Keto Taco Salad Bowls use baked Crystal Farms Cheese Wraps to create a delicious keto cheese cup to hold the ingredients. This is a fantastic gluten-free, vegetarian, keto or low carb dinner idea to replace high carb taco shells!
Disclosure – We are grateful to be partnering with Crystal Farms on this taco salad cups post. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to create gluten free recipes.
VEGETARIAN KETO RECIPES
According to the emails and social media comments I read each week, many of you are on a vegetarian keto diet. And, of course, gluten free! It can be a bit tricky to navigate this lifestyle, especially because so many low carb and keto recipes are high in meat protein.
Because of this, many of my keto/low carb recipes now have vegetarian and/or vegan options. Some of the most popular are Hungarian Mushroom Soup , Keto Italian Chicken Meal Prep Casserole, and 5 Ingredient Creamy Vegan Pasta with Walnut Sauce (Keto Option).
I will continue to provide these vegetarian/keto options when it fits in hopes that it will help YOU as you plan meals, etc.
That being said, let’s talk about a gluten-free, vegetarian ingredient that mostly everyone loves. *Say Cheese!*
Cooking with keto cheese wraps
One of the foods that is popular with vegetarians and keto dieters alike is CHEESE! There are plenty of delicious ways to incorporate cheese into meals, but using it as a replacement for the bowl of a traditional taco salad is one of my favorites.
And, you know what? Crystal Farms has keto-friendly Cheese Wraps that are PERFECT for creating Keto Taco Salad cups!
All the veggies and healthy fats you need are in one cheese taco shell cup.
This recipe is also great for parties as an appetizer because the filling is customizable! Plus, keto taco salad shells or cups are beyond easy to make. It only takes 5 minutes to go from the goodness of #cheesewraps to cheese taco shells, and dinner is ready in 10 minutes flat.
I want to give you some info on Crystal Farms Cheese Wraps because, trust me, you will love them!
The innovation behind this product is pretty simple, really. It’s a single, large slice of cheese sturdy enough to hold your favorite ingredients.
The best part is, it’s ready to eat right out of the package.
- FLAVORS: Crystal Farms Cheese Wraps are available in two flavors: Mozzarella and Marble Jack. BONUS nerdy nutrition fact:
Do you know that Mozzarella is a soft cheese that’s lower in sodium and calories than most other cheeses? - NUTRITIOUS: Their delicious cheese wraps have up to 8 grams of protein and just around 100 calories per slice/serving.
- DIET COMPLIANT: As you might expect, because they are made from real cheese, they’re gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-compliant. But they’re also a great option for anyone looking for a tasty replacement for bread.
- CONVENIENT PACKAGING: It makes me crazy when the cheese package tears, and I end up with dried up cheese. No problem here because the cheese wraps come in a peel and reseal tray.
Yes, yes, it’s easy to snack on Crystal Farms Cheese Wraps, but how about we make a whole meal! Gah, these taco salad cups have become our latest obsession. Customizable, fresh, delicious, all the things!
How to make keto taco salad cups
INGREDIENTS
Obviously, the fillings are customizable, but here’s what I suggest:
- Crystal Farms Cheese Wraps (Mozzarella or Marble Jack)
TACO SALAD CUP FILLINGS
- shredded salad greens
- diced avocado
- diced bell peppers
- diced tomatoes
- jalapeno
- sour cream
- vegan con queso
- sliced olives
- taco seasoning or salt seasoning of choice
- corn or corn + black bean salsa (omit for keto option)
- optional protein fillings – diced grilled chicken, black beans, chickpeas, ground cooked meat of choice. (Fill the cups with your meaty leftovers!)
INSTRUCTIONS AND COOKING TIPS
Be sure to watch my recipe video below to see how easy this recipe is to make. You’ll be able to watch me form the keto taco salad cheese cups, too. I also have complete instructions in the recipe card below.
- Prep the fillings. Clean and slice any ingredients you want to use for fillings. You can even meal prep them a couple of days ahead of time if you want to.
- Preheat your oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Grease the inside of 1-cup ramekins or small bowls with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Or, you can flip over a muffin pan and grease the bottom of the wells.
