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Keto Taco Pie

Annie Lampella, Pharm.D. Recipe developer and pharmacist

Published Updated

32 ratings

Keto taco pie with all your favorite taco fixings piled into a cheesy, gluten-free fathead crust — 7.3g net carbs and 32.6g protein per serving. My kids request this one constantly.
  • 7.3gnet carbs
  • 32.6gprotein
  • 31minutes
  • 8servings
slice of keto taco pie with layers of beef
sour cream
cheese and lettuce
leafy lettuce on savory pie crust
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Most keto taco pie recipes use an egg-and-cream custard as the base. I tried that approach years ago and the result was closer to a quiche than anything my kids would call taco night. So I built this one on a fathead dough crust that actually holds up under all that juicy taco filling. It slices clean, it stays crisp on the bottom, and it tastes like real pie crust. One of my readers brought it to a dinner party and her guests asked which deli she ordered it from. They had no idea it was keto.

The secret is the pre-bake. I blind bake the crust at 400 degrees for 10 minutes before adding anything. Skip that step and the center turns to mush under the beef. I learned this through trial and error, and so did about half my comment section. The xanthan gum matters too. Without it, the crust absorbs the juices and falls apart when you try to cut slices. With it, every piece holds together from plate to last bite.

For the filling, I brown a pound of ground beef with taco seasoning and let the spices bloom right in the pan. Layer shredded cheese on the bottom of the pre-baked crust (this creates a moisture barrier), pile on the seasoned beef, spread sour cream across the top, then finish with more cheese. Back in the oven at 375 for 6-8 minutes until everything is melted and bubbly. Then load it up with toppings. I go heavy on shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a big scoop of guacamole, but my kids just want extra cheese and sour cream.

This is the recipe my family requests on Friday nights. Not because it fits our macros (they don't care about that), but because to them it's just taco night with a crust they actually like. At 7.3g net carbs per slice, it fits a keto meal plan without any compromises on flavor. I cut it into 8 slices, and each one is a full meal, especially with a side salad or some roasted vegetables.

If you love this low carb approach to Mexican food, try my keto taco casserole for a crustless version, or my keto steak fajita pie if you want to swap the beef for steak. For a lighter build, cheese taco shells give you that same taco flavor without the pie format, and keto tostadas are great when I want something I can eat with my hands.

loaded keto taco pie with cheese, lettuce and tomato next to a taco pie slice

I pile on lettuce, tomato and cheese, then serve it with my keto tortilla chips and salsa.

How the Fathead Crust Comes Together

baked low carb pie crust in a dish

This crust is my fathead dough. The melted mozzarella does the job gluten does in regular dough, so it holds together and stretches into shape. A food processor is the fastest way to mix it, but an electric mixer or your hands work too. Just knead the ingredients into a dough ball, which takes longer but gives the same result.

Swaps for the Filling

shredded lettuce on the taco pie

If you don’t have ground beef, use ground chicken instead. Shredded chicken works great too. I also like to mix a batch of my Spanish cauliflower rice into the seasoned beef.

Make Parts Ahead

low carb taco meat in a skillet with a spatula

I keep premade fathead dough on hand by doubling or tripling the recipe. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. I also cook the ground beef mixture on my meal prep day and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. No need to reheat it, since the beef heats up in the oven while the pie bakes.

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The recipe

Keto Taco Pie

Print Pin
Prep 15 min Cook 16 min Total 31 min Serves 8

Ingredients

Servings 8

Keto Pie Crust Ingredients

Taco Filling Ingredients

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Preheat oven

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees

  2. Make the pie crust

    Begin by making the pie crust. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the mozzarella cheese using the microwave for 2 minutes or until melted. Or melt the cheese in a non-stick skillet over the stove top, until melted. Add almond flour, egg, baking powder, xanthan gum and melted cheese to a food processor. Pulse until combined and a dough ball forms. If you don’t have a food processor, see suggestions below.

    keto taco pie dough in a food processor

  3. Press into pie pan

    Form dough into a ball and place between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll out dough into a flat circle until the diameter is 2 inches larger than your pie plate. Remove the top layer of parchment paper. Place pie pan upside down on top the center of the pie crust. Slide your hand under the pie crust and hold on to the bottom of the pie dish. Then flip upside down so the pie crust lands on top of the pie plate. Remove the parchment paper.

