Taco salad is a quick, and healthy salad recipe perfect for summer! It’s loaded with crisp vegetables, seasoned ground beef, and taco classics such as homemade salsa, cilantro and avocado. Enjoy classic Mexican flavors in a lighter, veggie-heavy meal.
While you all know I love my tacos, you also know I love my greens. That’s why this taco salad recipe can’t be beat, it’s truly the best of both worlds.
All you need to do is add classic taco ingredients onto a bed of chopped lettuce – that’s it! Just make sure to prep everything ahead of time so it makes the assembly quick and easy.
Protein options can include shrimp, pulled pork, carnitas and carne asada. But today, we’re keeping it simple using ingredients from a classic ground beef taco. Below I’ve listed out the essentials, as well as ways to make this a smidge more fancy.
START WITH A GREEN BASE
Since you’ll be adding a heap of toppings, a sturdy and crunchy base is ideal. Romaine or iceberg lettuce are my go-to’s. But other hearty greens such as radicchio or green leaf lettuce work as well.
THEN COMES THE MEAT
A pound of ground beef tossed in my homemade taco seasoning results in that spiced flavor we all love. If you want something a bit lighter, ground chicken or turkey is just as good.
FINISH WITH FRESH TOPPINGS
It’s not a taco salad without tomatoes, black beans, avocado, homemade salsa, and shredded cheese. While those are the classics, feel free to improvise here.
Top your salad with corn, radishes, jalapeños, bell peppers or crumbled tortilla chips. And to add a bit of creaminess, dollop sour cream (vegan cashew sour cream) or drizzle lime crema.
