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Author:
Isabel
Published:
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A delicious taco salad made with ground beef, black beans, lettuce, shredded cheese, and the best taco toppings!
Ready in under 30 minutes, this recipe is perfect for lunch or a weeknight dinner. Flavorful ground beef is mixed with the best taco toppings like crisp lettuce, black beans, corn, and so much more!
Why I Love This Recipe
When it comes to meals that I wouldn’t mind eating over and over again, taco salad tops the list. It’s got everything I love – lots of protein from the seasoned ground beef, black beans to keep me full, lots of veggies, shredded cheese in every bite, and my personal favorite ingredient, tortilla chips!
The chips add a delightful crunch and saltiness, which is, frankly, the main reason I keep coming back for more.
Here’s what else I love about it:
- It’s customizable: I love taco salads because you can customize them any way you like. This particular recipe uses ground beef, but you can use your favorite protein, and the toppings are endless! See my variations notes for some ideas.
- Quick and easy: This recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes, which is great for busy weeknights or when you want to toss together something quick and delicious for lunch.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: I used lean ground beef (80/20) for this recipe, but feel free to substitute your favorite protein. Anything from ground turkey, chorizo, shrimp, or tofu works.
- Taco seasoning: I used my homemade taco seasoning, but you can use 1 packet of your favorite store-bought taco seasoning if you want.
- Toppings: A mix of chopped romaine lettuce, black beans, corn, avocados, diced Roma tomatoes, shredded cheddar, red onion, lime juice, chopped cilantro, and tortilla chips.
- Dressing: A dollop of red salsa and sour cream is the perfect Catalina-like dressing, but you could also use something like a cilantro lime dressing or jalapeño ranch.
How to Make Taco Salad
Cook the ground beef. In a medium skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once heated, add ground beef and taco seasoning. Mix to combine and break apart the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned.
Stir in the black beans and half the lime juice. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
Mix. In a large salad bowl, add the lettuce, avocado, corn, tomatoes, shredded cheese, red onion, remaining lime juice, and the ground beef and bean mixture. Lightly toss together to combine.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with tortilla chips, salsa, and sour cream.
Tips
- Make your own dressing by mixing together some chunky red salsa and sour cream. If you want to grab something at the store, Catalina and Thousand Island are great options.
- Add different vegetables. Feel free to substitute or add any of your favorite veggies like bell peppers, olives, or green onion.Even a few pickled jalapeño peppers would be delicious.
- Use a different protein. Swap out ground beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or your favorite plant-based option.
- Don’t forget the crunch. Top with tortilla strips or crush up tortilla chips over your salad to add the best crunchy texture.
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How to Serve Taco Salad
This Tex-Mex taco salad can be served as a meal on its own in a large bowl or in a crunchy tortilla bowl. You could also pair it with some sides for the best dinner experience.
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Queso Blanco
- Pico de Gallo
Large mixing bowl. I like using large mixing bowls for big salads to make servings and storing easier.
Cast iron skillet. This heavy skillet is great for cooking meats and lasts forever.
Cutting board. This board is dishwasher-safe and doesn’t ruin your knives.
Storing and Reheating
Taco salad is best enjoyed fresh. If storing, keep the dressing and crunchy components separate to avoid any sogginess. Reheat the meat separately and assemble everything just before serving.
4.70 from 40 votes
Taco Salad
servings: 6 servings
Print Pin Review Save
Prep: 15 minutes minutes
Cook: 10 minutes minutes
Total: 25 minutes minutes
A delicious taco salad made with ground beef, black beans, lettuce, shredded cheese, and the best taco toppings!
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 ½ tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup diced roma tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack)
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ cup diced red onion
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
- For serving: Tortilla chips, chunky red salsa, and sour cream
Instructions
In a medium skillet add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once heated, add ground beef and taco seasoning. Mix to combine and break apart the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned.
In the same skillet, add black beans and toss to combine. Add half the lime juice and stir to combine. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
In a large salad bowl, add lettuce, avocado, corn, tomatoes, shredded cheese, red onion, and remaining lime juice. Lightly toss together to combine.
Once the beef and black bean mixture reaches room temperature, add it into the salad bowl and mix to combine.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with tortilla chips, salsa, and sour cream.
