How to Make a Keto-Friendly Taco Salad from Scratch

If you're not gluten free, just eat the taco salad
and leave the crispy flour tortilla behind when eating out.

Are you missing Mexican food?

Corn tortillas, Spanish rice, and refried beans are traditional Mexican cuisine, but you can take your inspiration from a Tex-Mex jumbo tostada and made yourself one heck of a Taco Salad from scratch.

You don't have to leave the guacamole, sour cream, homemade salsa, or grated cheese behind either. Peppers are also fair game, as well.

Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines.

Can you tell? 

When I was raising my kids in Southern California, we had it all the time. Mexican restaurants are quite popular there, so before I went low carb we constantly ate:

• enchiladas
• quesadillas
• burritos
• posole
• and tacos

Within that popular cuisine, my favorite food is tacos. Tacos are cheap, tasty, and I never get tired of them!

Lucky for me, when we switched to a Keto diet, I didn't have to give up my beloved tacos, but I did have to start making them a little bit differently.

While there are low-carb tortillas available almost everywhere these days, most of them are made with high-gluten ingredients. Hubby and I are gluten free, so high-gluten tortillas are not an option for us.

Corn tortillas are gluten free, but the carb count is fairly high -- about 9 or 10 carbs each. This makes them a suitable maintenance food for low carbers or better suited for those who can handle more than 30 carbs per day.

Instead of filling my plate with three fried corn tortillas like I used to do, or even cutting down to two as I would do on maintenance, I started reaching for that yummy filling instead.

Like burritos, the filling is going to be the lowest in carbs, so if you ditch those 10-carb corn tortillas, and load up your plate with just the taco filling, you can whip up a hefty taco salad without going over your carbohydrate budget.

This is good news for those who are used to having at least one Mexican meal a week, especially if you love guacamole, fresh salsa, sour cream, and grated cheese.

Oh, and olives.

Don't forget to top your masterpiece with a few whole black olives. At one carb for 5 or 6 olives, it's a tradition that you don't have to let go of!

Taco Seasoning Mix

Most taco seasoning mixes come with a hefty dash of sugar and starches, as well as a steep price for the few spices you get, but you can easily make your own low-carb version at home.

While this spice list is a bit lengthy, please don't let that scare you off.

You'll be able to use this mix on more than just the meat you choose for your salad. We love it in chili, soups, and fresh salsa, as well as taco and burrito bowls.

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons chili powder
• 5 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 2 tablespoons dried cilantro
• (or use 1 tsp ground coriander)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
• 2 teaspoons Splenda, or other sweetener
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed, dried red peppers
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Mesquite Chipotle Seasoning

Just combine all the ingredients together, mix well, and store in an air-tight container.

If you want this taco seasoning mix to be extra spicy, you can add another:

• 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
• and/or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Don't have dried cilantro or even coriander? It's available in Mexican spice sections of your local supermarket, but if you can't find it, you can add some minced fresh cilantro leaves directly to your taco filling when making it.

I've done this both ways.

Taco Sauce

You can make your taco sauce as thin or thick as you like.

Some people prefer taco sauce and some people prefer a more chunkier salsa, cooked picante sauce, or even fresh salsa recipes. This particular taco sauce recipe is easy and quick to make, provided you already have the taco seasoning mix made up ahead.

Most taco sauce brands are low in carbs, but for a fresher taste, and extra nutrition, you can whip up your own with just a few simple ingredients.

For taco salads, the sauce is traditionally used in place of salad dressing, along with sour cream and guacamole, but I often use both salsa and Ranch salad dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup taco seasoning mix
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• pinch xanthan gum

Combine the taco seasoning mix, vinegar, and water in a medium saucepan and mix well. Scatter a pinch of Xanthan gum over the surface of the sauce and whisk it in. Bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat. Cook and stir until it is as thick as you want it.

Easy Salsa

If you'd rather use salsa on your taco salad instead of salad dressing or a thin taco sauce, this quick-and-easy chunky salsa is as high in taste as it is low in carbs. And don't just save it for your salad. It makes a great dip for pork rinds, nuked cheese chips, and as a topping for fried or scrambled eggs.

Ingredients:

• 16 ounce can of Hunt's diced tomatoes
• 8 ounce can of Hunt's tomato sauce
• small chopped onion, about 1/2 cup
• 3 sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• minced jalapeño peppers to taste

In the blender, combine tomatoes and tomato sauce; process on chop to desired smoothness. Pour the sauce into a bowl, and stir in the remaining ingredients. Salt to taste. Chill for several hours to allow the flavors to blend.

How to Make Taco Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef or turkey
• OR beef, pork, or chicken strips
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
• Taco Seasoning Mix to taste (recipe above)
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups shredded lettuce per person
• 1 chopped Roma-style tomato
• 2 ounces grated cheese
• 8 black olives, sliced
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 2 tbsp sour cream

In a non-stick skillet, brown your meat of choice with onions and bell peppers until well browned and cooked though. Sprinkle with taco seasoning mix to taste, along with salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for several minutes, allowing the flavors to blend. You can add a touch of water if necessary to keep it from sticking. During the summer months, I often do this ahead of time, so I can chill the cooked meat.

To assemble the salad:

On a dinner plate, layer torn lettuce, your cooked meat, some chopped tomato, grated cheese, sliced or whole olives, salsa or taco sauce, and sour cream, as desired. We also like some guacamole or homemade Ranch Dressing with this.

More Low-Carb Mexican Recipes You Can Make:

Armadillo Eggs
Fresh Cucumber and Tomato Salsa
12 Super Tasty Low-Carb Mexican Recipes for Cinco de Mayo