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Keto Quesarito

Annie Lampella, Pharm.D. Recipe developer and pharmacist

Published Updated

26 ratings

My keto quesarito comes out cheesy and saucy, a low carb take on the Taco Bell original at 11.2g net carbs and 44.6g protein. I melt cheese between two tortillas to make the quesadilla wrap, spread on the spicy ranchero sauce, and I let each rolled quesarito seal seam side down in the skillet. The sauce is worth a double batch.
  • 11.2gnet carbs
  • 44.6gprotein
  • 50minutes
  • 8servings
Two quesaritos stacked on top of each other on a plate with a lime wedge.
Two melty burritos on a plate filled with beef and cheese.
A stack of quesarito burritos on a plate cut in half to show the beef and cheese filling.
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A Taco Bell quesarito has 67g of carbs. Mine clocks in at about 11g net carbs and 44g of protein per serving. I've already made keto versions of the Crunchwrap and the Doritos Locos Tacos, and this keto quesarito might be my favorite of the three. Same cheesy, beefy, saucy fast food comfort, just without the blood sugar crash two hours later.

A plate with taco bell quesaritos on it filled with beef and cheese.

The filling is what makes it. I use ground beef seasoned with chili powder, cumin, paprika, and a few other spices I keep in rotation, then stir in a creamy dairy-free nacho cheese sauce that melts right into the meat. That beefy nacho cheese base is where all the Taco Bell flavor lives. On top of that goes a spicy ranchero sauce I make from sour cream, mayo, ranch seasoning, and hot sauce. I make a double batch of that sauce sometimes just to have it in the fridge, because it goes on everything. Fair warning: it settles after a day or two, so give it a stir before you use it.

The quesadilla shell is the other half. Two low-carb tortillas pressed together with melted cheddar, then wrapped around the filling. The trick is keeping the tortillas warm and pliable. If they cool down before you roll, they crack and the filling pushes out the sides. I figured that out on my first batch. Have your plates ready before you start assembling, because that bottom quesadilla layer goes from crispy to soft in about four minutes once it starts steaming. Three confirmed Taco Bell regulars at a friend's cookout told me this version was better than the real thing, and I think that crispy-when-fresh shell is a big part of why.

The 44g of protein per serving surprised me too. Between the beef, cheese, and nacho sauce, this fills me up more than most keto dinners I make. I was full until late the next morning the first time I actually tracked the macros.

If you like Taco Bell copycats, I also have a Big Mac Crunchwrap and keto hard shell tacos. For the same ground beef flavors in a different format, my taco casserole is a one-pan option, or try a taco salad if you want something lighter.

Two burritos cut in half to show they are filled with ground beef, rice and nacho cheese.

Which tortillas work best

I keep this recipe fast by using store-bought low-carb tortillas. The brand matters more than you’d think because some get too stiff to roll once they cool. Here are the ones I’ve used and trust:

  • Hero Flour Tortillas: 16g total carbs, 0g net carbs
  • Mr. Tortilla: 3g total carbs, 1g net carbs, vegan
  • Mission Zero Carb Tortillas: 7g total carbs, 0g net carbs
  • La Banderita Carb Counter Tortillas: 5g total carbs, 0g net carbs
  • Maria and Ricardo’s Almond Flour Tortillas: 13g total carbs, 4g net carbs, grain-free and gluten-free
  • Untortillas: 11g total carbs, 3g net carbs, gluten-free with clean ingredients

Egg wraps from Egglife are another option if you want even fewer carbs and more protein. I’ve used them for lighter versions and they hold up fine, just don’t expect the same chew as a real tortilla.

How I store and reheat these

Refrigerator

I wrap leftover quesaritos tightly in foil and keep them in the fridge. Good for up to 4 days.

Freezer

Wrap each one individually in foil, then into a freezer bag. They keep for up to 2 months. I write the date on the bag because freezer black hole is real.

