Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowIf you’re looking for a one-dish low carb Mexican dinner for Taco Tuesday (or any day!), this keto ground beef casserole recipe is a sure win to add to your rotation. It’s very similar to my Crock-Pot taco casserole but is made in the oven like cheeseburger casserole. It makes a delicious and filling meal with all the taco flavors everyone loves, loaded with veggies and protein… just like with keto tamales, you won’t even miss the carbs! 😉
I love keto ground beef casserole recipes like this one, because they are easy to make and the whole meal is in one dish. (Actually, that’s most keto casserole recipes!) And if you take advantage of keto meal planning like I do, this Mexican ground beef casserole is excellent for prepping ahead or even freezing for later.
What’s In Keto Ground Beef Casserole?
There are all kinds of keto ground beef casserole recipes, but this one is packed with Mexican flavors.
Mexican casserole recipes will vary on ingredients as well. This low carb Mexican casserole with ground beef is made with a veggie layer, meat layer, and cheese layer. Here are the ingredients found in this easy keto ground beef casserole:
- Cauliflower rice – This isn’t just any cauliflower rice, it’s also flavored with diced tomatoes with green chiles.
TIP: This Mexican ground beef casserole is fairly spicy. For a milder version, replace the diced tomatoes with green chiles with plain diced tomatoes instead. Or serve with extra sour cream if you need to cool it down a bit.
- Vegetable layer – Traditional fajita veggies like peppers and onions make up this layer.
- Taco meat – Ground beef is simply seasoned with taco seasoning. You could also use Mexican chorizo for this recipe.
- Cheese – We’ve used a Mexican cheese blend, but cheddar is also awesome.
- Optional toppings – See below for ideas!
How To Make Keto Ground Beef Casserole
Making this dish is just a few easy steps. Here’s how to make a Mexican casserole that’s full of flavor and low on carbs:
- Cook cauliflower rice. In a skillet, cook cauliflower rice with avocado oil and sea salt. Find full instructions for making cauliflower rice here.
- Add diced tomatoes with green chilies. Drain the can first, then stir into the rice. Transfer the mixture to the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Cook bell peppers and onions. Wipe out the skillet, heat more oil, and saute bell peppers and onions, until soft and starting to brown. Season with salt and pepper.
… And arrange over the casserole dish:
- Add sour cream. Spread it over the vegetables and smooth with a spatula.
- Cook ground beef. Add the ground beef to the pan and increase heat to medium-high. Break apart with spatula, until browned. Add the water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer until it thickens.
… And spread beef over the pan:
- Top with cheese. I used a Mexican blend, but cheddar works, too!
- Bake. Since all the layers are already cooked, this goes quickly – just until casserole is hot and cheese is melted.
To serve, simply use a turner to cut the casserole into even pieces (I recommend 3 by 3, so 9 total), then scoop from underneath so that you get all the layers.
Serving Suggestions
The awesome thing about this dish is that it’s a complete meal! You don’t need anything on the side. But, you do need toppings. All the toppings. 😉 Here are the basics to add:
- Tomatoes
- Jalapenos
- Avocados
- Sour cream
- Fresh cilantro
Or you could add a few prepared toppings, too:
Let everyone top their own with their favorite taco toppings, or if your family likes the same thing, you can add them right onto the casserole, too! You could even serve these with a side of almond flour tortillas.
Storage Instructions
- Can you make it ahead? Yes, you can make this keto Mexican casserole ahead. It’s one of the best things about Mexican dinner casseroles – they reheat so nicely.
- To store: Store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To freeze: You can also freeze this keto Mexican casserole for 3-4 months. It’s a great meal to prep ahead or double to freeze for later.
- To reheat: Warm in the microwave or a 350 degree F oven, until hot.
More Keto Casserole Recipes
If you like this keto friendly casserole with ground beef, you might also like these:
- Broccoli Casserole Recipe – Just 5 ingredients and loads of flavor.
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole – Just 30 minutes to prep this creamy, cheesy casserole that has all of the Philly cheesesteak flavors you love.
- Spaghetti Squash Casserole – Chicken, spaghetti squash, buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing. Just 6 ingredients to make this healthy, comforting meal.
Tools To Make A Keto Ground Beef Casserole
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Skillet – This one is the perfect size, doesn’t stick, and doesn’t scratch easily.
- Meat Chopper – Use this convenient meat chopper whenever you need to brown ground meat.
- 9×13 Glass Casserole Dish – This baking dish comes with a lid, and can even go from fridge or freezer to oven if you want to prep this keto Mexican casserole ahead.
Keto Ground Beef Casserole (Mexican Style)
Everyone loves this Mexican keto ground beef casserole recipe! Make it with simple ingredients and pile it high with toppings.
