One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet– this easy, delicious, veggie packed beef taco skillet meal is quick and great for a budget- as well as a low carb diet! Easy cheesy beef taco skillet dinner that is perfect for burrito bowls, salads, skillet tacos, and more with tons of hidden vegetables that kids will eat!
Low Carb Taco Skillet With Cheese
Nothing gets our family to gather around a table faster than two things- tacos and cheese.
Mention either one, and my family is ready for a feast!
For us, quick, hearty, and secretly-packed-with-veggies meals are our go to options- and this One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet is one that doesn’t disappoint!
This recipe is the perfect beef taco skillet dinner that is packed with vegetables, beef taco flavor, and tons of ooey, gooey melted cheese for a low carb taco skillet that is great for keto dieters and fans of low carb tacos.
We are often trying out low-carb diets, which can be a bit tricky to stay happy and satisfied on – but these cheesy taco skillets are packed with meaty, hearty flavor that work well to keep us motivated!
Just take me to the cheesy beef taco skillet recipe already!
If you’d rather skip my tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this deliciously easy cheesy taco skillet recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.
This large skillet dinner has ground beef, peppers, onions, green onions- and we’re sneaking in some spinach for an extra nutritional hit! And while we’re using beef here, you could use ground turkey or ground chicken as well for an even healthier option.
It’s a sort of one pot taco burrito bowl that is low carb – for a low carb keto taco skillet that will work on a number of special diets!
This skillet is delicious topped with cheddar, monterey jack, a mexican cheese blend, sour cream – salsa, guacamole – anything you’d like to help take it over the top even more. It is truly customizable.
And thanks to a heaping dose of cheese, it doesn’t taste like diet food at all.
This One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet recipe is incredibly low carb- but you can also reduce the calories by using ground chicken or turkey meat, and using a skim cheese like mozzarella (though I am a proponent of full fat, gooey cheese!).
I also have an incredibly hearty and delicious meaty version of this – that is COMPLETELY vegan!
I know that sounds hard, but it is so good – and deceptively simple!
Get my Meaty Vegan Taco Skillet Recipe here.
This One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet recipe is incredibly low carb- but you can also reduce the calories by using ground chicken or turkey meat, and using a skim cheese like mozzarella (though I am a proponent of full fat, gooey cheese!).
I also have an incredibly hearty and delicious meaty version of this – that is COMPLETELY vegan!
I know that sounds hard, but it is so good – and deceptively simple!
Get my Meaty Vegan Taco Skillet Recipe here.
Taco Skillet Recipe Ideas
-8 oz sliced or chopped cremini mushrooms help to boost the meaty skillet flavor and are a great low carb, low calorie option!
-Fresh roasted green chiles make an exceptional addition for a spicy, smoky kick!
-Canned ro-tel diced tomatoes with spices are a great extra flavorful addition instead of plain diced tomatoes. Alternatively, cherry tomatoes or fresh hothouse or roma tomatoes, diced, give a ton of fresh flavor.
-Diced beet greens or arugula are lovely, slightly peppery substitutes to kale or spinach.
-Fresh shredded carrots mixed with pickled jalapenos makes an awesome topper when the skillet is done – similar to fresh carrot and jalapeno salsa from a mexican restaurant.
-Turnips, squash, sweet potatoes, and other root veggies, when shredded or diced into small bites, make an awesome addition if you’re not watching starches or carbs!
-Red pepper – I love red pepper strips in skillet tacos – the red pepper brings a delicious tangy and smoky-sweet flavor.
-Mix in ground sausage to your beef mixture for a rich, hearty flavor everyone loves.
-Stir in cauliflower rice and cook as a low carb one pot taco skillet!
-Make this taco skillet low carb by using your own mixture of turmeric, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin.
Tips to Make The Perfect Skillet Taco Burrito Bowls
I like to serve this meal over a bed of lettuce or greens- like a Chipotle Burrito Bowl- but you can also add it over rice or dump it in a taco or burrito, too!
-For this recipe, you want to cook as high enough as you can without burning anything.
