Taco Salad

Quick + easy Taco Salad is packed with flavor and whips up in only 20 minutes! This is a perfectly delish dinner for any night of the week.

We sure love tacos at our house, and this Taco Salad hits the spot! Try Taco Pie, Taco Soup, or Taco Pizza for some more taco-tastic twists.

best taco salad recipe

We’re all about taco Tuesday, or really any Mexican food any day of the week. Turn those beef tacos into something special with this family favorite Taco Salad!

Taco salad ingredients can really be anything that you love. We love fresh avocado, tomato, and green onions. I love that each person can customize their bowl-full and make something really delicious.

For a heartier version, add in some spanish rice or crock pot pinto beans. Feel free to pour on your favorite red or green salsa as well!

how to make taco salad

DRESSING. Make dressing by combining sour cream, dressing, salsa and chili powder in a small bowl. Mix until well combined and refrigerate until ready to serve.

GROUND BEEF. Add ground beef to a large skillet and cook on medium-high heat. Cook the beef until no longer pink and crumbly. Drain grease.

Add water and taco seasoning mix and cook until water is evaporated, making sure to stir occasionally (about 5 minutes).

LAYER. Assemble as one large salad with lettuce on bottom, followed by meat, tomatoes, avocado and cheese. (This can also be assembled in individual bowls or in an assembly line fashion for everyone to dish their own.)

ENJOY! Serve with chips and dressing. Sour Cream, guacamole and salsa also make great additions, especially if not making the dressing.

Taco Toppings + Tips

Toppings: One of the best things about cooking from home is that you can control exactly what you want to include. Salads are particularly easy recipes to change things up: 

• Add in some black beans, diced onion, olives, Spanish Rice
• Mix in corn. Using Grilled Corn on the Cob kernels is particularly delicious. 
• Add extra flavors with cilantro, salt, pepper, or cumin
• Tortilla chips or tortilla strips are classic additions. Doritos or fritos are another great chip to use.
• Add flavor with hot sauce, Pico de Gallo, or Salsa
• Add a dollop of sour cream.
• Garnish with a lime wedge.
• Change up the cheese.

Meat: This recipe uses beef taco meat. You can use any fat content, just be sure that you drain excess grease before you mix in the seasoning.

If you wish, you can switch the beef taco meat out for ground turkey or chicken. Should you wish to make your own seasoning for the meat try out this recipe Homemade Taco Seasoning. 

How to make a hard taco salad bowl?

A really fun variation of this dish is to serve it in a homemade tortilla bowl. You’ll need oven safe bowls or taco molds, tortillas, and cooking spray.

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F
2. Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray
3. Place each tortilla in a separate bowl. The sides of the tortilla will crinkle. Just arrange the crinkles/waves so that they are evenly spaced around the sides of the bowl. 
4. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Allow the tortillas to cool inside the bowls before removing them. They’ll keep in a plastic bag for up to 2 days.

Storing Info

To make ahead: You can easily prepare the different elements the day before and keep them stored in separate containers in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your salads. 

Leftovers: Storing leftover taco salad gets a little tricky because some of the ingredients do not reheat well. Try to remove any produce that will get soggy. Store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat in the microwave and add fresh toppings.  

for some Mexican Sides, check out:

• Mexican Street Corn
• Refried Beans
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Homemade Flour Tortillas
• Simple Guacamole