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I Make This Taco Salad Recipe Almost Every Week
At my house, busy days often mean easy, one-pan dinners that I can assemble in a flash. Like this taco salad! It’s packed with protein and fresh veggies, and checks all the boxes for a quick, healthy meal all by itself. Here’s why:
- All the right flavors and textures – Perfectly seasoned taco meat, sweet tomatoes, crisp lettuce, creamy avocado, cheddar cheese… there’s so much to love about this ground beef salad. There’s a reason it’s my most popular salad recipe!
- Fresh, simple ingredients – You can find them at any grocery store and feel good about eating them. Unlike many taco salad recipes, mine is gluten-free without any chips. Not to mention, what I use for the dressing is the easiest ever.
- Totally customizable – Use whatever you have on hand, or swap ingredients based on what you like. I have ideas for you below!
- Quick and easy one-bowl dinner – Possibly the best part of this salad is that the whole thing is on the table in 20 minutes. The only cooking involved is browning the beef on the stove, and there’s no fussy assembly of each taco.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made this taco salad, because it’s my go-to every time I don’t know what we’re having. Make it with me next time you’re in the same boat!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best taco salad ingredients, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Ground Beef – I prefer 85/15 for a ground beef taco salad, but feel free to substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or shredded chicken. I’ve also made this recipe before using barbacoa or chorizo for the meat — just omit the taco seasoning.
- Avocado Oil – Just a bit for browning the beef. Olive oil works, too.
- Taco Seasoning – I make homemade taco seasoning and use 2 tablespoons per pound of meat. (It takes just 5 minutes to make with chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.) A store bought packet of taco seasoning works just fine, though. I like this store bought seasoning that doesn’t have processed fillers, but it’s also missing salt — you’ll need to add a teaspoon of salt if your seasoning is unsalted.
- Romaine Lettuce – Feel free to swap in any greens you like, whether it’s simply iceberg lettuce or something a little different, like kale, arugula, or spinach.
- Veggies – I make this healthy taco salad with grape tomatoes (or sometimes cherry tomatoes), green onions, and avocado. Feel free to use larger chopped tomatoes, red or white onions, or even guacamole if you want to get fancy. Sometimes I toss in some fresh cilantro leaves or chopped bell peppers, too.
- Shredded Cheese – I usually use either cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend. Pepper jack is great if you like a kick. Just omit for a dairy-free option.
- Salsa – I like this pre-made one, which has medium heat and clean ingredients! Choosing different kinds is an easy way to get creative. You can totally make your own, too — try my simple fresh tomato salsa, salsa verde, or creamy blended avocado salsa.
- Sour Cream – I use salsa and sour cream in lieu of a dressing here, which works out surprisingly well. Why spend time creating a complicated taco salad dressing? When you mix it all up, it tastes like there’s dressing in there. If you need a dairy free option, swap the sour cream with thick coconut cream, a splash of lime juice, and a pinch of salt… or you can use the jalapeno lime dressing from my other Mexican salad.
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How To Make Taco Salad
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Brown the beef. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
- Add the taco seasoning. Stir the seasoning into the ground beef, until combined. For juicier meat, you can also add 1/4 cup of water to the meat mixture and let it simmer.
- Assemble your taco salad. Place the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, avocado, onions, salsa, and sour cream into a large bowl. When the taco meat is done, add it to the bowl. Toss together and enjoy!
My Recipe Tips
- Drain the beef if needed. I don’t usually need to if using 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef, but you’ll probably want to if you use 80/20.
- Let the beef brown enough. Obviously you want it cooked through, but I think it tastes even better when it darkens more and gets a few crispy edges. They’re so good! You’ll need the heat at medium high to achieve this, and a heavy bottom skillet.
- Customize it to your liking. Ultimately, what goes in a taco salad is very much up to you. Feel free to throw in any other veggies you have on hand, or omit anything you don’t like. That’s one of the great things about simple salads — you don’t have to be that precise!
- Want some crunch? Crumble some baked tortilla chips (or my low carb tortilla chips) over the salad.
- Want to make it more hearty? To make this taco salad recipe more filling, add canned black beans, sweet corn, or black olives. You can also swap the greens for rice or cauliflower rice, which is a lot like my taco bowl.
- Want extra heat? Drizzle your salad with hot sauce, or add extra jalapeños to your salsa.
- Try a taco salad bar! Serve all the components in separate bowls and let everyone assemble theirs in their own salad bowls. It’s a great way to scale this recipe up for a crowd, or to please everyone if your family is picky.
- Meal prep these in mason jars. See my mason jar salad for instructions. I’ve scaled it down per jar for convenience!
Taco Salad (Healthy, Easy Recipe)
By
Toss together my taco salad recipe in just 20 minutes, using common ingredients you probably have! It's easy, healthy, and family friendly.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Stir taco seasoning into the ground beef until well combined. If you like, you can also add 1/4 cup of water when adding the seasoning and let it simmer a bit.
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Meanwhile, combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the ground beef. Toss everything together.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/6 of entire recipe
- Tips: See my recipe tips above to help you get nice flavor and texture in your taco meat, ways to customize this taco salad, and how to serve it for a crowd.
- Store: Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. If you can, store without the sour cream, salsa, and avocado, as these are best added fresh. I also prefer to store the beef separately, so that I can reheat it later.
