Taco Salad

This Taco Salad is the best of both worlds: Tacos and Salads! Imagine your favorite hearty taco made into a salad bowl. Our Taco Salad recipe is loaded with fresh veggies, ground beef, taco chips and a creamy salsa dressing. So crazy delicious!! Video and step by step recipe below!

We usually make tacos about once a week and when I shared my Birria Tacos–so many of you have made it and fell in love with it too! Then came our absolute favorite twist : Lamb Birria 🙂 If you love tacos, those are top of the list to make NOW!!

A super light dinner would be Air Fryer Fish For Air Fryer Fish Tacos. My favorite go to Mexican meal would be Fajita Bowl made with chicken, along with this MUST make Crunchwrap Supreme loaded with Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe. Carne Asada Fries is one of my favorite recipes here!

Now let’s talk all about tacos and salads and today’s star recipe!

What Is Taco Salad?

Taco salad is a Tex-Mex inspired dish that combines classic taco ingredients, typically seasoned ground beef, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, beans, and crunchy tortilla chips into a salad bowl instead of a tortilla shell.

It’s bold, customizable, quick to make, and perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, potlucks, or crowd pleasing dinners.

It became widely popular in the United States as a lighter alternative to traditional tacos while still delivering bold flavor and texture.

Why You’ll Love This Taco Salad Recipe

• This taco salad recipe is amazingly healthy and fulfilling. It is the perfect choice for days when you feel like tacos, but can’t yourself to assemble them. Or when you want to make dinner ahead of time. 
• It’s super versatile that you can add or swap your favorite ingredients and it would still taste so GOOD!!
• So many ingredients can be made ahead of time like the ground beef or lamb which is the same one I used in this Crunchwrap Supreme. Plus the Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe which is optional but so good! Queso is such an indulgent surprise too!
• This taco salad recipe is loaded with so much protein, it’s rather a full meal! Plus you can make it vegetarian or even vegan so easily and enjoy all the nutritional goodness it offers.
• It literally takes just a few minutes to assemble and there you have it!
• So on busy days, this is what easy weeknight meals should feel like! And to make it wholesome, flavorful, and protein-packed, you can add ground beef or lamb too! 
• Customizable recipe! So add in your favorite toppings and spices!

Taco Salad Ingredients

• Cooked Ground Beef or lamb — I used the same on from my popular Crunchwrap Supreme, you can also use ground chicken similar to our Ground Chicken Tacos or ground turkey.
• Seasoning. These are the main seasoning used for the taco meat: homemade taco seasoning or store bought, chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
• Lettuce — I used Romaine, you can use any crisp lettuce like iceberg lettuce chopped up roughly
• Tomatoes — any type would work. We used cherry tomatoes.
• Corn –fresh or frozen or even canned would work.
• Black beans –if canned, drained and rinsed , or use freshly cooked.
• shredded Cheddar cheese or Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe
• Onions –diced. You can also add green onions.
• Jalapeños –sliced
• Avocados –diced
• Tortilla chips –Spiced or plain, crushed roughly. You can use flour tortillas fried up.
• Cilantro –Torn leaves
• Optional: Bell peppers, pico de gallo (check out our Mango Pico De Gallo)

How to Make Taco Salad

Simply toss all ingredients above together which include: some lettuce, tomatoes, cooked ground beef or lamb, cheese, corn, black beans, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro in a bowl.

Throw in your favorite chips for some crunch, and your low-carb, high-protein salad is ready!

But wait! Don’t forget to drizzle some creamy dressing!

Dressing for Taco Salad

You’ll need

• sour cream –you could use Mayo but I find sour cream to be creamier and fresher in taste.
• salsa –don’t for get to try my Homemade Salsa or pico de gallo
• lime juice
• pinch of salt
  

Just stir and whisk all together and it’s ready!

How to Make a Taco Salad Bowl

To finish the dish drizzle the dressing generously on top of your plate. Lightly toss together, and ta-da! Your creamy, protein-packed bowl full of goodness is ready to devour! 

Vegan Taco Salad

You can make the vegan version of this recipe even if you’re vegan or vegetarian. All the ingredients remain the same for the vegan taco salad, but instead of ground beef or lamb, you can use vegan meat and vegan cheese.

