One-Pan Taco Skillet
Seasoned ground beef, peppers and tomatoes simmered in one skillet and blanketed in melted cheddar — all the taco-night flavor without the shells.
Nutrition per serving
about 1¼ cups plus toppings- Net carbs
- 6.7g
- Calories
- 671kcal
- Protein
- 38g
- Fat
- 53g
- Total carbs
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 5.8 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Ground turkey: A leaner skillet with the same spices. Turkey needs a splash of oil to brown and has to reach a higher temperature than beef.
- Heat the oil in the skillet first, then brown the turkey until no pink remains and it reaches 165°F (74°C), 8–9 minutes. There will be little fat to pour off — keep it in the pan for toasting the spices.
Dairy-free: No cheese blanket or sour cream. Instead the skillet is topped with fresh salsa and a generous scoop of guacamole for creaminess.
- Skip step 4. Once the mixture has thickened, take it off the heat and top with the guacamole, salsa, diced avocado, cilantro and jalapeño.
Beef & chorizo: Half the beef is swapped for fresh Mexican chorizo, which brings its own chile, garlic and vinegar tang — and a brick-red color.
- Brown the chorizo and beef together, breaking them up, until cooked through (160°F/71°C). Chorizo is already heavily spiced, so leave out the chili powder and taste before adding all of the salt.
- Skillet
- Toppings
- Nice to have (optional)
- Skillet
- Toppings
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Skillet
-
1 cup shredded cheddarleave out - Toppings
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Skillet
-
1 tbsp chili powderleave out - Toppings
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $15.51 for 4 servings ($3.88 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F (71°C), 7–8 minutes. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.
-
Add the onion and bell pepper and cook 4–5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne and salt and cook 1 minute — toasting the spices in the fat wakes up their flavor.
-
Pour in the tomatoes with their juice and the water. Simmer uncovered 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until most of the liquid has cooked off and the mixture is thick enough to scoop.
-
Taste and adjust the salt. Scatter the cheddar evenly over the top, cover and cook on low 2 minutes until melted — or slide the skillet under a hot broiler for 1–2 minutes until bubbly and spotted brown.
-
Top with spoonfuls of sour cream, the diced avocado, cilantro and jalapeño. Serve straight from the pan with lime wedges, plus pico de gallo or guacamole if you like.
Tips for success
-
Packaged taco seasoning often contains sugar, cornstarch or maltodextrin. The spice blend here takes a minute to measure and has none of them. - To stretch it further, stir 2 cups of riced cauliflower in with the tomatoes; it soaks up the seasoning and adds only about 1.5 g net carbs per serving.
- Leftovers make a great filling for coconut flour tortillas or lettuce-cup tacos the next day.
Nice to have, not needed
- An oven-safe skillet lets you broil the cheese until spotted brown — otherwise just cover the pan to melt it.
- Warm coconut flour tortillas or crisp lettuce cups turn it into tacos — a fork works just as well.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Microwave 1½–2 minutes or warm in a skillet over medium heat, then add the cold toppings.
Prep tip: Freeze the cooked beef mixture before the cheese and toppings go on; thaw it overnight in the fridge and it reheats in minutes.
Refrigerate (without the avocado and sour cream) up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet or the microwave.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosGround turkey
ProteinA leaner skillet with the same spices. Turkey needs a splash of oil to brown and has to reach a higher temperature than beef.
- ground beef (80/20) → ground turkey
- + 1 tbsp avocado oil
6.7 g net · 522 kcal · 43 g protein · 35 g fat · ≈$3.43 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Dairy-free
DietNo cheese blanket or sour cream. Instead the skillet is topped with fresh salsa and a generous scoop of guacamole for creaminess.
- sour cream → guacamole
- + ½ cup salsa or pico de gallo
- no shredded cheddar
7.2 g net · 586 kcal · 33 g protein · 45 g fat · ≈$4.25 per serving (+0.5 g net carbs vs the original)
Beef & chorizo
FlavorHalf the beef is swapped for fresh Mexican chorizo, which brings its own chile, garlic and vinegar tang — and a brick-red color.
- ground beef (80/20) → ground beef (80/20)
- + ¾ lb fresh Mexican chorizo
- no chili powder
9.6 g net · 702 kcal · 35 g protein · 57 g fat · ≈$3.68 per serving (+2.9 g net carbs vs the original)
Save it for later
Pin this recipe to your keto board so it’s there when you plan next week.
Save to Pinterest
