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    Home » Salads

    Taco Salad

    By Jill Baird · Published June 21, 2023 · Updated August 1, 2023 · Leave a Comment

    how to make the best taco salad recipe with creamy southwest dressing

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    Jump to Recipe

    This Easy Taco Salad recipe is a quick and easy weeknight meal that is super versatile and everyone looks forward to. Add your favorite taco meat, toppings, and crunchy tortilla strips or chips then top with a drizzle of Southwest ranch dressing.

    Jump to:
    • Easy Taco Salad Recipe
    • Taco Salad Ingredients
    • How to Make This Easy Recipe for Taco Salad
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Storing and Reheating
    • Easy Taco Salad Recipe
    • More Tex-Mex Recipes

    Easy Taco Salad Recipe

    The next time taco Tuesday rolls around, give this easy Taco Salad recipe a try. It’s full of seasoned ground beef, sauteed corn, romaine lettuce, shredded cheese, black beans, and veggies then topped with crunchy tortilla strips and creamy Southwest ranch dressing.

    Besides being delicious, one of the best parts of this recipe is that it’s super versatile. You can add in any of your favorite taco toppings, or whatever you happen to have around. Leftover chicken or beef works great, and feel free to substitute tortilla chips for the strips.

    Taco Salad is also the ultimate meal prep recipe. You can easily prepare each topping at the beginning of the week, store separately, and toss together for a quick meal whenever you need it.

    A bowl full of ingredients to make easy Taco Salad including ground beef, sliced avocado, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and shredded cheese. Easy taco salad recipes.

    Taco Salad Ingredients

    • Ground Beef - I prefer to use either 80/20 or 85/15 lean ground beef. You could also replace it with ground turkey, shredded chicken, or skip the meat altogether and make this a vegetarian salad.
    • Taco Seasoning - you can purchase store bought taco seasoning, or make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning.
    • Water - you need just a touch to cook the ground beef in.
    • Olive Oil - you can use a little olive oil or butter to cook the corn.
    • Corn - frozen corn works great, or you can use fresh corn if it’s available.
    • Salt and Pepper
    • Romaine Lettuce - I love romaine for salads, but you can use iceberg lettuce or any kind of greens that you’d like.
    • Shredded Cheese - I like to use shredded cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese.
    • Diced Tomatoes - canned diced tomatoes work great. Or, you can dice fresh tomatoes.
    • Black Beans - make sure to rinse and drain the beans before using. You could substitute pinto beans, chickpeas, or really any kind of beans that you like.
    • Red Onions - you’ll want to chop these into small pieces so that no one gets a huge bite.
    • Avocado - you can dice this into smaller pieces, or add slices to top the salad with.
    • Tortilla Stips - these add great crunch, and complete the “taco” part of the salad. You can also use broken or whole tortilla chips.

    Taco Salad Dressing

    • Ranch Dressing 
    • Salsa - use your favorite kind.

    More Topping for Taco Salad

    • Sliced green onions
    • Sour cream
    • Olives
    • Bell peppers
    • Pico de gallo
    • Guacamole
    • Sliced jalapenos
    Taco Salad Dressing being poured over the ingredients in a bowl. Easy taco salads.

    How to Make This Easy Recipe for Taco Salad

    1. Cook the taco meat. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the ground beef, taco seasoning, and water.  Cook until there is only a little pink left, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon or spatula. Remove from the skillet and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
    2. Saute the corn. Heat a separate pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the frozen (or fresh) corn and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until lightly sauteed and warm. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
    3. Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the chopped lettuce. Layer on the cooked beef, sauteed corn, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, black beans, onions, and avocado.
    4. Make the Taco Salad Dressing. In a small bowl, mix together the ranch dressing and salsa until well combined, then drizzle over the taco salad.
    5. Serve. Top with tortilla strips before serving. Enjoy!
    A bowl full of ingredients to make a salad including ground beef, black beans, corn, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and avocados. Easy Taco Salad Recipe. Beef taco salad.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Should I warm the taco meat for Taco Salad?

    Whether you want to warm the taco meat for the salad or not is completely up to you. I prefer to serve it slightly warm, but it tastes great either way!

    Can I make this salad ahead of time?

    You can certainly prep all of the components ahead of time, however it’s best to store them all separately. You can store them all in the fridge for up to 2 days, then assemble just before you want to serve.

    What should you serve with Taco Salad?

    Since Beef Taco Salad is already a complete meal in itself, you don’t absolutely need to serve anything with it. However, it would taste great with a simple side of fresh fruit or this Easy Homemade Cornbread.

    Storing and Reheating

    • Refrigerator: store components separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not cut the avocado ahead of time, or it will turn brown.
    • To reheat: to reheat the taco meat, you can either microwave or add to a hot skillet.
    how to make the best taco salad recipe with creamy southwest dressing
    Print

    Easy Taco Salad Recipe

    This Easy Taco Salad is a quick and easy weeknight meal that is super versatile and everyone looks forward to. Add your favorite taco meat, toppings, and crunchy tortilla strips or chips then top with a drizzle of Southwest ranch dressing.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, Tex-Mex
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time 20 minutes minutes
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 572kcal
    Author The Carefree Kitchen
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    Ingredients

    Beef Taco Salad Meat

    • 1 lb Ground Beef 80/20 or 85/15 fat content
    • 1½ Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
    • ¼ cup Water

    Sauteed Corn

    • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
    • 1 cup Corn Kernels frozen or fresh
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon Pepper

    Salad

    • 8 cups Romaine Lettuce washed and cut into 1" pieces
    • 1½ cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
    • 1 cup Diced Tomatoes
    • 1 cup Black Beans rinsed and drained
    • ¼ cup Red Onions chopped
    • 1 Avocado diced
    • 2 cups Tortilla Strips or crushed tortilla chips

    Southwest Dressing

    • ¾ cup Ranch Dressing
    • ¾ cup Salsa

    Instructions

    • Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the ground beef, taco seasoning, and water. Cook until there is only a little pink left, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon or spatula.
    • Remove from the skillet and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
    • Heat a separate pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the frozen (or fresh) corn and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until lightly sauteed and warm. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
    • In a large bowl, add the chopped lettuce. Layer on the cooked beef, sauteed corn, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, black beans, onions, and avocado.
    • In a small bowl, mix together the ranch dressing and salsa until well combined, then drizzle over the taco salad.
    • Top with tortilla strips before serving. Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 867mg | Potassium: 752mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6017IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 275mg | Iron: 4mg

    More Tex-Mex Recipes

    • Walking Tacos
    • Crispy Ground Beef Tacos
    • Carne Asada
    • Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Soup
    • Cheesy Bean Dip
    • Chipotle Chicken Burrito
    • Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
    • Homemade Taco Pizza
    • Crispy Bean Burritos
    • Red Chicken Enchiladas
    • Green Chile Taquitos
    • 7 Layer Bean Dip
    • Steak Fajitas
    • Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
    • More Salad Recipes
    • More Tex-Mex Recipes

    If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you. It helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest,  feel free to leave a comment and photo there too.  Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!

    This easy Taco Salad is quick, easy, versatile, and perfect for meal prep. Use your favorite taco toppings along with tortilla strips and our easy Southwest ranch dressing.

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    6 shares