Notes
- Make your own dressing by mixing together some chunky red salsa and sour cream. If you want to grab something at the store, Catalina and Thousand Island are great options.
- Add different vegetables. Feel free to substitute or add any of your favorite veggies like bell peppers, olives, or green onion. Even a few pickled jalapeño peppers would be delicious.
- Use a different protein. Swap out ground beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or your favorite plant-based option.
- Don’t forget the crunch. Top with tortilla strips or crush up tortilla chips over your salad to add the best crunchy texture.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1/6th of recipe, Calories: 313kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 12g (4%), Protein: 23g (46%), Fat: 20g (31%), Saturated Fat: 6g (30%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 62mg (21%), Sodium: 263mg (11%), Potassium: 842mg (24%), Fiber: 7g (28%), Sugar: 3g (3%), Vitamin A: 4750IU (95%), Vitamin C: 19mg (23%), Calcium: 135mg (14%), Iron: 3mg (17%)
Author: Isabel Orozco-Moore
Category: Mexican
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
Leave a Reply
Michael
I was craving tacos or taco salad, but you really don’t find very many good ones at the restaurants. so looking you popped up. I never really comment, but I liked your ideas. If you don’t have this then use something else. I didn’t want to chop a head of lettuce so I bought a bag of mixed lettuce, cabbage and other stuff that looked good, used some open broth to add to the lean grass feed meat. Taco salad turned out fantastic. Eye balled all the seasoning, which you have them spot on. Served with Avacato
and lime slices. Used your creamy cilantro sauce.
Been writing a cook book for about ten months now, had two other inspirations, the wife a great cook, Gordon Ramsey and now you are the third.
Next time I’m putting the taco salad mix in some warm street taco or warm soft tacos. What ever I have.Reply
Ana @ Isabel Eats
Hi Michael, thank you so much for the compliment! We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Reply
Julia
This really is the best taco salad and is in our regular rotation. It is easily customizable and hits the spot every single time. Delish!Reply
Ashley
Love love love this recipe. I like that the recipe has no dressing. It’s perfect without dressing and just with avocado. We now eat this recipe probably every other week.
Reply
Karen Vieira
what, no dressing?? I mix some mayo (or ranch) with a little italian dressing, some taco sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice. just how my mom made it 😉
Reply
Mike Darrish
The author recommends her cilantro lime dressing and provides the recipe.Reply
Donna A Pollock
I was looking for a great taco salad recipe, then I found your’s. Oh my it is so good. It not only looks so beautiful but tastes delicious too. My son is trying to diet after Covid-19 we all gained a little weight, but now it’s time to get serious. He loves to eat, so I was looking for something that would fill him up as well as satisfy any craving he might want.
This salad hit the mark on that. He eats this salad 2 times a week and would eat it more if I would fix it for him. I happy he is getting lots of protin, fiber, and good vegetables all in one. I sometimes make it with chicken just to mix it up. Thank you for sharing your recipe.Reply
I love taco salad but haven’t had one or made one in years, so don’t remember all of the ingredients, this recipe looks like it fits my memory very well, thank you!Reply
doug murray
We found this recipe was just what a hot night in SouthEastern Ontario was meant for.We did add a tbsp. of salsa but stayed true to the rest of the recipe and thoroughly enjoyed it. After making this I was surprised by the so so ratings from other tasters but we will be having it againReply
Flo
Current recipe Called for Catalina dressing but didn’t like the flavor. I also like the taco seasoning as I can control the salt. Took ur advice and just made what the 2 of us needed. Meat was great for tacos, chalupas . . .Reply
Aailyah Alce
wow that is best taco i use this recipe for my job everyone love it thank mmmm good job
Reply
Gary Franks
Can’t wait to try this recipe. If I was to use your taco seasoning, how much should I use?
Reply
Isabel
Thanks, Gary! I would use 2 tablespoons of my homemade taco seasoning. I hope you love it!
Reply
Jeff
All your recipes look so yummy. Thank you for the great fruit flavoured Kombucha recipe. It’s awesomeReply
Isabel
Thank you!
Reply
I love this salads! Such a great childhood memory for me. This looks delish!And your site…this is the first time I’m seeing it on my big 27″ iMac and omg it’s so beautiful 🙂
Reply
Isabel
Haha, aw thank you so much! It’s one of my childhood favorites, too!
Reply
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