Taco Salad with Ground Beef
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Make taco night delicious and healthy with this easy Taco Salad recipe, made in just 20 minutes! Seasoned ground beef is layered on top of shredded lettuce tossed with a simple 2 ingredient homemade dressing.
Serve it in a bowl, or tortilla shell, and add all your favorite toppings to make the best Taco Salad!
Almost every Tuesday night is taco night at my house. And while I like to switch things up from time to time, this Taco Salad is usually what’s on the menu every Tuesday night! It’s fresh, flavorful and most importantly SO EASY to make in just 20 minutes!
There are so many variations that you can use to make this taco salad your own. I like to saute whatever veggies I have on hand, like peppers, onions and jalapenos, before cooking the ground beef in the skillet. Adding even more veggies to this salad recipe is a win in my book!
While I typically make the salad with ground beef, I’ve also made it a dozen times with ground turkey and it’s delicious with that also! Want even more protein? Toss in some black beans with the ground beef! Want to spice things up? Add hot sauce to the ground beef with the taco seasoning and salsa.
There are probably thousands of different variations that you could make with this classic taco salad recipe. Feel free to take it and make it your own, and comment below with which variations you like to try on Taco Tuesday!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Ground beef – or ground turkey, either ground meat works perfectly fine in this recipe. You can also use a plant-based ground beef substitute like Impossible Beef.
- Taco seasoning – I always recommend my homemade taco seasoning blend. It’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog, for good reason! It’s so flavorful and made with all spices, no fillers! Of course, you can also pick up a packet of taco seasoning at the grocery store. Trader Joe’s is one of my favorites because it has some heat to it and it’s made with only spices.
- Salsa – feel free to use your favorite salsa here. You will use the salsa in the taco meat and to make the homemade dressing, so if you like things on the mild side, be sure to use a mild salsa. If you want to spice things up, feel free to use a hot salsa. You can also use this easy 10 minute homemade salsa recipe to make your own!
- Shredded lettuce – I recommend romaine or iceberg lettuce for a nice crunch. This recipe calls for 8 cups of shredded lettuce, which is approximately 2 heads of romaine lettuce. Use a sharp knife, or salad shooter, to shred the lettuce at home.
- Cheddar cheese – I always recommend grating a block of cheese at home for the best texture. If you want to spice things up, feel free to use pepper jack cheese or a spicy cheddar cheese.
- Cherry tomatoes – grape tomatoes will also work, or a diced whole tomato, just be sure to pick a firm variety without too much juice inside, like a roma tomato. This will ensure that the tomato doesn’t water down the salad.
- Avocado – creamy slices of avocado are the perfect way to finish off this salad, but feel free to leave them off if you can’t find a ripe avocado, or add a scoop of guacamole instead.
- Sour cream – combine this with salsa to make an easy 2 ingredient taco salad dressing. I’ve been making this dressing recipe for years to toss with taco salads. It’s so easy, yet perfectly creamy and flavorful!
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos above to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare the salad dressing. In a small bowl combine salsa and sour cream. Set aside.
- Prepare the taco meat. Add ground beef to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble for 7-8 minutes, or until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any grease from the skillet, then place it back on the stove. Add taco seasoning and salsa to the ground beef and stir to combine. Simmer for 3-4 minutes before serving.
- Toss the dressing with the lettuce. Add the shredded lettuce to a large bowl, pour in the salad dressing and toss, until the lettuce is completely coated in the dressing.
- Prepare the tortilla shell bowls (optional). This salad can be served in regular bowls, or taco shell bowls. To make the taco shell bowls, you’ll want to start with four large (burrito-size) tortillas. Press the tortillas into metal taco shell pans. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the bottom and sides of the tortillas. This will prevent them from puffing up while they bake in the oven. Place in the oven and bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you’d like the tortilla shell.
- Quick tip! If you don’t have the taco shell pans, you can press the tortillas into large (approximately 9 inches in diameter) oven safe bowls. I recommend placing a ramekin in the middle, on top of the tortilla, to help hold it’s shape while it bakes in the oven.
- Assemble the salad. In a traditional bowl, or taco shell bowl, add a layer of the dressed lettuce, then top with the cooked taco meat, shredded cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado. Add any additional toppings of your choice and serve.
Additions and variations
- Additional toppings
- Sliced fresh jalapenos
- Pickled jalapenos
- Diced red onions
- Pickled onions
- Diced green onions
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Guacamole
- Pico De Gallo
- Black olives
- Corn kernels
- Corn Salsa
- Hot sauce
- Sour cream
- Cilantro Lime Sauce
- Poblano Sauce – feel free to mix this with sour cream, instead of using salsa, to make a roasted poblano dressing for the salad. I tried this, and let me tell you, it’s delicious!