Since there are so many variations to stovetops, pan choices, and how much moisture is in your veggies and meat, this will vary per person. Keep the pan hot, without burning – on whatever setting that represents on your stove.
-Don’t drain off excess liquid from the breakdown of the vegetables.
When you add the taco seasonings, this will help to create a deliciously rich and meaty sauce that packs a huge punch of flavor!
-Don’t rush the cooktime on the vegetables.
Getting a nicely browned veggie is crucial for flavor development!
-If making in a slow cooker, pre-brown the meat, or check on it frequently while meat is browning – or you’ll have a giant lump of meat not too unlike clumps of oddly shaped meatloaf, and less like tacos.
-Forget low carb – this taco bowl dinner also makes a mean pasta salad – simply dump over macaroni for a delicious cheesy macaroni taco skillet!
Other Easy One Pot Recipes You’ll Love
If you love this easy cheesy skillet, be sure to check out some of my other favorite everyday extravagant recipes that are done in no time! Click the videos to watch me make each recipe, and click the link below to get each printable recipe so you can make them at home too!
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- One Pot cheesy Taco and Rice Skillet
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- Cheesy Baked Chicken Parmesan
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- Broiled Lobster Tails
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- Baked Ranch Pork Tenderloin
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- Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms
Cheesy Stuffed Chicken Parmesan
One Pot Broiled Ribeye Steak and Mushrooms
10 Minute Broiled Lobster Tails
One Pot Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms
Easy Baked Ranch Pork Tenderloin and Gravy Recipe
And if you’re looking for an even easier and healthier version, check out this Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Bowl recipe!
One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet Recipe
If you love this One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet Recipe as much as I do, please write a five star review, and be sure to help me share on facebook and pinterest!
Be sure to check out the easy cheesy taco skillet recipe too!
One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilis
- 1-2 large zucchinis, diced
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 3 cups baby kale/spinach mixture, this sounds like a lot- it cooks down to a small amount, optional
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar and jack cheese
- green onions, to garnish
Instructions
- In a large pan, lightly brown ground beef and crumble well.
- Drain excess fat.
- Add vegetables, and cook until browned.
- Add canned tomatoes, taco seasoning, and any water needed for taco seasoning to evenly coat mixture (up to 1 tbsp- the liquid from the tomatoes will help)
- Add greens and let fully wilt.
- Mix well.
- Cover with shredded cheese, and let cheese melt - about five minutes (sometimes it helps to cover the pan with a lid to melt the cheese faster.)
- When cheese is melted, serve over a bed of lettuce, rice, or in a taco or burrito!
- Garnish with green onions if desired.
Nutrition Information
Yield
343Amount Per ServingCalories 271 Saturated Fat 7g Cholesterol 76mg Sodium 320mg Carbohydrates 11g Fiber 2g Sugar 5g Protein 26g
Ashlyn
May 20, 2019 at 10:18 amThis is such a great meal prep option! Tastes delicious and easily adapted. I made it with ground turkey, red and yellow peppers, homemade taco seasoning and lactose free cheese… yummy!
Alicia
February 27, 2019 at 2:59 pmI found the printable link. Figures I’d find it AFTER I commented.
Courtney ODell
February 28, 2019 at 6:08 amNo worries – I need to change the color of the button I think.
Alicia
February 27, 2019 at 2:56 pmCan’t find printable recipe card.
Noelle
January 17, 2019 at 4:04 pmThis was AMAZING! I used orange bell pepper instead of green and used about 1/2 the veggies to make it a little more meat-heavy for my kids and we all LOVED it. Great topped with salsa, sour cream and avocado.
Nicole Jones
November 5, 2018 at 6:15 pmThis was super good!! I left out the rotel (keep carb count lower) and dumped in almost a whole bag of spinach!
My fam ate it in flour shells and I put it over salad with avocado and sour cream.
It was soooo good! Thanks!
Katerina @ diethood .com
October 24, 2018 at 7:28 amOh my goodness, this looks incredibly delicious!! My family would LOVE it!
Aimee Shugarman
October 24, 2018 at 6:15 amLove love love this easy taco skillet!