- Bake and form the Cheese Wraps. It takes about 7 minutes for the cheese to soften and start to bubble up. Then, pull them out of the oven and press them into prepared bowls to form the cups. You’ll need to make them in TWO batches. Otherwise, you won’t have enough time to form the bowls before the cheese sets up.
Lastly, Fill the keto taco salad cups and enjoy your dinner!
Recipe tips for making cheese taco shells
- Mozzarella versus Marble Jack cheese cups
The Crystal Farms Mozzarella Cheese Wraps are a lower moisture cheese, so it will cook and hold its shape faster than the Marble Jack.
The Marble Jack Cheese Wraps spread a little more when in the oven (before pressing it into the cup).
So, just be sure to gently pull away the parchment paper. Or, you can double up the cheese for a stronger cheese cup. 🙂
- Work quickly
After the Cheese Wraps come out of the oven, they set up pretty quickly. So, be sure to have whatever you are going to use to form the cups greased and ready to go.
1 Minute VIDEO FOR HOW TO MAKE KETO TACO SALAD CHEESE BOWLS
Keto Taco Salad Bowls with Cheese Taco Shells
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These keto taco salad bowls use delicious cheese taco shells to hold the salad ingredients. This is a fantastic vegetarian keto or low carb dinner idea!
Ingredients
- 6 1–ounce (28 grams) cheese wraps (mozzarella or cheddar jack)
taco salad fillings of choice:
Each taco cup can hold 2-3 Tablespoons of each salad ingredient below. Pick and choose your favorite!
- shredded salad greens
- diced avocado
- diced bell pepper and tomato
- sliced jalapeño
- sour cream
- vegan con queso or salsa of choice
- sliced olives
- pinch of taco seasoning or salt seasoning of choice
- cooked corn kernels (omit for keto option)
- optional protein fillings – diced grilled chicken, black beans, chickpeas, ground cooked meat of choice (fill these cups with your meaty leftovers!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease 3 small prep bowls or the back of a large muffin pan. Set aside.
- Place 3 cheese wrap slices on the baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes. Edges will start to brown and middle will bubble.
- Remove from oven and cut the parchment paper into three, dividing the cheese into separate pieces. Gently flip the cheese (with parchment paper) over into the bowl, letting the cheese mold into the middle of the bowl. Press cheese into the bottom and around the bowl. Repeat for other 2 cheese slices.
- Bake second batch of 3 cheese slices and repeat instructions. I recommend baking in two batches so you have enough time to mold the cheese cups before the cheese cools in the second batch. You are more than welcome to bake both baking sheets at once but the texture/cooling might vary with the second pan.
- When the keto cheese taco shells are cool, fill the cups with ingredients of your choice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition below based off 1 marble jack cheese taco bowl with 2 tablespoons of each topping. No corn topping for keto option.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 8
- Category: salad
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: mexican american
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 194.7 mg
- Fat: 12.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.6 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 8.2 g
- Cholesterol: 28.6 mg
Keywords: keto, taco salad, keto taco salad, cheese cups, vegetarian, salad, gluten free
Alright my friends, that’s a wrap! Pun intended. Hehe.
In all seriousness, let me know if you have questions about this recipe or want more ideas on how to use Crystal Farms Cheese Wraps. We are here to help! But more importantly, to feed you delicious, nutritious food. You can also check out their social media and website for more recipe inspo!
Cheers,
LC
lovely, great set of ingredients and another appreciated adaptation from the traditional recipe, thank youi!
How insanely fun are these for summer?!!
Thanks, Matt!
This is such a great idea! My kids loved it!
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Yaayy! So glad to hear that!
This a fabulous recipe! I love the bowls made from cheese wraps, so delicious!
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Thank you! The bowls are so fun, right?!
These are so delicious! Definitely adding this to the weekly rotation!
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Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks!
These look so delicious and have a lot of flavor! I can’t wait to try this!
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Thank you! Would love to know if you try them!
I love making cheese shells and bowls, it really is a game changer! What a delicious salad!
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Thanks, Lauren! They’re so fun to make…and eat! 😉
Oh my goodness! Using cheese wraps for the bowl is genius!! I can’t wait to make this for dinner!!
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Yay! Keep me posted!