Keto Taco Casserole (Crock Pot Or Oven) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

If you need a weeknight meal when you’re short on time but still want something healthy and tasty, toss your taco shells and make low carb keto taco casserole! It’s a little bit like slow cooker keto chili, but with zesty taco flavor infused in every bite. And since it’s a Crock Pot taco casserole, the slow cooker does all the work — but I have an option for the oven below if you prefer to make it last-minute.

If you like quick and easy casseroles as much as I do, don’t forget to try my easy keto big mac casserole or Philly cheesesteak casserole next!

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for low carb taco casserole, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Avocado Oil – For frying ground beef. Use any neutral cooking oil you like.
• Ground Beef – I typically use 85/15 grass-fed ground beef, but any kind will do. If you’re not a fan of ground beef, you can easily substitute with ground turkey, ground chicken, or even Mexican chorizo.
• Taco Seasoning – Can’t have a keto taco casserole without the taco meat, and that means taco seasoning! I make my own taco seasoning blend, but you could use store bought mixes as well. Note that my seasoning contains salt, but if yours does not, add 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt.
• Bell Peppers– Use orange, yellow, or red bell peppers for color variety.
• Onion – I used a yellow onion, but white or red onions work as well.
• Diced Tomatoes With Green Chilies– Chilies add a bit of heat. If you prefer a more mild keto Mexican casserole, replace one or both cans with plain diced tomatoes instead. Just watch the size — the ones with chiles are 10 ounces each but the ones without are usually 14.5 ounces, and you want 20 ounces total for the recipe regardless of whether you use the ones with or without the chiles.
• Cheddar Cheese – Use a good melting cheese for the perfect finish. You could substitute with Mexican cheese blend, mozzarella, Colby jack, or Monterey jack if you prefer.

How To Make Keto Taco Casserole In A Crock Pot

This section shows how to make Crock Pot taco casserole, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Brown the meat. In alarge saute pan or large skillet, heat avocado oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned. Add the water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer until it thickens and taco meat forms.
2. Assemble the casserole. Add the ground beef mixture to a slow cooker, along with the diced peppers, onions, and drained diced tomatoes with green chilies. Mix well.

3. Slow cook. Cover with the lid and cook on Low.
4. Melt cheese. Set the slow cooker to High and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Cover and cook until cheese melts.

5. Add toppings. Top the low carb taco casserole with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and cilantro — or see below for other topping ideas.

How To Make Keto Taco Casserole In The Oven

1. Brown the meat. In alarge saute pan or large skillet, heat avocado oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned. Add the water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer until it thickens and taco meat forms.
2. Assemble the casserole. Add the ground beef mixture a large baking dish, along with the diced peppers, onions, and drained diced tomatoes with green chilies. Mix well, then sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
3. Bake. Place the keto taco casserole in the oven and bake until it’s hot and bubbly. The peppers should be soft.
4. Add toppings. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and cilantro, if desired — or see below for other topping ideas.

You could also try my Mexican ground beef casserole instead, which is very similar and made in the oven.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Allow the casserole to cool completely before storing. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Meal prep: You can make this easy keto taco casserole ahead of time in multiple ways. Brown the ground beef and assemble the rest of the casserole when you are ready to cook it, keep it on the keep warm setting in your Crock Pot for up to 4 hours, or store the entire casserole in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Reheat: You have multiple options for reheating. Warm it in the slow cooker on high until hot, reheat it in the microwave, or put it in a casserole dish and throw it in the oven at 350 degrees F. (If you are transferring the casserole to the slow cooker or another dish, add a fresh sprinkle of shredded cheese on top before reheating.)
• Freeze: You can freeze your oven baked or Crock Pot taco casserole, as long as it doesn’t have toppings on it. (Fresh toppings won’t freeze well.) Let it cool completely, then store an airtight container or freezer bags in the freezer for up to 6 months.Thaw overnight, reheat until hot, and add your toppings.