Emily Hill
October 23, 2018 at 8:40 pmI absolutely LOVE one-pot meals, especially extra cheesy ones like this recipe. I need to try this!
Krissy Allori
October 23, 2018 at 6:09 pmThis is such a creative idea! Delicious!
Carolyn
October 23, 2018 at 3:04 pmMeals like this appeal to both kids and moms alike. We need more of these easy flavourful recipes!
Jenny
October 22, 2018 at 1:19 pmI came across your recipe when looking for something to serve to guests who follow a low-carb diet. They liked it so much that they asked for the recipe. My husband also made exceptionally glowing compliments on the dish. I would make this again! Thanks for sharing.
Nichole
September 17, 2018 at 12:15 pmI tried this recipe this weekend and added cremini mushrooms and cilantro. The flavors were great, but the dish came out watery. Nothing browned (the heat was the highest I could get it) and I didn’t want to over-cook the veggies by letting it cook any longer. I probably over-crowded the skillet (13″). Next time I’ll try it in batches or get a really big skillet. I will also drain off some of the liquid from the Ro-tel or leave it out entirely and add salsa at the end. Thanks for the recipe!
Tara
May 11, 2019 at 12:10 pmI bet the mushrooms made it watery. Try crisping them up in the oven or separately on the stove, then add after fully cooked.
Lauren
August 2, 2018 at 5:50 pmThis is SOOOO good. I made it last week, and I’m making it again tonight! Thank you for posting! I skipped the bell peppers because I didn’t have them on hand, but the rest is amazing and I love that there is spinach in there too!
Jessica Thomas
June 13, 2018 at 6:36 pmSo SO glad I ran across this delicious recipe! I made it last night and it will be a regular meal at my house now. I love the veggie/beef ratio and everything turned out well. I made mine with one red one yellow pepper and served it with sour cream, sliced avocado, and salsa. My fiance ate his in a tortilla and raved about the taste! Thank you for sharing!
Dee
April 11, 2018 at 4:09 pmThis dish was so easy even I could make it and it was delicious! I just have a question-there are 2 charts on this page for nutritional value-which is accurate? Thanks
Zach
September 5, 2018 at 1:47 pmYou shouldn’t use it for Keto as it has pretty high carbs, but to lower that you can minus the carrots and limit the tomato your putting in,
DebbieH
March 9, 2018 at 1:24 pmThis recipe is amazing! I love that it is loaded with veggies. I even added extra fresh spinach. I used a can of diced tomatoes & a small can of green chilis because I didn’t have the diced tomato w/ green chilis. After making it in the pot, I transferred it to a baking pan because I made it earlier in the day. After I got home I put the cheese on it & baked it in our toaster oven and it turned out perfect. Served it over a bed of lettuce and added sour cream, salsa and black olives. Hubby loved it too. He went out of town the following two nights & I had it leftover by just re-heating (with the cheese already on it) and it was even better! Thank you so much for sharing it with us all.
DebbieH
March 9, 2018 at 1:25 pmI also subbed red & yellow peppers for the green peppers since hubby isn’t a fan of them. 🙂
Penny
March 6, 2018 at 10:26 amThis was an AWESOME dish!!!! Oh my goodness my entire family loved it. I did use ground turkey meat and only omitted the green peppers. We put this in our taco shells. WONDERFUL! They want this at least once a week. It is a keeper. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Melissa
February 1, 2018 at 5:31 pmThis was so delicious and jam packed with veggies that even my son ate and didn’t even notice. I served it over rice and it was hearty and delicious and filling. Thank you for that recipe. I’m and adding it to my favorites !
Melissa
February 1, 2018 at 5:29 pmM
Lisa D
January 29, 2018 at 9:21 pmMade this tonite with rotel from your suggestions and we all LOVED it!!!! Simple enough my 10 year old son did most of the work while I gathered ingredients for my taco seasoning, and it all came out delicious!!! We served ours over a bed of cauliflower rice and just thouroughly enjoyed! Thank you!!!
