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If you need a weeknight meal when you’re short on time but still want something healthy and tasty, toss your taco shells and make low carb keto taco casserole! It’s a little bit like slow cooker keto chili, but with zesty taco flavor infused in every bite. And since it’s a Crock Pot taco casserole, the slow cooker does all the work — but I have an option for the oven below if you prefer to make it last-minute.
If you like quick and easy casseroles as much as I do, don’t forget to try my easy Big Mac casserole or Philly cheesesteak casserole next!
Why You Need My Keto Taco Casserole Recipe
- Zesty taco taste
- Rich, filling, and hearty
- Fresh, light, and flavorful toppings
- Options to make it in the Crock Pot or oven
- Gluten-free, low carb, and keto diet friendly
- 4g net carbs per serving
- Totally customizable!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my low carb taco casserole recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Avocado Oil – For frying ground beef. Use any neutral cooking oil you like.
- Ground Beef – I typically use 85/15 grass-fed ground beef, but any kind will do. If you’re not a fan of ground beef, you can easily substitute with ground turkey, ground chicken, or even Mexican chorizo.
- Taco Seasoning – Can’t have a keto taco casserole without the taco meat, and that means taco seasoning! I make my own taco seasoning blend, but you could use store bought mixes as well. Note that my seasoning contains salt, but if yours does not, add 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Bell Peppers – Use orange, yellow, or red bell peppers for color variety.
- Onion – I used a yellow onion, but white or red onions work as well.
- Diced Tomatoes With Green Chilies – Chilies add a bit of heat. If you prefer a more mild keto Mexican casserole, replace one or both cans with plain diced tomatoes instead. Just watch the size — the ones with chiles are 10 ounces each but the ones without are usually 14.5 ounces, and you want 20 ounces total for the recipe regardless of whether you use the ones with or without the chiles.
- Cheddar Cheese – Use a good melting cheese for the perfect finish. You could substitute with Mexican cheese blend, mozzarella, Colby jack, or Monterey jack if you prefer.
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
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How To Make Keto Taco Casserole In A Crock Pot
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Brown the meat. In a large saute pan or large skillet, heat avocado oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned. Add the water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer until it thickens and taco meat forms.
- Assemble the casserole. Add the ground beef mixture to a slow cooker, along with the diced peppers, onions, and drained diced tomatoes with green chilies. Mix well.
TIP: Drain tomatoes and chilies well.
Otherwise, the casserole may be watery when it’s done cooking. If that happens, you can just use a large serving spoon or ladle to remove extra liquid before adding the cheese.
- Slow cook. Cover with the lid and cook on Low.
- Melt cheese. Set the slow cooker to High and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Cover and cook until cheese melts.
- Add toppings. Top the low carb taco casserole with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and cilantro — or see below for other topping ideas.
How To Make Keto Taco Casserole In The Oven
- Brown the meat. In a large saute pan or large skillet, heat avocado oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned. Add the water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer until it thickens and taco meat forms.
- Assemble the casserole. Add the ground beef mixture a large baking dish, along with the diced peppers, onions, and drained diced tomatoes with green chilies. Mix well, then sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
- Bake. Place the keto taco casserole in the oven and bake until it’s hot and bubbly. The peppers should be soft.
- Add toppings. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and cilantro, if desired — or see below for other topping ideas.
You could also try my Mexican ground beef casserole instead, which is very similar and made in the oven.
Topping Ideas
What is the best part about low carb taco casserole? The toppings, of course! Here are some of my faves:
- Classic Taco Toppings – I used shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, diced avocados, and fresh cilantro. You can also try black olives, green onions, sour cream (perfect if you need to mellow out the heat!), or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Mexican Sauces – Try this easy keto taco casserole recipe with avocado salsa verde, homemade tomato salsa, or guacamole scooped on top.
- Keto Tortilla Chips – Adds tons of crunch to your bowl, without tortillas or taco shells.
- Drinks – Not a topping, but a perfect pairing! Serve up your casserole with a skinny margarita or skinny pina colada on the side for the ultimate Mexican night.
More Low Carb Crock Pot Recipes
Set and forget these keto slow cooker dinners!
Keto Taco Casserole (Crock Pot Or Oven)
By
Low carb keto taco casserole is loaded with hearty taco meat, tender veggies, melty cheese & fresh toppings. Make it in the Crock Pot or oven!
Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Taco Casserole:
Optional Toppings:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
Crock Pot Instructions:
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In a large saute pan, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for 8-10 minutes, until browned.
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Add the water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a 2-5 minutes, until it thickens and taco meat forms.
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Transfer the beef to the Crock Pot. Add the diced peppers, onions, and drained diced tomatoes with green chiles. Mix everything together.
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Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook for 4 hours on Low or 2-3 hours on High.
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Right before serving, stir the casserole. (You can spoon out any excess liquid that may have accumulated, but there shouldn't be much if you drained the tomatoes well.) Set the Crock Pot to High and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts.
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Top the casserole with any toppings you like, such as lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and/or cilantro.
Oven Instructions:
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
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In a large saute pan, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for 8-10 minutes, until browned.