    400 degree temperature

  4. Bake

    Press the pie dough into the pie pan. Get rid of excess dough if needed. Using a fork, poke holes in the bottom of the crust to allow for air to escape and to prevent the crust from bubbling up when baking. Bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes.

    fathead dough ball in a food processor

  5. Brown ground beef

    While the crust is baking, move onto the taco filling. Add ground beef to a large skillet and cook until browned over medium-high heat. Add taco seasoning when the meat has almost finished cooking to allow for the spices to bloom. Remove from heat and stir in olives if using.

    pie pan upside down on fathead dough

  6. Assemble & bake

    Once the pie crust is done cooking, remove from the oven. Decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle 1/3 cup shredded cheese on the bottom of the pie crust. Then scoop all the ground beef mixture into the pie crust. Spread sour cream all over the ground beef layer. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

    cooked fathead dough pie crust in a dish

  7. Add toppings

    When the taco pie has finished cooking, remove from the oven and let cool for a couple of minutes. Top with shredded lettuce, tomato, cilantro, guacamole, jalapeños or additional cheese.

    ground beef cooked in a skillet

Nutrition

Per serving: 1 slice

Calories
538
Fat
41.7g
Protein
32.6g
Total carbs
8.8g
Net carbs
7.3g

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze keto taco pie?

I've frozen individual slices wrapped in parchment and stored in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. The crust holds its texture surprisingly well after thawing. I reheat slices in the oven at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes (microwaving makes the crust go soft). Add fresh toppings like lettuce and guacamole after reheating, not before.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef?

I've made this with ground turkey and it works, but the filling is leaner so it can dry out faster. What I do is add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan when browning the turkey, and I stir in a couple tablespoons of salsa at the end to keep it moist. The flavor is milder, so I bump up the taco seasoning by about half a tablespoon.

Do I have to pre-bake the crust?

Yes, and I cannot stress this enough. I pre-bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes before adding any filling. Without that step, the wet taco meat turns the center into mush. I've had readers skip it and come back saying their second batch (with the pre-bake) was a completely different recipe. Set a timer and walk away.

Why do I need xanthan gum in the fathead crust?

I never skip the xanthan gum. It's what binds the dough so the slices hold together when you cut them. Without it, the crust absorbs the juices from the filling and falls apart. I tested this side by side early on, and the version without xanthan gum crumbled the second I tried to lift a slice. It's a small addition that makes the whole thing work.

Can I use homemade keto taco seasoning?

I actually prefer homemade because most store-bought taco seasoning packets have hidden starches and sugars as fillers. My go-to mix is chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne. About 2 tablespoons of that blend for 1 pound of beef. You control the heat and skip the carb fillers.

How do I double this recipe for a crowd?

I've done this for game day and it feeds about 16 people. Make two full pies rather than trying to scale into one giant dish (the crust won't bake evenly if it's too thick). I prep both crusts and pre-bake them side by side, then brown the beef in one large batch. Assembly goes fast once the crusts are ready. Set up toppings in bowls and let everyone build their own slice.

What are the best toppings for this?

My go-to lineup is shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, guacamole, and a drizzle of sour cream. But I've also done pickled jalapenos, diced red onion, and fresh cilantro when I want more bite. My kids skip everything except extra shredded cheese. The key is adding cold toppings after it comes out of the oven so they stay crisp against the hot filling.

Can I make this without the crust for a nut-free version?

I've done a crustless version by layering the seasoned beef, sour cream, and cheese directly in a greased pie dish and baking at 375 for about 15 minutes. It's more like a low carb taco casserole at that point, but it works if you can't do almond flour. You could also try my zucchini taco boats for a completely different nut-free take on taco night.

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Reviews

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4.6 from 32 ratings, 13 written

Made this recipe?

Replying to Annie Lampella

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Keisha

Good pie. Pre-bake the crust 5 extra minutes.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Keisha, I like that call on five extra minutes for the crust. Thanks for sharing that!

Reply

Sasha

Can I skip the xanthan gum? I never seem to have it on hand.

Reply

Sasha

Didn’t realize it would make that big of a difference. Adding xanthan gum to my grocery list before I try this.

Reply

Annie Lampella

I tested this side by side, Sasha, and without it the crust absorbs the meat juices and falls apart when you slice it. I really wouldn’t skip it here.

Reply

Sonia

Anyone reheating this in a skillet? Three minutes at medium and the fathead crust crisps back up, totally different from the microwave. Pack the sour cream separate if you’re portioning for the week, it breaks down layered.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The skillet method is real. Microwave turns the crust rubbery in 30 seconds and it never comes back. I usually do the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes but three minutes on medium is way faster for one slice at lunch. Yes on the sour cream, Sonia. Once it sits layered overnight the moisture seeps in and softens the whole crust underneath.

Reply

Sonia

Yeah, that was me too the first time. Will try the oven when I have more than one slice.

Reply

Elaine

Fathead crust earns taco night back. Not perfect, but close.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Getting taco night back is the whole goal. What would push it to perfect for you, Elaine – crust texture or something else?

