Best Low Carb Keto Food in Mexico and Restaurants

I’ve got all the low-carb options and keto-friendly food options for easily sticking to your keto diet or low-carb diet when in Mexico or at a Mexican restaurant.

Mexican Cuisine

There are many Mexican recipes that are excellent choices for low carb keto food, whether you’re on a keto diet or low carb diet for weight loss or maintaining your weight and want to keep the carb intake low.

This article will share the low carb keto Mexican food ingredients to avoid that have a lot of sugar and empty carbs and also all the good stuff you can enjoy the next time you’re eating in Mexico or at a Mexican restaurant.

The best thing to do when in Mexico is to visit small local convenience stores for low carb keto food and snacks to bring back to our hotel room.

We headed to the local grocery stores whenever we had a chance finding delicious pork rinds, nuts, and jerky. 

These pictures are from our recent trip to Puerto Vallarta celebrating our 28th anniversary!

Walking the beach every day barefoot, seeing the sunrise and sunset and being outside all day long was the best vacation ever.

Our sleep improved greatly by grounding every day and seeing sunlight rather then being inside under artificial light all day. Food for thought right?

Traditional Mexican Dishes

Traditional Mexican flavors include some healthy fats and fresh ingredients like onions, red, yellow and green peppers, spicy peppers, fresh avocado, citrus-marinated seafood, and of course delicious meat dishes using pork, chicken and beef.

Foods to Enjoy

Chorizo. This is a spicy fresh sausage (typically made from pork) that you may find as an appetizer or part of a meal. You can also add it to any meat dish for some extra fat, protein, and spice.

Jalapeño poppers.  Avoid these if they are breaded or fried. If they are grilled after being stuffed with cheese, spices, and/or bacon, that’s a smart choice.

Guacamole with pork rinds, chicharrones, or low carb vegetables for dipping.

KETO- Loaded nachos. Order nachos WITHOUT the rice, beans, corn, and chips.

Eat it with a spoon or use pork rinds, chicharrones, or low carb vegetables as a chip replacement. Ask for extra cheese and sour cream or extra meat if you want more protein.

Grilled meats. Look for grilled chicken wings, chorizo, shrimp, or steak on the menu. Avoid any sweet dipping sauces and stick with fresh salsa or hot sauce.

Queso

Though cheese is generally allowed on the keto diet, cooked cheese (also known as queso) can contain hidden ingredients. Sneaky ingredients, like flour or added sugar, can quickly increase the carb content in your queso.

Enjoy Queso with pork rinds, chicharrones, or low carb vegetables for dipping. Double-check to make sure they don’t use flour to thicken up their queso.

Ask if they can provide chicharrones, celery, peppers, cucumber, radishes, or jicama for dipping. Feel free to bring your own pork rinds as well.

High Carb Foods to Avoid

Whether you’re following a low carb diet or keto lifestyle, you do need to watch for certain ingredients in a Mexican meal.

With a little planning you can make some swaps to still enjoy your favorite Mexican restaurant or delicious Mexican food when in Mexico!

Most of the carbs will come from beans (frijoles), rice (arroz), corn (maize), and tortillas, and these will be easy to find on the menu.

Avoid rice and beans

Tortillas and Chips

Tamales, empanadas, or pupusas

Quesadillas

Chimichangas

Enchiladas

Sweet dressings

Plantains (plátanos verdes)

Bananas (plátanos maduros)

Yucca

Horchatas are a staple at Mexican food stands and are usually made with rice milk, cinnamon and sugar. 

Favorite Keto Mexican Restaurant Options

Here are some of the best options I’ve found when in Mexico and at fast food restaurants and nice sit down dining restaurants. It’s always a good idea if you can, to view the menu online if possible and always prioritize protein.

Tortilla chips and pico de gallo or guacamole is often served at most Mexican restaurants. Avoid the chips but enjoy the pico!

