I love this taco salad recipe! It’s the less-mess way to enjoy tacos of course. And when you make it yourself with fresh ingredients and lean ground turkey, it’s a much healthier choice than when you order it from a restaurant. Here’s to a quick, easy, and absolutely fantastic lunch or dinner option everyone in your family will ask for again and again!
Best Taco Salad Recipe
This is the best taco salad recipe because it takes all fresh and wholesome ingredients to give you the flavors you love with less guilt. Sure, there’s a time and a place for tacos, but if you want to ensure you get more lettuce and veggies in every bite, taco salad is the way to go!
Healthy Taco Salad Ingredients
- Ground turkey – This makes your taco salad a bit healthier than ground beef.
- Avocado oil – A healthier fat to cook the turkey with.
- Spicy taco seasoning – Use it pre-made or make your own!
- Romaine lettuce – Chop it up!
- Black beans – You’ll need about half a cup.
- Chopped green onions – To give your salad a pungent contrast.
- Chopped red onion – More onion flavor with prettier colors!
- Cherry tomatoes – Cut these babies in half.
- Chopped green pepper – Add more nutrition and flavor to your salad.
- Fresh parsley – The finishing touch.
- Avocado – Slice it up!
- Shredded cheddar – Taco salad without cheese is almost unforgiveable.
- Sour cream – Ditto for sour cream.
- Salsa – Gives you that taco topping flavor throughout the salad.
- Crispy tortilla strips – The final crunchy component to this blissfully-delicious salad!
Inhale tacos, exhale negativity.
Megan
Easy Taco Salad Recipe
This taco salad bowl recipe is so easy that all you have to do is cook the meat and put the ingredients together. It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish so get ready for the perfect healthy weeknight salad meal your whole family will eat!
How do you Make Taco Salad from Scratch
First, you’ll heat the avocado oil in a skillet over high heat and cook the ground turkey until it’s light brown. Add the taco seasoning and cook until the turkey has completely cooked through. While this happens, you can get the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl, then add the turkey to it. Toss everything together and serve. Feel free to add cilantro and jalapeno if you want even more flavor!
Expert Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Taco Salad Bowl Every Time
- You can replace the turkey. If you’d rather have beef or even chicken, go for it. You can also use meatless crumbles if you’d prefer.
- Make it vegan by omitting sour cream and using vegan cheese.
- Use your own spices to make the taco seasoning. This way, you can control the sodium content.
- Taco salad dressing not needed. There are so many good flavors that you do not need a taco salad dressing on traditional taco salad.
- Feel free to add or omit what you like. Love black olives? Throw them in there!
How to Cook Ground Beef for Taco Salad?
Cooking ground beef is the same as cooking ground turkey. You want to cook it until there is no pink left in the meat. Then you’ll add the seasoning and cook for a few more minutes until it’s lightly browned.
How do you dress up a taco salad?
Taco salad is what you make of it. This recipe has everything you need to give your taco salad restaurant-quality flavors with ground turkey seasoned by taco seasoning, crispy lettuce, tender black beans, green onions, red onions, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, avocados, cheese, salsa, and sour cream.
Should taco salad be warm or cold?
Taco salad has both warm and cold components which is what makes it so amazing. You’ll combine the cold items together while your ground meat cooks, then top it off and mix it all together for a wonderful mix of hot and cold ingredients.
What goes well with Taco Salad?
I’ll put out chips and salsa with taco salad as well as black bean soup. Spanish rice or even cilantro lime rice is a great side. And of course, that Mexican street corn either whole or in salad-form, is a perfect option!
How to Store Taco Salad
Taco salad should be covered well and put in the fridge when everyone is done eating.
How Long Does Taco Salad Last?
If you have taco salad leftover, it can keep for up to 5 days in the fridge if your ingredients are separated. If it has any tortilla strips on it, it will be less time as those will get soggy.
Watch How To Make Taco Salad (Video)
Classic Taco Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 tsp avocado oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 tbsp spicy taco seasoning
- 2 cups romaine lettuce (chopped)
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup green onions (chopped)
- 1/2 cup red onion (chopped)
- 1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (halved)
- 1/2 cup green pepper (chopped)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 avocado (sliced)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup salsa
- tortilla chip strips (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the avocado oil on high heat. Add in the ground turkey and break up with your spatula and lightly brown. Add in the taco seasoning and cook until the ground turkey has been cooked through.
- In a large bowl, assemble the remaining salad ingredients together. Toss until thoroughly combined. Garnish with additional toppings such as cilantro and jalapeno slices.
Nutrition
More taco salad recipes:
Classic Recipes
Perfect Recipes
Homemade Recipes
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