Samantha
January 23, 2018 at 7:12 pmThe vegetables tasted awesome!! I would try this again!! The only difference I made was using lean turkey. Not a fan of that. Next time using lean ground beef! Thanks for sharing
Brandon
January 23, 2018 at 6:42 pmThe concept is great. Thought it needed more taco seasoning. Also the veggie amounts in the ingredients could almost be cut in half. Mine looked nothing like your pics and I used only used 1 bell pepper and 1 zucchini. There were more veggies than meat.
Kristi
November 16, 2017 at 4:58 pmAwesome! Boys ate them w tortillas and I chips for gluten free!
Tremayne Jackosn
November 7, 2017 at 12:37 pmI made this dish last night. REALLY enjoyed it.
Emily W
August 10, 2017 at 4:22 pmSo you drain the can of tomatoes or leave the juice in?
Courtney ODell
August 11, 2017 at 11:22 amEither way is fine – if you dont drain it, just let the juices cook off a bit longer 😉
Louise
August 7, 2017 at 4:26 pmHi! I commented last week with some critcisms. Good to see that you removed the comment and didn’t update your recipe to be better! How annoying! Good to know, though, when all the comments are rave, that they are biased and modified. Thanks for alerting me to how you run your site!
Courtney ODell
August 8, 2017 at 10:36 amHey Louise,
I actually just got to your comment, and had just published it before I saw this comment.
While this site is my full time job, I am also a work from home mom with two early elementary school aged kids home for the summer. Comments sadly are something I can’t get to as fast as I’d like while managing them and the million other behind the scenes part of this site and my social media accounts.
I never modify comments (save not publishing a few that are super insulting to read, and those that are just spammers adding links to sites that aren’t PG (if you get what I mean)) – and I’m sure if you poke around you can find plenty of comments that aren’t 100% glowing. Not everyone likes certain foods, certain preparations, etc. I am just sharing the stuff that I’ve made at home and works for me and my family – I am not really bothered when something isn’t someone else’s cup of tea, because I know that everyone has different tastes and it’s not anything personal to me. I’ve also had commenters let me know something got left off (especially with older recipes – which were all converted from an old plugin I used to make my recipes print-able and had some get super glitchy) – and I always appreciate their feedback, even though I can’t always get to it right away.
Pam
October 27, 2017 at 6:28 pmIf you were paying to get access to this site your comments would perhaps be valid. If you find a recipe that you don’t like just move on to another recipe or another site. You certainly do not understand all of the work that goes into running a site and also managing a household and children and on top of that working out of the house.
You should be ashamed for your rude comments. But that is just my opinion
Courtney ODell
October 28, 2017 at 11:02 amPreach it, Pam! Honestly, I think a lot of people don’t realize that most site owners are moms and not a major corporation. Yes, this is my full-time job and it is an awesome one at that – but it is a ton of work! Thankfully I don’t really care if people say something negative, it’s just a recipe and not everyone likes everything 🙂
Lisa
May 30, 2018 at 6:18 pmI just always go by the rule “if you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all.”
Louise
July 31, 2017 at 6:04 pmWas really tasty but the actual recipe instructions are lacking. Zucchini listed as an ingredient but was left out of cooking instructions. No temperature/level of heat for stove listed. Didn’t give you times of cook length. Actual final product delicious, tho!
Courtney ODell
August 8, 2017 at 10:30 amHi Louise, there’s a part that says to add the veggies – that’s where to go ahead and add the peppers, onions, and zucchini. As far as cooking time, I had a note about cooking temps above in the article text – it really varies. I used to have medium high listed in the instructions itself, but too many people emailed me that it burned on medium high – and some said it wasn’t hot enough. So now I just have a note above stating to put it at whatever setting keeps things very hot, but not burning, since there seemed to have been confusion!
Kellie
July 6, 2017 at 5:11 pmThis is a big hit with my family tonight!! Thank you!
Evony
June 15, 2017 at 11:45 amHi,
I was just wondering if the iron portion of the nutrition is accurate? 102% of your daily recommended intake seems like alot…
Courtney ODell
June 16, 2017 at 8:20 amEvony, since I used an online calorie count program, I can’t verify the accuracy of the nutritional information – it is just a guide for people to use to investigate further.
