This simple and delicious taco salad recipe is ready in less than 20 minutes and is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters!
Here are a few more of our favorite salads – Grilled Chicken Salad, Pear Walnut Salad, and Potato Arugula Salad.
An Easy Dinner Idea
This time of year, I am totally in favor of quick and easy meals! After a long and busy day, I just want to put together a simple meal that I know everyone in my family will enjoy. This taco salad recipe is so flavorful and delicious and it’s ready in less than 20 minutes.
It’s the perfect meal for a busy weeknight, and requires almost no effort on my part! The great thing about this recipe is that everyone can prepare theirs exactly how they want it so everyone’s happy!
Ingredients For Taco Salad
This taco salad recipe is completely adaptable to whatever you have on hand! Don’t have ground beef handy? Use shredded chicken breast or ground turkey instead, or just double up on beans and serve a vegetarian taco salad. Do you have leftover vegetables in the fridge? Throw them in! I kept my toppings pretty simple for this salad, but you can make your salad as extravagant or as simple as you like.
I like to add a variety of textures and make sure I have at least one crunchy element. I love pre-cooked tortilla strips, but crumbled up tortilla chips work great too! I usually serve the taco salad by laying out all of the ingredients on the table and letting each person assemble their salad according to their own tastes. Some of our favorite taco salad toppings include:
- lettuce – I like to use a mixture of Romaine and iceberg
- ground beef – I use ground beef with a higher fat content for more flavor
- tomatoes
- shredded cheese
- avocado
- black beans or pinto beans
- corn
- chopped olives
- sour cream
- salsa
- fresh chopped cilantro
- red onions
- tortilla strips – broken tortilla chips work great and so can Doritos if you want to add a little extra flavor to the salad
How To Make A Taco Salad
Cook The Meat – Start by browning the ground beef in a skillet. Once the meat has been cooked through, add the spices and give it a good mix. Let everything cook for an additional minute or two until the water evaporates.
Build It, They Will Come – Sometimes I like to add a fresh Homemade Tortilla as the base of my taco salad but that’s totally optional. Start by placing a layer of the chopped lettuce in the bowl. Next, layer in the various toppings you love and pile them as high as you’d like.
Dressing – You can certainly use your favorite store-bought dressings (I always have a bottle of ranch in my fridge!). However, I always like to use a homemade dressing for my taco salad. A couple of my favorite homemade dressings to drizzle on top are these Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing and Homemade Ranch Dressing.
My family loves it when I make this taco salad for dinner, and I love that I don’t have to spend all evening cooking! Most of the ingredients can be prepped beforehand (although I would suggest waiting until just before serving to cut up the avocado). This taco salad is the perfect easy meal!
More Easy Taco Ideas
- Baked Tilapia Fish Tacos
- Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Easy Short Cut Navajo Tacos
- Lettuce Wrap Chicken Tacos
- Easy Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
Easy Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium avocado, diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- crispy tortilla strips
- 4 tbsp ranch dressing
Instructions
- To make the salad, add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking the meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through. Add the garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and water to the skillet, and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the water has evaporated.
- To serve the salad, start with a layer of romaine lettuce, then add ground beef, black beans, cheese, tomato, avocado, and crispy tortilla strips.
- Pour the cilantro lime dressing over the top and enjoy!
One of our favorite crazy night meals. So easy, but so good! My kids like theirs with crushed Doritos in place of the tortilla strips.
Thanks Kara!
Really great, easy recipe for taco salad! I found dried tomato powder on Amazon a year or so ago, and I’ve found that adding a tablespoon or two to taco meat can add a new dimension of flavor. I love the way you made lines of ingredients in the bowls. Very visually appealing! 🙂
My oldest son, whenever we have taco night, always assembles his “tacos” into a salad rather than a taco. Not sure why he does this. 🙂 This is the only time he ever eats salad! He loves the way you’ve made this as well.
I’m so glad you guys loved it!
One of our favorite salads to make! Even the kids eat it!
LOL, thanks Ashley!