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!

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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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.

How many carbs in a Dairy Queen taco salad without the shell? ›

Dairy Queen Beef Taco Salad (1 serving) contains 65g total carbs, 54g net carbs, 43g fat, 29g protein, and 723 calories.

Can you eat salad on low carb diet? ›

You can eat a variety of salads on keto, as long as they contain healthy fats and proteins and are low in carbs. Egg salad, grilled chicken salad, shrimp salad, cauliflower salad, arugula salad, cucumber salad, antipasto salad, Greek salad, Caprese salad, and spinach salad are just a few keto-friendly salads to enjoy.

Is taco salad high carbs? ›

Taco salad, with beef, fried tortilla, cheese, lettuce, tomato, beans, avocado, olives (1 cup) contains 18.7g total carbs, 16g net carbs, 14.2g fat, 7.9g protein, and 232 calories.

What is the main ingredient of a salad? ›

Pieces of vegetables, fruits, eggs, or grains mixed with a sauce. 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.

How many carbs are in a taco salad without a bowl? ›

Taco Bueno Beef Taco Salad Without Tortilla Bowl (1 serving) contains 15g total carbs, 13g net carbs, 45g fat, 28g protein, and 564 calories.

Can you eat taco shells on a low carb diet? ›

There are a few different options for keto taco shells – both crispy taco shells (made of cheese) and soft taco shells. Here are my favorite ways to enjoy tacos on keto: Keto Almond Flour Tortillas – It's hard to tell that these soft tortillas aren't made from flour!

What can I eat at a Mexican restaurant that is low carb? ›

List of keto Mexican dishes
  • Fajitas. Fajitas are a popular sizzling-hot dish that usually includes bell pepper and onion, along with a protein like chicken, beef, or shrimp. ...
  • Ceviche. Ceviche originated in Peru, but you can find it on many Mexican restaurant menus. ...
  • Guacamole. ...
  • Carnitas. ...
  • Chorizo. ...
  • Queso. ...
  • Salsa. ...
  • Birria.
Mar 16, 2022

How many carbs are in a taco salad with tortilla bowl? ›

Mad Mex Salads Taco (w Fried 12" Flour Tortilla Bowl) (1 serving) contains 72g total carbs, 65g net carbs, 43g fat, 42g protein, and 840 calories.

How many carbs are in a taco salad with shells? ›

Amount/Serving%DV*Amount/Serving
Total Fat 28.5g44%Tot. Carb. 63.2g
Sat. Fat 13g65%Dietary Fiber 6.7g
Trans Fat 0.2gSugars 6.9g
Cholesterol 69.8mg23%Protein 28.6g
2 more rows

Which lettuce has least carbs? ›

There are various types of lettuce available; however, iceberg lettuce has the lowest number of carbs among them. Romaine lettuce can also be considered a low carbohydrate leafy vegetable because the carb content is 3.29 grams per 100 grams. This green vegetable serves many health benefits.

Can you eat too much cheese on a low-carb diet? ›

Overdoing it on meat and cheese has its own health risks and may lead to weight gain, as these foods contain a lot of calories (primarily from fat). Going low-carb isn't a license to eat as much of these foods as you want.

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 in a taco salad from Taco Bell? ›

Instead, it features a seasoned ground beef mixture (seasoned with Taco Bell's signature taco seasoning), shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, and guacamole, all served in a crispy taco shell bowl or on a bed of tortilla chips.

Is taco salad good for you? ›

Nutrition Highlights (per serving)

Although you may think of taco salad as a healthy option, it often comes with more calories and fat than you might expect from a salad.

References

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