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Cauliflower rice:
Vegetables:
Taco meat:
Cheese topping:
Optional Toppings:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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In a skillet, cook cauliflower rice like this, with 1 tablespoon (14.79 ml) avocado oil and 1/2 tsp (2.46 g) sea salt.
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Stir in the drained diced tomatoes with green chiles. Transfer the mixture to the bottom of a 9x13 glass casserole dish. Set aside.
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Wipe down the skillet to remove any cauliflower pieces. Heat another tablespoon of oil over medium heat, then add the bell peppers and onions. Saute for 10-15 minutes, until soft and starting to brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Arrange the vegetables over the cauliflower rice in the casserole dish. Spread sour cream evenly on top with a spatula. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Add the ground beef to the pan and increase heat to medium-high. Cook for about 10 minutes, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned.
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Add the water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2-5 minutes, until it thickens and taco meat forms.
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Spread the beef mixture evenly over the casserole dish. Sprinkle with shredded Mexican cheese on top.
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Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/9 entire casserole, or approximately 1.5-2 cups
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We'd LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
89 Comments
Tannis
0I put this together earlier in the day and then popped in the oven when it was time for dinner. It was delicious!!
Wendy Hansen
0We love this. Easy to make, wholesome, stores well until we eat it up and we do eat it up. (There are only two of us). You can play with the flavors or add taco sauce if you want but we love it just like it’s written.
Robin T Fontenot
0Can this be made in advance and kept in fridge to bake later? If so, how many days in advance?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Robin, Yes, you can make this keto Mexican casserole ahead and store for 1 to 2 days.
Julie
0Hi was wondering if you have a cook book I can purchase
If so where can.i buy it
….thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Julie, Yes, I do! You can see my cookbooks here.
Andrea Birnie
0Loved how simple the recipe was especially as it was so very tasty. Will definitely be looking for more of your delicious recipes especially as we have just paused Gousto for a little while whilst following a keto diet.
Charlie Chaboude
0Is this able to be frozen?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Charlie, You can freeze this keto Mexican casserole for 3-4 months. It’s a great meal to prep ahead or double to freeze for later.
Tamra
0Can this be made without the sour cream? I can’t have dairy and the rest of my family doesn’t like sour cream.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Tamra, You can omit the sour cream.
Jackie O Smith
0We had this tonight and it was so yummy! I did a few alterations to fit what I had available. I used frozen cauli rice and went by the microwave directions. I used salsa instead of the canned tomatoes..I had half a jar in the fridge so it was perfect. All I had was cheddar cheese so I measured it in a bowl and added fajita seasoning and tossed. I will be making this again…Husband also said it was very good!
Celina
0This recipe is a keeper 😋, the whole family loved it.
Brenda
0I really wanted to love this recipe but it just didn’t work for me. Too many mushy peppers just overpowered it. (I sometimes have texture issues so it’s probably just me). I think it needs some crunch, maybe I overcooked the veggies. Next time I will try less peppers and maybe add some jalapenos instead. Maybe my peppers were extra large, lol. I need to figure out now what to do with all the leftovers that I don’t know what to do with. I hate to throw out all these good ingredients. Can I convert it to something else? If there wasn’t cheese in there I could make it into a soup?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Brenda, I suggest making it into tacos or eating with tortilla chips.
John L
0Wow! This was so easy to put together and came out so much better than my expectations. This is definitely a keeper, Everyone loved it. Thank you!
April
0Oh my goodness I made this tonight for my son and myself it was absolutely delicious!! My son and I loved it. I’ll definitely be making it again!!
Michelle
0Very good! I left out the cauli rice and used Keto wraps instead to make a rip and dip kind of meal. Tasted amazing and plenty of leftovers for next day. I also cut the peppers in strips instead of diced to give some extra crunch. Definitely added to favorites!
Nancy B
0Just started keto and this was so good and easy. Will definitely be making it again. Loved that it had easily found ingredients. I used frozen cauliflower rice straight from the package to skillet….so simple.
Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes.
Linda
0Needs to have more flavor…maybe two taco seasoning packages?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Linda, This recipe calls for 1/4 cup of seasoning.
Pam
0Really good. It took me a long time to put together but I am always slow making something new.
Kim szalay mowery
0Very yummy and easy to make! Added cilentro and spring onions to top….Awesome!
Kathy
0Served this to my husband for dinner. He had two servings he liked it so much. Simple to prepare!
Michelle B
0Hello Maya. I can’t eat broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini or yellow squash. Can you recommend another low carb option for a lot of your Mexican casserole or other meals with cauliflower in it? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Michelle, Other low carb veggies you could try include brussels sprouts, green beans, and spinach.
Delegus
0Wonderful, flavorful and everything meshes together to make a perfect dish. Fantastic recipe, 10/10. Thank you so much for sharing it.