Easy Street-Style Keto Tortilla Recipe

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How often have you had to turn down a delicious-looking taco because you knew the tortilla was packed with carbs? With this street-style keto tortilla recipe, you can indulge in your favorite Mexican food while feeling satiated and maintaining ketosis.

Regular flour tortillas contain over 26 grams of total carbohydrates in one small tortilla[*]. Corn tortillas, while gluten-free and slightly less carb-intense, still carry 12 grams of carbs[*]. If you enjoy two to three tacos in one sitting, you just used up your total carb allotment for the day.

These street tacos are a great recipe for anyone looking for a low-carb or ketogenic alternative for enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, burritos, or quesadillas. You can also re-fry them in olive oil until crispy to make homemade tortilla chips.

Take a peek at the nutrition facts and you can see this keto tortilla recipe contains just 4 grams net carbs and 20 grams total fat, perfect for keeping your carb count in check.

And best yet, they’re delicious. Unlike many recipes, they’re not too eggy, too dry, or too wet. They taste just like regular tortillas.

Benefits of Using Coconut Flour in Keto Tortillas

While many low-carb tortillas are made with almond flour, psyllium husk powder, xanthan gum, or even cauliflower, the main ingredient in this keto tortilla is coconut flour.

Shopping tip: If you can’t find alternative flours at your health food store, check online on Amazon.

Coconut flour is a complete game changer when it comes to paleo, keto, or low-carb recipes. It’s used in pizza crusts and flatbreads, waffles, and various keto bread recipes. So what are the benefits of this low-carb flour alternative, and why should you use it? Coconut flour.

#1: Coconut Flour Is Rich in Fiber

Coconut flour comes directly from the meat of coconuts. It’s made up of 60% fiber with over 10 grams packed into two tablespoons. With 16 grams of total carbohydrates, you’re left with just 6 grams of net carbs per serving[*].

Dietary fiber is an essential component of any diet, yet most Americans don’t get enough. If you follow a 2,000 calorie diet, your recommended daily fiber intake should be 28 grams — yet most people don’t consume half that[*]. You can find fiber in keto-friendly foods like raw fruits and vegetables, chia seeds, flax seeds, and coconut.

Fiber helps to:

• Support your heart: Fiber may improve heart health, lowering your risk of developing heart disease, stroke and hypertension[*].
• Improve blood pressure: Fiber can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels[*].
• Decrease onset of diabetes: Fiber improves insulin sensitivity, which could prevent the development of diabetes[*].
• Support your gut: Fiber may decrease symptoms for various gastrointestinal diseases[*].

#2: Coconut Flour Can Improve Blood Sugar

Coconut flour has a low glycemic index, making it perfectly acceptable to use in various keto recipes. Foods with a low glycemic index are more slowly digested, absorbed, and metabolized by your body, so they don’t raise blood glucose levels.

This means it supports stable blood sugar levels and is helpful for those who are obese, have diabetes, or want to improve their overall health[*].

Consuming low-carb foods like coconut can help you:

• Lose weight: Low-carb diets focused on low glycemic index foods have been shown to be more effective than low-fat diets[*].
• Support your heart: Foods low on the glycemic index reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease by helping reduce oxidative stress, blood pressure, and inflammation[*].
• Prevent disease: Low glycemic index foods might help prevent the onset of various diseases, including diabetes and some cancers[*].

#3: Coconut Flour Improves Metabolism

Wondering why coconut flour is such a nutritional powerhouse? Coconut flour is abundant in medium chain fatty acids or medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs are an ideal source of energy because they don’t need other enzymes to be digested or absorbed by your body. Therefore, they go directly to the liver to be metabolized into ketones (energy)[*].

You can consume MCTs in supplement form or through foods like coconut oil or palm oil. MCT oil is popular on the keto diet because it makes ketones more readily available for your body.

Here’s what makes MCT oil so effective as an energy source[*]:

• They’re not stored as fat: MCTs are converted into ketones.
• They get converted quickly: MCTs are quickly metabolized by your cells, reaching your liver quickly.
• They don’t need extra enzyme help: MCTs don’t require enzymes to be broken down during digestion..

#4: Coconut Flour Is Loaded with Saturated Fats

Coconut flour has more saturated fat than butter. Surprised? In fact, over half the fat in coconut is saturated fat[*].

Outdated scientific evidence states that saturated fat is bad. This led to the low-fat phase of the 1970s-1990s. Low-fat yogurt, cream cheese, and milk took over the dairy aisle and whole eggs were replaced by egg whites.

During this time period, consumption of saturated fat dropped dramatically while obesity skyrocketed[*]. Today, there is growing evidence to debunk the “fat makes you fat” myth.

• No link to heart disease: Recent research has debunked the idea that saturated fats cause heart disease[*].
• Does not raise cholesterol levels: In people with raised cholesterol levels, coconut flour was shown to lower LDL (low-density lipoprotein) “bad” cholesterol levels as well as total blood cholesterol (serum cholesterol)[*].

#5: Coconut Flour Is Nut-Free, Corn-Free and Gluten-Free

If you or someone in your household has a food allergy, coconut flour is a viable substitute. The eight most common allergens in the United States are wheat, eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish, and shellfish[*].

Two of these, wheat and tree nuts, are commonly found in tortilla recipes. By substituting coconut flour for corn, wheat, almond flour, or almond meal, you’re creating a gluten-free, sugar-free, nut-free, grain-free recipe.

However, because the recipe calls for cheese, these tortillas are not dairy-free or vegan.

How to Make the Best Low-Carb Keto Tortilla

A keto tortilla is incredibly easy to make and doesn’t need any special equipment. You don’t need a food processor or tortilla press, just some parchment paper and a microwave.

First, mix the coconut flour and cheese together, and set the cook time on your microwave to one minute. Add in the egg, and mix together. Then, use your parchment paper to press into small tortillas.

Turn a skillet on medium heat. Fry each keto tortilla for a total time of 2–3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with a little sea salt for added flavor.

Whether you’re making them for yourself or for a group of friends, this keto tortilla batch makes the perfect addition to any Mexican food feast.

Top with your favorite fixings, like carnitas or chorizo, then top with cilantro, sour cream, and avocado or guacamole. If there are extras available, they should keep up to one week in the fridge.

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