Taco stuffed avocados 2.6g net carbs
These taco stuffed avocados are the easiest keto tacos to fix a Mexican food craving on your keto journey with only 2.6g net carbs per serve. Plus, this recipe is ready in only 20 minutes, using a few ripe avocados as taco shells so you don’t have to bake your own! You will love the juicy spicy Mexican chicken filling topped with sour cream, cheddar, cilantro and jalapenos. Keep reading to learn more about this easy keto Mexican recipe.
What are keto taco stuffed avocados?
Swap the carb-loaded taco shells for healthy fat from avocado! Yes, taco-stuffed avocados are your Mexican tacos served in an avocado shell. It means that you won’t have to bake your own keto taco shells, simply prepare your Mexican chicken filling and fill your ripe avocados with it to enjoy all the delicious flavors of Mexican food without the carbs.
How to make stuffed avocado?
Before telling you more about how to prepare an avocado for a stuffed avocado recipe, let’s answer this common question. Are avocados keto friendly? Yes, avocado is a keto-approved vegetable particularly high in healthy fat and containing only 2g net carb per 100 grams. Apart from that, avocados contain a good amount of nutrients and minerals, essentials on a keto lifestyle to meet your nutrients needs and keep your skin and hair glowing! So you’re gonna love avocados on keto! They keep you healthy and beautiful too.
Ripe avocados
First, choose the right avocado. It means a slightly firm avocado that resists to the pressure of your thumb. It should be slightly soft on the surface but not mushy. Another way to check if the avocado is ripe is to remove the little stem on top of it. In fact, a ripe avocado has a green color under the stem. If it’s darker, the avocado is overripe and it won’t work for this stuffed avocado recipe.
Cut and pit the avocado
Next, you must cut the avocado lengthwise to create a taco or boat-like shape. For this, use a sharp knife and cut along the length to form two even avocado ‘taco shells’. Next, you need to pit the seed from the avocado. The safest way to pit the seed from an avocado is to place the avocado on a fat chopping board, then gently tap the blade of a knife onto the seed to anchor the blade into it.
Then, hold the avocado in one hand, holding the knife handle in the other hand and twist clockwise to pit the seed gently without damaging the flesh. The seed will be attached to the blade. In order to release the seed from the blade, scrape the blade onto the side of the kitchen bin This saves using your hands and cutting yourself as the seed can be strongly attached to the blade.
Scoop some avocado flesh
You must remove some of the avocado flesh to make some space for the taco meat. Always use a spoon and work from 0.5 cm (0.2 inches) from the border. Be careful not to dig too deep as you don’t want to reach the avocado skin. In fact, what you want is to keep a nice thick layer of avocado flesh all around the shell. Also, make sure you keep the scooped flesh in a separated bowl, to mash with lemon juice and salt and make an avocado dip that you will spread on top of your stuffed avocados in the next step.
Serve and store
Avocados oxidize, meaning they brown really fast. That is why its recommended to fill only the amount of stuffed avocado you intend to serve straight away. One serving is half an avocado and carries about 60g of cooked Mexican chicken. If you want to store leftovers, store the meat in an airtight container separately from the avocado. Store leftovers of ripe, unopened avocado at room temperature. However, if you have avocado halves opened and you want to keep them fresh, brush them with lemon juice and place them in a sealed box in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The next day, rewarm the meat in a frying pan under medium heat or in a microwave safe bowl. Open one ripe avocado or reuse the leftover halves from the fridge to serve a stuffed avocado.
How to prepare the keto taco meat?
This Mexican chicken stuffed avocado recipe uses minced chicken as a meat. However, if you love beef go for it! The recipe will work the same and the carbs will stay the same. Other options are minced pork, turkey or minced mushrooms for a keto vegetarian twist.
Homemade taco seasoning mix
The key to make delicious taco meat is to use my homemade taco seasoning mix recipe. In fact, most store-bought seasonings are loaded with cornstarch, corn flour and sugar that will add carbs to your plate. Read my full post on how to make homemade keto taco seasoning for meat. It is the easiest 5-minute recipe and it will store for at least 6 months in your pantry.
Healthy frying keto oil
Use a healthy oil that resists to high temperatures like sunflower seed oil or avocado oil or coconut oil. These oils are keto approved and will keep their nutritional properties to fry meat at high temperatures.
How to serve mexican chicken stuffed avocados?
Serve the avocado cold, unbaked with hot meat
I know it is tempting to bake these avocado to melt the cheese but don’t do so, if you are not familiar with baked avocado. Some people don’t appreciate the flavor and mushy texture of baked avocado so I rather recommend to serve the avocado cold with hot meat and cold cheese. In fact, the combo of fresh ripe avocado, cheese, sour cream and juicy hot meat is absolutely amazing on its own and a perfect fresh keto summer dinner. A great change to the classic keto taco salad!
Avocado toppings
First, add the hot juicy meat into the avocado shell. Next, add the fresh creamy toppings, my favorite are a dollop of sour cream and homemade avocado puree that I make with the leftover of the scooped flesh from the avocado shells. Finally, add a liberal amount of grated cheddar and some zing with jalapeno slices and fresh cilantro. Other ideas are chopped tomatoes and red onions. While both are higher in carbs, the addition of 1 teaspoon of each per serve will add a burst of flavor without compromising much on carbs, less than 0.5g added per serve!
Serve a self-service table
Since you can’t store stuffed avocado leftovers very well it is better to serve all the toppings on the table and let everyone stuff their own avocado just before eating.
More keto Mexican food recipes
Check out my other keto Mexican food recipes on the blog to add to this delicious recipe.
Made this taco stuffed avocado recipe and want to share your feedback, question or a picture of your creation with me? Join me in my Facebook Support Group. I see you there.
XOXO Carine
Taco stuffed avocados
Ingredients
- 2 ripe Avocado (size 210 g each, 7.4 oz each)
Chicken taco meat
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound ground chicken or ground beef
- 1/4 cup tomato passata
- 2 teaspoon homemade keto taco seasoning - use my recipe here
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Mashed avocado
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
To serve
- 1 tablespoon Sour cream or greek yoghurt if low carb
- 2 tablespoons mashed avocado
- 1/4 cup grated cheddar
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh cilantro
- few slice jalapenos
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, warm olive oil under medium heat.
- Add ground chicken and fry half way then add your homemade keto taco seasoning mix and salt.
- Stir and fry until meat is cooked.
- Stir in tomato passata, reduce to low heat, cover and simmer 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and forms bubbles
- Meanwhile, prepare the avocado
- Half avocado lengthwise and remove the pit - watch my recipe video for tips on how to do this safely. Spoon out some of the avocado flesh, don't go too deep, as you want to keep 0.5 cm (0.2 inches) of avocado flesh all around the shell.
- Place the avocado flesh you removed into a medium size bowl. Add lemon juice, salt and mash to form an avocado puree.
- Remove the meat from heat and arrange the table with all the taco fillings on the table: cooked meat, sour cream, jalapeno slices, cheddar, cilantro, mashed avocado.
- Fill each avocado shell as you go (don't make ahead!). Fill one shell with 60g/2 oz cooked meat.
- Top up each avocado with a dollop of sour cream, mashed avocado, grated cheddar, jalapeno slices and fresh cilantro.
- Eat with fork straight into the shell combining the meat, toppings and flesh from the side of the avocado shell
Storage
- Store leftover meat in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Rewarm before serving in the microwave or frying pan.
- Open the avocado just before serving. Store ripe, unopened avocado at room temperature. Store opened avocado in the fridge for 24 hours brush flesh with lemon juice and place in an airtight container.
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