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!
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.