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This easy classic Taco Salad features fresh, crisp lettuce with a taco seasoned ground beef and all the best taco toppings including cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and onion. Drizzle with a simple homemade dressing that only needs 2 ingredients!
This taco salad is one of my all-time favorite dinner recipes. It’s my go-to recipe when I’m craving an easy dinner that’s healthy and satisfying.
Made with ground beef, all of the best taco toppings, and a simple 2 ingredient dressing, this salad is my version of comfort food!
In this recipe, taco seasoned ground beef is served on top of a bed of greens loaded with juicy tomatoes, cheddar cheese, avocado, tortilla chips and more.
Taco Salad Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground Beef: Use one pound of ground beef or substitute with ground chicken or lean ground turkey as desired. To make this meatless swap the meat with black beans or roasted chick peas.
- Lettuce: You can use any lettuce you would like such as spring mix, green leaf lettuce, iceberg, romaine, or even spinach.
- Salsa: I love using our homemade restaurant style salsa, but you can use your favorite store-bought salsa to save time.
- Taco Seasoning: Use our homemade taco seasoning or you can use a store-bought seasoning.
- Tortilla Chips: Make your own homemade tortilla chips using corn tortillas or your favorite store-bought brand.
- Add more veggies: Looking to add more vegetables? Some ideas include bell pepper, corn, roasted zucchini, pickled onions, or some radishes.
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
How to Make a Taco Salad
Prepare the taco meat by browning the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat while it cooks. Cook until meat is browned and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Add in the taco seasoning blend then stir in the tomato sauce.
While the meat is cooking, prepare the lettuce by washing and chopping it up. This salad spinner is a great option to get clean and dry crisp salad greens!
Prepare all of the other vegetables by chopping the tomatoes, onions, avocado, and cilantro. Finally, grate the cheese.
Assemble the salad by layering the lettuce, ground beef, and veggies in a bowl or on a serving platter.
Make the taco salad dressing by combining equal parts salsa and sour cream.
Serve
This salad can be served two ways. The first is to toss the entire salad with the dressing. Serve it in a large bowl or serving platter. Then garnish with the remaining ingredients and serve it immediately.
Or, you can serve the salad with the dressing on the side. Assemble the salad in a large bowl or serving platter with the dressing in a separate bowl or jar on the side to let people dress their salad as they serve it. This option allows you to save any leftover salad separately from the dressing.
Make Ahead Option
This taco salad recipe is great for meal prep and can be enjoyed for lunches during the week or for easy weeknight dinners.
- Chop up the lettuce and all of the vegetables except for the avocado beforehand. Store in a sealed container.
- Cook up the meat following the instructions. Store in a separate sealed container in the fridge. The meat will keep for 5 days. Simply reheat in a skillet or in the microwave.
Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if left undressed. Dressed salad will keep for 1-2 days.
Freeze
Prepare the taco meat ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container or bag. Thaw the meat in the refrigerator overnight then reheat when ready to prepare the salad.
Taco Salad FAQs
Taco salad is served cold, but the meat is typically warm. This is why the meat is stored separately from the rest of the salad, to allow you to reheat the meat for serving and keeping the rest of the vegetables and lettuce cold.
You can use any dressing you would like on a taco salad. Some ideas include ranch or avocado ranch dressing. You could also make a spicier dressing by adding hot sauce, or blended chipotle peppers to ranch dressing.
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Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 80% preferred
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- 4 cups green leaf lettuce chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese grated
- ¼ cup cilantro diced
- 1 avocado sliced
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup salsa
- tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the taco meat by browning the ground beef over medium heat, breaking up the meat while it cooks. Cook until meat is browned and no longer pink. Drain the excess grease.
- Add in the taco seasoning and stir to combine. Stir in the tomato sauce.
- While the meat is cooking, prepare the veggies and other toppings.
- Assemble the salad by layering the lettuce, taco meat, cheese, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and avocado.
- In a small bowl combine the sour cream and salsa. Use this as the dressing, drizzling over the salad. Serve with tortillas chips as desired.
Video
Notes
- Ground Beef: Use one pound of ground beef or substitute with ground chicken or lean ground turkey as desired. To make this meatless swap the meat with black beans or roasted chick peas.
- Lettuce: You can use any lettuce you would like such as spring mix, green leaf lettuce, iceberg, romaine, or even spinach.
- Salsa: I love using our homemade restaurant style salsa, but you can use your favorite store-bought salsa to save time.
- Taco Seasoning: Use our homemade taco seasoning, or you can use a store-bought seasoning.
- Tortilla Chips: Make your own homemade tortilla chips using corn tortillas or your favorite store-bought brand.
- Add more veggies: Looking to add more vegetables? Some ideas include bell pepper, corn, roasted zucchini, pickled onions, or some radishes.
- Make Ahead: This taco salad recipe is great for meal prep and can be enjoyed for lunches during the week or for easy weeknight dinners. All of the veggies, except for the avocado can be chopped up beforehand. Store in a sealed container. Cook up the meat following the instructions. Store in a separate sealed container in the fridge. The meat will keep for 5 days. Simply reheat in a skillet or in the microwave
- Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if left undressed. Dressed salad will keep for 1-2 days.
- Freeze: The taco meat can be prepared ahead of time and frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container or bag. Thaw the meat in the refrigerator overnight then reheat when ready to prepare the salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe first published August 15, 2019. Updated January 10, 2024 with new images.
Photography by KJandCompany.co
Hi! Great recipe, I plan on making this over the weekend! 🙂 Quick question! The recipe says that it makes 4 servings, but the serving size listed is “1g”. Am I correct to assume that you meant 1 cup?
Yes!! That is a typo. Thank you!