It’s not always simple to stay on a ketogenic diet, especially when you have a busy schedule and little to no time to prepare your meals.
Having enough time for planning, shopping, and cooking for this high-fat, low-carb diet can be challenging, which is why you might resort to a takeaway.
Thankfully, Taco Bell’s menu makes it easy to create your own keto meals with only a few adjustments. This way, you can still savor a keto-friendly takeaway meal and not worry about the high-carb content of your fast-food dish.
You will most certainly have fun following your diet if you use this detailed list of the 16 best keto-friendly menu items at Taco Bell (see also ‘Taco Bell Breakfast: The 13 Best Breakfast Foods‘).
While you might have to skip some of the ingredients, your meals will still taste great, and you can even save up some calories for a second round.
So, keep on reading below to find out what to eat and how to order your keto Taco Bell food!
Order As It Is
1. Black Beans
Skipping the black beans from your meal one day to keep it keto-friendly does not mean you cannot enjoy them on your own the next. Even though beans typically have too many carbohydrates for a ketogenic diet,
Black beans can add more carbs to a burrito bowl, they do have only 8 grams of carbs per portion at Taco Bell, so they are acceptable to eat as a snack or a side to some zero-carb chicken.
Plus, with 3 grams of fiber, this side dish is perfect to keep your diet balanced and carbohydratesadd more fiber to your diet.
The Keto diet is quite poor when it comes to fiber intake, as all keto foods are mainly protein-rich or with significant fat content, so saving some carbs for a bean snack is a wise choice, especially when considering Taco Bell’s menu items.
2. Sauces
While the Taco Bell sauces are certainly not a meal on their own, most of them are low in carbs so they can easily compensate for those tortillas and rice you have to skip.
The Chipotle sauce, for example, has no net carbohydrates, while others like the jalapeno sauce and the avocado ranch each have just 1 gram of carbs.
If you’re looking for more adventurous options, consider exploring Taco Bell’s secret menu items, where you can find creative low-carb alternatives to traditional menu items, allowing you to enjoy the unique flavors without the extra carbs.
In fact, all of their well-known sauces in all of their spiciness levels have 1 gram of carbs each, while the extremely hot Diablo sauce has no carbohydrates at all.
Order With Modifications
3. Burrito Supreme
Similar to several of the other Taco Bell burrito items we have on this list, the Burrito Supreme can be made into a filling, delectable, low in carbs alternative by simply omitting the tortilla and the beans.
Once you have removed those two things, this burrito can be easily added to your keto weekly meal plan, as it contains nothing more than 10 grams of carbohydrates.
You can turn this burrito into a bowl by taking out the high-carb ingredients but still keeping all the goodies: meat, cheese, and low-carb veggies are still in there.
And don’t forget about the best part: the sour cream and guac are also very low in carbs, so you can still enjoy them with your bowl!
4. 5-Layer Beef Burrito
The Beefy 5-Layer Burrito from Taco Bell contains only 7 grams of carbohydrates when made as a bowl.
That means you will have to skip the tortilla wrap as well as the refried beans inside it, both of which add up to the carb intake of this delicious meal.
After this, you can start making more adjustments to build the perfect, most delectable, keto-friendly, and cost-effective burrito bowl you can.
Don’t worry about skipping the best ingredients that are in this bowl: succulent beef, shredded cheese, nacho cheese sauce, and sour cream will all be included.
To further increase the nutritive benefits, you could also go for some tasty jalapenos, and low-carb vegetables, as well as some guac. Made from avocado, it is naturally low in carbs, so you can enjoy it guilt-free.
5. Grande Scrambler Burrito
Same as the Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, the Grande Scrambler Burrito can be adjusted to meet your dietary requirements.
You can reduce the number of carbs to 5 grams if you remove the tortilla as well as the potatoes. Your burrito will be transformed into a burrito bowl after being keto-friendly and will contain bacon, eggs, cheese, sour cream, and the iconic nacho cheese sauce.
