Our favorite taco salad recipe is a relaxing weekday dinner Serve with fresh lettuce, tortilla slices, seasoned ground beef, cheese and creamy cilantro lemon flavor. Very good!
We love all kinds of tacos (see all taco recipes as proof), but we really like the taco salad. Fast, fresh, super easy! Your homemade taco mixture, crisp fresh lettuce and ground beef made from all the best taco toppings are very seasoned. I’m always happy when taco salad has supper!
You have a lot of play when it comes to making taco salad recipes, but I will walk you through my process because it is truly one of my favorite salads! It’s healthy, but it doesn’t feel that way, so it feels like a squander. For taco-inspired recipes, see this comfortable and super easy taco soup!
Key Ingredients
- Taco Meat: I used lean beef (80/10) as a salad in the photo, but you can replace Türkiye, ground pork or ground chicken without any changes. Instead of using store-bought seasonings, we made our own powder with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano and salt. When we cook the meat, we also add a few tablespoons of tomato sauce, which helps make the meat more delicious. You can also exchange our seasoning for our homemade taco seasoning, which is just as delicious.
- lettuce: You want this salad with crispy, crispy lettuce, so the iceberg or romaine is perfect.
- All Toppings: So, this is where you can have fun. Think of your favorite taco filling and add it to this salad. I love Pico de Gallo, avocado or avocado sauce and chopped cheese, but just add your favorite toppings!
- Taco salad dressing: My favorite dressing is our creamy cilantro lemon sauce. Still, you can replace your favorite store-bought dressing, or go with another homemade dressing like this simple ranch seasoning.
- Tortillas: So these are all optional and can take a little away from a healthy point of view, but I do love them! Make homemade tortilla chips or use some from your favorite store-bought bag and add it to the top right before digging in. They are combined with the flavor of tortillas and a lot of crunch. Some people prefer Fritos, but honestly, I like to stick to regular chips. I’m a fan!
Find the complete recipe in the measurements below.
Tips for making the best taco salad
Tip 1: Season a lot of ground meat. My taco meat was very generous with salt and seasoning. Its flavor may be seasoned a little bit individually, but it works when you spread it over the salad! If you prefer spicy tacos, add a small amount or two Cayenne Peppers to the spice mixture.
Tip 2: Add a lot of textures. My favorite part of this salad is the various textures. We want to keep the preparation to a minimum because it is most likely something you do on a working day, but that doesn’t mean we can’t pack a lot of stuff. The avocado is creamy white, fresh tomato or pico de gallo, and the fries add some crispness. Think of other refrigerator staples such as sour cream, salsa, avocado sauce or pickled red onions. They all work well in this salad.
Tip 3: Make taco meat in advance. You can cook ground beef with spices and place it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. That way, when you crave taco salad, it’s ready. The seasoning is also great for moving forward!
Epic taco salad
-
Prepare
-
chef
-
All
This easy taco salad recipe is paired with ground beef and it’s an easy weekday dinner. Make our recommended cilantro lemon sauce recipe (kind of like cilantro ranch) or skip that step and use your favorite store-bought ranch.
4 servings
You will need
Taco meat
1½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ tsp fine sea salt, and more needed
1½ tablespoons avocado oil
1 lb lean beef, 90/10 (450g)
2 tablespoons tomato sauce (35g)
½ cup chicken or water
Taco salad
12 cups chopped crispy lettuce, like romaine or iceberg lettuce
1 cup homemade Pico de Gallo or chopped tomatoes
½ cup Mexican mixed cheese (113g)
1 large avocado, sliced
1 cup tortilla slices, try homemade tortilla slices, optional
Coriander lemon sauce, homemade ranch or your favorite store-bought ranch
direction
1Make the spices mixed: In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano and salt.
2Cook seasoned beef: Heat avocado oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and sprinkle the spice mixture on top. Use a wooden spoon to crush the meat while cooking and stir until it starts to turn brown. Stir the tomato sauce and cook for another 2 minutes. Add chicken stock (or water) and let it cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Taste, if you think you need it, then add more salt (as this will add salad to the salad, making this well-seasoned dish work well in the rest of the salad.)
3Make salad: In a large salad bowl, throw away the lettuce with 4 to 8 tablespoons of seasoning (adjusted depending on what you like the salad). Distribute lettuce between four bowls or plates and top each beef mixture, pico de gallo, chopped cheese and avocado. Sneaking some tortillas on the side and enjoy!
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- More toppings: Feel free to add more taco toppings you like, such as sour cream, salsa, chopped tomatoes, Queso murals, red onions, black olives and more!
- seasoning: I prefer the spice mixture above rather than the regular taco seasoning you get from the store. However, if you have any preference, feel free to swap our mixture into a packet. Of all the options I’ve tried, Siete Foods is the most delicious.
- lettuce: I usually buy long haired hearts at two-thirds of the price in the store. For 4 servings (12 cups), you will need two 12 oz romaine hearts.
- Nutritional facts are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
Service size
1/4 of the recipe (1/2 cup beef)
/
Calories
534
/
Total fat
40.7
/
Saturated fat
10.6 g
/
cholesterol
95.2mg
/
sodium
1069.8mg
/
carbohydrate
14.3g
/
Dietary fiber
6.7 grams
/
Total sugar
5.4 grams
/
protein
29.7g
We are Adam and Joanne, a couple who are passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? Inspire you to enter the kitchen and cook fresh and delicious meals confidently.
