Epic Taco Salad Recipe

Our favourite taco salad recipe is a straightforward weeknight meal with recent lettuce, tortilla chips, seasoned floor beef, cheese, and a creamy cilantro lime dressing. It’s SO good!

We love tacos of every kind (see all of our taco recipes as proof), however we REALLY love taco salad. It’s quick, recent, and tremendous simple! You’ve received completely seasoned floor beef made with our do-it-yourself taco combine, crisp recent lettuce, and all the most effective taco toppings. I’m at all times pleased when this taco salad is for dinner!

You will have quite a lot of play with in the case of making this taco salad recipe, however I’ll stroll you thru my course of since that is genuinely certainly one of my favourite salads! It’s wholesome, however doesn’t really feel that method, so it looks like a splurge. For extra taco-inspired recipes, see this comforting and tremendous simple taco soup!

Key Elements

• Taco Meat: I’ve used lean floor beef (80/10) for my salad within the pictures, however you’ll be able to substitute floor turkey, floor pork, or floor rooster with none adjustments. As a substitute of utilizing a store-bought seasoning, we make our personal with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt. After we cook dinner the meat, we additionally add a few tablespoons of tomato paste, which helps make the meat additional tasty. You can too swap our seasoning beneath for our do-it-yourself taco seasoning, which is equally as scrumptious.
• Lettuce: You need crisp, crunchy lettuce for this salad, so Iceberg or Romaine is ideal.
• All of the Toppings: So that is the place you get to have enjoyable. Consider your favourite taco toppings, after which add them to this salad. I really like pico de gallo, avocado or guacamole, and shredded cheese, however add your favourite toppings as you see match!
• Taco Salad Dressing: My favourite dressing for that is our creamy cilantro lime dressing. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to substitute your favourite store-bought dressing or go along with one other do-it-yourself dressing like this simple ranch dressing.
• Tortilla Chips: So these are non-obligatory and take away somewhat bit from the wholesome angle, however I do love them! Make do-it-yourself tortilla chips or use some out of your favourite store-bought bag, and add them to the highest proper earlier than digging in. They add that corn tortilla taste and plenty of crunch. Some individuals desire Fritos, however to be sincere, I like to stay with common chips. I’m such a fan!

Discover the complete recipe with measurements beneath.

Ideas for Making the Greatest Taco Salad

Tip 1: Season the bottom meat closely. I’m additional beneficiant with the salt and seasonings for my taco meat. It might style barely too seasoned by itself, however while you scatter it everywhere in the salad, it really works! When you like spicy tacos, add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper to the spice mix.

Tip 2: Add a number of textures. My favourite half about this salad is the number of textures. We wish to maintain the prep to a minimal since that is very seemingly one thing you’re making on a weeknight, however that doesn’t imply we will’t pack in a number of goodies. Avocado is creamy, tomato or pico de gallo is recent, and the chips add some crunch. Take into consideration different fridge staples like bitter cream, salsa, guacamole, or pickled pink onions. They may all work nicely on this salad.

Tip 3: Make the taco meat forward of time. You may cook dinner the bottom beef with the spices, then maintain it in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. This manner, it’s prepared for you if you end up craving this taco salad. The dressing is nice for making forward, too!