Today we’re talking about one of everybody’s favorite low carb meals: tacos! Whether you stuff them with beef, steak, pork, or just veggies, they’re one of the easiest meals to keep keto friendly when you’re eating out.
Tacos, like all Mexican food, is so flavorful, you won’t even miss the carbs! Especially when things like guac and cheese are involved, yuuuuum.
In This Article
What Mexican Food is Keto Friendly?
Here are a few Mexican and Tex-Mex foods that are low carb and keto friendly and easy to find at restaurants:
- Guacamole.The OG of keto Mexican food! But there are 2 things to watch out for in terms of hidden carbs: 1) make sure the add-ins are low carb (for example, if it has corn added, ask for no corn), and 2) skip the corn chips for dipping and opt for raw veggies (if available) or a spoon (if all else fails).
- Queso Fundido. Because gooey melted cheese is never a bad idea!
- The Meats. Carne asada (marinated, grilled, and thinly sliced beef), carnitas (Mexican pulled pork), or chicken are typically all good low carb options.
- Toppings. Sour cream, cheese, cilantro, pico de gallo. YES. (Just make sure to go easy on the pico because tomatoes are a little higher in carbs.)
What Mexican Foods Should I Avoid if I Want to Cut Carbs?
- Rice
- Tortillas (soft and hard, corn and flour)
- Tortilla chips
- Beans
Tips for Ordering Keto at Mexican Restaurants
- Lettuce leaves. Ask for lettuce leaves to use instead of tortillas for tacos and fajitas.
- Go for the good stuff. Don’t worry if they don’t have lettuce leaves! You can just eat the filling out of the tacos (that’s the good stuff anyway!) and leave the tortillas.
- Ask if they have cauliflower rice. With how mainstream keto has become, you might be surprised at how many restaurants now offer keto options like cauliflower rice!
- Check out the other vegetables available. If they don’t have cauliflower rice, ask about the other vegetables available. Broccoli, zucchini, and cauliflower are good side dish options, and so are sauteed fajita vegetables.
- Get a salad. Order a salad as a side dish. Or skip the taco shell or tortilla chips that frequently come on a Taco Salad and get your favorite meat and cheese combination served on a bed of lettuce. There’s nothing wrong with an old-school Taco Salad sans shell!
Here Are a Few Taco Restaurants We Love
Taco Lu (Jacksonville, FL)
This place has a fun, colorful, eclectic vibe and great food!
The outside of Taco Lu is colorful and quirky.
Ceiling decorations inside Taco Lu.
It’s a local favorite, and we can definitely see why. If you’re in the area, we highly recommend Taco Lu!
Queso Fundido: Tastes like white pizza, and bonus, it has mushrooms! We’ve tried a lot of different quesos and this is by far our favorite.
Brisket Taco (served on lettuce leaf): We are normally HUGE brisket fans, so we had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it was a little disappointing. The brisket was dry! The salsa had a spicy kick, but otherwise there wasn’t much flavor going on.
Deb’s Chicken Taco (served on lettuce leaf): The chicken was tender, juicy, and flavorful! Also, it had quite a spicy kick, which we liked.
Carne Asada Taco (served on lettuce leaf): We saved the best for last because this was our favorite taco! It was packed with flavor, and had a great smokiness to it.
Taco Lu Location: 1712 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
Torchy’s Tacos (Austin, TX)
Yes. Just YES. Although Torchy’s isn’t anything to write home about in terms of the decor, their tacos are killer! And really, we came for the tacos anyway.
This was a great example of eating the good stuff (fillings only) and leaving the tortillas. Two of these low carb tacos literally stuffed us, and that was without the shells!
The Crossroads Taco: Smoked beef brisket, grilled onions, jalapenos, cilantro, fresh avocado, and freshly grated jack cheese with tomatillo sauce.
The Democrat Taco: Shredded beef barbacoa, fresh avocado, cotija cheese, cilantro, onions, and a lime wedge with tomatillo sauce.
Torchy’s Tacos Location: Multiple locations in several different states in the U.S.
Reyes Mezcaleria (Orlando, FL)
This place just might be the favorite on our list. Not only is the food awesome, but the ambiance is gorgeous!
The foyer when you enter Reyes Mezcaleria.
As you walk into the restaurant itself, it’s eclectic and fun, but has a chill vibe with a good mix of Arizona style meets industrial chic. (Yeah, that’s totally a thing, lol.)
Inside Reyes Mezcaleria restaurant.
Guacamole: Topped with pickled red onion and cotija cheese, yum. The pickled onions kinda made it.
Queso Fundido: Oaxacan queso + roasted mushrooms! Instead of mushrooms you can get chorizo (or go big and get both!). Their queso also has pico de gallo. Normally, it’s served with grilled tortillas, but we skipped them and ate it with a spoon instead.
Carne Asada Tacos: Skirt steak, charred tomato molcajete, cilantro, and grilled spring onion. We asked for them served on lettuce leaves instead of tortillas, and got a side caesar salad instead of the usual rice and beans side.
Reyes Mezcaleria Location: 821 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801
Low Carb Mexican Recipes to Try At Home
Tacos are a perfect for when you’re eating out and want to stay low carb, but we also love taco night at home! Here’s a little inspiration for your next Mexican-themed dinner:
- Pico de Gallo (Mexican Fresh Salsa) from An Edible Mosaic
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas from An Edible Mosaic
- Lettuce Wrapped Leftover Pulled Pork Tacos from The Keto Queens
Share your favorite low carb Mexican foods! What are your favorite keto and low carb tacos to order out? Tell us in the comments below!
Tips for Keto Success
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Keto Recipe Inspiration
Or if you’ve been doing keto for a while and just need a little help with inspiration, we’ve got you covered! Check out our low carb and keto recipe collection.
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