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Add the water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a 2-5 minutes, until it thickens and taco meat forms.
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Transfer the beef to a large baking dish. Add the diced peppers, onions, and drained diced tomatoes with green chiles. Mix everything together. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
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Bake keto taco casserole for 20-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. The peppers should be soft.
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Remove from the oven and top the casserole with any toppings you like, such as lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and/or cilantro.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups, or 1/6 entire recipe
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Store: Let the casserole cool, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Meal prep: Brown the beef ahead of time, keep it warm in the Crock Pot for up to 4 hours, or store the whole casserole in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Reheat: Warm in the slow cooker, microwave, or bake at 350 degrees F. If transferring to a new dish, add extra cheese on top before reheating!
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Freeze: Freeze without toppings for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight, reheat, and add fresh toppings before serving.
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Less spicy alternative: Substitute regular diced tomatoes for one or both cans of the diced tomatoes with green chilies. You could use fire-roasted tomatoes for more flavor without the heat.
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Note on nutrition info: It does not include optional toppings, since what you add (and how much), will vary.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Crock Pot Keto Taco Casserole
136 Comments
Debbie
0Excellent and easy! This will be a regular at our home. Thanks for a great recipe!
Amy
0This is so good!!!! Will be part of our weekly meal prep going forward. Great as the base for burrito bowls and just over salad greens. Thank you!!!
Pauline Cote
0This was so so good and it will become a repeat in our house for sure.
Pauline Cote
0Oh my, so delicious. This recipe is so easy and very delicious. It was a family hit for sure.
Audrey
0Can I use a low carb taco shell for the real thing?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Audrey, Yes, that should work.
Andrea Thueson
0This was such a tasty and hearty dish. Sometimes Keto dishes can not be as filling without a “carb” component, but this was soooo good and was plenty filling!
Amy
0Hi how long do you cook in the slow cooker on low?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Amy, You want to cook for 4 hours on low.
Kara
0I served it over a plate of shredded lettuce and it made for a super tasty taco salad!
Greg
0Can this be made in a Dutch oven instead? I don’t have a crock pot and my partner has a thing about them :s If so, how would the cooking differ? Thanks
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Greg, Yes, this could be done in a Dutch oven you just would not want to cook as long.
Wendy
0Excellent dish! So many ways to be creative with this dish – for example adding other spices or condiments. I added cilantro to the top and it really added a fantastic flavor.
Great recipe- thank you!
Marion cardoza
0I don’t have a crockpot, can this be made in the oven?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Marion, Yes, you could also make this in the oven.
Andrea
0Can I substitute ground turkey for lower calories? If so do you know what the calorie difference would be about?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Andrea, Yes, that would work.
Aries
0The recipe was easy to follow. I used the wholesome yum. Home made taco seasoning (2 things to note make sure you have enough of the ingredients to make the taco seasoning, I didn’t have enough chili powder or enough garlic powder. My husband is sensitive to spices. I had him try the taco meat score 1 he LIKED IT, however he noticed right away something was lacking. The next thing on the KETO TACO CASSEROLE (CROCK POT OR OVEN) I am using the crock pot version. I followed the recipe, what I want to know is why does it have to cooke on low for 4 hours? Every thing in there is already cooked! Why cant it cook on low for 2 hours? I cook it for 4 hours. I was just curious.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Aries, I find cooking on low for 4 hours gives this dish the best flavor.
Bob
0I have an instant pot with a slow cook option. Was wondering if I could use the saute feature to brown the beef, draining the grease prior to adding the taco seasoning and water and proceeding as per your recipe from there.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Bob, Yes, that should work for you.
Joginder Singh
0I like your blogs. No fluff, just helpful info. Great job.
Well Rounded Mom
0I’m going low-carb, but my growing kids obviously still need carbs. Would this work well as a keto casserole for me to eat on its own, but served with taco shells for the kids?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, That would definitely work for those that want to use taco shells.
Jackie
0I can’t get any recipes to print, help please
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Jackie, on the recipe card you should see a Print button — it’s located near the ingredients list.
Elaine
0I did not use a crockpot. I used the drained liquid from the diced tomatoes and green chilis in place of the water. I did have to add just a bit of water to make the 3/4 cup. It was very, very flavorful.
Dawn
0Thank you! – was wondering if the Rotel liquid could be used in place of the water.
Carol
0Such a treat! We took the casserole and made it into a taco salad by adding lettuce and all the fixings over the top. It made enough for leftovers another night, so an added bonus. SO yummy!
Imsen
0We Love this recipe! Even my picky kids devour it. It’s the perfect meal and the leftovers store/freeze well.
Charlene
0I would like to make this tomorrow but don’t have any peppers. Will it still be good without them or is there a good substitute?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Charlene, I think it would still be fine if you omit the peppers.
Maureen
0Can you tell me how much longer it is to slow cook this recipe on low when increasing ingredients for 10 people? The conversion doesn’t change the cooking time. Thank you, in advance.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Maureen, I believe that you could cook it on low for 4 hours and be good. The meat is the only thing that needs to be fully cooked and that is done before placing it in the crock pot.