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 the ones I use.
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
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my 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
Catherine
0Made this for the first time last night and it’s a hit!
I was a little apprehensive at first re. what seemed like a lot of steps, but everything was so easy. And using the same pan for everything was appreciated!
(I didn’t have a can of tomatoes w/chilies so I cut up two tomatoes and two pepperoncini peppers and let them drain before adding – perfect.)
Cheryl Stephen
0This is a meal everyone will enjoy. Freezes well so you can make it up ahead of time.
Christie
0This was very good and simple! I had to work late… until nearly 6 and had this on the table before 7! I did use frozen riced cauliflower and halved the recipe. Simply fabulous!
Catherine French
0If I want to freeze the Mexican Casserole do I have to bake it in the oven first?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Catherine, No, you can just assemble the casserole and then freeze, no need to bake it first.
Rosa
0I just made a triple batch because I loved the first one so much. Thank you!
Cindy G
0Just made this dish and it’s great! I had made buffalo cauliflower wings yesterday and had leftovers so I riced them in the food processor and used that. Lowered the amount of seasoning a tad due to the hot sauce and it turned out great. Served with avocado slices, cilantro and diced tomatoes. Thank you!
Sandy
0Absolutely loved it! I used green pepper because that is what I had, and a whole onion. I also used your taco seasoning (highly recommended). My DH is just starting his keto journey, so thank you for a tasty meal. Can’t wait to find out how the leftovers taste.
Mary Pidgeonmama
0Made this last week end and husband has asked for it again
Mary Pidgeon
0Made this last weekend and we loved it.
Adeline
0Hey Maya! I wanted to ask with the bell peppers which did you use between red, orange and yellow? I got a bit confused because it looks like all 3 but then the recipe calls for 2 large. I plan on making this tomorrow then storing it in individual containers for the rest of the week 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Adeline, I used red and yellow.
Cathy Fischl
0DELISH!!! Both my husband and I loved it. Put a square on a bed of lettuce, side of fresh tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream. It was wonderful!
Jennifer McCalmon
0Hello! Love many of your recipes. Would love to try this casserole but I don’t care for sour cream. Is it very obvious in this recipe? Could I just leave it out or maybe that whole layer? Or sub with something else?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jennifer, You can leave out the sour cream if you wish, but it’s not very noticeable with all the other flavors in the casserole. It’s just there to mellow out the heat.
dotti
0This is sooooo yummmmyyyyyy!! great recipe!!!
Gina Duran
0Sounds delicious! Question: the sour cream doesn’t curdle or spoil when you cook it?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Gina, No, the sour cream won’t spoil when cooked in this recipe.
Cheryl Stephen
0Great recipe. Easy to make ahead. I will definetly make this again.
teri
0Please, please fix the video app — on my ipad, ALL videos end abruptly and before completion of the demonstration — so frustrating….
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Teri, When watching a video on the recipe card, you will have to press the ‘stay’ button when it pops up on the screen about 3/4 of the way through the video, or it will skip to the next recipe.
Julia
0This was delicious. My husband and my kids loved it. I did one pepper and a whole onion instead of two peppers and 1/2 an onion, just cause I wanted more onion. Also did ground turkey cause it’s what I had. Next time I’ll do ground beef. This definitely goes on the rotation
Helen Kennedy
0I adjusted the recipe a little bit and it was delicious!
Ned F
0I’m going to try this dish tonight, but I have searched the recipe for the amount of ground beef to use. I suppose I will just adjust to what seems right, but for future reference, I’d like to know. I made another ground beef recipe that did not mention the weight of meat to use. It worked out well, but it’s nice to know in advance how to adjust ingredients. I do love this site, it’s my goto for keto.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Ned, If you look at the recipe card you will see that it is listed at 2lbs.
Ned F
0Thank you, I did not know I could adjust the recipe by changing the servings. I’m learning, that’s very helpful!
Now I just need to figure out what 7/12ths of a cup is.
Kristen
07/12 is just a little over a 1/2 cup.
Mary
0I love the flavors of this recipe and I only give it 4 stars because I think it was my mistake to use frozen cauliflower rice. If you use frozen there is more moisture that needs to be cooked off. My casserole was runny because I didn’t cook the “rice” long enough in the first step to evaporate the liquid. Or, I did not drain the tomatoes and green chilies well enough. But, everything else was fantastic.
Jacqueline Pickowicz
0This was excellent! I added a minced fresh jalapeño to the pepper and onion. Loved it!