Tammy Kauffman
May 24, 2017 at 11:26 amAny idea what the nutritional info would be if I switch to ground turkey? Tracking my food on My Fitness.
Perla
April 6, 2017 at 6:16 pmWhat is considered a serving size? I see it saids 343g but that seems like a lot to me and I don’t think I’d have enough for 6 servings
anna
February 21, 2017 at 4:11 amwhat a great recipe. it looks like we will be having mexican tonight. have already wrote the ingredients down…i hope it is as mouthwatering as it looks. thanks for sharing.
Kelly
February 20, 2017 at 11:19 amHave you ever used ground turkey in this recipe?
Courtney ODell
February 20, 2017 at 3:38 pmyes- it works really well! It is so delicious 🙂
Ella
January 21, 2017 at 6:09 pmThe one skillet cheesy taco dish was a hit with my family. Will be making this again soon….
Kathryn
July 7, 2016 at 2:46 amThank you for a great recipe! I added eggplant instead of zucchini. Eggplant is easier to find here on Guam.
The final test? My husband loved it! Yeah me!
Stephanie
April 5, 2016 at 6:21 pmI made this tonight & it was so good! Everyone loved it. I used 3 tbsp of homemade seasoning & 1/2 zucchini with 1 pepper. It was great!
Kristen Jones
April 3, 2016 at 4:58 pmHi, has anyone tried to make this the night before and reheat for dinner the next day. I work weird shifts and was hoping this would make a good make ahead recipe.
Courtney ODell
April 4, 2016 at 1:05 pmI do make it ahead often- simply leave off the cheese, and add it when you reheat it! 🙂
Nichole
March 6, 2016 at 5:27 pmAwesome recipe! My husband and i love it. Quick question. How are your carbs so low? When i calculate it out mine are almost double. What brand of tomatoes are you using? Thanks so much!
Nichole
March 6, 2016 at 5:43 pmNevermind i figured it out. I used a bad calculation on Kale. Great Recipe though! Absolutely love it!!!
Danielle
March 3, 2016 at 10:44 amQuestion: recipe says 2 green bell peppers, But video shows Zucchini? so is it a misprint in the recipe portion? Just curious.
Courtney ODell
March 3, 2016 at 8:27 pmDanielle- you can make it with either. There’s a note in the recipe that you an use whatever you prefer or have on hand- there are diced peppers in the video but they are hard to spot! It sounds weird, but I like to “cut” my ground beef with finely diced zucchini- it browns up nicely and has a good texture, and it’s a great way to trick my family into eating another veggie 🙂
Raising4boysandahusband
November 16, 2016 at 5:15 pmI need more ways to trick my family of 5.. Do you have anymore?? I’m going to try that one.
Bashawn
October 22, 2015 at 9:26 pmHow many carbs per serving?
Courtney ODell
January 29, 2016 at 7:28 pmunder 14!
karla
September 30, 2015 at 1:43 pmwhere info on carb calories protein fiber?
Courtney ODell
January 29, 2016 at 7:29 pmIts been updated 🙂
Alyx Donald
September 27, 2015 at 11:13 amHi, just found this recipe and it looks amazing cant wait to make it!! Can you freeze the leftovers?
Courtney ODell
September 28, 2015 at 12:33 pmAlyx- you can freeze them, but the veggies (minus onions) might get mushy when re-heating. If you don’t mind that, it will still taste great- but I’d suggest making big batches of the meat and onions, and then freeze them in individual sizes to heat up with freshly sautéed veggies.
Alicia
August 31, 2015 at 6:31 pmHow many carbs would you say is in a serving?
Courtney ODell
January 29, 2016 at 7:29 pmunder 14
Ali Toy
August 5, 2015 at 8:18 pmLadies, did you use a whole packet of prepared taco seasoning? Or for those who made their own (great job!!), what measurement did you use/add?
