Keto Tacos with Cheese Taco Shells
These easy cheese taco shells are perfect for making Keto Tacos! Baked cheddar cheese formed into the shape of a taco and filled with seasoned ground beef for a low carb taco night!
Keto Tacos with Cheese Taco Shells
Mexican food is my favorite especially tacos, so when I started eating low carb I immediately went in search of a keto taco recipe and I discovered cheese taco shells. Guys, these things are life changing!
Keto Tacos made with Cheese Taco Shells are perfect for keto diets with only 1 net carb ! They are gluten free and easy to make (even though they take a little time) and I think they taste better than the original 🙂
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How to Make Keto Tacos:
- Start by lining a baking sheet. You can use a baking sheet with parchment paper but a silicone mat is the best because the cheese comes off easily every time. Then you drop little piles of grated cheese on to the baking sheet. For cheese taco shells I suggest using about 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese per shell.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes, or until the shredded cheese has melted and the edges begin to brown. It’s important to wait until those edges start to get crispy because you’ll get the crispiest cheese taco shells that way. Note: Cheese does release grease as it bakes. You can dab your shells lightly with a paper towel before the next step if you would like to remove some of the excess grease.
- Shape your cheese taco shells. Use two glasses and sit a thick handled spoon (or whatever utensil you have) across the glasses. You’ll want the handle to be thick enough that it will leave a space of about 3/4″ in the curve of your taco. It doesn’t have to be precise! Let the cheese cool for a minute then lift it off of the baking sheet and drape it over the spoon handle. Let it cool completely, this only takes about 5 minutes, and you have a low carb taco shell!
Want to try a different shape? These cheese taco shells are easy to mold. We used a mini muffin tin to make our Low Carb Taco Bites!
Now you just need something to fill that shell with. I make a simple low carb taco meat with ground beef and my homemade taco seasoning made with chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
Does Taco Seasoning Have Carbs?
That depends. Those taco seasoning packets you buy at the grocery store have way more carbs than you might realize because they contain added sugar, and cornstarch. If you make taco seasoning at home (which tastes so much better anyways!) then taco seasoning has only a 1.5 net carbs per tablespoon.
How to Make Keto Tacos:
- In a large skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef.
- When it is almost cooked through add the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water. Let the mixture continue to cook stirring occasionally until the water has been absorbed. You’ll want to cook the excess moisture out of the meat so it isn’t as messy in the taco shells.
- Let the meat cool slightly and then add it to the Then I add the taco meat to to the keto taco shells and top it with avocados, sour cream, and a little pico de gallo.
When you’re done you have a beef taco that is better than the original! That cheesy shell is the perfect replacement for a crunchy corn shell or soft flour tortilla. You’ll never miss the carbs!
Want More Keto Recipes?
- Slow Cooker Taco Soup
- Taco Zucchini Boats
- Mexican Meatballs
- Low Carb Nachos
- Chimichurri Steak
- Keto Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
- Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole
- Low Carb Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Low Carb Big Mac Bites
- More Keto Recipes…
Keto Tacos
Ingredients
Cheese Taco Shells
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, , shredded
Taco Meat
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 2 tablespoon Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 1/4 cup Water
- Toppings for taco: Sour cream, avocado, cheese, lettuce, etc., optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat place 1/4 cup piles of cheese 2 inches apart. Press the cheese down lightly so it makes one layer.
- Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes or until the edges of the cheese are brown.
- Let the cheese cool for 1-2 minutes until it is firm enough to lift but still bendable. Lift the cheese up and place it over the handle of a spoon or other utensil that is balanced on two cups.
- Let cheese cool completely then remove.
- While you continue to bake your cheese taco shells place the ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat cooking until it is completely cooked through.
- Drain the grease from the meat and then add the homemade taco seasoning. Pour water into skillet and stir everything around mixing it together.
- Simmer for 5 minutes or until liquid has cooked away.
- Add meat to taco shells and top with your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on April 11, 2016. It was republished on August 9, 2019 with updated photos.
Love it!!! New to keto, 3 months in, still learning so much about food i once though was healthy is not..
I see via Keto where and why I failed so many diet before. This week is a great week, frist i learned about keto coffee and you just showed me how i can have tacos again. THANKS!
Some days are harder than others but you are going to love how it makes you feel! Good luck 🙂
Thx, can i ask you about the difference of fiber carbs and regular carbs? Read today that I dont need to count them, but as a rule i go by total carbs. I use an app “lost it” of an on since 2013 so I stayed with what I know tl track my food…but now i have tons on great info and can tweek my diet. Thx for your encouragement and for your help and such a great article. Look forward to reading more.
Chato 🙂
I’m happy to answer any questions. I’m not expert but I can answer from my own personal experience. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (used in a lot of sugar free sweets and baking) from the total carb count. When doing keto I stay under 20net carbs per day. That keeps me in ketosis (some people can go higher but this tends to be the standard #). Counting net carbs rather than total carbs gives a few more options especially when it comes to things like nuts, vegetables, and avocados.
thank you, this helps me so much. Oh, I made the tacos the other night for the family, they loved it!!!
So glad you liked them!!
Hi Kat & Melissa for this great idea. Making taco shells out of cheese. I just started a low carb diet and I love mexican food. When I saw this easy recipe I had to try it right away and it is amazing. I will defnitely share it on my blog http://www.bavariston.com
Thank you,
Eva
Am I missing something… How do you get the cheese to not stick to the parchment paper?
