A taco salad recipe that’s easy to make and fun to eat! This salad recipe goes perfect during summer BBQ’s with a fresh, light dressing to pair.
With Cinco de Mayo right before summer, this is the perfect time to test out summer salad recipes. But, how about a salad recipe to test out that fits any holiday?
This taco salad recipe is great for many occasions.
And the dressing is super light and refreshing to top everything off. Now, what makes tacos and salad so great are how customizable they are. Feel free to swap out the protein for ground chicken, turkey, pork or even a seafood like shrimp.
Keep reading, this recipe is super easy to make so follow these simple step below.
How To Make Taco Salad
Check off this list of ingredients first
- Lean ground beef
- Corn on the cob
- Black beans
- Tortilla chips
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Red onion
- Sour Cream
- Lime
- Salt & black pepper
Quick tips before starting
- This salad can be made ahead. But, do not add the crushed tortilla chips or avocado until you’re ready to serve. This will stop them from becoming foggy.
- Fresh corn is best but you can sub with canned or frozen corn during the off seasons. Note, you can eat raw corn from the cob. But, I suggest toasting the corn a little in a dry pan on low heat to release some of the flavors for about 5 minutes before adding into the taco salad.
- Add the tortilla chips of choice before adjusting the salt levels. Some chips can be salty and it’ll rub off into the salad.
- Salsa is a common dressing in taco salad. I used it in my keto version so swapping out the dressing for a salsa verde or roja is perfect.
Making the taco salad recipe
- To start, prepare the ground beef first. I prefer lean ground beef to keep the fat content down. In a skillet on medium high heat add a little oil and toss in the ground beef. When the ground beef is almost finish spread a little room and add the tomato paste directly to the pan.
- Then, toss in all the seasonings and add beef broth or simply add water. This will form a sauce with the beef. Lower the heat to medium low and allow this to simmer for 3 minutes or so for the flavors to work together. Taste for salt.
- While taco beef is cooling down prep all the ingredients. The ingredients like the tomatoes, corn, red onion and crushed chips where measured after they were cut.
- In a small bowl, add sour cream and the juice from two limes. But, zest one lime into the bowl before cutting. Mix well. The dressing isn’t special by itself but it brings all the flavors together when added to the salad.
- Toss all the ingredients into a large bowl or salad bowl and give everything an even toss. Serve.
How to store the taco salad
This is not a recipe to be frozen. But, this taco salad recipe will keep for about 3 days depending on the avocado. If not using avocado the salad will last around 4-5 depending on the freshness of the ingredients. Store in the refrigerator in the serving bowl but make sure the bowl is covered.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are taco salads made of?
The classic ingredients in a taco salad are:
- Meat (normally ground beef)
- Lettuce
- Salsa (or some dressing such as sour cream, guacamole or pico de gallo)
- Shredded cheese
- Tomato
Everything else depends on the person and the recipe. But, these are what I would call the essentials.
Do Mexicans eat taco salad?
No, this is strictly an American thing. Tacos also do not come with cheese or sour cream in Mexico either.
What to serve with a taco salad recipe?
Taco Salad
Ingredients
Taco Salad
- 1 cup corn (about 2 cobs of corn)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup black beans, drain and rinsed
- 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1/2 bunch romaine lettuce, chopped
Ground Beef
- 1 pound lean ground beef 93/7
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
Dressing
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 lime, zested and juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- To start, prepare the ground beef first. I prefer lean ground beef to keep the fat content down. In a skillet on medium high heat add a little oil and toss in the ground beef. When the ground beef is almost finish spread a little room and add the tomato paste directly to the pan.
- Then, toss in all the seasonings and add beef broth or simply add water. This will form a sauce with the beef. Lower the heat to medium low and allow this to simmer for 3 minutes or so for the flavors to work together. Taste for salt.
- While taco beef is cooling down prep all the ingredients. The ingredients like the tomatoes, corn, red onion and crushed chips where measured after they were cut.
- In a small bowl, add sour cream and the juice from two limes. But, zest one lime into the bowl before cutting. Mix well. The dressing isn't special by itself but it brings all the flavors together when added to the salad.
- Toss all the ingredients into a large bowl or salad bowl and give everything an even toss. Serve.