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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
Aries
1I loved the recipe. It was easy to follow. A few things to note: 1. I used Wholesome Yum homemade Taco Seasoning. It was really better than a store bought version. (I can’t stand the taste of just plain hamburger, so I always make taco meat, and yes, even make taco meat with spaghetti. 2. I didn’t have a bell pepper, so I used banana peppers (they worked out great and added just a little spice.) 3. It was really good. Not knowing if my family would like it or not, I made enough for one helping. I need to double the recipe, so to save someone’s time, just double the recipe so your family will like it.
Ann Bosche
0My family loved the crock pot version of the Keto Taco Casserole. It was very easy to make and flavorful. No one knew it was a healthy version of the Taco Casserole I usually make. This one is a new family favorite.
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad your family loved it, Ann! It’s great to hear that it has become a new family favorite.
Krista
0This is amazing! I added jalapeno to my veggies and served with avocado and sour cream. Delicious!
Wholesome Yum D
0Krista, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Adding jalapeños sounds like a great way to give it a little kick. Thanks for sharing!
Mary
0The Keto Taco Casserole is super easy to make and so delicious. I make a batch on the weekend and eat for lunch everyday. I put it over shredded cabbage and this was such a great combination with the crunchiness and slight sweetness of the cabbage combined with the taco mixture. One of my favorite recipes.
Wholesome Yum D
0So glad you’re loving that one, Mary! Pairing it with shredded cabbage is such a smart idea, the crunch and little bit of sweetness really do balance the taco flavors so well. Love that it’s become an easy lunch staple for you!
Sandy
0This is one of our favorite meals. I fix it differently every time, with the exception of always adding a can of refried beans. I’ve followed your directions by adding the peppers and onions freshly chopped to the seasoned beef, and I’ve also added the peppers and onions into the pan of browned and seasoned beef. It tastes great either way.
Wholesome Yum D
0That sounds wonderful, Sandy! So happy this one has become a favorite for you!
BB
0We love this casserole and serve it over crisped tortilla shell or on lettuce. I make it often.
Wholesome Yum D
0So glad you love it, BB! Serving it over a crispy tortilla or on lettuce sounds delicious. Love that it’s a regular in your kitchen!
Mo Kelly
0This recipe was easy and most important delicious. I had all the ingredients plus I added some garlic. I bake my keto tortillas in the oven & I will be making this again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy you liked it, Mo! Garlic is a great addition.
Christina L Brown
0The best part of a crockpot meal, is that you dump ingredients into the pot and turn it on…..this recipe has you cooking and seasoning the beef first, then pouring it into the crockpot to simmer all day – not my idea of easy –
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Hi Christina, We’ll have to agree to disagree on that. 😉 To me the best parts of a Crock Pot meal are that you can make it ahead and that everything tastes more juicy. And cooking ground beef quickly is quite easy. You can dump it directly into the pot if you prefer, but it tastes much better if you brown it first. It doesn’t sound like you actually made this recipe, so I hope you get a chance to rate it when you actually make it.
SusieSea
0The Crock Pot Keto Taco Casserole was yummy!! I had every intention of using my slow cooker, however, I ran out of time and got home late so I made it stovetop with everything the recipe calls for and browned the ground beef with the onion and peppers, added the drained tomatoes and water for the taco seasoning, then cooked it slow for approximately one hour and my husband gave it a 5 STAR rating which is very hard to achieve…his best review! Very good!!
Meghan
0Hi !!! I’d love to make this but I can’t find the alternative for a less spicy casserole. Please help.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry about that, Meghan! Not sure where my note went but I added it back in. You can use regular diced tomatoes instead of the kind with green chilies.
Maggie
0Would the addition of black beans be good in this? (It would stretch the meat a bit farther.)
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Maggie, Yes, absolutely, that would work great from a recipe standpoint. Just keep in mind beans are higher in carbs.
Kate
0Delicious!
Made this last night and served it over cauliflower rice! Topped with chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, plus a squeeze of lime. My entire family loved this dish! Will definitely make again!
Thanks, Maya, for creating such delicious low-carb recipes. Yours is my go-to website when I’m faced with the daily dinner dilemma!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked it, Kate! That sounds like a delicious combination for a meal. I’m so happy to hear my website is your go-to — thank you so much!
Linda Dreher
0The taco casserole was delicious! I made Mexican rice to put the casserole over and I cut up some almond flour tortillas and put them in the air fryer. Another 5 star recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Linda! That sounds like a delicious way to serve this taco casserole!
pjkarolchyk
0It was great but I used salsa.
Nicole
0I made it and it’s very good over some chips, my only complaint is i wish it would have included in the directions to drain the meat before putting in the water, it has so much oil in it bc i figure the lack of draining in the instructions had a purpose 😅
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nicole, Sorry to hear it was oily for you. I use 85/15 ground beef and it’s not usually too oily, but if yours has higher fat content it’s probably best to drain it next time. I’m glad you liked it otherwise, though.
Tammy Tyler
0I was wondering, If you can substitute ground chicken for the ground beef? Because my husband and I really do not eat a lot of ground beef or red meat.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tammy, Yes, you can do that if you like.
T
0I don’t see the note for less spicy alternative, also can’t have tomatoes due to acid reflux
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0The less spicy alternative would be plain diced tomatoes instead of ones with green chiles. I don’t have a good substitute without tomatoes altogether, though. You could just leave thm out, but the casserole may be dry and less flavorful.
MaryAnne
0Husband and I enjoyed this. He is not always happy when I tell him it is a Keto recipe. Didn’t say a word. Just asked him how it was. Replied that it was good, had good flavor. He added tortilla chips to his servings. Made it in a crockpot. The 2 of us ate half of it. Will probably freeze and save for a night I don’t want to cook
Sonya
0Love it!
Deb
0This is a very simple recipe that hubby loves. He rolls into a tortilla and is very happy. If energetic enough I will make a keto tortilla or buy a low carb option from the market. The longer it sits after cooking the better it is. Enjoy!