Reheating

From the fridge: I microwave for about a minute, then hit a dry skillet for 2 minutes per side to re-crisp the shell. From frozen: thaw overnight in the fridge first, or microwave on lower power in 1-minute bursts. Always finish in the skillet if you want that crispy tortilla back.

Tips for perfect assembly

Have everything prepped before you start assembling. Make the ranchero sauce, cook the beef filling, prep the rice, and only then start on the quesadilla shells. Once those shells come off the skillet with melted cheese, I give myself about 3-4 minutes before they stiffen up. I roll mine immediately: fold the sides in first, then roll from the bottom like a burrito. If the tortilla resists or starts to crack, it cooled too fast. Put it back on the warm skillet for 10 seconds and try again. And don't overfill. A quarter cup of beef mixture and a quarter cup of rice per piece is the sweet spot I landed on after a few rounds of cleaning up my counter.

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The recipe

Keto Quesarito

Print Pin
Prep 30 min Cook 20 min Total 50 min Serves 8

Ingredients

Servings 8

Spicy Ranchero Sauce Ingredients

Keto Quesaritos Ingredients

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Make Spicy Ranchero Sauce

    To make the Spicy Ranchero Sauce, combine sour cream, ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise and hot sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

    For this step

    • 1/2 cup sour cream
    • 1/2 packet dry ranch dressing seasoning mix
    • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
    • 1 ½ teaspoons hot sauce
    A bowl of mixed spicy ranchero sauce.

  2. Prepare the rice

    Prepare lupini rice according to package instructions. Cook rice for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.

    For this step

    • 8 oz package lupini rice
    Cooked lupini rice in a bowl.

  3. Make beefy, cheesy burrito filling

    Meanwhile, add ground beef to a large skillet and cook over medium high heat until almost browned. Add chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and oregano. Mix to combine. Continue cooking until browned. Reduce heat to low, add queso. Stir to combine and let simmer on low while you prepare the quesadilla portion of the quesarito.

    For this step

    • 1 ½ lb lean ground beef
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
    • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
    • 5.75 oz (1/2 jar) queso
    Cooked ground beef mixed with queso in a skillet.

  4. Make the quesadillas

    In a large non-stick skillet, place one tortilla and cover with ½ cup shredded cheese. Put another tortilla on top of it and flip. Cover the skillet for 20-30 seconds to allow cheese to melt faster, then remove. Repeat with remaining tortillas until you have 8 quesadillas.

    For this step

    • 16 low-carb tortillas (6-8 inches)
    • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
    Making a quesodilla in a skillet.

  5. Assemble

    To assemble, spread a heaping tablespoon of spicy ranchero sauce on a quesadilla. Top with ¼ cup rice, and ¼ cup ground beef mixture. Carefully roll them up like a burrito, folding the edges in first and rolling. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.

    Making a burrito with beef and rice on a tortilla.

Nutrition

Per serving: 1 quesarito

Calories
568
Fat
36.8g
Protein
44.6g
Total carbs
30.5g
Net carbs
11.2g

Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many carbs does a Taco Bell quesarito have compared to this version?

A Taco Bell quesarito has around 67g of carbs. My keto version comes in at about 11g net carbs per serving, depending on which tortilla brand you use. If you want to push it even lower, skip the lupini rice and the queso. That drops it to roughly 6-7g net.

Can I make the spicy ranchero sauce ahead of time?

I make double batches and keep it in the fridge all the time. It stays good for 3-4 days in an airtight container. It does settle and separate a little after sitting, so give it a stir before you use it. I've put it on everything from tostadas to scrambled eggs.

Do I have to use lupini rice?

No. I like lupini rice because it holds its shape and doesn't get mushy, but cauliflower rice works if you squeeze out the water first. Hearts of palm rice is another option. Or skip the rice entirely if you want fewer carbs. The beef and cheese filling is rich enough on its own that I don't miss it when I leave it out.

