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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Diabetic Friendly Beef Tacos with a Cheese Shell

    by Oscar Chimenti, Last Modified: April 18, 2023 This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. See the Disclosure Policy linked in my footer.

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    These Diabetic Friendly Beef Tacos with a Cheese Shell are made with perfectly seasoned taco meat. Easy to make 1 ingredient cheese taco shells everyone can enjoy, even your pickiest eaters!

    Made with a homemade taco seasoning which is so much better than store bought. One cheese taco shell with the taco meat is only 2g net carbs.

    2 keto beef tacos with toppings and side dishes of ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese. this recipe

    If you're a taco lover like me you will enjoy these tasty keto beef tacos.

    I make these low carb cheese taco shells at least once a week. I would love to eat them every day but sometimes I need variety.

    The leftovers in this recipe also doubles as a taco salad, just toss everything in a bowl with a chipotle ranch dressing. See the Leftover Taco Salad recipe.

    Jump To:
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Steps by step instructions
    • Recipe tips
    • More Diabetic Friendly Recipes
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Other recipes you might enjoy
    • Diabetic Friendly Beef Tacos with a Cheese Shell

    Ingredient Notes

    2 keto beef tacos with toppings and side dishes of ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and cheese.

    The taco shells made with marbled shredded cheddar and the ground beef is seasoned with chili and garlic blend of seasonings.

    • Cheese: baked cheddar cheese works for the tacos, perfectly shaped and strong enough to hold the seasoned taco meat and toppings.
    • Ground Beef: simply seasoned with a homemade taco seasoning with chili and garlic powder, salt and pepper with big flavours.
    • Chili Powder: a spice blend made from ground dried chiles and a number of other spices like coriander and cumin.
    • Garlic Powder: nutty but a little sweet and less assertive than fresh garlic

    Steps by step instructions

    How to make diabetic friendly cheese taco shells?

    STEP 1: To make the cheese taco shells shred 4 ounces of cheddar to make one cup shredded cheddar, I used marbled cheddar. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper and form two 6 inch diameter circles with the shredded cheese.

    Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 6-8 minutes.

    STEP 2: remove from oven and let rest on the parchment paper for 2 minutes. Then blot any grease with a paper towel.

    Rest cheese shells over a rolling pin or a wooden spoon handle to shape them into tacos. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

    shredded cheese circles on a parchment sheet.
    Shredded cheddar on parchment lined baking sheet.
    2 cheese taco shells resting on rolling pin and wooden spoon.
    Baked cheese shell tacos resting on wooden spoon.

    Let's make the seasoned taco meat.

    STEP 3: brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Once browned add the seasonings and mix through, then add the water and allow to simmer over low/medium heat until all the water is evaporated. Stir every couple of minutes.

    cooking taco meat in skillet with rubber spatula.
    Browning the ground beef.
    2 empty taco shells with sides of taco meat, lettuce, diced tomatoes and shredded cheddar.
    2 Cheese Taco Shells

    STEP 4: Remove the low carb tacos from the wooden spoon and fill with the taco meat. Top with your favourite toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

    2 keto beef tacos with toppings and side dishes of ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and cheese.

    Recipe tips

    Taco Holder: having a taco holder makes filling the tacos so much easier. If you don't have one, do what I did and use an egg carton.

    • Serving: serve the keto tacos with a side salad, guacamole and low carb tortillas and a low carb margarita.
    • Storage: store the taco meat separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Wrap the individual cheese taco shells in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

    More Diabetic Friendly Recipes

    • Low Carb Quiche Lorraine
    • Keto Air Fryer Steak Bites
    • Zero Carb Crust Pizza
    • Spaghetti Squash Buffalo Chicken
    • Cafe Mocha Mini Cheesecakes

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the best shredded cheese for tacos?

    Shredded cheddar, marbled cheddar or monterey jack is great to have as a taco topping. However you can use just about any cheese like queso, manchego or mozzarella to name a few.

    What makes these tacos diabetic friendly?

