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    Home » Recipes

    Keto Cheesy Mexican Taco Skillet

    Published: Jun 30, 2017 · Updated: Sep 9, 2022 by Cast Iron Keto · 74 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This Cheesy Taco Skillet is an easy low-carb + keto 30-minute skillet dinner the whole family will love! The toppings may just be the best part!

    taco skillet on table with toppings

    This Keto Cheesy Mexican Taco Skillet is packed with cauliflower rice, ground beef, cheese, and veggies. It's absolutely delicious for any low-carb diet and a great Mexican-inspired Keto recipe.

    taco skillet on table with a spoon scooping out the center

    What's in this taco skillet?

    • ground beef
    • onion
    • bell peppers
    • green chiles
    • keto taco seasoning (most store-bought contains weird ingredients including flour)
    • diced tomatoes
    • cauliflower rice
    • cheese!!!

    What are some toppings ideas?

    Aren't toppings the best part? These are our favorite ideas for this low-carb taco skillet:

    • sour cream
    • avocado (duh)
    • pico de gallo
    • sliced jalapeños
    • minced cilantro
    • hot sauce

    What is the nutritional information?

    As always, you can find the full nutritional breakdown including the carb count (total carbs and net carbs) at the bottom of the recipe card. You can find the serving size/yield at the top of the recipe card. You should always double-check your specific ingredients as different brand's ingredients may have different values.

    To get a specific serving size you'll want to weigh the final dish then divide by the number of servings. We can't provide this information as your cooking style will vary from ours as well as the brand ingredients you choose to use.

    Can I use something other than cauliflower rice?

    You could just make this taco skillet extra meaty with additional ground beef or maybe use spaghetti squash? Really though, even if you're not a cauliflower fan we'll bet you'll still love this recipe.

    Can I use a different protein in this keto taco skillet?

    Sure can! Try this taco skillet with ground turkey or chicken if you don't want to use beef.

    Plant-based options:

    For our plant-based friends, we love this recipe with Beyond Meat's ground "beef". You'll also want to swap out the cheese for a dairy-free option and use a dairy-free sour cream for topping as well. Other than those swaps, the instructions stay exactly the same.

    Check out these resources to read more about the differences between grass-fed and conventional beef and where you can find a farm near you to buy it from:

    • Is grass-fed beef really better for you, the animal and the planet? - Washington Post
    • Grass-fed vs. Conventional Meat: It’s Not Black or White - Chris Kresser
    • Eatwild's Directory of Farms and Ranches

    📖 Recipe

    taco skillet on table with toppings

    Keto Cheesy Mexican Taco Skillet

    This Keto Cheesy Mexican Taco Skillet is an awesome low-carb 30-minute skillet dinner the entire family will love!
    4.68 from 67 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: 30-minute, easy, keto, low carb
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 569kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
    • 1 pound ground beef Beyond Meat if plant-based
    • ½ white onion diced
    • ½ bell pepper diced
    • 1 4-oounce can green chilis
    • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
    • 2 roma tomatoes seeded and diced
    • 12 ounces cauliflower rice
    • 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese dairy-free if desired

    Toppings:

    • 1 avocado diced
    • 1 jalapeño thinly sliced
    • ¼ cup sour cream dairy-free if desired
    • 2 tablespoons cilantro minced

    Instructions

    • Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once hot add in the beef and cook while crumbling with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown.
    • Add in the onion, bell pepper, and taco seasoning and cook 3 minutes or until the onion and pepper starts to soften.
    • Stir in the green chiles and tomatoes along with the cauliflower rice. Cook 5-7 minutes until most of the moisture has evaporated.
    • Sprinkle with cheese and cover just until melted, about 2 minutes. Top with desired toppings and serve.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Cheesy Mexican Taco Skillet
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 569 Calories from Fat 405
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 45g69%
    Saturated Fat 17g106%
    Cholesterol 115mg38%
    Sodium 467mg20%
    Potassium 973mg28%
    Carbohydrates 14g5%
    Fiber 6g25%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 30g60%
    Vitamin A 1299IU26%
    Vitamin C 75mg91%
    Calcium 252mg25%
    Iron 3mg17%
    *

    Nutritional values are estimates only and do not include carbs from sugar alcohols.

    # Hashtag with us!Don't forget to mention @castiron_keto or tag #castironketo on Instagram with your creations! We love seeing what you're making.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kelsey says

      January 24, 2018 at 10:05 pm

      oh my goodness I just found this website from a google search and HOLY SHIT! I thought I had perused all the low carb cooking sites, but this one is really something incredible. I love the (keto) pie chart. Also this recipe looks great, but I hate cauliflower no matter what form it is. Very impressed overall and thank you!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        January 30, 2018 at 2:01 pm

        Thanks for checking it out!