Courtney ODell
August 8, 2015 at 3:15 pmAli,
You can use a whole package— or about two tablespoons of homemade seasoning. Of course, some of it will depend on if you like more or less spices. I always like to add a little cayenne pepper onto the dish to make it a touch spicier 🙂
Danah
August 3, 2015 at 11:39 amI tried this recipe and it is amazing. I made my own taco seasoning that is carb friendly and used one red and one green bell pepper. Instead of rotel I used diced tomatoes and a can of green chilies. I would highly recommend this recipe. I used a serving of brown rice but you could use cauliflower rice too if you are needing less carbs. It wouldn’t let me rate this but I give it 5 stars.
Shelley
January 1, 2017 at 7:21 pmBy making your own taco seasoning you reduce the salt and have more control over the heat of the spice. We tried this as part of a taco salad, with rinsed warmed black beans in the base of the salad. For our dairy free friend, we eliminated the cheese in his portion of this recipe as well as in the taco salad. He would not have thought this was that great if not in the salad for more textures. The cheese is half of what makes this a great recipe. and we have to get creative for our lactose intolerant friend, so he doesn’t feel left out or a burden to cook for. Then he just eats the cheese and pays for it later.
Anita Foster (@TexTwisters)
July 30, 2015 at 5:28 pmI’ve made this twice now and it’s soooo good! Thank you for the quick and easy recipe!
lutherallie
July 30, 2015 at 12:36 pmOh. My. Gosh! So good, and so easy! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the cheese! Definitely a keeper!
Tanesha P
May 13, 2015 at 4:53 pmThank you so much, this was delicious and easy! I forgot to buy taco seasoning so I had to make my own but other then that I followed the recipe to a tee. We are a low carb family so I served this topped with sour cream along side a salad and everyone loved it. I will definitely be making this many more times! Yummy.
Jessica
March 22, 2015 at 5:08 pmThis is absolutely delicious!! I made it with ground turkey and half kale/half spinach. It’s spicy (my taco seasoning is quite spicy), savory, cheesy, and I don’t feel horribly guilty and stuffed after eating it. We spooned it into taco shells and topped with guacamole. Such a great, easy, adaptable dinner that’s great for weeknights. My sister is paleo and she loved it! Thanks for great recipe – can’t wait to make it again.
kylad2013
March 20, 2015 at 6:55 pmCourtney! I have to tell you, I have made this recipe THREE TIMES for my husband since you linked it up a couple weeks ago at Found & Foraged. This one is off the chain! I love it!
My Kitchen Craze
March 19, 2015 at 1:46 pmYour pictures are making my mouth water!! Looks so good! We are obsessed with tacos around here so I know we will love this and it’s one pot! Can’t beat it. Pinned and shared! 😉
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup
March 18, 2015 at 6:45 pmThis looks SO good! My mouth is literally watering right now. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Pinning!
Diane Williams
March 17, 2015 at 9:50 pmI am making this one soon! Our family loves tacos! Thanks for linking up at #PureBlogLove Link Party!Hope to see you next Thursday at 8 p.m. EST. at http://www.homemadefoodjunkie.com. Can’t wait to see what you’ll bring.
Crochet Hooks
March 17, 2015 at 3:18 pmnom nom nom! check out that cheese baby! Your cheese taco skillet looks delish and just the dish to put out for a quick supper! thanks for sharing with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday!
kylad2013
March 14, 2015 at 12:56 pmThis looks sooooo good! Trying this tonight. Pulling hamburger out of the freezer now! Thanks for linking up at Found & Foraged!
kylesgranny
March 13, 2015 at 4:17 pmThat looks so good! I’ve got it pinned.
Ashleigh
March 11, 2015 at 11:18 pmHappy WW and thank you for linking up and sharing with the OMHG WW link up! I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week! xx Ashleigh @SimplyWright
Lynn | The Road to Honey
March 10, 2015 at 10:25 amThis looks so tasty and cheesy. I love that it is low carb as I am always looking for ways to reduce the carbs in my everyday meals.
The Disney Chef
March 10, 2015 at 7:45 amHoly cow! That looks so delicious and creative! I can’t wait to try this.