And, if you want, you can always add more meat or vegetables for more protein and fiber without sacrificing the low carbohydrate percentage.
However, with the plain version (no extra meat or veg added) you will end up with 200 calories in total, so you might want to order something extra too.
6. Beefy Frito Burrito
Although the Beefy Frito Burrito only costs $1, it is not particularly keto-friendly by nature.
The only thing left after removing the tortilla, rice, and Fritos is a bowl of ground beef and nacho cheese. This Frito Burrito bowl will then contain only 5 grams of carbohydrates.
Despite the fact that it isn’t the most elaborate food, it could be extremely filling when ordered double and triple and easily be integrated into your ketogenic lifestyle.
The bad thing with it is that, when removing the carby ingredients, you only get 100 calories, so you might want to have a couple of them to satisfy your hunger.
7. Chicken Power Menu Bowl
Your safest choice for a Taco Bell dish that is keto-friendly is definitely a Power Menu Bowl.
The bowl still contains chicken, shredded cheese, guac, low-carb veggies, sour cream, as well as avocado-ranch gravy.
Practically, what you are missing from the original dish is the beans and rice it has, which are, unfortunately, higher in carbs.
However, you will be pleased to know that all you are left with now is 7 grams of carbs and a delicious, keto-friendly meal. With 240 calories per bowl, you can even enjoy one more or order one for later!
8. Steak Power Bowl
The Taco Bell Power Bowls are incredible, delectable, and keto-friendly alternatives that only need a few adjustments to produce high-fat and low-carb meals with less than 10 grams of carbohydrates.
Staying true to this, the Steak Power Bowl is another one on the list of Taco Bell’s Power Bowls that can be enjoyed without its carb-rich ingredients.
To be more specific, the Power Bowl with steak still tastes extremely good even when removing the rice and beans. Nothing high in carbohydrates will remain, just the best part.
The bowl will then contain the exact same ingredients as its chicken sibling, with only the meat being different. With these adjustments, you have a bowl that is still delicious but is considerably lower in carbs.
9. Mini Skillet Bowl
The Mini Skillet Bowl, while not 100% suitable for a keto diet, is still the closest thing you can get when you can’t resist the need for enjoying a menu item without any modifications or eliminations.
Still, when you are serious about your ketogenic lifestyle, you should head on to skip the potatoes. So, to reduce the number of carbohydrates, simply substitute any type of meat for potatoes, as this reduces the number of carbohydrates to 4g.
This breakfast bowl will then be altered to include your selection of meat, scrambled eggs, and the Taco Bell classic nacho cheese sauce.
Although the chain has meats like bacon and sausage as alternatives, you can always ask for some chicken or beef. If you go for a steak, you will end up with 140 calories, 9 grams of fat, 11 grams of protein, and 4 grams of carbs.
10. Fiesta Taco Salad With Chicken
This taco salad is served in a tortilla shell but that can be swapped with an actual bowl to instantly reduce the number of carbohydrates.
Keep in mind, though, that you would still have to make some further adjustments. The beans included in the salad, the rice, as well as the red tortilla strips will all have to go too.
After making these simple adjustments, the total amount of carbohydrates will be reduced to 6 grams, which is a keto-friendly number, and hence this becomes a keto-friendly meal option.
Chicken, cheese, veggies, but also sour cream will all be there and you can enjoy them without thinking twice about it.
11. Chicken Quesadilla Melt
Once the dietary adjustments have been made, this menu item, much like the burritos, will also end up being served as a cheesy and meaty bowl.
To stay within the ketogenic diet’s restrictions, an adapted Chicken Quesadilla Melt can become a satisfying and delectable choice.
This chicken and cheese bowl will contain only 6 grams of carbohydrates after the tortillas are removed. And, like all bowls, you can have this one with some of the best Taco Bell sauces (see also ‘17 Healthy Things To Order At A Taco Bell‘).
This one is served with a jalapeño sauce, but feel free to ask for something else if you’re not a fan of spicy food.
