This easy Mexican taco salad recipe is ready in only 20 minutes and is loaded with ground beef and all of your favorite taco toppings! It's a healthy dinner or meal prep idea that you'll crave making again and again.
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Dietary note: this recipe is naturally gluten-free and paleo. It can be made dairy-free by leaving out the cheese. It's also Whole30 compliant as long as you use a taco seasoning that contains only herbs & spices. See the full recipe for more details.
Taco Salad Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 6 cups romaine lettuce
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
- 1 (15 ounce) can corn
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- ½ red onion
How to Make Taco Salad
Step 1: Cook the Beef
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook and crumble the beef, 5 - 7 minutes, until cooked through. Drain excess grease.
Step 2: Add Taco Seasoning
Add the taco seasoning and the recommended amount of water called for on the packet (most say ⅓ cup). Continue cooking until all of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat.
Step 3: Assemble the Salad
Add a layer of romaine lettuce and then top with remaining ingredients: beans, corn, avocado, cheese, red onion, and avocado. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Step 4: Serve
Serve with lime wedges. Optionally, toss with a cilantro lime vinaigrette (store bought or homemade).
Storage
In the fridge: store leftover taco salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days. To help keep the ingredients fresh, store the avocado and dressing separately until you're ready to eat.
For meal prep: assemble the salad except for adding the avocado and the dressing (store this separately in small containers). Add the avocado and dressing just before eating.
Ingredient Notes:
- Cheese: swap out cheddar cheese for a Mexican blend or your favorite alternative.
- Beef: ground beef or turkey are both tasty in this recipe.
- Sour cream: drizzle sour cream over your salad for some added creaminess.
- Salsa: salsa is a tasty addition to this recipe! Add a spoonful on top before serving.
- Chips: serve your salad with a side of chips or crumble them on top for some added crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is up to you! You can serve it with the beef while it's still warm or chill the salad so that it's cold.
To meal prep this salad, toss together all of the ingredients except for the avocado and dressing. Store the salad in serving-size containers or jars. I like to also store the dressing and avocado in serving-size small containers.
Assemble the salad just before eating. To help keep your avocado fresh, squeeze some fresh lime juice on it before storing.
Taco salad shells are a fun & tasty way to serve this recipe! You can make a taco shell by baking a tortilla for about 10 minutes in a taco shell maker.
Similar Recipes
For more healthy and easy Mexican-inspired dinners, check out these favorites:
Recipe
Taco Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy Mexican taco salad recipe is ready in only 20 minutes and is loaded with ground beef and all of your favorite taco toppings! It's a healthy dinner or meal prep idea that you'll crave making again and again.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 6 cups romaine lettuce (about 1 head)
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, finely diced
Optional, for serving:
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- 1 ½ cups cilantro lime salad dressing
Instructions
- Cook the beef: heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook and crumble the beef, 5 - 7 minutes, until cooked through. Drain excess grease.
- Add taco seasoning: add the taco seasoning and the recommended amount of water called for on the packet (most say ⅓ cup). Continue cooking until all of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat.
- Assemble the salad: add a layer of romaine lettuce and then top with remaining ingredients: beans, corn, avocado, cheese, red onion, and avocado. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
- Serve: serve warm or cold with lime wedges on the side. Optionally, toss with a cilantro lime vinaigrette (store bought or homemade).
Notes
Dietary Notes:
- Gluten free: this recipe is naturally gluten free.
- Keto: to make this recipe keto, leave out the beans and use corn sparingly.
- Paleo: this recipe is paleo.
- Whole30: this recipe is Whole30 compliant, as long as you buy (or make your own) taco seasoning that doesn't contain any extra ingredients other than herbs/spices.
Taco seasoning: you can also use homemade taco seasoning. Use 2 tablespoons.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
Nutrition
- Calories: 614
- Sugar: 12.1g
- Sodium: 794mg
- Fat: 26.9g
- Saturated Fat: 10.4g
- Carbohydrates: 44.2g
- Fiber: 11.6g
- Protein: 50.5g
- Cholesterol: 131mg
Keywords: taco salad, taco bowl, mexican, ground beef, meal prep
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