Fresh lettuce is topped with seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, corn, black beans, avocado, onions, jalapeno peppers, cheese, sour cream, and more in this recipe for taco salad. You'll love the simple recipe for the taco salad dressing that is also included.
Taco Salad
All of your favorite taco ingredients are in this salad. It's loaded with vegetables and protein for a filling, well-rounded lunch or dinner. It's also a fantastic way to prepare meals for work or school.
The salad dressing is delicious and incredibly simple to make. This can be prepared quickly and easily with a packet of taco seasoning or with my homemade taco seasoning recipe!
To master this taco salad, follow these instructions:
How to Make It
Combine taco seasoning ingredients (a packet may also be used). Combine sour cream, salsa, and ½ tbsp. taco seasoning for the dressing and set aside.
Cook and crumble the ground beef and drain grease. Add seasoning and salsa. Heat on low.
Prepare remaining salad ingredients. Add lettuce to serving plates or to a large salad bowl. Add the warm meat mixture, followed by the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with salad dressing or serve it on the side!
What to Add to Taco Salad
- All of your favorite taco ingredients are included in this recipe, but it also includes bell peppers, green onions, sliced limes, pico de gallo, crema, extra salsa, etc.
Taco Salad Dressing
- Salsa, sour cream, and taco seasoning, in that order, make up three cups.
- Excellent options include Catalina or Thousand Island.
Make-Ahead Method
- For work and school, this salad is a great option for meal preparation. For maximum freshness, place the lettuce in an airtight bag and combine it with the other salad ingredients in a Tupperware container. To keep them crunchy, keep the tortilla chips in a separate, airtight bag. You can keep sour cream in a separate, lidded container.
- Additionally, you can complete all of the preparation work in advance and prepare the meat mixture when it's time to serve. You can also rewarm the meat in the microwave just before serving.
PRO TIPS
- Use pre-washed lettuce, prepared guacamole in place of avocado, and pico de gallo in place of diced tomatoes for simple shortcuts.
- You can choose to add a little bit of water or beef/chicken broth to the meat mixture if your salsa is very thick. For this recipe, Pace salsa is used.
- Cornstarch can occasionally be found in taco seasoning. If using a packet, think about adding some water or broth to the meat mixture if it gets too thick. I provide a homemade recipe for the taco seasoning in the notes section of the recipe card.
- Instead of ground beef, you could use ground turkey.
- Tortilla chips can be substituted with Doritos.
Storage
For up to three days, keep in a refrigerator in an airtight container. The meat mixture can be heated in a skillet or in the microwave.
Taco Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 oz. packet taco seasoning, see notes for homemade recipe
- 16 oz. salsa, divided
- ¾ cup sour cream, divided
- 1 avocado
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 head iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped and clean
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 2 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 cup Black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup whole kernel corn, drained
- ¼ cup black olives, drained and sliced
- ⅓ cup red onion, diced
- 1 cups shredded Mexican cheese blen
- 4 oz. Tortilla Chips
Instructions
Prep Work
- For the dressing: Combine ⅓ cup sour cream, ⅓ cup salsa, and ½ tablespoon taco seasoning. Set aside.
- Slice the avocado in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and scoop the pulp into a small bowl. Add lime juice and ⅛ tsp. salt and use the back of a fork to mash it. Cover tightly with saran wrap and set aside.
Cook the Meat Mixture
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, cook and crumble for 7 minutes, or until brown and cooked through. Drain grease.
- Reduce heat to low. Add 2 tablespoons taco seasoning and toss to coat. Add the ¾ cup salsa and cilantro. Add additional salsa if desired. Cover partially while you prepare the salad.
Assemble the Salad
- Add the lettuce to serving plates or a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with the meat mixture.
- Top with diced tomatoes, peppers, black beans, corn, black olives, onions, and cheese.
- Top with mashed avocado then add a dollop of sour cream to each serving.
- Drizzle with salad dressing or serve it on the side.
- Sprinkle with tortilla chips and serve!
Notes
- Cheese: Cheddar and Monterey Jack can also be used
- Easy Shortcuts: Use pre-washed lettuce, prepared guacamole instead of avocado, and pico de gallo instead of diced tomatoes.
- If your salsa is very thick, you may choose to add a splash of water or beef/chicken broth to the meat mixture. I use Pace salsa for this recipe.
- Taco Seasoning sometimes contains cornstarch. I include a homemade recipe for the taco seasoning in the notes section of the recipe card, but if using a packet, consider adding a little water or broth to the meat mixture if it becomes too thick.
- Ground turkey may be used instead of beef.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Storage
-
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 days. The meat mixture can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Leave a Reply