My healthy cheeseburger bites recipe is one of the most popular recipes of all time, and it’s about time it got some competition. These low carb taco bites pack spicy beef, creamy salsa, cheddar cheese, and even tortilla chips into individual muffins. I feel they’re a worthy opponent, but I’ll let you be the judge.
For a nutrition facts comparison, the taco bites have a tiny bit more fat thanks to extra cheese and the tortilla chips. Read: they’re cheesier, crunchier, and worth the extra 20 calories.
Low Carb Taco Bites Ingredients
This recipe is super easy to make. You can break down the ingredients into two groups:
- beef and spices
- liquid ingredients and tortilla chips
The Beef Taco Mix
For the beef, the recipe calls for a blend of spices that’s more flavorful than packaged taco seasoning in my opinion. That said, you’re more than welcome to use a packet of taco seasoning if your spice cabinet is short an ingredient or two. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- paprika
- chili powder
- cumin
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- black pepper
That’s it! I love spice but have been accused of over-spicing in the past. So, if you wanted to add a little kick, add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
The Taco Bites Mixture
The remaining ingredients are pretty straightforward. I used Tostitos Scoops for the tortilla chips in the recipe. You can use a food processor or a plastic bag to crush the chips before adding.
In case you’re wondering, you can use any tortilla chips for these taco bites (even the baked Tostitos Scoops). And if you wanted to reduce the carbs even further, use the keto favorite pork rinds in place of tortilla chips.
For the remaining ingredients, sour cream should work fine in place of the Greek yogurt, and you can get creative with your cheese selection. What up pepperjack?
Final Taco Bites Recipe Notes
As you can see in the recipe photos below, the taco bites completely fill each muffin slot. You could add extra ingredients like onion or peppers, but you won’t have a ton of extra room to work with. You might consider replacing the salsa for your own blend of tomatoes and fresh veggies or roasted fajita veggies.
Okay, that’s about it. If you have recipe questions, feel free to drop a comment at the bottom of this post. And if you make these taco bites, snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @mason_woodruff.
Low Carb Taco Bites
Ingredients
Beef Taco Mix (spice blend optional - swap for taco seasoning)
- 1 lb Ground Beef, I used 96/4
- 1 Tbsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Taco Bites Mixture
- 3 oz Tortilla Chips, finely ground
- 1 C 245g Liquid Egg Whites
- 1/2 C 113g Fat Free Greek Yogurt
- 1 C 112g Shredded Cheddar
- 1/4 C 60g Salsa
- 1/4 C 30g Sliced Jalapeños, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and spray a 12-muffin tin or silicone mold with nonstick spray.
- Cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Use a spatula to finely crumble the beef as it cooks. Towards the end of cooking, add the spices and stir well. Remove to cool.
- Place the tortilla chips in a food processor or plastic bag and crush/blend into crumbs.
- In a large bowl, mix the egg whites, yogurt, salsa, cheddar, and optional jalapeños together. Fold in the cooked beef and tortilla chips.
- Spoon the mixture into the muffin mold (about 1/4 cup each).
- Bake for 22-24 minutes or until the taco bites are cooked in the center and begin to pull away from the edges of the muffin mold.
- Serve with salsa, Greek yogurt or sour cream, or your choice of condiments. Refrigerate leftover taco bites in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. (You can also freeze them.)
Notes
- Each taco bite has 3 Smart Points.
- If you'd rather skip the spice blend, you can use 1 packet of taco seasoning (and half a packet of ranch dip mix for extra flavor).
- Macros for entire recipe in case you make different sized taco bites: 1,620 calories, 167g protein, 83g carbs, and 67g fat
- If you'd like smaller taco bites, use a 24-muffin tin or mold like I use in my cheeseburger or low carb pizza bites recipes.
- You can find the muffin mold I used on my Amazon list.
Nutrition
More Healthy Taco Recipes You Might Like
My easy taco pasta bake is another wildly popular recipe. And if you’re carb conscious, the recipe uses a lower carb pasta to keep things under control for a pasta dish.
And if you wanna check out my favorite recipe of all time, look no further than my creamy taco soup.
We are big food prepped and these are perfect for that. AND they are toddler friendly. Full disclosure: if you like these you must try out the cheeseburger bites!
We are big food prepped and these are perfect for that. AND they are toddler friendly. Full disclosure: if you like these you must try out the cheeseburger bites!
These are great and easy to put together! I subbed ground pork rinds for the tortilla chips gram for gram. This helped with the carbs and calories! Great to reheat for meal prep!
My whole family loved this recipe! I used ground turkey instead of beef and it did great!
I had some leftover ground beef and thought I would try this recipe out. It did not disappoint! It was simple to make. I did omit the jalapenos but added extra salsa on top after baking. I used it as a snack mid-day for in the car.
I usually add the taco seasoning instead of all the spices. These are a great snack. My daughter will have a couple after school. With some cut up veggies.
I make these regularly for lunch during the week. I sometimes use pork rind panko to replace the chips. Definitely one of my favorite recipes. The macros are great too!
Oh boy.. okay.. this bad boy was on my meal plan for a solid 3 weeks straight! I loved it and my host kids love it (major win)
I play around with different cheeses and meats with this one to great variety but you can’t go wrong with this!
These muffins are great for lunch meal prep. Each one packs a lot of flavor. I cook them on Sunday. I pack two muffins and a salad for a filling and delicious lunch.
Made these last night to prep for the TX/OU game today. Swapped tortilla chips for whole wheat breadcrumbs and added a pinch of garlic salt. So good! Friends loved them