Fiesta Taco Salad

You also have the choice of alternating some of the ingredients with low-fat versions to turn it into the fiesta taco salad. You can use reduced-sodium taco seasoning instead of the regular one and switch the cheese with low-fat sharp cheddar. For the sour cream, you can use reduced-fat sour cream. 

Layered Taco Salad Recipe

Now, if you’re making this for a potluck supper or having guests over for dinner, you would definitely want a plate with some presentation. This is where the layered taco salad recipe comes in!

All you need is a trifle dish. Simply place the ingredients one by one in the dish in layers. For instance, layer the bottom with lettuce, then make a layer of tomatoes, followed by a layer of ground beef/lamb, and so on. 

The result? A colorful and tempting layered dish that is pleasing to the eyes and tastes great. 

Pro Tips For Taco Salad Recipe

1. Always use lean ground beef because it has lower fat content, is juicy, and cooks easily.
2. Let the meat cool slightly because hot meat directly on lettuce can wilt greens. Let it cool 3–5 minutes.
3. Season Well!  Under seasoned meat makes a bland salad. Taste and adjust.
4. Add your avocado last because it browns quickly, so add right before serving.
5. Don’t overdress the salad even if it’s tempting! Too much dressing makes taco salad soggy fast.
6. Assemble the salad right before serving. If you mix it earlier, the lettuce might wilt and lose its crispiness due to the seasoning and dressing.
7. Keep crunch separate for meal prep, so store chips separately until ready to eat.
8. You can add mashed avocado or Guacamole , broccoli, and other veggies of your choice to the dish.

Taco Salad Topping Options

• If you want a lighter version: Use lean ground turkey or chicken. Swap sour cream for Greek yogurt. Also try baked tortilla strips, add extra lettuce for volume and skip heavy dressings and use salsa with extra lime juice
• For low carb: Skip the chips, increase avocado and use full fat cheese for satiety
• For high-protein: Add black beans with extra meat and use Greek yogurt based dressing

Taco Salad Dressing Options, What Dressing Goes on taco Salad?

1. Salsa and Sour Cream: Our favorite and it’s the most classic and fresh.
2. Catalina Dressing: very old school taco salad favorite with a sweet tang.
3. Ranch and Taco Seasoning: A creamy and bold alternative that is great as a sauce as well.
4. Cilantro Lime Dressing: Fresh and zesty, similar to the one used in this Corn And Tomato Salad
5. Avocado Lime Dressing: Rich and creamy without heaviness.

What do you serve with taco salad?

You can serve it with tortilla wraps, chips, beans, or Mexican rice. But, you can have it on its own also as a bowl. 

What’s the difference between nachos and taco salad?

Taco salad comprises lettuce and other vegetables that make it crunchy, while the dressing makes it creamy. So the veggies are the highlight of it. As for nachos, the tortilla chips on which everything is piled are the main ingredient.

How do you eat taco salad?

You can eat it as the main course or as a side. If you want to get creative, make a taco bar where you can arrange all the ingredients in separate bowls so that people can build their own taco salads based on their diet. 

Can you refrigerate taco salad?

If you’ve prepared this recipe beforehand, make sure to refrigerate the ingredients separately in the fridge so the vegetables don’t lose their crunch. However, leftover can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Is taco salad healthy?

Yes when you use lean protein, fresh vegetables, moderate cheese, and a lighter dressing for a balanced meal.

Can I make taco salad ahead of time?

Yes, but store ingredients separately and assemble just before serving to prevent sogginess.

What meat is best for taco salad?

Ground beef is most traditional. Ground turkey, chicken, or shredded beef also work well.

Can taco salad be vegetarian?

Yes. Replace meat with black beans (try those flavor packed Mexican Black Beans)  pinto beans, or plant based crumbles.

How do you keep taco salad from getting soggy?

Add dressing and tortilla chips just before serving. Keep lettuce completely dry.

Easy Weeknight Recipes

• 30 Mins Mexican Tilapia Fish Dinner
• Birria Tacos
• Crunchwrap Supreme
• Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe
• Sheet Pan Fajitas
• Chicken Flautas
• Lamb Birria
• Fajita Bowl
• Air Fryer Hot Dogs
• Tandoori Chicken Tacos With Cilantro Corn Slaw
• Carne Asada Fries