This Keto Taco Casserole recipe keeps Taco Tuesday healthy and delicious. Made with roasted cauliflower, seasoned beef, and plenty of cheese, this low carb taco casserole is a hit with the whole family.
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There are two things in this world that I love most of all.
Tacos and casseroles.
I could literally eat Mexican food every night of the week and I’m pretty sure I’d never get tired of it.
Same goes for casseroles!
I’m a Midwestern girl and casseroles are in our blood. It’s how we do.
I’ve churned out a bazillion ground beef casseroles in my day (like my Big Mac Casserole) because 1) I always have ground beef in my fridge and 2) did I mention my love of casseroles?
I figured it was high time we got around to making some low carb ground beef casseroles, though. I mean. Casseroles don’t have to be full of grains and starch. They can be full of keto goodies, too!
Expert Tips:
Cauliflower: Use fresh cauliflower for the best taste and texture. Frozen will work, but it will be more watery.
Meat: You can use any type of ground meat you like. Shredded chicken would work as well!
Cheese: Feel free to add more or less cheese to suit your tastes. You can use other varieties as well. Pepperjack is a great option!
Toppings: We like to serve this with an array of toppings, like diced tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream.
Ingredient Notes:
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Cauliflower – I’m starting with a fresh head of cauliflower for this recipe and chopping it into florets. You can also just buy pre-chopped florets from the store but I’d stick to fresh if you can. Frozen cauliflower will work but it won’t be as good.
Taco Meat – I’m using a seasoned ground beef mixture for the taco meat in this casserole but you could also switch this up with other meat like ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground pork.
Homemade Taco Seasoning – This simple taco seasoning blend is made with paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. My keto taco seasoning recipe would also work here though it is a bit spicier!
Ro-Tel – These canned diced tomatoes and green chiles are a simple way to spice this taco casserole up! The green chiles do add some heat but not too much. You can use a milder or spicier variety if you like!
Cheese – Freshly grated cheddar cheese and grated Monterey Jack cheese will lead to the best results here. A pre-shredded cheese blend is okay to use but it won’t be as good or as melty as freshly grated!
- Simple: This easy keto taco casserole recipe is easy to prepare and can be customized with all your favorite taco toppings! It’s a simple weeknight dinner casserole that’ll feed the whole family.
- Flavor: You’ve got all the classic taco flavors here without the carbs! The homemade taco seasoning will really spice things up too. You can serve this casserole all by itself, or try it with a lettuce wrap or low carb tortilla!
How To Make Keto Taco Casserole:
- Cauliflower – The base of our casserole dish is everyone’s favorite low carb vegetable – cauliflower. We’re going to roast the cauliflower with a little olive oil, paprika, cumin, and salt. Let it roast for 10 minutes.
- Taco Meat – You’ll need ground beef and taco seasoning. Easy stuff here, friends. This keto ground beef casserole is simple but flavorful! Make your own taco seasoning to keep it lower in carbs using cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Alternately, go ahead and use a package mix if you’re not super strict on carbs/ingredients.
- Layer: Spoon the taco meat over the cauliflower.
- Ro-Tel – Top that with some Ro*Tel or a little salsa and lots of cheese. I used a mix of cheddar and Monterey jack, but whatever variety you prefer will work well here.
- Bake – Cover this with foil and pop it in the oven for about 15 more minutes. That’s it! See below for some suggestions on toppings/serving. This keto taco bake is such an easy weeknight dinner and it makes a great twist on taco night!
Taco Casserole Serving Suggestions:
When serving keto taco casserole recipe we like to sprinkle on some fresh cilantro and top it with my keto guacamole and a big drizzle of Cholula hot sauce! This cilantro lime cauliflower rice would make a good side.
Some other good toppings include sour cream, fresh avocado slices, keto salsa, black olives, green onions, and just about any taco topping you can think of.
You could also spice it up a bit more by mixing some cayenne pepper in with the seasoning, or adding some red pepper flakes.
We’re using cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses but you can use any variety you like. Colby Jack cheese and Pepper Jack cheese are good choices too, or just use a Mexican cheese blend.
FAQ’s:
If you’ve got leftover taco casserole you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 2 to 3 days. It can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven.
Yes, you can keep any leftover casserole stored in a freezer safe container for a couple of months. Reheat it in the oven.
