This post is all about Low Carb Taco Hamburger Helper.
If you’ve been looking for a seriously quick and easy dinner recipe then this post is for you.
Maybe you’ve decided to check out this post because you’re looking to add a new meal to your weekly meal plan? Or maybe it’s because you used to be a die hard Hamburger Helper fan back in the day.
Either way, you’ll find that this recipe will not disappoint.
So if you’re looking for a quick dinner that has minimal ingredients, then please keep reading and then make this recipe. Trust me you’ll love it!
LOW CARB TACO HAMBURGER HELPER
Hey guys, this week at Our Low Carb Kitchen we are cooking up some Low Carb Hamburger Helper- taco style! Now I don’t know about you but I was raised on hamburger helper and loved it. Now before you gasp I want to give a back story. My mother would work nights so she could be with us during the day and my father worked days. So, while mom was on her way to work I got to make hamburger helper for dinner. This was a real treat for me. So instead of sad or negative memories that my mother worked at nights, I had great memories of making dinner for my siblings and my dad. Trust me, I thought it was really cool.
This is the reason why I wanted to create this post this week. You don’t have to stop eating things that you love just because you’re living a low or lower carb lifestyle now. Most of the foods that we used to eat can be transformed into a lower carb meal and I personally think that’s really awesome.
With that being said, let’s remember that we will not be making rice like the original recipe calls for, but we will substitute with cauliflower rice and that’s okay. It tastes just as great and is just as easy to make and totally filling.
So let’s get started on our dinner shall we?
LOW CARB HAMBURGER HELPER INGREDIENTS
- GROUND BEEF- We’re using 88/12% ground beef but you can use whichever fat percentage you prefer.
- DICED ONION- I really enjoy using brown or yellow onion, but if you’re a white or purple onion fan then please go ahead and use what you have and what you like.
- SHREDDED MEXICAN CHEESE- Just a scant cup will do.
- CREAM CHEESE- Isn’t cream cheese the MVP in low carb meals? I love the creaminess and thick consistency it brings to dishes.
- CAULIFLOWER RICE- Here we are using cauliflower rice in place of regular rice.
- BLACK BEANS- YEP!! You read that right. Now if you’re super strict keto you may want to omit this ingredient. But if you’re low carb you can totally eat it and be fine.
- HALF AND HALF- Depending on your macros you can use regular milk or heavy cream.
- WATER- This is used to aid in cooking the cauliflower rice.
- WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE- So I found out how to pronounce this… it’s “woostasure”. I would have never guessed.
- OREGANO
- GARLIC POWDER
- ONION POWDER
- RED CHILI FLAKES
- SMOKED PAPRIKA
- CHILI POWDER
- CUMIN
- SALT
- GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Now I know at first glance it looks like there are a ton of spices. Now I agree there are a few, but these are crucial to creating that “taco” flavor. If you do not have all of these spices, but you do have a taco seasoning packet you can definitely use that. Just remember that this is your journey and you’re the only one that knows what your body can handle and what your macros are. So feel free to swap ingredients to fit your needs.
LOW CARB HAMBURGER HELPER INSTRUCTIONS
Before we begin make sure you take out all the ingredients needed so you can put this meal together as quickly as possible.
Alrighty, now that we’re ready to whip up this meal and we have all of our ingredients out and ready to go, let’s get to it.
- Grab your favorite skillet and set heat to medium. Once pan is hot add the GROUND BEEF and break up until almost completely browned.
- Once ground beef is almost browned (around 5-8 minutes) then you will add the DICED ONION, CAULIFLOWER RICE, WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, OREGANO, GARLIC POWDER, ONION POWDER, RED CHILI FLAKES, SMOKED PAPRIKA, CHILI POWDER, and CUMIN.
- Taste is so subjective. You can absolutely add more or take away any of these spices to your liking.
- Stir the ground beef, diced onion, cauliflower rice and Worcestershire sauce all together and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
- Now that the 5 minutes are up and the cauliflower rice has softened you’ll add the WATER, turn heat to low and then cover your skillet with a lid for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue to cook on low. At this time you will add your CREAM CHEESE and slowly stir so it melts. I have found that the easiest way to melt cream cheese is to make a well in the middle of the pan and just continue to stir. This usually only takes a couple of minutes and then the cream cheese will be fully incorporated.
- As soon as the cream cheese is incorporated you’ll add the HALF AND HALF and the BLACK BEANS. The reason why we didn’t add the black beans prior to this step, is that they’re already cooked. So all we need to do is heat them, not cook them. This will only take 2-3 minutes.
- Our last step is to turn off the heat and add our SHREDDED MEXICAN CHEESE.
Once you’ve completed all the steps it’s time to eat! We really love topping this Low Carb Hamburger Helper with the following:
- Shredded Lettuce
- Shredded Cheese (cause more cheese is better right?) hehe
- Chopped purple or green onion
- Sour Cream
- Avocado
- Tomato
- Hot Sauce
- Lime
LOOKING FOR MORE SKILLET RECIPES LIKE OUR LOW CARB HAMBURGER HELPER?
If you’re looking for “like” dishes or one skillet meals check out some of our previous posts:
- PHILLY CHEESESTEAK CASSEROLE- IN A SKILLET
- LOW CARB LETTUCE WRAPS
- LOW CARB EGGROLL IN A BOWL
- EGGPLANT CARBONARA
- BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
- GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF
Please let us know what you thought about this delicious Low Carb Taco Hamburger Helper and what sort of toppings you added.
LOW CARB TACO HAMBURGER HELPER
This Low Carb Taco Hamburger Helper is so delicious and easy to make. Topped with your favorite taco toppings and it's the perfect busy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1/3 cup Chopped Yellow/Brown Onion
- 1 10oz bag Cauliflower Rice
- 2 oz Cream Cheese
- 1/2 cup Half and Half
- 1/2 cup Black Beans
- 1 cup Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
- 1/2 tsp Oregano (dried)
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Red Chili Flakes
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Grab your favorite skillet and set heat to medium. Once pan is hot add the GROUND BEEF and break up until almost completely browned.
Once ground beef is almost browned (around 5-8 minutes) then you will add the DICED ONION, CAULIFLOWER RICE, WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, OREGANO, GARLIC POWDER, ONION POWDER, RED CHILI FLAKES, SMOKED PAPRIKA, CHILI POWDER, and CUMIN.
Stir the ground beef, diced onion, cauliflower rice and Worcestershire sauce all together and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
Now that the 5 minutes are up and the cauliflower rice has softened you’ll add the WATER, turn heat to low and then cover your skillet with a lid for 3-5 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue to cook on low. At this time you will add your CREAM CHEESE and slowly stir so it melts. I have found that the easiest way to melt cream cheese it to make a well in the middle of the pan and just continue to stir. This usually only takes a couple of minutes and then the cream cheese will be fully incorporated.
As soon as the cream cheese is incorporated you’ll add the HALF AND HALF and the BLACK BEANS. The reason why we didn’t add the black beans prior to this step is that they’re already cooked. So all we need to do is heat them, not cook them. This will only take 2-3 minutes.
Our last step is to turn off the heat and add our SHREDDED MEXICAN CHEESE.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 432Total Fat: 25.2gSaturated Fat: 9.9gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 252mgCarbohydrates: 12.9gNet Carbohydrates: 9.3gFiber: 3.6gSugar: 4.4gProtein: 32.9g