Taco Salad Recipe

5 from 8 votes

Taco Salad is a quick, family-friendly meal with seasoned taco meat, crisp romaine, crunchy chips, and a creamy salsa ranch dressing.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Author: Kristyn Merkley

Ingredients

Taco Salad Dressing

½ cup sour cream
¼ cup Ranch dressing
½ cup salsa
¼ teaspoon chili powder

Meat Mix

1 pound ground beef
⅔ cup water
1 1-ounce package taco seasoning mix

Salad and Toppings

romaine lettuce
tortilla chips
Mexican blend cheese
tomatoes
avocado

Other Topping Ideas

black beans, spanish rice, salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, lime wedges, corn, green onion, cilantro

Instructions

Make Taco Salad Dressing by combining sour cream, dressing, salsa and chili powder in a small bowl. Mix until well combined and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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).
Place taco meat mix on a bed of lettuce and tortillas chips and top with all of your favorite toppings.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.

Chop lettuce into bite sized pieces for easier serving and eating.
Serve the dressing on the side so the salad stays crisp longer.
I like to make taco salad using ground beef, but ground chicken or ground turkey can also be seasoned with taco mix and used in the salad. Use lean ground beef or ground turkey for a lighter option.
Crush tortilla chips slightly for easier bites throughout the salad.
Prep ingredients ahead and store separately in the fridge for quick assembly later.
Some people like to pre-assemble individual plates/bowls of taco salad, but I like to set out all the different elements in a buffet style so each person can build their own dish.
Make a hard taco bowl. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray. 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. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow the tortillas to cool inside the bowls before removing them. They’ll keep in a plastic bag for up to 2 days.

Make ahead of time. 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.

Store. 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 easy taco salad in the microwave and add fresh toppings.

Nutrition