Can I use chicken or steak instead of ground beef?

I've made these with shredded rotisserie chicken and it's even faster since the protein is already cooked. Just warm the chicken in the taco seasoning and queso on the stove for a few minutes. For steak, I slice it thin against the grain and sear it hard in a hot skillet before dicing. If you have leftover fajita meat from my sheet pan fajitas, that works here too. Both swap well, you just lose a little of that Taco Bell ground-beef-and-cheese texture.

Does dairy-free or vegan cheese melt enough to hold the fold?

I've tested this. Vegan shreds with tapioca starch in the ingredient list melt the best. Violife and Follow Your Heart both work. They won't get as stretchy as real mozzarella, but they hold. I press the fold seam down hard for a full 2 minutes instead of the usual quick press so it actually seals before I flip.

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Reviews

Tap to rate

4.8 from 26 ratings, 20 written

Made this recipe?

Replying to Lakshmi

Your rating

Jordan

If you set it seam side down and leave it alone for a couple minutes it seals itself shut, that was my whole problem the first time. And honestly this is the first keto dinner in a while that felt like real food to me and not just protein on a plate!! Two years in and that still gets me. Making it again this weekend!

Reply

Shea T.

SO good!! Your recipes never miss, I make this constantly. Thanks!!!

Reply

Luz

I’ll admit I wrote this off for a while. Didn’t think fast food nostalgia recipes actually work. The lupini rice was what changed my mind. It holds like regular rice inside the wrap, gives you that dense bite I’d completely forgotten I was missing. The ranchero sauce tastes cleaner than the original to me, less sweet, more acidic against the cumin. It’s on the Friday rotation.

Reply

Annie Lampella

That cumin-acid balance is why I make double batches of the sauce. Glad the lupini rice landed.

Reply

Rita

Cumin and chili powder hitting the pan at the same time gave this smoky-spicy smell I wasn’t ready for. First time cooking with lupini rice, genuinely thought it would fall apart when I tried to roll everything, but it held fine. 44 grams of protein for dinner is kind of ridiculous. Does the ranchero sauce stay good for a few days in the fridge, or does the sour cream eventually break?

Reply

Annie Lampella

3-4 days in an airtight container. It separates a bit when it sits but stirs right back together. I keep a double batch going most weeks.

Reply

Rita

Panicked when mine did that! Good to know it stirs back together.

Reply

Derek

Taco Bell had it. keto took it away. got it back.

Reply

Derek

That’s probably why mine split too. Good to know for next time.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The 67 grams is what got me started on this. I kept seeing it on people’s cheat day posts and couldn’t stop thinking there had to be a way. Took me a few batches to figure out the quesadilla layer, you have to keep it warm or it cracks when you roll it. Got it down to 11g net and it holds up.

Reply

Jen

67 carbs vs 11. not even close.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Jen, the protein gap is almost as wild. 44g in mine.

Reply

Angela

The quesadilla layer needs about a minute off heat before you add the filling and roll. Found this out the hard way (stretchy cheese, filling slid right to one end), but once it firms up a little the fold holds and you actually get a clean cut. Worth the extra 60 seconds.

Reply

Tasha

Swapped the hot sauce for chipotles in adobo and now I make double every time because it goes on everything.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Ha. It starts as a sauce and ends up on everything in the fridge within two days. I ate mine on scrambled eggs the morning after.

Reply

Nicole V.

I’ve tried like three other keto quesarito recipes trying to get my Taco Bell fix and none of them had a sauce worth mentioning, but that spicy ranchero sauce is the reason this one wrecked all the others. Already making a second batch of it this week just to put on things.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Three recipes with no sauce worth keeping. The ranchero is the part I spent the most time on. Try it on eggs.

Reply

Lakshmi

Double the ranchero sauce. You’ll be putting it on everything in your fridge by Thursday.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Thursday is about right. Eggs the next morning, leftover chicken, straight off the spoon at some point.

