Cheesy Keto Taco Skillet with Ground Beef One-Pan Recipe
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All your favorite taco fixings are packed into a simple, easy-to-make ground beef keto taco skillet! This family-friendly dinner is ready in 30 minutes or less and only takes 9 simple ingredients.
One-pan dinners like this skillet meal are a lifesaver on busy nights when I don’t feel like cooking or when it’s past 6 PM and I have no idea what to serve for dinner.
This dish takes the best flavors you already know and love from tacos – minus the tortillas! For anyone who wants to stay on a keto diet, having delicious dinners and easy keto recipes is a must!
Table of Contents (click to view)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Saying goodbye to bread and pasta is hard enough. Who’s going to want to eat low-carb if all the recipes are complicated and time-consuming? I know I certainly won’t!
Good thing you don’t have to worry about any of that with my keto taco skillet recipe. Make it from scratch and everyone will be ready for a feast in no time! This quick, flavorful, and healthy meal is a go-to option that never disappoints. Here’s why:
- Simple ingredients: No fancy ingredients are needed, just a handful ingredients you can easily find at the grocery store.
- Budget-friendly: The recipe calls for basic, inexpensive ingredients you may already have on hand, and uses ground beef which is relatively cheaper than most other beef cuts.
- Short prep and cooking time: Ready to serve in 25 minutes or less.
- Amazing flavors: A delicious and satisfying low-carb meal packed with rich Mexican flavors; juicy seasoned beef layered in mouthwatering melted cheese. Yum!
- Family-friendly and kid-approved: Packed with tons of “hidden” vegetables that kids and picky eaters will enjoy.
- Minimal cleanup: This one-skillet meal takes less prep work so there are fewer dishes to wash. Yay!
How to Make Ground Beef Taco Skillet
Who doesn’t love Mexican flavors? I know I do! With easy beef dinners like this keto taco skillet meal, we can all enjoy Taco Tuesdays to the fullest.
This recipe is loaded with veggies, taco flavors, and tons of ooey-gooey melted cheese. Gather 9 simple ingredients and you’re already halfway to making the perfect cheesy taco skillet. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve warm, as is, or with optional rice. That’s it!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions to make this irresistibly delicious keto taco skillet recipe.
Ingredients You Need
To make this keto taco skillet recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Butter: Go for unsalted grass-fed butter.
- Onion and bell peppers: Add some flavor with these low-carb vegetables! I prefer yellow onion, but any will work. Same with bell peppers, pick your favorite color and enjoy it!
- Ground beef: An 80/20 ground beef blend is perfect since it has a higher fat content that keeps recipes moist and delicious.
- Taco seasoning: Get a quality blend and check for added MSG, sugar, fillers, and preservatives! I recommend organic taco seasoning from Mountain Rose Herbs.
- Diced tomatoes: Salsa is a pretty yummy substitute, but be sure to drain the extra liquid before adding.
- Cheddar cheese: It’s best to shred the cheese yourself. Did you know that pre-shredded cheese can have cellulose or starch to prevent the cheese from clumping together? Not only are they potentially unwanted ingredients in your diet, but they can also significantly affect the final texture of your dish.
- Cilantro: To me, this is the most classic herb for Mexican food!
- Cauliflower Rice: Bulk up the meal by serving over cauliflower rice. It’s optional, but tasty!
Step-By-Step Instructions
One-pan skillet dinners are some of my favorites because they’re easy to follow, highly adaptable, and quick to prepare. This healthy ground beef keto taco skillet recipe is no exception.
Pack all your favorite taco night flavors into a simple skillet meal. It’s enough to feed the whole family while staying on budget and losing weight with keto. Hurray!
Follow along step by step with these simple directions:
- Melt the butter. Warm butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes until soft.
- Season the meat. Add ground beef and taco seasoning to the skillet. Break the meat apart with a spatula as needed. Cook while occasionally stirring and brown the meat for 5 or so minutes.
- Combine ingredients. Mix tomatoes into the meat. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Continue cooking everything for another minute or two.
- Garnish and serve. Reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the meat. Cover the skillet with a lid and continue warming until the cheese melts completely. Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro. Serve warm with optional cauliflower rice or any of the additional toppings listed below.
Need more easy meals to make for the whole family? Browse through more ground beef skillet recipes.
Variations and Substitutions
This keto taco skillet dinner is yummy on its own, but I’m never one to dismiss add-ins. It’s such a versatile dish that you can easily tweak the ingredients to make it your own. Here are some of my fave ideas:
- Meat: Ground beef works best for this recipe, but you can use ground turkey, chicken, or pork if you’re not a fan.
