Low Carb Taco Salad Recipe (2024)

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This low carb taco salad recipe is healthy, easy to make, and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes. It’s loaded with delicious southwest flavors!

Low Carb Taco Salad Recipe (1)

This low-carb beef taco salad recipe really hit the spot for me. It’s been ages since I’ve had a taco salad with ground beef. And guess what? I didn’t even miss the tortilla chips. There’s plenty of flavor and crunch in here without it.

The taco salad dressing is simply sour cream, the adobo sauce that comes in a can of chipotle chilis, and some fresh lime juice. It tastes amazing with the other ingredients!

Low Carb Taco Salad Recipe (2)

What’s in taco salad?

This easy taco salad recipe includes:

  • Romaine lettuce
  • Extra lean ground beef
  • Tomatoes
  • Red onions
  • Cheese (you can use just cheddar but I used a Mexican shredded cheese blend that includes cheddar, Monterey Jack, and queso quesadilla cheeses)
  • Avocado
  • A homemade sour-cream based chipotle dressing
  • An easy homemade spice blend similar to taco seasoning that you can buy

I left out the tortilla chips – this saves carbs and calories.

I think you’ll love this smoky chipotle taco salad recipe. I love how fast it comes together, and we’ve only got healthy real-food ingredients in here. Definitely one of my favorite comfort foods.

Low Carb Taco Salad Recipe (3)

How do you make taco salad low-carb?

You don’t really have to make too many changes to make a taco salad low-carb. I omitted the tortilla chips that are sometimes included in taco salad recipes. I actually don’t miss them at all, and I find that the onions and lettuce give it enough crunch.

I also left out beans, which you sometimes see in taco salad recipes.

I used a few spices to make my own homemade taco seasoning for this salad, but if you’re in a rush or don’t have the individual spices, you can use taco seasoning instead.

You may also like my low-carb taco bowls, these low-carb taco zucchini boats, mybeef taco soup, or to browse my other low-carb recipes. Don’t mind the carbs? Try my regular beef taco salad recipe.

Low Carb Taco Salad Recipe (4)

Hope you love this low-carb ground beef taco salad recipe!

Questions? Ask me in the comments below.

Low Carb Taco Salad Recipe (5)

5 from 3 votes

Low-Carb Taco Salad Recipe

By Natasha Bull

This low-carb taco salad recipe is healthy, easy to make, and it's ready in less than 30 minutes. It's packed with delicious southwest flavors!

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 medium red onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup Mexican shredded cheese blend
  • 1 avocado chopped
  • 1 cup little tomatoes (grape, cherry, etc.) halved
  • 1 small head romaine lettuce torn into bite-size pieces

Dressing:

  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (see note)
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Add the olive oil, beef, and spices to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, using a spoon to break the meat up into smaller pieces (and stir often), for around 7 minutes or until it's cooked through.

  • Meanwhile, prep your other salad ingredients and add them to a large salad bowl.

  • Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk them together.

  • Once the ground beef is cooked, sprinkle it over the salad. Add dressing and toss. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Adobo sauce is the sauce that's in those little cans of chipotle chilis with adobo sauce (find these in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store). The dressing was semi-spicy when I used 1 tbsp of the sauce. It gives the dressing a wonderful smoky flavor. Add more if you want it hotter. Chop up a pepper or two if you want it really spicy!
  • If you don't want to use the individual spices like I did, you can use pre-made taco seasoning if you prefer.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of recipe, Calories: 415kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 106mg, Sodium: 995mg, Potassium: 863mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1749IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 170mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

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Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

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Low Carb Taco Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many net carbs in a taco salad without shell? ›

Taco Bell Fiesta Beef Taco Salad, without shell (1 each) contains 41.5g total carbs, 35g net carbs, 19.9g fat, 24g protein, and 438 calories.

Is Wendy's taco salad keto friendly? ›

Is Wendy's Taco Salad Keto? Wendy's Taco Salad no doubt is probably pretty darn good, but unfortunately is not so keto. That puppy weighs in at a whopping 67 grams of carbs!

What are the four 4 components of salad? ›

The basic parts of a salad are the base, the body, the garnish, and the dressing. The five basic types of salad are green salads (tossed or composed), bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination.

Are taco salads unhealthy? ›

Worst: Taco Salad

That's because they start with a deep-fried tortilla shell. That “bowl” alone can have nearly 400 calories and 22 grams of fat. Then it's filled with oversized portions of ground beef, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. This salad can weigh in at 800 calories or more!

Is a taco salad without the shell healthy? ›

But if you leave out the tortilla chips or taco shell, use fat-free cheese, and swap in plain yogurt for the traditional sour cream, taco salad can become a healthy, filling, low-carb, and flavorful meal.

What is a low-carb Mexican meal? ›

Low-Carb Mexican Food Substitutes

Replace any of the taco, tamale, or enchilada platters with whatever grilled fish (pescado) is on the menu. Try Pollo Asado, grilled chicken, instead of Chimichangas or Flautas. Shrimp are even better in Camarones al Ajili, shrimp in garlic sauce, than they are in Shrimp Enchiladas.

Are corn taco shells low-carb? ›

Corn tortillas are low carb, but they are not zero carbs. That's important if you're on a keto or no-carb diet, where you're carefully monitoring your net carbs intake. They are a fantastic low-carb alternative to flour tortillas and can help you out in a low-carb diet or a weight loss diet.

How many carbs are in an avocado? ›

Source Of. A whole medium avocado contains about 240 calories, 13 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein, 22 grams fat (15 grams monounsaturated, 4 grams polyunsaturated, 3 grams saturated), 10 grams fiber, and 11 milligrams sodium.

What is dirty keto? ›

Dirty keto diet is a type of ketogenic diet that is high in ultra processed foods (fast foods), artificial ingredients, and pre-packaged foods. Unlike traditional keto diet or clean keto, it has no regard for the quality of food consumed, as long as it fits into the dieter's daily macros.

Is mayo keto friendly? ›

Mayo is a great keto condiment because it is high in fat. Mayo contains polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that are good fats. Both of these fats can help decrease your heart disease risk and reduce your cholesterol levels.

Is Subway keto? ›

With between 55 and 57 grams of carbs apiece, none are a good fit for a keto diet as-is. But since this is Subway, it's easy to tailor your meal to your preferences. Just order your wrap without the bread. Eggs, cheese, and meat are all keto-friendly.

What is the main ingredient in tacos? ›

The most common type of taco in the US is the hard-shell, U-shaped version, first described in a cookbook in 1949. This type of taco is typically served as a crisp-fried corn tortilla filled with seasoned ground beef, cheese, lettuce, and sometimes tomato, onion, salsa, sour cream, and avocado or guacamole.

What is the main ingredient of a salad? ›

Garden salads use a base of leafy greens such as lettuce, arugula or rocket, kale or spinach; they are common enough that the word salad alone often refers specifically to garden salads.

What are the most popular taco ingredients? ›

The most common toppings that you will find for crispy tacos are shredded lettuce (romaine or iceberg lettuce), finely shredded cabbage, sliced or chopped tomatoes, and onions (white onion is more popular than red onion). This list can go on for ages, but I will only mention the most popular fried tacos. Shredded Beef.

What is the order of taco ingredients? ›

To assemble tacos, layer beef mixture, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes in each taco shell. Serve with salsa; top with sour cream.

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