I’m not sure why it would stick to your parchment paper like. I have never had that problem.
I loved it but I had the same problem. Why is it sticking to my parchment paper ????
I’m so sorry you had that problem. I have no idea why it would stick. You can also use a silpat mat (it’s great for all sorts of baking)
Could it be because some parchment paper is only one sided? aka the shiny side needs to be up?
Parchment paper is coated in silicone (which is why it is nonstick) if yours only has one shiny side then the shiny side would be the side the food should touch
Made these today! Delicious!
So glad you liked them!
Do you have the nutritional content for this meal?
Hi Amee, this recipe is 3 net carbs per taco not including any toppings you might add.
Hello, great idea!
Do they keep well? I mean, if I made a dozen and used them through the week.
Thanks!
I’ve definitely made them a day ahead of time and stored them in an airtight container and they were fine. I’m not sure how long that will work but I would think 2-3 days at least.
Thank you!!!!
Hello,
I loved this idea and tried it with mozzarella instead as it’s all I had and it worked great! When I tried it again with cheddar it did not work at all. The cheese wouldn’t brown.. I will stick to mozzarella from now on.
Thanks for the idea!!
very cool idea. i can see this being super useful. have you tried making in bulk and freezing?
Well that was an epic fail. Stuck all over the parchment paper. Would not separate at all.
I’m so sorry you had that issue. Parchment paper is supposed to be coated on both sides with silicone which makes it non-stick but some people have commented that some brands may only coat one side. Does your paper have one side that is shiny? If so, that is the side the cheese should go on.
Can you make the cheese shells in the morning
Hi Lisa, they are the best when you eat them right away but I have made them up to 1 day in advance and stored them in an airtight container and they still work and taste great.
Are the cheese shells greasy?
Cheese can be greasy when it is heated. I usually pat mine with a paper towel to get extra grease off of them before eating.
Love this. It came off my parchment paper, but they aren’t setting up, meaning keeping their shape. Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to cook them longer?
You probably just needed to cook them a little longer. It takes a little practice but it is totally worth it!
This sounded really good but the cheese taco shells did not work very good…they were dripping in oil off the cheese and when you added the warm meat the shell melted……..but i might try it again.
Hi Kelly, I do pat mine with a paper towel before forming them into a taco shell to remove any extra oil. I have never had my shell melt though. Maybe let the meat cool a little more?
Made the cheese taco shells…..OMG…..They came out perfect!!! Thank you!!
So glad you liked them. They are one of my favorite low carb dinners!
Would microwave work as well?
Yes! You have to play around with the amount of time because every microwave is different but it does work.
When you store them in air right container do you refrigerate them?
Yes, I kept mine in the refrigerator. I just took them out before cooking my meat to give them time to come to room temp.
Fantastic recipes!!
Fairly new to Keto and need recipes to cook
Hi Katrinka, Welcome to keto! We have a lot of low carb recipes here https://www.homemadeinterest.com/category/recipes/low-carb/ . I recommend the meatloaf!!
Need to know how many carbs for your recipes….. like your low carb taco
It’s 3 net carbs per taco. This does not include any toppings you might add.
How many carbs in your tacos?
3 carbs per taco!
Can’t wait to try the cheese taco shells!!
Thanks !!
These are delicious! Any idea the carb count? I used a lot less cheese as 3oz was too thick.
Hi Laura, the shell itself is about 1 carb per ounce of cheese.
Great recipe I could eat this all day everyday (DON’T DO IT) ???? I found that this also helped me to understand the Keto lifestyle because it is a life style change.
I’m so glad you liked it. Good luck on your keto journey!
This looks so good, yet my meat mixture doesn’t taste good. It seems over-spiced. Are these by any chance supposed to be teaspoons instead of tablespoons?
Hi Kim, you can reduce the amount if you like. I would suggest 1 tbsp cumin, 2 tbsp chili powder. If you want less chili powder you can go down to 1 tbsp.
Even if a little spicy, they were good. We will reduce for next time.
I made these. I didn’t have an issue with the cheese sticking to the parchment paper. They had to cool enough first. And I used full-fat cheese so there is a lot of oil.
My issue with them was – hot taco filling inside a cheese taco. Think about that for a minute. Yup. Equals mess. I didn’t think that part through. Imagine filling, sour cream, avocado – everything falling into your hand. What a mess.I won’t be making again. I like a hot taco, not a cold one.
But I do apprecaite the idea of it. Thank you.
Oh wow, that must of been one hot taco! Our taco filling is usually warm and holds up. Maybe try a using a harder cheese, they melt at a much higher temperature.
Made this just now and it came out just like your picture and so delicious! To avoid it sticking to my parchment paper I just used a light cooking spray. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Can i use wax paper or aluminum foil with cooking spray?
Hi Dennis, If you use cooking spray on aluminum foil it might work but no guarantees. I would be afraid wax paper would melt.
Great recipe! I made them tonight. I also had massive challenges getting the tacos off the paper, they shaped perfectly and I figured a bit of paper shouldn’t kill anyone!!
We love this recipe! We tried it and it’s delicious. We were wondering if you give us your permission to share your recipe on our website http://www.keto-go.com (tagging your website included). If yes, please drop me an email: lukas@keto-go.com. Keep up with the good work. 🙂
I did this and it turned out great however, the shells came out very small at 1/4 cup. Next time I will almost double this to get a full sized taco.
So glad they worked for you and you liked it!