This quick and Easy Taco Salad is a great weeknight dinner recipe! Seasoned beef tossed with crisp lettuce, beans, cheese, and tomatoes and then topped with crunchy tortilla chips. You will love this easy salad.
We are big taco fans, but when we want to switch up our taco Tuesday, we make this easy taco salad! It’s everything you love about tacos, but served up as a salad instead with your favorite taco salad toppings. This is a really quick meal that’s ready in about 30 minutes!
Unlike other salads this one won’t leave you hungry an hour after dinner! It’s hearty and has really fresh flavors and won’t weigh you down. We usually keep the ingredients on hand because it’s really easy to toss together when there’s not much time to cook!
Are you ready to add this ground beef taco salad recipe to your meal plan this week? It’s great for dinner or lunch and has the best flavors. It’s so easy to make you’ll want to make it every week. I hope you enjoy it!
How to Make Taco Salad
- First, cook the beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s no longer pink, add the packet of taco seasoning, corn, and salsa. Stir and cook them together for a few minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the beef cool.
- While the beef is cooling, assemble the salad. Toss the romaine lettuce, scallions, black beans, tomatoes, and avocado together in a large serving bowl.
- Add the cooled beef mixture and toss it all together. Break tortilla chips into small pieces and sprinkle them over the top!
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Storing Taco Salad
- Store the beef mixture in the refrigerator for three to four days. Store the veggies separate until you’re ready to toss and eat.
mel’s expert tips
- Instead of salad dressing we like to add a little more salsa to the salad for serving. But you can add your favorite dressing if you want to – ranch, avocado dressing, or even Catalina-style dressing would work well!
- This is a great recipe for meal prep! Cook the beef mixture ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Keep the veggies separate until you’re ready to eat. When it’s time to eat, just assemble the salad and serve.
Taco Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning 1 ounce
- ¼ cup mild salsa
- 1 large head of Romaine lettuce washed, dried then chopped
- 4 scallions sliced thinly
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 avocado diced
- Tortilla Chips store bought
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Spray large skillet and bring to medium heat. Add beef and cook until pink I gone (6-8 minutes)
- Add taco seasoning, corn and salsa. Stir together and allow the liquid to thicken for 2-4. Minutes. Remove from heat and let cool
- In a large bowl add Romaine lettuce, scallions, beans, tomatoes and avocados. Toss well. Once the beef has cooled add to the salad and toss again. Crunch up Tortilla chips and sprinkle over the top. Note: We don’t use dressing with this salad but like to add some salsa to add taste.
Recipe Notes
- If you like it spicy add a hotter salsa or a little hot sauce
- Try different types of cheese. A sharp cheddar adds a little kick
- I like using different colors of tortilla chips to a little color to the salad
Recipe Nutrition
Variations and Add-Ins
- We generally use lean ground beef, but you can sub ground turkey or ground chicken for your taco meat.
- Add some red onion or sliced bell peppers for some extra veggies and crunch!
- We’ve also made this with pinto beans, kidney beans, and white beans – use what you have on hand!
- If you want to add some heat, use your favorite spicy salsa, hot sauce, or some sliced jalapeño.
- For some added flavor, garnish with cilantro and lime juice!
- Try different kinds of cheese – mild or sharp cheddar cheese. Shredded pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese would be delicious, too.
- Add more color with some blue corn chips or tri-colored tortilla strips.
- The best part of this salad is that you can choose your favorite toppings – add a dollop of sour cream and guacamole!