12. Chicken Chipotle Melt
Another worthy thing on the menu would be the Chicken Chipotle Melt. This dish consists of a tortilla topped with grilled chicken, cheese, and a silky chipotle sauce.
If you skip the tortilla, what you are left with is the most keto-friendly meal on this list. How does 1 gram of carbs sound for this savory delicacy?
That’s all there is to this chicken chipotle melt once you’ve taken out the one carb source it has. Unfortunately, we can’t say that this is a very filling meal option, as all that’s left to it is 100 calories.
So now that you have practically no carbs in this meal, it’s the perfect time to get those black beans as a side dish and still end up with less than 10 grams of carbohydrates!
13. Naked Egg Taco Bundle
Thankfully, an egg patty rather than a tortilla is used to hold the Naked Egg Taco Bundle together.
It is not necessary to change anything, but you must take the extra potatoes out. When you do, all that’s left are 3 grams of carbohydrates. Yes, you read that right!
Shredded cheese, nacho cheese sauce, and bacon are all filled up inside the egg patty to make this Taco meal. What you get then is only the most amazing, low-carb snack choice.
With 170 calories and 9 grams of protein, we are talking about a great snack or morning treat for your first coffee. Not too little, not too much.
14. Crunchwrap Supreme
Served in a sizable flour tortilla that has been grilled, the Crunchwrap Supreme is a Taco Bell highlight that includes seasoned beef and a creamy, cheesy sauce, a crispy taco shell, veggies, as well as the silky and tasty sour cream.
To make this Crunchwrap keto, you would, of course, have to say goodbye to the tortilla and the shell, and perhaps compromise with ordering something else too (so hard, we know!).
What you will be left with is a bowl containing the rest of the ingredients which will sum up to 180 calories and only 10 grams of carbs, 2 of which are fiber.
However, this meal is relatively low in protein – only 6 grams of protein in its keto version – so you might want to add some extra meat to it or order some other protein-rich meal together with it to increase your total intake.
15. Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito
Taco Bell (see also ‘11 Taco Bell Gluten Free Menu Items‘) could still be included in your list of keto restaurants if you choose to eat there and are willing to make some adjustments.
As you’ve probably realized so far in this article, tortillas and rice are the main ingredients included in most of the menu items that serve as the carb sources you have to remove from your meals.
The Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito is no exception to this rule. Bacon, eggs, and cheese sauce are among the many keto-friendly components that make up this Breakfast Burrito, so there’s really not that big of a loss.
A simple request for no tortilla to be used to make this burrito and you will be served another bowl, but this time one you will enjoy in the morning hours.
16. Nachos BellGrande
The well-known Nachos BellGrande from this fast-food restaurant is frequently stuffed with refried beans and tortilla chips, which are high in carbohydrates.
When ordering some keto Nachos BellGrande, what you need to ask for is no tortilla chips and beans. Once again, what you will be served is only the best of ingredients that are used in this meal, and which are thankfully keto-friendly.
Beef, the delicious nacho cheese sauce, diced tomatoes, and sour cream for some extra indulgence. As for the calories, you will be at 180, with 12 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein.
The sauce and cream in combination with the beef will increase the fat content and add 12 grams to this wholesome bowl.
The Bottom Line
Finding low-carb, keto-friendly things to order at a restaurant when you are busy or on a low income may seem difficult.
To help you with that, several fast-food restaurants have some keto-friendly meals available or at least can have their menu items modified to become keto-friendly.
Taco Bell is one of those and in this post, we’ve shared with you the 16 best keto-friendly meals you can have from this famous fast-food restaurant chain.
Each one of these options has no more than 10 grams of carbs, so save this list for whenever you have no time to cook and want to order something… ketolicious!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nacho Cheese From Taco Bell Keto Friendly?
¼ of a cup of Taco Bell’s Nacho Cheese Sauce has 5.5 grams of carbs, 5.1 grams of fat, and 1.5 grams of protein. Therefore, it is a keto-friendly option so long as you have it in this small quantity.
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