Reply

Alex

There’s this thing my daughter does with regular tacos, she picks the cheese off first and eats it separately (we’ve accepted it, not fighting it), so I wasn’t sure how this was going to go. Made it last week and just… didn’t happen. I layered the sour cream under the final cheese and everything fused together so she couldn’t pick it apart. She just ate the slice. The crust got her though. She kept poking at it asking why it tasted different (she’s nine and has opinions about bread). Four stars for now, still tweaking the taco seasoning for my family’s taste, but she’s already asking if it’s going on the regular rotation. From her, that’s basically a standing ovation.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Sour cream under the final cheese layer. Haven’t done it that way, mine always goes on top. Nine-year-old asking why the crust tastes different but wanting it on rotation anyway, I’ll take it.

Reply

Vanessa

taco night is cancelled at our house

Reply

Annie Lampella

Best kind of cancelled. My kids don’t even ask for the shell version anymore.

Reply

Quinn

Melting mozzarella to make a pie crust sounded like something I was going to completely botch. I almost just made tacos the normal way. But I followed the steps, the dough came together in the microwave faster than I expected, and I pressed it into the pan without it falling apart. The crust actually held up under the beef layer and the sour cream on top, which I was not confident about going in. It tasted like taco night, just in a different shape, which is a strange thing to type but it’s the most accurate description I have. Beginner cook here, no modifications, no prior experience with fathead dough. It worked.

Reply

Annie Lampella

‘Taco night in a different shape’ is a better description than anything in my recipe notes. Glad the dough cooperated.

Reply

Sam Wilson

Poked holes in the crust before pre-baking and zero soggy bottom issues, which was my whole problem last time. Also switched to cotija instead of the Mexican blend and the saltiness cuts through the sour cream better.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Cotija is such a better call for this. The Mexican blend just disappears under the sour cream. And the holes trick – adding that to my notes.

Reply

Yuki

My husband can’t have almonds so I need to swap out the almond flour. Would coconut flour work? Or does it mess up the fathead dough too much? Never made it before, so I have no clue how forgiving it is.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Coconut flour works, use about 1/2 cup instead of 1 1/2, it soaks up way more liquid. Dough comes out denser but holds. Or skip the crust entirely, layer everything in a greased pie dish and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. More of a casserole than a pie at that point but the filling is the same.

Reply

Amanda

Three batches in, one change worth making: spread the sour cream over the beef before the cheese goes on. It bakes into the filling and the pie holds together way better when you slice it.

Reply

Annie Lampella

That layer actually sets up in the oven and basically glues the filling together. Trying it that way next time.

Reply

Riley

Press the fathead dough to 1/4 inch or thinner and pre-bake the full 12 minutes before adding anything. Seriously, this part matters. My first round I went too thick and the center never crisped up even after the second bake — thin crust holds under the sour cream layer instead of going soft when you slice it. I’ve also been using Siete taco seasoning packets instead of generic. The beef just tastes more like actual taco filling. Brighter, cleaner somehow. Worth it if you’re making this on rotation. Trying cast iron next time to see if I can get the edge even crispier.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Siete is so much better than the generic packets. I noticed the same thing (cleaner, less dusty somehow). Cast iron edge, please report back.

Reply

Melissa

I’ve been making fathead dough long enough to know it goes soft under wet fillings, so I blind baked the crust 12 minutes before adding the beef. Bottom stayed crisp through dinner, which is usually where this crust loses me. Also swapped half the Mexican blend for pepper jack and stirred a diced chipotle in adobo into the beef while it browned. That smoky heat made the whole thing. Way more interesting than my usual taco nights. Don’t skip the xanthan gum. It’s the only reason the slices hold together when you cut them. Making this again Friday, double batch.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Chipotle in adobo while it browns, yes. That smokiness is completely different from just taco seasoning. Never done half pepper jack but trying it.

Reply

Tiffany

If you pre-bake the crust the full 10 minutes before adding anything, the bottom crisps up and actually stays that way even with all that juicy taco filling on top. Learned this after I got impatient on batch two and the middle turned to mush. Now I set a timer and walk away.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Batch two is where everyone figures that out. Pre-bake is not optional with this crust.

Reply

Corinne

Wasn’t sure the fathead crust could hold up under taco filling without going soggy. It did. Better than any flour version I’ve tried. Adding it to the dinner rotation.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Yep. I never skip the xanthan gum. Flour crust just absorbs the juices and falls apart.

Reply

Ray

Is the 538 calories per serving? Or the full thing sorry Im new at this.

Reply

Annie Lampella Recipe author

Yes, per 1/8 of the pie slice. It’s meant to be a full meal with a lower calorie side dish – maybe a side of vegetables or salad.

Reply

Lourdes Nellum

This is a delicious taco pie recipe!

Reply

Annie Lampella

My kids request this one constantly. The fathead crust is what they’re really after.

Reply

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