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You are here: Home / Recipes / Salads / Taco Salad

Taco Salad

July 28, 2022 by Mahy, Updated September 23, 2022 11 Comments

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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!

top view of a large plate of taco salad with creamy dressing surrounded by lime wedges

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!

Why 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!

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 meal feels just right! And to make it wholesome, flavorful, and protein-packed, you can add ground beef or lamb too! 

Taco Salad Ingredients

ingredients for taco salad including a bowl of cooked ground beef, some lettuce in a bowl, a bowl of corn, onions, a bowl of tomatoes, some shredded cheese, jalapeños, avocados and chips

  • Cooked Ground Beef or lamb — I used the same on from my popular Crunchwrap Supreme
  • Lettuce — I used Romaine, chopped up roughly
  • Tomatoes — any type would work.
  • Corn –fresh or frozen or even canned would work.
  • Black beans –if canned, drained and rinsed , or use freshly cooked.
  • shredded cheese or Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe
  • Onions –diced
  • Jalapeños –sliced
  • Avocados –diced
  • Tortilla chips –Spiced or plain, crushed roughly
  • Cilantro –Torn leaves 

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.

taco salad ingredients all tossed together in a large plate and ready for the dressing

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

taco salad dressing ingredients on a wooden board including a bowl of sour cream, a bowl of salsa, lime juice and salat

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
  • lime juice
  • salt
    taco salad dressing is mixed and read in a bowl

Just mix all together and it’s ready!

How to Make a Taco Salad Bowl

dressing poured over the taco salad recipe to finalize the salad

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. 

A hand with two spoons serving the taco salad

Tips

  1. Always use lean ground beef because it has lower fat content, is juicy, and cooks easily.
  2. 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.
  3. You can add mashed avocado or Guacamole , broccoli, and other veggies of your choice to the dish.

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. 

large plate of taco salad with two serving spoons all mixed up and some it spooned out

Similar Taco 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

top view of a large plate of taco salad with creamy dressing surrounded by lime wedges
5 from 13 votes
Print

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!

Course Main Course, Main Dish, Salad, tacos
Cuisine American, Mexican, TexMex
Keyword copycat taco bell, salad, salad recipe, taco bowl, taco recipe, taco salad, taco salad recipe, tacos
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 700 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

Taco Salad

  • 1 1/2 cups ground beef cooked like here https://www.twopurplefigs.com/crunchwrap-supreme/
  • 2 1/2 cups lettuce chopped roughly
  • 1 cup black beans
  • 2 cups tomatoes diced
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1/2 cup onions red onions diced
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 2 avocados diced
  • 1 cup tortilla chips crushed roughly
  • 1/2 cup cheese or sauce here: https://www.twopurplefigs.com/nacho-cheese-sauce-recipe/

Taco Salad Dressing

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup salsa homemade here: https://www.twopurplefigs.com/restaurant-style-mexican-salsa/
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare the salad ingredients by chopping cooking the ground beef and having everything ready.

    ingredients for taco salad including a bowl of cooked ground beef, some lettuce in a bowl, a bowl of corn, onions, a bowl of tomatoes, some shredded cheese, jalapeños, avocados and chips
  2. Mix all ingredients for the salad in a large salad plate.

    taco salad ingredients all tossed together in a large plate and ready for the dressing
  3. Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl.

    taco salad dressing is mixed and read in a bowl
  4. Drizzle the dressing generously over the salad.

    dressing poured over the taco salad recipe to finalize the salad
  5. Serve right away & enjoy!

    A hand with two spoons serving the taco salad

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Tips

  1. Always use lean ground beef because it has lower fat content, is juicy, and cooks easily.
  2. 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.
  3. You can add mashed avocado or Guacamole , broccoli, and other veggies of your choice to the dish.

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. 

Nutrition Facts
Taco Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 700 Calories from Fat 495
% Daily Value*
Fat 55g85%
Saturated Fat 18g113%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 23g
Cholesterol 108mg36%
Sodium 645mg28%
Potassium 1499mg43%
Carbohydrates 60g20%
Fiber 16g67%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 1312IU26%
Vitamin C 32mg39%
Calcium 288mg29%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Filed Under: Mexican Recipes, Recipes, Salads, Videos Tagged With: avocadoes, black beans, cooked ground beef, corn, doritos taco salad, ground beef, ground meat recipes, Guacamole, salad recipes, salsa, sour cream, taco bell, taco bell copycat, tomatoes, tortilla chips

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Casey

    August 3, 2022 at 9:00 am

    5 stars
    I’ve been making this over and over for meal preps! SO GOOD!

    Reply
  2. Tara

    August 3, 2022 at 8:51 am

    5 stars
    This definitely is the best of both worlds! I love all the vibrant colors and flavors packed into this taco salad. So good!

    Reply
  3. Toni

    August 3, 2022 at 8:50 am

    5 stars
    Such an amazing salad! Always a hit at our house!

    Reply
  4. Claudia Lamascolo

    August 3, 2022 at 8:07 am

    5 stars
    What a great recipe we are huge salad fans here, we really enjoyed the simplicity and it came perfectly! I will make this again

    Reply
  5. Dionne

    August 3, 2022 at 6:47 am

    5 stars
    There is something magical about this recipe. I made taco salads before but this one definitely stands out. Amazing result!

    Reply
  6. Toni

    August 2, 2022 at 8:50 am

    5 stars
    I really love how flavorful this is! So good and amazing!

    Reply
  7. Katherine

    August 2, 2022 at 8:30 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is taco salad perfection! Love the salsa sour cream sauce. Yum!

    Reply
  8. Sharon

    August 1, 2022 at 8:05 pm

    5 stars
    This easy taco salad recipe has all the taco goodness I love in salad form. The dressing made with salsa is the perfect topping too.

    Reply
  9. Tavo

    August 1, 2022 at 8:04 pm

    5 stars
    I loved this taco salad version, the sour cream dressing was outstanding!

    Reply
  10. Carrie Robinson

    August 1, 2022 at 8:04 pm

    5 stars
    I just love a good taco salad! This looks absolutely perfect. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Cyndy

    August 1, 2022 at 7:07 pm

    5 stars
    Love how easy and fresh this tasted! Just made it for Taco Tuesday (on a Monday lol) and everyone in my family loved it! Think I will double the recipe next time too.

    Reply

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Mahy PicHi I'm Mahy, a recipe developer, food stylist, culinary instructor, photographer, wife and busy mom! Welcome to my blog!...Read More

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