I’d recommend sticking to fresh cauliflower florets for the best taste and texture. Frozen does work, but it ends up more watery.
The seasoning and the Ro-Tel do add some spice but we don’t think it’s too much! You can adjust the seasoning or the amount of Ro-Tel you add if you want it less spicy, or spicier!
MORE KETO CASSEROLE RECIPES!
- Keto Breakfast Casserole
- Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
- Chicken Broccoli Casserole
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
- Loaded Cauliflower Bake
- Spinach Casserole
- Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Or check out my mozzarella stuffed meatballs for another tasty ground beef recipe!
Keto Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon paprika divided
- 2 teaspoons cumin divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 10 ounces Ro*Tel drained
- 1 cup grated cheddar
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup grated Monterey jack
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Chop cauliflower into small florets and place in a 9×13 baking dish.
- Drizzle the cauliflower with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika, 1 teaspoon of cumin, and salt. Toss to coat.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- While cauliflower is cooking, add the ground beef to a skillet and brown. When cooked through, drain the grease and return to the skillet.
- Add the remaining teaspoon of cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt and water to the ground beef and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove cauliflower from oven and spoon the ground beef over the top.
- Top with Ro*Tel, grated cheddar, and Monterey jack.
- Cover tightly with foil and return to the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove foil and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in 2018. It was updated with new photos in 2024. Original photo below:
Deb Grywacheski says
Can this dish be frozen to be used later?
Karly Campbell says
Yes, this should freeze and reheat well.
kim says
My daughter said she thought she was eating enchiladas! Fantastic dinner, I was sad when I there was no leftovers for breakfast.
Peggy Gribbins says
is it 1 tablespoon of cumin or teaspoon?
Karly Campbell says
It’s 2 teaspoons.
Sharon says
Just made this for the first time and we loved it! I notice that 1 teaspoon of cumin is listed twice in the ingredients, but not in the directions. I assumed that the second teaspoon went into the meat mixture.
Karly Campbell says
Whoops! Yes, you’re correct. I’ve updated the recipe to reflect that.
Katie says
Had to let you know how much we really enjoyed this recipe tonight! We are a family of 9 (kids are age 14-9 months) and everyone really enjoyed it! Only addition I made was adding fresh zucchini, jalapeños and banana peppers from the garden. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Karly Campbell says
So glad it was a hit! The extra veggies sound like a great addition!
Beth D. says
No lettuce?
Karly Campbell says
I’m not sure what you mean?
Cheryl says
You could sure spoon the hot casserole over lettuce. I like that, also.
Marcy says
I made this recipe this past Friday. It was a big hit with my family. It’s definitely going into the recipe rotation. Thank you! 🙂
Brittany Bowers says
What fat percentage of beef did you use in this recipe? 90/10, 93/7, etc?
Karly Campbell says
I normally buy 85/15.
Cheryl says
That is my fav ratio as well.
Jennifer says
I love that you have provided the nutritional info, but how much are you considering as a serving??
Karly Campbell says
The nutrition info was based on 6 servings.
Carla Leigh says
No ones one to it?
Karly Campbell says
What?
Karen says
Do you drain the Rotel?
Karly Campbell says
Yes, you do. 🙂
Candi says
Confused by the directions. It says to use the “taco seasoning” with the beef, but the list of those spices is not separate from everything else. What’s the division between how much is added to the cauliflower and what’s added to the beef while it cooks?
Karly Campbell says
Sorry, that wasn’t very clear. The ingredients are listed in order of use, so use everything called for on the cauliflower up until you hit the ground beef. Season the ground beef with the spices following that in the recipe. I’ve rewritten the instructions if that helps.
Maggy says
Sorry, not everyone loves cauliflower. What other veg would work? Zucchini? Green beans? Thanks.
Karly Campbell says
I’ve only made this with cauliflower, but I imagine any other vegetable would work – roast it as usual and top it off with the taco mixture.
NANCY C WALLACE says
Can you use riced cauliflower?
Karly Campbell says
Sure! That should work fine. 🙂
Morgan says
Found this and decided to try it out. My 4 boys destroyed it. One of them being very picky. Will definitely be making this again.
Karly Campbell says
Yay! That’s great news! 🙂