachos with Bell Peppers 

Cheesy Mexican Taco Casserole (Low Carb)

Keto Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet

Easy Mexican Pot Roast Crock Pot Recipe {Keto}

Keto Stuffed Peppers (Mexican Style)

Keto Low Carb Taco Cups

Don’t miss out!

If you aren’t already following my easy keto/low carb recipe page on Facebook, where I post all my new recipes, I’d love for you to join us! Also, make sure to follow me on Pinterest.

If you are just getting started following a keto diet and would like more information, there are tons of fantastic resources. Amazon has several great books you may want to check out here.

More Keto Salad recipes:

Keto Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Easy Keto Sandwich Bowl

Keto Chicken Salad

Keto Mixed Green Salad

Recipe for Low Carb Taco Salad Recipe:

Print Recipe

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Keto Taco Salad

A healthy and filling Keto Taco Salad that's perfect for lunch or dinner! This low carb salad is made with ground beef, keto-friendly veggies, cheese, and is drizzled with a deliciously creamy taco dressing!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Dinner, lunch, Salad

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 5

Calories: 526kcal

Author: Kasey Trenum

Ingredients

Taco Salad

• 1 lb ground beef
• homemade taco seasoning (or store-bought if preferred)
• ½ cup beef broth
• 1 large head romaine lettuce (approx. 6 cups washed and chopped)
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 oz white cheddar cheese
• 1/2 avocado sliced
• ¼ cup red onion
• ¾ cup grape tomatoes (halved)
• ¼ cup bell pepper chopped
• Freshly chopped cilantro *garnish
• Jalapenos, sliced *optional

Creamy Taco Dressing

• ½ cup chunky salsa
• ½ cup ranch dressing
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice.

Instructions

• In a medium skillet, brown ground beef. Drain out any liquids.
• https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/low-carb-keto-ranch-dressing/Add the taco seasoning to the browned ground beef along with ½ cup of beef broth and simmer over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced and the meat mixture thickens.

  You can use my homemade keto taco seasoning instead of store-bought.
• While it is simmering, wash and dry your lettuce, then chop into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
• Top your lettuce with the taco meat mixture, shredded cheese, then the rest of the toppings (except the avocado).
• In a small bowl, combine the salsa, ranch dressing, and fresh lime juice until thoroughly combined.
• Drizzle ¼ of the dressing back and forth on the top of the taco salad reserving the rest for individual servings.
• Garnish with sliced jalapenos, sliced avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro.

Video

Notes

*Use keto-friendly taco seasoning, salsa, and ranch dressing instead of store-bought for healthier alternatives.  

Make this ahead of time by preparing your meat in advance. Store it in the fridge then add it to your salad when ready to serve.

Other keto-friendly taco salad toppings

You can have fun with adding different toppings to your salad or simply swap out some I used in this recipe. You can leave out what you don't like or add other toppings that may not be so traditional. It's your salad, so you choose what goes on top! Here are some other low carb topping suggestions:

• Bacon
• Sour Cream
• Scallions
• Black Olives
• Shredded Chicken/Pork
• Roasted Peppers
• Diced Chilies

Nutrition

Calories: 526kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 885mg | Potassium: 770mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5797IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 377mg | Iron: 3mg