- Reheat: Warm up the taco meat in a hot skillet or in the microwave before adding to the salad.
- Meal prep: Brown the meat with taco seasoning and chop all your taco salad ingredients (except avocado). I recommend storing them in separate meal prep containers. Right before serving, heat the meat and add to the salad. Top with sour cream, salsa, and freshly cut avocado, and toss together. Alternatively, you can meal prep this taco salad recipe as a mason jar salad.
- Note on nutrition info: It’s based on 85/15 ground beef and typical tomato salsa. It will vary if your beef is leaner or higher fat, or with different brands of salsa.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Taco Salad Recipe
More Healthy Mexican Recipes
I love this taco salad for Mexican night at my house! (I’m sure some of you do Taco Tuesday, but my planning is so random that it doesn’t always land on a Tuesday, lol.) We rotate this salad with these other dishes, or sometimes even serve them together:
- Dips – Try my layered taco dip, creamy Crock Pot queso, or fish ceviche. I usually set out a bowl of tortilla chips for people, but my fave is actually hollowed-out fresh mini bell peppers — they are perfect for scooping dips!
- Fajitas – Choose from my shrimp fajitas (the fastest), chicken fajitas (my personal favorite), or steak sheet pan fajitas (for a hands-off option).
- Stuffed Veggies – Like my taco stuffed peppers or stuffed poblano peppers.
- Soups – For a soup and salad combo when I have a little more time to prep, I like serving this salad with chili verde (inspired by one I had in Mexico) or Mexican chicken soup.
While it’s fun to experiment, this easy taco salad recipe is definitely the simplest — and it’s still packed with all my fave Mexican flavors — so I make this one most of all. Don’t forget the skinny margaritas!
348 Comments
Diana
0That’s a wonderful idea to just throw together a taco salad. I looove tacos!
Sabrina
0I love this option during the summer. Such a great twist to keeping it healthy while getting my taco fix.
Andrea Metlika
0This was easy and delicious, my favorite things.
Eric
0I will be making this tonight. Just one suggestion for those of you wishing a bit of crunch with tortillas. Why not make some cheddar crisps on the stove, in the oven or microwave. Personally I nuke small rounds of cheddar in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes on some parchment paper. These are a nice snack all by themselves too. Nice added crunch.
Amy
0This is so fresh and tasty!
Pam
0So simple, but so good. Perfect for a summer supper.
Shana
0I just started on the Keto Diet and this was so yummy!! 🙂 I never thought I would be eating tomatoes and avocados, but here I am. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Pat
0You don’t list how much sodium per serving. Is that because it’s VERY high?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Pat, I only have the macronutrient information available for my recipes, and provide it as a courtesy. This is across the entire site, not because it’s very high. You are welcome to enter the ingredients you use into an online calculator if you need other information.
Andrea Zurbrick
0I LOVE this recipe. I make it all of the time. I use Classic Taco Skillet Sauce Starter from La Tortilla Factory, Gluten-Free. (Found at Walmart Neighborhood Market) For 1/2 tbsp, the sauce is 35 cal, 1 g of carbs, 3.5 g fat, and 0.5 g of protein, 0 fiber. I also add a dill pickle for a little extra punch. DELICIOUS!
Andrea
0And, my other go-to for this salad instead of the salsa is Marie’s Creamy Avocado Poblano salad dressing.
2 Tbsp = 80 cal, 8 g of fat, 1 g of carb, 0g protein.
Jo
0One of my go-to recipes. I use my own taco seasoning – which is super simple to make in bulk and keep on hand.
Tara
0I LOVE a good taco salad! We used to add Fritos to them when I was little — of course, that would destroy the low carb factor, LOL…
Tayler Ross
0You had me at taco! This is totally my kind of salad!
Diane Smith
0The taste was great, but the texture was gummy.
What is missing here is the water mixed with the taco seasoning mix (pkg. instructions), which would make a nice creamy sauce without adding any carbs or calories.
Tina
0Where do you buy low carb tortillas and what is the brand, never seen any at any of our stores?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tina, You can make them like this.
Rhonda
0Made this today for the 1st time and it’s a keeper!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Rhonda! Have a great day!
Riya Panday
0I really need to try this! It looks wonderful!
Tamika
0Hello I am going to try the Keto diet. I am afraid because I don’t eat avocados or tomatoes. Can I substitute with something? Or add more salsa or butter? This recipe looks great and I will make this weekend. Thank you for explaining everything about the Keto diet. It helped me alot! The macro part still has me nervous I don’t want to gain!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You can easily leave the avocado and tomato out of this recipes, Tamika! Thanks for stopping by!
Donna M Shelton
0Yum, Yum! I added a little cilantro to our Pace Salsa and a little to the meat when cooking. I down loaded the recipe for the Taco seasoning, but when I looked at my Chili powder it had all the ingredients except salt and onion powder so it was 0 carbs. I highly recommend this salad.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the taco salad, Donna!
Susan Eddy
0Do you have Sodium and Sat Fat nutritionals on this recipe. I would like to try it for my school lunch program.
Love the presentation… I may borrow that idea! 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susan, The only info I have off hand is on the recipe card. If you need other information, the best way to find out is to enter the ingredients into an online calculator.
RC
0Absolutely LOVED THIS!! Made it last night after a day at work and then working out- great simple yet healthy and exciting meal! LOVED IT! Sent the recipe to many friends/family.