    These tacos are diabetic friendly since we don't use traditional corn or flour tacos for this recipe and use a cheese taco shell. Making the cheese shell with the taco meat only 2g net carbs.

    Is this taco recipe good for keto and low carb?

    Since each taco cheese shell with the taco meat are roughly 2g net carbs, it is likely to fit into a ketogenic or low carb diet.

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    2 keto beef tacos with toppings and side dishes of ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and cheese.
    2 keto beef tacos with toppings and side dishes of ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and cheese.

    Diabetic Friendly Beef Tacos with a Cheese Shell

    Oscar
    A simple and easy recipe, diabetic friendly cheese taco shells with beef taco meat.
    5 from 63 votes
    Print Pin This Recipe
    Prep Time : 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time : 16 minutes mins
    Total Time : 26 minutes mins
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American, Mexican
    Diet : Diabetic, Gluten Free
    Servings : 2 people
    Calories : 329

    Equipment

    • Parchment Paper
    • Sheet Pan
    • Frying Pan

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tacosCalories: 329kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 31gFat: 22gFiber: 2g

    Ingredients
      

    Cheese Taco Shell

    • 1 cup shredded cheddar

    Taco Meat

    • ½ lb ground beef
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ cup water
    **New** I Hacked Diabetes recipe bookCheck out Low Carb & Diabetes Comfort Food!

    Instructions
     

    Cheese Taco Shell

    • Shred 4 ounces of cheddar. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper and form two 6 inch diameter circles with the shredded cheese.
    • Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 6-8 minutes.
    • Remove from oven and let rest on the parchment paper for 2 minutes. Then blot any grease with a paper towel.
    • Rest cheese shells over a rolling pin or wooden spoon handle to shape the tacos. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

    Taco Meat

    • Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Once browned add the seasonings and mix through, then add the water and allow to simmer over low/medium heat until all the water is evaporated. Stir every couple of minutes.
    • Remove the tacos from the wooden spoon and fill with the taco meat. Top with your favourite toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

    This recipe card provides the basic details to make this recipe. For more information, questions or variations please review the content above the recipe card.

    Updates and Revisions

    If conflicting information between the video and recipe card, the recipe card will always have the most up to date information, ingredients and instructions.

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutritional Information

    All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    LOVE THIS RECIPE?Check out I Hacked Diabetes on Pinterest

    Food safety

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooked food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more food guidelines

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Andrea

      August 02, 2023 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      I appreciate you, and this website. I had gestational diabetes that stayed with me after I had my beautiful girl. This is a very challenging time because I am an emotional and rewards eater. I am so intimidated because of a limited palate for veges, but working on it. Taste, while pursuing healthy is key for me. Thanks for your work, will be a frequent visitor. 🙂

      Reply
    2. CMZ

      October 16, 2022 at 8:09 pm

      5 stars
      We made these tacos tonight and the cheese shells were a HUGE hit. My husband LOVED them and asked me to make them again. Thank you for helping us keep healthy!

      Reply
      • Oscar Chimenti

        October 17, 2022 at 2:01 pm

        Glad you liked them, they are a fav of mine.

        Reply
    3. Marysa

      April 06, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      What a neat idea for taco shells. I would love to try this, and I'm pretty sure my kids would really like these.

      Reply
    4. Sara

      April 06, 2022 at 7:18 pm

      5 stars
      These tacos look healthy and delicious, and they would be the perfect weeknight dinner when we don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. I can’t wait to make this next week!

      Reply
    5. Jeannie

      April 06, 2022 at 12:54 am

      5 stars
      You got me with cheese shell, a must-try recipe indeed. Happy to find a recipe that is diabetic friendly too.

      Reply
    6. Rob

      April 05, 2022 at 8:09 pm

      5 stars
      The cheese shells for these tacos are such a great idea! These tacos are super tasty , and no one missed the traditional shells.

      Reply

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    I am a Type 2 Diabetic and enjoy creating low-carb and diabetic-friendly recipes that are good for you! All recipes are developed to help you make great food without the highs and lows of diabetes.

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    66 shares
    2 keto beef tacos with toppings and side dishes of ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese.