Taco Salad

20 minutes

Taco Salad is one of our all time FAVORITE dinner recipes. It has all the flavors of tacos… in a light, fresh, delicious salad. It’s easy to make, and so satisfying you won’t even miss the shell. If you love tacos, this recipe is for you!

Tacos!! They’re one of those things everyone LOVES… and for good reason. They’re easy to make, packed with flavor, and so much fun to eat. And best of all, the possibilities for them are endless!

This Taco Salad has all the flavors of traditional tacos, including taco meat, tomatoes, black beans, corn, avocado, shredded cheese, and sour cream. The only thing that’s missing is the shell! It’s a meal we make often, and one that my family devours every single time.

I love it because it’s a quick and easy recipe for busy nights, and my family loves it because they can pick and choose which toppings to take. And it’s so easy to switch things up from time to time based on what we have in the fridge!

Lighten up your next Taco Tuesday with this delicious Taco Salad. It’s a guaranteed win… and a great way to get your family eating more salad!

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🥬 Ingredients

For this recipe, I chose to include all the “classic” taco ingredients. Of course, you can pick and choose which ones to add to your salad based on your own individual tastes. Wondering what to do with the rest of the canned beans and corn? Check out my “related recipes” section below for more recipes you can make using the same ingredients!

• 8 oz. romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 1 package taco seasoning (or homemade taco seasoning)
• 3/4 c. tomatoes, chopped
• 3/4 c. shredded cheese
• 1/2 c. black beans
• 1/2 c. corn, charred
• 1/2 avocado, chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. diced red onion
• 1 Tbsp. minced cilantro
• tortilla chips
• sour cream
• 1 lime

📋 Instructions

1. Brown meat; add seasoning and water and prepare according to instructions.
2. Assemble salad ingredients in a large serving bowl.
3. Top with minced cilantro and sour cream.
4. Squeeze lime juice over the top of the salad.
5. Serve with additional sour cream or salad dressing of your choice.

🥑 Recipe variations

As we all know, the possibilities for tacos are endless… and the same goes for Taco Salad. These are some fun ways to switch up the recipe, and you can also feel free to use any of your own favorite toppings. That’s the beautiful thing about salad… there’s no “right” way to make it!

• Top with homemade Pico de Gallo or Guacamole
• Add sliced black olives
• Top with Bell Pepper Salsa
• Add sauteed bell peppers
• Substitute pinto beans for black beans
• Substitute or add queso fresco
• Add chopped, cooked bacon
• Substitute shredded chicken or beef for the ground turkey
• Substitute shrimp
• Add crushed tortilla chips on top

🍹 Drink pairings

Every good Taco Salad needs a delicious drink to go with it… am I right? These are some of our favorite Mexican-inspired cocktails you might enjoy:

• Pineapple Margaritas
• Orange Margaritas
• Mango Margaritas
• Grapefruit Margaritas
• Lemon Margaritas
• Palomas
• Pineapple Palomas
• Grapefruit Mojitos

🍹 Drink pairings

Every good Taco Salad needs a delicious drink to go with it… am I right? These are some of our favorite Mexican-inspired cocktails you might enjoy:

• Pineapple Margaritas
• Orange Margaritas
• Mango Margaritas
• Grapefruit Margaritas
• Lemon Margaritas
• Palomas
• Pineapple Palomas
• Grapefruit Mojitos

🌮 Related recipes

Opened up a can of black beans and corn… and now you’re wondering what to do with the rest of it? These are some of our favorite recipes that will help you use them up!

• Taco Soup
• Taco Skillet
• French Bread Tacos
• Taco Pot Pie
• Quinoa Taco Bowls
• Chicken Fajita Salad
• Shrimp Fajita Quinoa Bowls
• Chicken Tortilla Soup

Taco Salad

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Taco Salad is one of our all time FAVORITE dinner recipes. It has all the flavors of tacos... in a light, fresh, delicious salad. It's easy to make, and so satisfying you won't even miss the shell. If you love tacos, this recipe is for you!

Print

Ingredients

• 8 oz. lettuce
• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 1 package taco seasoning (or homemade taco seasoning)
• 3/4 c. tomatoes
• 3/4 c. shredded cheese
• 1/2 c. black beans
• 1/2 c. corn
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. diced red onion
• 1 Tbsp. minced cilantro
• tortilla chips
• sour cream
• 1 lime

Instructions

1. Brown meat; add seasoning and water and prepare according to instructions.
2. Assemble salad ingredients in a large serving bowl.
3. Top with minced cilantro and sour cream.
4. Squeeze lime juice over the top of the salad.
5. Serve with additional sour cream or salad dressing of your choice.

Notes

If you're looking for more ideas, here are some favorite variations:

• Top with homemade Pico de Gallo or Guacamole
• Add sliced black olives
• Substitute pinto beans for black beans
• Substitute or add queso fresco
• Substitute shredded chicken for the ground turkey
• Add crushed tortilla chips on top

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 384Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 257mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 32g