A typical two-tablespoon serving of guacamole has  2.3 grams of carbohydrates so you do need to be mindful of how much you are eating so you don’t go over your carb count before your main course arrives. Still a great choice for an appetizer. 

In Puerto Vallarta my hubby enjoyed the tortilla chips with guacamole, but I used my pork rinds and asked for cucumber slices instead.

Filling tasty dish that was perfectly fresh for lunch by the ocean and feet in the sand. 

Taco Salad. Any taco salad in Mexico often comes in taco shells made from corn tortillas or flour tortillas. I was just told by someone on my Facebook page who lives in Mexico that you can ask for taco shells made with cheese called Costras at a lot of Mexican restaurants.

If it’s too tempting for you to NOT eat the shell, ask for the taco salad ground beef filling or chicken filling to be place in lettuce wraps.

If the taco salad includes corn, or beans, you will need to ask for them to not be included as they are quite high in carbs.

Fajitas. Fajita’s are another great option and great way to customize a main dish for a ketogenic diet or low carb lifestyle. You can enjoy the protein they offer, chicken, beef or shrimp.

The fajita veggies are good too, usually bell peppers and onions. Cheese, sour cream, and guacamole are all low in grams of carbs so enjoy them.

Skip the refried beans and tortillas or ask for some lettuce leaf to use as a wrap. You could always bring your own low-carb tortillas if you desire. 

Here’s my fresh ceviche with lime juice and red onion.

Carne asada is a marinated and grilled steak that is usually served with tortillas. Skip the tortillas and load it up with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo and red onion for a protein- and fat-packed meal.

Burrito bowl. Burrito bowls are a great keto-friendly Mexican option at both sit-down restaurants and fast-casual places like Chipotle.

Simply order it with your preferred protein (chicken, steak, carnitas, etc.), lettuce, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and low-carb veggies. Skip the rice, beans, tortilla strips, and corn.

Grilled fish. Many of the most flavorful fish dishes are inspired by authentic coastal Mexican cuisine. A delicious dish typically is marinated fresh fish in herbs and spices before grilling.

Ask for fresh salsa, pico de gallo, or guacamole on the side instead of the rice and fruity salsa they may come with.

Drinks to Avoid

Sweet drinks

Fruity sugary drinks

Aquas Frescas are non alcoholic drinks made with fruit, flowers, seeds or cereals with sugar

Special cocktails

Keto Drinks to Enjoy

Café de olla. Mexican coffee that is spiced with cinnamon.

Make sure you order it without milk, cane sugar, or piloncillo (a type of cane sugar commonly used to sweeten this beverage).

Keto Cocktails

Margaritas are made with sugary mixes or triple sec and simple syrup. With a little creativity you can still enjoy some cocktails with low net carbs.

Try ordering tequila (which has no carbs) and sip it on its own or add some sparkling water and a lime. 

Ask about the restaurants selection of tequilas, like reposado (aged in oak under 12 months) and anejo (aged for one to two years). 

Or ask for a special carb-free (but not calorie-free) cocktail: tequila with club soda and lime on the rocks.

• Sipping Mezcal (similar to Tequila)
• Reposado Tequila
• Anejo Tequila
• Tequila with club soda and lime on the rocks
• Mojitos without the syrup
• Vodka soda with lime and mint- be sure to ask for Sin Azucar which means no sugar in Spanish.

I did not indulge in any Mexican desserts, but saw these without sugar.

Low Carb Keto Mexican Food Recipes

If you can’t get to Mexico, but want all the different flavors of Mexican cuisine to suit your taste buds, make any of these delicious keto Mexican recipes at home. 

Chicken Taco Soup

Nachos

Chicken Fajitas

Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Taco Casserole

Mexican Breakfast Casserole

Cheesy Taco Shells

Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

Low Carb Flan

Never worry when you had to a Mexican restaurant or take a vacation to Mexico because you will surely find some lovely options for keto low carb Mexican food to stick to your diet.