- Variations
- Add more veggies! Start by adding 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup diced bell peppers, 1/2 cup diced onions and 1 diced jalapeno to the skillet. Cook for 5-6 minutes, then add the ground beef to the skillet. Finish the recipe according to the original instructions.
- Spice it up! To make the recipe spicier, saute 1 or 2 jalapenos in the skillet before cooking the ground beef. Also, add 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce to the skillet with the taco seasoning and salsa. Finish the salad with fresh sliced jalapeno or serrano peppers on top.
- Boost the protein! Drain and rinse one 15 ounce can of black beans and add it to the ground beef with the taco seasoning and salsa.
- Add a crunch! If you’re not serving the salad in a crispy tortilla shell, add broken tortilla chips, tortilla strips, or crumbled nacho cheese Doritos on top of the salad for a nice crunch!
Diet variations
- To make this recipe vegetarian, use a plant-based ground beef substitute like Impossible Beef. Or use soy chorizo, instead of the ground beef.
- To make this recipe gluten free, serve it in a traditional bowl, instead of a flour tortilla shell. Always make sure that the taco seasoning you’re using is gluten-free.
How to store and reheat
- To store leftover taco meat, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you don’t think you’ll eat all of the salad in one setting, only toss as much of the lettuce in the dressing as you’ll be eating right then. The dressing will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, but if the lettuce has already been tossed in the dressing, unfortunately it won’t last more than an hour, before it becomes wilted.
- To reheat leftover taco meat, place it in the microwave, covered, for 2 minutes. Toss the lettuce with leftover dressing and assemble a new, fresh salad.
More taco recipes
Mix up your Taco Tuesday routine with all of these delicious taco recipes!
- Steak Tacos
- Rolled Chicken Tacos
- Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
- Grilled Shrimp Tacos
- Buffalo Chicken Tacos
- Pulled Pork Tacos
- Taco Soup
Taco Salad
Make taco night delicious and healthy with this easy Taco Salad recipe, made in just 20 minutes! Seasoned ground beef is layered on top of shredded lettuce tossed with a simple 2 ingredient homemade dressing. Serve it in a bowl, or tortilla shell, and add all your favorite toppings to make the best Taco Salad!
Ingredients
Taco Salad
- 1 pound ground beef, or ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, click link for homemade recipe
- ¼ cup salsa
- 8 cups shredded romaine lettuce, approximately 2 heads romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced or diced
Dressing
- ⅓ cup salsa
- ⅓ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Cook and crumble for 7-8 minutes, or until browned.
- Drain any grease from the ground beef, then add the taco seasoning and ¼ cup salsa.
- Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by combining ⅓ cup salsa and ⅓ cup sour cream in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, toss the shredded romaine lettuce with the dressing.
- Divide the dressed lettuce between four bowls.
- Top each bowl with the cooked ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado.
- Add any additional toppings of your choice. Refer to the blog post above for ideas.
Notes
- If you’d like to serve the salads in tortilla shell bowls, follow these instructions. Start with four large (burrito-size) tortillas. Press the tortillas into metal taco shell pans. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the bottom and sides of the tortillas. This will prevent them from puffing up while they bake in the oven. Place in the oven and bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you’d like the tortilla shell.
- Quick tip! If you don’t have the taco shell pans, you can press the tortillas into large (approximately 9 inches in diameter) oven safe bowls. I recommend placing a ramekin in the middle, on top of the tortilla, to help hold it’s shape while it bakes in the oven.
- To make this recipe vegetarian, use a plant-based ground beef substitute like Impossible Beef. Or use soy chorizo, instead of the ground beef.
- To make this recipe gluten free, serve it in a traditional bowl, instead of a flour tortilla shell. Always make sure that the taco seasoning you’re using is gluten-free.
- To store leftover taco meat, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you don’t think you’ll eat all of the salad in one setting, only toss as much of the lettuce in the dressing as you’ll be eating right then. The dressing will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, but if the lettuce has already been tossed in the dressing, unfortunately it won’t last more than an hour, before it becomes wilted.
- To reheat leftover taco meat, place it in the microwave, covered, for 2 minutes. Toss the lettuce with leftover dressing and assemble a new, fresh salad.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 558kcal (28%)Carbohydrates 14g (5%)Protein 30g (60%)Fat 44g (68%)Saturated Fat 17g (85%)Polyunsaturated Fat 2gMonounsaturated Fat 18gTrans Fat 1gCholesterol 120mg (40%)Sodium 631mg (26%)Potassium 1007mg (29%)Fiber 7g (28%)Sugar 5g (6%)Vitamin A 9145mg (183%)Vitamin C 19mg (23%)Calcium 291mg (29%)Iron 4mg (22%)
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