- Fat: Besides butter, you can also cook in olive oil, ghee, tallow, or other preferred cooking fat. I like butter because it tastes amazing. If you prefer a dairy-free option, use a plant-based oil and omit the cheese.
- Cheese: Make a Mexican cheese blend by combining mild cheddar cheese with Monterey Jack.
- Spices: Make your blend and add some heat to the dish by seasoning it with cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and a pinch of mineral-rich salt.
Expert Tips
- Taste and adjust! I recommend tasting while cooking so you can get to know the dish and adjust the seasoning blend to suit your taste and preferred spice level.
- Drain excess fat. If there’s too much fat in the pan, drain some of it before combining it with other ingredients to avoid a greasy consistency in your meal.
- Brown the meat ahead. Season and brown ground beef in advance if you’re planning to batch-cook for multiple recipes. Once ready to serve, add the veggies and other ingredients and finish cooking.
How to Store This Recipe
There are different ways to store this keto taco skillet meal. If you have leftovers, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. This dinner recipe also freezes well in a freezer-safe container or bag for 2 to 3 months. Once ready to enjoy, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the microwave or a hot skillet until heated thoroughly.
What to Serve with Keto Taco Skillet with Ground Beef
A cheesy keto taco skillet meal is perfect for burrito bowls, salads, and more. If you have a favorite taco topping, chances are they would be great in this recipe, too! Here are some ideas for other things to serve with this recipe:
- Tomatillo avocado salsa
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Pico de Gallo
- Cauliflower tortillas
- Hard keto taco shells (like the ones I use for low-carb tostadas)
- Taco dip with cream cheese
- Zucchini noodles or any low-carb pasta
Sounds pretty tasty, huh? Try our favorite heart tacos recipe for a nutrient-dense twist on the familiar food the next time you’re ready for tacos in a tortilla.
More One-Skillet Ground Beef Recipes to Try
Ground beef is a keto staple I always make! It’s so easy, versatile, and affordable. Particularly so when you save money by buying ground beef in bulk.
Kick it off with these related recipes:
- Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet
- Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner
- Italian Beef and Cauliflower Rice Skillet
- Ground Beef Philly Cheesesteak Skillet
Use my printable Keto Meal Planner and start planning all your keto ground beef recipes!
If you make this keto taco skillet recipe, please leave a review. I really appreciate each and every 5-star rating and comment!
Cheesy Ground Beef Taco Skillet (Keto, Low-Carb)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 large bell peppers chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes drained
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
- 2 tablespoons cilantro finely minced
- cauliflower Rice optional
Instructions
- Warm butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes until soft.1 tablespoon butter, 1 medium onion, 2 large bell peppers
- Add the ground beef and taco seasoning to the skillet. Break the meat apart with a spatula as needed. Cook while occasionally stirring, about 5 minutes to lightly brown the meat.1 pound ground beef, 2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- Mix tomatoes into the meat. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Continue cooking everything for another minute or two.1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
- Reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the meat. Cover the skillet with a lid and continue warming until the cheese melts completely. Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro. Serve warm with optional Cauliflower Rice.2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons cilantro, cauliflower Rice
Notes
- Taste while cooking and adjust seasoning blend to suit your taste and preferred spice level.
- If there’s too much fat in the pan, drain some of it before combining it with other ingredients to avoid a greasy consistency in your meal.
- Season and brown ground beef in advance if you’re planning to batch-cook for multiple recipes. Once ready to serve, add the veggies and other ingredients and finish cooking.
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
My husband wanted me to thank you for the recipe. Outside of my cooking box of comfort but made it, quickly thanks to your instructions.
So good!! Packed with flavor and all gone in one setting.
How sweet, Giangi. Thank you for trying something new and sharing my recipe with your beloved family.
I love this cheesy ground beef taco recipe! It is my go-to when I crave tacos, and what I love about this recipe is that it is guilt-free and really so delicious that you will crave for more!
Kids can’t get enough of this ground beef taco! We had no leftovers! It was packed with flavor and remarkably cheesy!
Thanks for the review, Sharina!
This is a great dish for busy weeknights. My family and I love it. I like to serve it in bowls with cauliflower rice.
Great idea to serve with cauliflower rice! Thanks for the review, Lisa.
This was the perfect easy weeknight meal I needed after a busy day. Delicious without too much effort!
Aren’t those the best kind of recipes? So glad it’s a win for you. Thanks for leaving a review.