Brenda
0I made this for dinner today. It was so sooo good. I did not change anything in the recipe. And will be adding this recipe to my family favorites.
Crystal
0This was so good!
Margie
0Tried this recipe with a few adjustments. I substituted shredded pork butt, which I cooked in my instant pot, for the ground beef. The taco seasoning you buy will affect the flavor. And I don’t like bell peppers so I substituted a 4 oz can of mild chilies. Great recipe!
Susan white
0Thank you! This was so good! My picky husband liked it too! Finally a website I can depend on. It was just as wonderful the next day, it did not last past lunch. -Sue
P.S. You have a new fan.
Kari
0This was so good. We get tired of the same old stuff every day, this was a nice change up. Every recipe I’ve tried from wholesome yum has been awesome.
Kari
0Love this.
Kim
0I used frozen cauliflower. If you cook it from frozen in the skillet, it’s not watery at all! I used a can of diced chiles instead of bell peppers and it was so delish! I would definitely make this again! Thanks Maya!!
Karen
0I only have homemade frozen cauli rice (never cooked) – can I use this in place of fresh cauli rice?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Karen, Yes, frozen cauliflower should work in this recipe. Make sure to drain the water after cooking to make sure the casserole isn’t soupy.
Kim Kolleck
0This is absolutely delish!!!! I’m just starting KETO and this casserole can be used for several different things the next few days. I’m going to put fried eggs on it for breakfast, throw it on a bed of salad for lunch & just eat it plan for dinner or mix in some bone broth for a soup. I used ground chicken rather than beef. I like both!!!
Connie
0I made this today! I love it. The only thing I did different was I added a can of green chiles on top of the other ingredients in the rice. I love this! It is so delicious
Jody and Tom Wolfe
0Great recipe but site to difficult to maneuver – a real pity. Took a simple recipe and made it WAY too complicated on the website.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jody and Tom, Sorry this was a bit too complicated for you. I also have a recipe for a Crock Pot taco casserole if you are looking for a simpler recipe.
Hannah
0This recipe is so delicious, I we have it practically every week. Last time I made it, we were out of Cauliflower rice, so I used frozen broccoli & cauliflower florets instead. Still super delicious! You could probably sub zucchini too. Highly recommend for those craving Mexican food!
Leilani Roach
0This was delicious, I made it with shredded chicken. Truly delicious!
Tanya Robinson
0My son said, “Mom, can you make that Mexican Casserole again? It’s legit the best keto thing you have ever made!” That’s a big deal coming from a 15 year old boy!
Katie Powell
0O my goodness this is delicious! Yes I licked my plate a little and I am not sorry! Definitely going into my dinner rotations! Thank you for sharing!! ❤️
Julie Marrero
0Made this tonight and it was delicious! Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Shay
0this is an amazing lunch option that I made for my weekly meal prep!!! #YUMMY
Veronica
0Absolutely delish! Spicy for my taste but that’s an easy fix 🙂
Roz
0We loved this recipe. Great taste and very yummy.
RickP
0I”m going to try this but use brown rice. The cauliflower rice thing just didn’t do it for me in another recipe.
DLK
0Although the meat was very tasty… the rest was sort of bland. We are used to things that have full bodied flavor and this does not. If I make it again I will definitely add something other than salt and pepper to the cauliflower and vegetables. The consistency was perfect and wasn’t watery at all!
Ginny
0What if anything would be a substitute for the Cauliflower…..unfortunately Cauliflower gives me indigestion…Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ginny, Feel free to get creative with the ‘rice’ aspect of the dish. Riced broccoli or zucchini will also do well here.
Mirlene
0Love this recipe and the added vegetables weren’t noticeable for the kids. They enjoyed every bite.
Alisha Rodrigues
0I don’t follow Keto but if food looks like this I wouldn’t mind doing it all my life . Gosh !! You just make such delicious stuff
Roxana
0Your recipe is so packed with flavor and so nicely presented. I love the extra tips and pics.
Michelle
0Looks fantastic. I love that you added so many veggies to this. I’ve seen so many keto recipes that are lacking in the veggie department. I can’t wait to make this one! 🙂
Shelley Fulton
0One dish recipes like this are such a total lifesaver on busy nights – so easy to make and with absolutely minimal cleanup! I love the law-carb, nutritious boost from subbing cauliflower in place of the rice – brilliant!
Neli Howard
0Is it wrong that I want to eat this at 11 in the night? Yum!
Priya Lakshminarayan
0Love a good casserole recipe! Made my mouth water.
Angela
0My family has just started eating low carb. We loved this casserole!