        Reply
    2. Tanya Whidden says

      January 31, 2018 at 11:33 pm

      Where can I find cauliflower rice in the store? I’ve only seen ‘Steamers’

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        February 03, 2018 at 12:43 pm

        Tanya, you can find it in the frozen section, if your local grocery store has a natural or organic section check there as well. If all else fails, I’d check with one the grocery store stockers, they should be able to point you in the right direction.

        Reply
        • Tish says

          March 01, 2023 at 3:41 am

          I get mine in the produce section

          Reply
    3. Kim says

      April 09, 2018 at 2:16 am

      HI there, what size skillet do you use for this one? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        April 18, 2018 at 12:17 am

        For this recipe I'm using a 10 1/4" skillet, you could go bigger and use a 12" skillet, but I wouldn't recommend going any smaller.

        Reply
    4. Nancy says

      April 11, 2018 at 12:39 am

      What is FOC?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        April 17, 2018 at 11:31 pm

        FOC stands for Fat of Choice (butter, olive oil, lard, etc...)

        Reply
    5. Marcelle says

      April 18, 2018 at 5:40 pm

      Low iron levels? Is that why you use cast iron? 🙂

      Reply
    6. aimee says

      April 22, 2018 at 3:44 pm

      Can you substitute regular cooked rice (hubby doesn't like cauliflower)? Also, substitute a can of diced tomatoes? Or would that add too much liquid? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        July 19, 2018 at 7:00 am

        Sure, if not keto regular rice would be great in this! Just be sure to drain the canned tomatoes if that's what you use.

        Reply
    7. Cheryl says

      May 30, 2018 at 1:41 am

      Can you leave out the cauliflower rice?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        July 19, 2018 at 6:55 am

        You can! It will just be more of a hash, still delicious!

        Reply
    8. Sh says

      May 31, 2018 at 3:59 pm

      I’d definitely recommend grating your own cheeses of choice. The pregrated blends have potato starch and cellulose ( to prevent caking) and mold inhibitors.... grate it up fresh !!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        July 19, 2018 at 6:54 am

        Not all pre-grated cheeses have those starches added, it's just a game of reading labels at your market. Thanks for bringing that up, it's a great heads-up for folks who may have not know that was even a thing.

        Reply
    9. Andrew says

      June 05, 2018 at 1:41 am

      What is the serving size?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        July 19, 2018 at 6:53 am

        This recipe serves 4, you can find the servings under the cook time in the recipe.

        Reply
    10. confused says

      June 13, 2018 at 6:15 pm

      Why does the diagram show this recipe as 65% fat and 29% protein when right below it shows 36g of fat and 36g of protein?

      Reply
    11. Shanon says

      June 14, 2018 at 1:48 pm

      What are the total carbs for this recipe?

      Reply
    12. Patty says

      June 17, 2018 at 10:00 pm

      Where do I find cauliflower rice?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        July 19, 2018 at 6:50 am

        It will either be fresh in the produce isle in prepackaged bags or with the frozen vegetables.

        Reply
    13. Julie says

      June 21, 2018 at 12:52 am

      Super excited to try this recipe, I’ve tried others similar but always looking for more. Been going keto since January.

      Reply
    14. Nichole says

      July 11, 2018 at 8:20 pm

      Do you have a “print this recipe” or “print” button somewhere? I am looking at it from my iPhone X…

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        July 19, 2018 at 6:44 am

        Yes, we do. It's at the top of the recipe card.

        Reply
    15. Catie says

      July 28, 2018 at 11:40 pm

      Do I cook the cauliflower rice first?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        August 02, 2018 at 3:02 pm

        No, you do not. We typically use Trader Joe's frozen cauliflower rice and add it thawed but no additional cooking before adding it to the skillet.

        Reply
    16. DeeAnna Saunders says

      August 07, 2018 at 7:23 pm

      I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Can I use a regular skillet that can be put in the oven?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        August 14, 2018 at 7:14 pm

        Yes!

        Reply
    17. Nancy says

      August 12, 2018 at 4:18 pm

      Hello! New to the site and love it. Does the nutrition breakdown include toppings (eg sour cream and cheese?) TIA!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        August 14, 2018 at 7:12 pm

        Hi Nancy, yes it does!

        Reply
    18. Honey says

      August 13, 2018 at 2:26 am

      We LOVED this..I substituted a can of Rotel tomatoes and chilis for the tomato and canned chilis..GREAT!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        August 14, 2018 at 7:12 pm

        Sounds great, glad you liked it!

