Beef taco salad is a simple and delicious meal loaded with your favourite taco fillings. It's a creative take on classic beef tacos packed with all the veggies, and topped with fresh cilantro, cheddar cheese, and a creamy lime dressing. And instead of wrapping your tacos in a tortilla, you'll garnish this beef taco salad with crushed tortilla chips. The best part? This filling meal comes together in under 20 minutes. Trust me guys, this a taco bowl you'll never forget.
Why You'll Love Beef Taco Salad
- Family-friendly, no mess tacos. Tacos are delicious, but they can also be messy. If you don't want to have to wash your hands (or your kid's hands) after a meal, beef taco salad is the perfect alternative to Ground Beef Tacos.
- Great for picky eaters. Who doesn't love tacos? If you're dealing with picky eaters or serving a group, you can create a build your own taco salad bar for people to enjoy. No onions? Extra avocado? Everyone can have what they want with beef taco salad!
- Salad has never tasted so good! With beef taco salad, you get all the benefits of having a salad (including the feel-good emotions of making a healthy decision) and all the flavor of beef tacos! Whether you're a salad-lover or salad-averse, this beef taco salad is a winner.
Ingredients
To make this delicious and easy ground beef taco salad, you will need the following ingredients:
- vegetable oil
- ground beef
- taco seasoning - made with cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, dried coriander (or dried oregano), salt and pepper.
- tomato paste
- beef broth or water
- romaine lettuce
- grape tomatoes
- red onions
- avocado
- corn - you can use canned corn or frozen corn (boiled in water for 5 minutes).
- cheddar cheese - you can also use a Mexican blend (Tex-Mex) of cheese, or any cheese that shreds easily such as Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella.
- fresh cilantro
- tortilla chips - I used plain unsalted tortilla chips. You can also use seasoned tortilla chips such as Doritos, or tortilla strips.
- lime dressing - a combination of Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and lime juice. You can also serve this with a creamy cilantro lime dressing.
This beef taco salad is completely customizable, and you can substitute with any of your favorite taco fixings such as pico de gallo salsa, black beans, jalapeños, queso, or hot sauce, and more.
How to Make the Best Beef Taco Salad
- Cook the beef. Heat oil in a large skillet for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Add ground beef and stir well to cook evenly until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Make sure to break up beef into small pieces to help even browning.
- Add seasoning. Add cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, tomato paste and beef broth. Reduce heat to medium and let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and set aside while you assemble the salad.
- Assemble salad. In a large serving bowl, add all salad ingredients including lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, corn, cheese, cilantro, and tortilla chips (or tortilla strips).
- Add dressing. In a small bowl, whisk to combine the Greek yogurt and lime juice. The dressing will be a little thick. You can add extra lime juice to taste or to thin it out. Dollop a spoonful of dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Storing Instructions
- Make ahead instructions: If you're not going to eat all your beef taco salad in one go, or if making this ahead of time, refrain from combining all the ingredients to avoid wilted lettuce and soggy tortilla chips. Instead, store ingredients separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days, and build your salad when you're ready to eat it.
- How to store and reheat ground beef: Allow beef to cool to room temperature. Then transfer it into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, heat on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through. Alternatively, you can reheat in the microwave in 15-30-second increments until hot, stirring occasionally.
More Mexican-inspired Recipes
- Sheet Pan Nachos
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Fish Tacos with Lime Crema
- Easy Guacamole
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Mexican Chicken Caesar Salad
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Recipe
Beef Taco Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
Description
Beef taco salad is a simple, filling, and delicious meal loaded with your favorite taco fillings, and a creamy lime dressing. Make it in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
For the beef:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried coriander (or dried oregano)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup beef broth or water
For the salad:
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped (about 6-7 cups)
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- 1 medium ripe avocado, diced
- 1 cup cooked corn (canned or cooked from frozen)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or Tex-Mex blend)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
- 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed (or tortilla strips)
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 2-3 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Add ground beef and stir well to cook evenly until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Make sure to break up beef into small pieces to help even browning.
- Add cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, tomato paste and beef broth. Reduce heat to medium and let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and set aside while you assemble the salad.
- In a large serving bowl, add all salad ingredients including lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, corn, cheese, cilantro, and tortilla chips (or tortilla strips).
- In a small bowl, whisk to combine the Greek yogurt and lime juice. The dressing will be a little thick. You can add extra lime juice to taste or to thin it out.
- Dollop a spoonful of dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Notes
How to customize: This beef taco salad is completely customizable, and you can substitute with any of your favorite taco fixings such as pico de gallo salsa, black beans, jalapeños, queso, or hot sauce, and more.
Make ahead instructions: If you're not going to eat all your beef taco salad in one go, or if making this ahead of time, refrain from combining all the ingredients to avoid wilted lettuce and soggy tortilla chips. Instead, store ingredients separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days, and build your salad when you're ready to eat it.
How to store and reheat ground beef: Allow beef to cool to room temperature. Then transfer it into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, heat on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through. Alternatively, you can reheat in the microwave in 15-30-second increments until hot, stirring occasionally.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Jenn says
One of my family's favorite dinners for crazy weeknights! Thanks for the recipe!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank YOU! So happy you like the recipe.
Claudia Lamascolo says
That is the yummiest salad I ever ate and I cant wait to visit the rest of your collection. Fantastic ! Will eat this often!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Wow thank you so much Claudia!