See Also

Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo with BroccoliLow Carb Meatloaf RecipeCrock Pot Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken ThighsSirloin Steak Tips (Slow Cooker, Keto)

Topping Ideas For Crock Pot Taco Casserole

What is the best part about low carb taco casserole? The toppings, of course! Here are some of my faves:

• Classic Taco Toppings – I used shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, diced avocados, and fresh cilantro. You can also try black olives, green onions, sour cream (perfect if you need to mellow out the heat!), or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
• Mexican Sauces – Try this easy keto taco casserole recipe with avocado salsa verde, homemade tomato salsa, or guacamole scooped on top.
• Keto Tortilla Chips – Adds tons of crunch to your bowl, without tortillas or taco shells.
• Drinks – Not a topping, but a perfect pairing! Serve up your casserole with a skinny margarita or skinny pina colada on the side for the ultimate Mexican night.

More Low Carb Crock Pot Recipes

Set and forget these keto slow cooker dinners!

Recipe Card

4.88 from 66 votes☝️ Click stars to rate or click here to leave a review!

Keto Taco Casserole (Crock Pot Or Oven)

Low carb keto taco casserole is loaded with hearty taco meat, tender veggies, melty cheese & fresh toppings. Make it in the Crock Pot or oven!

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 2 hours 15 minutes

Total: 2 hours 20 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 6 (adjust to scale recipe)

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See Also

21 Easy Low Carb Recipes For Meal Prep & You Will Love!

ReviewPrint

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.

Taco Casserole:

• 1tbspAvocado oil▢
• 2lbGround beef▢
• 3/4cupWater▢
• 1/4cupTaco seasoning▢
• 2largeBell peppers(diced; use orange or yellow for color variety)▢
• 1/4largeOnion(diced)▢
• 210-oz cansDiced tomatoes with green chilies(drained very well – push down when draining; see note on less spicy alternative*)▢
• 1cupCheddar cheese▢

Optional Toppings:

• Iceberg lettuce(shredded)▢
• Fresh tomatoes(diced)▢
• Avocados(cubed)▢
• Fresh cilantro(chopped)▢
• Sour cream▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

Crock Pot Instructions:

1. In a large saute pan, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for 8-10 minutes, until browned.

2. Add the water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a 2-5 minutes, until it thickens and taco meat forms.

3. Transfer the beef to the Crock Pot. Add the diced peppers, onions, and drained diced tomatoes with green chiles. Mix everything together.

4. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook for 4 hours on Low or 2-3 hours on High.

5. Right before serving, stir the casserole. (You can spoon out any excess liquid that may have accumulated, but there shouldn't be much if you drained the tomatoes well.) Set the Crock Pot to High and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts.

6. Top the casserole with any toppings you like, such as lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and/or cilantro.

Oven Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. In a large saute pan, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for 8-10 minutes, until browned.

3. Add the water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a 2-5 minutes, until it thickens and taco meat forms.

4. Transfer the beef to a large baking dish. Add the diced peppers, onions, and drained diced tomatoes with green chiles. Mix everything together. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

5. Bake keto taco casserole for 20-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. The peppers should be soft.

6. Remove from the oven and top the casserole with any toppings you like, such as lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and/or cilantro.

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Related Easy Recipes

• Easy Taco Soup Recipe

• Keto Reuben Casserole Recipe

• Taco Dip Recipe

• Taco Salad

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups, or 1/6 entire recipe

Nutrition info does not include optional toppings, since what you add (and how much), will vary.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories451

Fat32.1g

Protein33.6g

Total Carbs7g

Net Carbs4.4g

Fiber2.6g

Sugar2.9g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:Mexican

Keywords:Crock-Pot taco casserole, ground beef taco casserole, keto taco casserole, low carb taco casserole, slow cooker taco casserole

Calories: 451 kcal

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Crock Pot Keto Taco Casserole

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