        Reply
    19. Annie says

      September 09, 2018 at 4:56 pm

      Hi! Is this considered a “casserole” type dish, or a dip? I want this so bad! Lol

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        September 13, 2018 at 3:21 pm

        Totally a casserole!

        Reply
    20. HM says

      September 18, 2018 at 11:59 pm

      Delish!!! Thanks for an easy, quick dinner idea! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. 🙂

      Reply
    21. Ashley says

      November 07, 2018 at 1:44 am

      I made this tonight for dinner and it was absolutely delish! My kids loved it (I have 3 boys), my husband loved it, and I loved it. It’s definitely going to be put on a monthly or a bi-weekly rotation. Thanks for sharing!!!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        November 10, 2018 at 11:13 am

        Hi Ashley, glad to hear everyone loved it!

        Reply
    22. Aaron says

      January 24, 2019 at 12:18 am

      Really didn’t like this dish. Didn’t taste anything like a Mexican dish regardless of how much taco seasoning I used. The cauliflower taste wasn’t a good fit and overpowered the other potential flavors. Disappointed.

      Reply
    23. Kris says

      February 09, 2019 at 8:45 pm

      Just finished cooking and devouring this dish. Yes, I said devouring - that's how good it was and how much I enjoyed it. The dish could probably have used just a touch more taco seasoning but hey I think that would depend on whose eating it. Im new to the keto diet but with dishes such as this im sure this transition won't be so hard.

      Reply
    24. Alicia says

      March 08, 2019 at 3:59 am

      My family really enjoyed this!! the only substitution I made was with the sour cream Taco bell has some sauces spicy ranchero (3 carbs), Baja(2 carbs) and chipotle (3 carbs) per 2 tbsp only 1 or 2 carbs more than sour cream I let my family chose their flavor and it gave the dish a little more Mexican spice!?

      Reply
    25. Shawna says

      March 20, 2019 at 2:36 am

      This was a hit in my house! I'm extremely lazy so I subbed 1 cup of pace picante sauce instead of chopping onions, bell pepper, tomatoes and chilies but I'm pretty sure it would have been better to use all the fresh veggies. It was awesome and definitely making it weekly!

      Reply
    26. Arielle says

      May 06, 2019 at 3:05 pm

      Did you use store bought taco seasoning? The ones I see have 3 carbs per 2 tsp and the recipe calls for 3 tablespoons. Seems like that will add up. I’m new to keto and trying to figure this all out. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        May 06, 2019 at 5:12 pm

        We use Frontier brand, the carbs from the spices are accounted for in the nutritional info - hope this helps!

        Reply
    27. Kristen Ferrari says

      June 20, 2019 at 11:51 pm

      OK this is what I did differently - take it for what it's worth. I used 3 lbs of beef added to onion sauteed in chipotle olive oil. Added minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, some local chipotle salt and black pepper (taco seasoning has gluten). Cooked it down and added a SMALL amount of yellow bells (peppers are high in carbs), 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chili, and some cauliflower rice. Cooked a bit longer, smothered it in cheese, topped with jalapenos (had jarred on hand) and another dash of smoked paprika and baked at 400 for about 8-10 minutes.

      Served it over a wedge of lettuce, drizzled with lime cilantro crema, and topped it with avocado, tomatoes, sour cream and lime. YUMMMMMY!

      Reply
    28. Kristi Taylor says

      August 07, 2019 at 1:17 am

      This is a great recipe! Easy, fast, and tasty. We used Bar M Spice taco seasoning which is perfect for keto dishes. It’s a local Texas company and can be found at barmspice.com

      Reply
    29. Linda Certuche says

      December 05, 2019 at 3:32 pm

      I love this recipe but sub in shredded cabbage instead of cauli rice. It's cheaper where I live and I like the taste better. My family loves this so much. They eat it with tortillas and once in a while I will put it in a low carb tortilla but it is great with a fork too!

      Reply
    30. Wendy says

      January 14, 2020 at 11:29 pm

      5 stars
      This is so good & a great meal for Taco Tuesday.

      Reply
    31. Annette Gamill says

      January 16, 2020 at 12:31 am

      I fixed this dish tonight and I just love it. Just a good recipe. I will fix it again.

      Reply
    32. KiminMn says

      January 17, 2020 at 2:55 am

      5 stars
      Simply delish!

      Reply
    33. Fran says

      March 11, 2020 at 7:19 pm

      5 stars
      So satisfying! Full of flavor and a little bit goes a long way!