Reply

Aaliyah V.

Been building a weekly meal prep rotation for a few months and this one’s locked in. One tip if you’re doing bulk prep: double the ranchero sauce. It thickens overnight and the flavor deepens, so day three genuinely tastes better than day one. I build everything ahead except the final quesadilla press and finish each one in a hot skillet as needed. The lupini rice held up better than I expected (no mushiness), and the beef reheats fine with a splash of water and a lid. 44g protein per serving. That’s why it stays.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The sauce does that. I make double batches all the time but I’ve been using it same day. Two days ahead on purpose – trying that.

Reply

Sasha

Added chipotle peppers in adobo to the ranchero sauce and the smokiness plays really well with the cumin in the beef. Worth the extra step. Keeping this version.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Chipotle adobo in the ranchero sauce is a really good call. The smokiness against the cumin in the beef makes sense. I’m stealing this.

Reply

Taylor

Skeptical about the lupini rice, I’ve tried at-home quesarito attempts before and the rice substitutes usually break the whole illusion. This one doesn’t. The ranchero sauce is so present that you stop thinking about what the rice is and just eat it.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The sauce does a lot. Lupini works because it stays neutral. Cauliflower goes soft fast and suddenly that’s all you taste.

Reply

Dani

I’ve tried three other keto quesarito recipes and none of them nailed the sauce. They all do plain sour cream or a basic chipotle mayo and leave it at that. That spicy ranchero (ranch mix, mayo, hot sauce) is what makes this one freaking unbeatable. I’m already on my second double batch of just the sauce to put on everything else.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Keeping a jar in the fridge permanently at this point. Eggs in the morning, grilled chicken, salad. It barely qualifies as a recipe and it goes on everything.

Reply

Min

Never worked with lupini rice before. Went in expecting to explain to my family why dinner was weird, but the texture holds up better than I thought. Added an extra teaspoon of hot sauce to the ranchero since we like things spicy, and that sauce is what I keep tasting. Now I need to know what else I can dunk into it.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Pork rinds. I go through an embarrassing amount of them while making this. Chicken strips work too but the pork rinds absorb it differently. Your extra hot sauce call is noted.

Reply

Tara

Sold my husband on the ranchero sauce alone, which is the hardest sell in this house.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Ranchero sauce is the one. My husband asks if we’re having quesaritos the second he sees me pull out the ranch packet.

Reply

Laura

My daughter is dairy-free, so I’d swap the sour cream and use plant-based cheese. Does vegan cheese actually melt enough to hold the fold, or does it just slide apart?

Reply

Annie Lampella

Vegan cheese is hit or miss for the fold. The shreds that have tapioca starch melt better (Violife and Follow Your Heart both work), but they won’t get as stretchy as real mozzarella. I’d press the fold seam down hard for a full 2 minutes instead of 1 so it seals before you flip. For the sour cream, Kite Hill cashew sour cream is the closest in texture.

Reply

Laura

Good to know on the tapioca starch thing. I’ll grab Violife and try the longer press time.

Reply

Heidi

Added extra ranch powder to the sauce because I put ranch on everything. My boyfriend eats Taco Bell twice a week and said this was better. That’s the whole review.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Ha, a twice-a-week Taco Bell regular saying this wins, that’s the review I needed. Extra ranch tracks, the half packet is just where I started.

Reply

Valerie

quick q – can i make the ranch sauce ahead and just keep it in the fridge? trying to meal prep these for the week

Reply

Annie Lampella

Yeah, the ranch sauce keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days easy. I make a double batch sometimes. Just stir it before using since it settles.

Reply

Brett

Kids had no idea these weren’t from Taco Bell. The only issue was rolling them without the filling spilling out.

Reply

Annie Lampella Recipe author

Brett ha, that’s the best compliment. For the rolling, make sure the tortillas are still warm and flexible. If they cool down they get brittle. Also don’t overfill them.

Reply

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