      Reply
    34. Pam says

      May 12, 2020 at 12:23 am

      5 stars
      I fixed this for dinner tonight and loved it. My son really liked it too and went for seconds. I’ll probably make it again but use chicken next time.

      Reply
    35. shelley says

      May 16, 2020 at 12:27 am

      5 stars
      Quick, easy, and the whole family loved it!

      Reply
    36. Marcie says

      June 26, 2020 at 6:11 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my freaking gosh was this good!

      Reply
    37. Lisa Baker says

      July 12, 2020 at 2:01 am

      5 stars
      YUM!! This was absolutely AMAZING!! I didn't have any bell peppers, so I used a full yellow onion. I also had fresh riced cauliflower on hand which provided a wonderful texture and took on the flavor of the seasoning. I highly recommend using the taco seasoning from this site as well. My husband LOVED this as well. This will certainly be a part of our repertoire.

      Reply
    38. Cindy says

      July 13, 2020 at 11:37 pm

      Does the nutritional information include the toppings?

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        July 14, 2020 at 2:29 pm

        Yes, it does!

        Reply
    39. Kristen says

      July 30, 2020 at 12:09 am

      5 stars
      This really hit the spot. I skipped the cauliflower as my husband would refuse to eat and I didn't have fresh tomatoes on hand, so I did canned tomatoes with green chilies instead. This recipe is hands down a keeper. Hubby did use tortilla and LOVED it. I can't wait to check out your other recipes. Yum!!!! Thanks for creating a recipe that I could eat myself and modify for my none keto hubby.

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        July 30, 2020 at 5:04 pm

        Thanks, Kristen! Comments like these make our day 🙂 Stoked you guys enjoyed it!

        Reply
    40. Jim McDonald says

      August 03, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      Do you drain off the grease after browning the hamburger or leave it in? I’m using 80/20 blend

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        August 04, 2020 at 1:22 pm

        Hi Jim, no you leave the grease in the skillet.

        Reply
    41. Kevin says

      August 03, 2020 at 11:00 pm

      Used a bag of shredded cabbage instead of riced cauliflower. Excellent.

      Reply
    42. Nikki says

      August 19, 2020 at 10:33 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my YUM!!! Make the taco seasoning referenced in the recipe... it is fantastic! This recipe was so good! Thank you for an easy and delicious dinner!!

      Reply
    43. Jessica says

      August 25, 2020 at 11:20 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! Even my picky kids liked it. Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
    44. RT says

      August 25, 2020 at 11:34 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Did not have Roma’s on hand. So I used about a half cup of canned diced tomatoes with green chili’s. Also used a pablano instead of bell pepper because that’s what I had. Super easy, quick and Delicious!
      For those who do not like cauliflower rice. I promise you can’t taste it and it gives you a filler that’s really nice.

      Reply
    45. Non says

      October 12, 2020 at 2:23 pm

      Is the nutritional facts for 1 serving?

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        October 15, 2020 at 1:49 pm

        Yes

        Reply
    46. Lee says

      January 05, 2021 at 7:16 pm

      How do these ingredients add up to 14 carbs or 6 net carbs?

      Reply
    47. diana d says

      March 11, 2021 at 1:44 am

      YUM. Used shrimp instead of meat, then added mushrooms and fire roasted tomatoes to the rest of the skillet. oh my goodness, this was a delicious meal!

      Reply
    48. Maggie says

      June 27, 2021 at 12:39 am

      I’ve made this before and followed the recipe as written. My family and I LOVED it! Hoping to make again, but wanting to try ground turkey or chicken. Any recommended changes/additions with the change in meat?

      Reply
    49. Norman n Hall says

      November 10, 2021 at 4:41 pm

      5 stars
      I made this and it was awesome! Can you tell me what a serving size is? I find this in a lot of recipes. They give you the calories but never how much I need to eat to get this calories. 1 cup

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        November 11, 2021 at 6:03 pm

        Hi Norman, glad you loved the soup! For the serving size - unfortunately, that’s not how recipes work. Unlike a packaged food product that is made by a single company, recipes can’t provide reliable serving weights or measurements due to the fluctuations in how different people measure and cook. To get a reliable serving size you’ll need to weigh your final dish then divide by the number of servings which is listed at the top of every recipe card. We hope this helps!

        Reply
    50. Rhonda M says

      December 04, 2021 at 7:30 pm

      5 stars
      I could live on this keto cheesy mexican taco skillet recipe.
      I leave out the green bell peppers, but nothing else.
      Love it!

      Reply
    51. Michelle says

      June 08, 2022 at 12:24 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious, thank you!

      Reply

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