This easy Tex-Mex taco salad is filled with crisp lettuce, flavorful ground beef, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, and so much more. You don’t want to miss this!
This taco salad recipe comes from my Tex-Mex restaurant days. While the ingredients are simple, there is a bit of a formula to it (I promise, there’s no real math involved!). It’s all about how the ingredients come together and the way you layer the salad — it’s so good.
I love having ground beef on hand and quickly tossing it with fresh veggies to make this taco salad recipe. All tacos are yummy, but not all tacos have lettuce, so this is one way I can get exactly what I want from both worlds! So, what’s in taco salad? Honestly, it can be anything you want, so go ahead and customize it. I approve!
Taco Salad Video
How to Make Taco Salad
Taco salad is crazy easy to make. The hardest part (and it’s not even hard!) is the prep. Chop/shred the ingredients first to make the process go as quickly and smoothly as possible.
- Cook the beef: In a medium sized skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until it reaches 160°F, as measured by a meat thermometer. Just before it’s done, add in the taco seasoning and mix. Cover with a lid and set aside.
- Place the lettuce on the bottom: To begin assembling the salad, place the lettuce on the bottom of a bowl.
- Assemble the salad: Assemble the rest of the taco salad ingredients by adding the beef, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. Top with salsa, sour cream, and a cilantro garnish.
Hot tip: My homemade taco seasoning has all the important taco spices: salt, chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and more! Give it a try – you’ll love it!
Taco Salad Recipe Variations
Change up the basic taco salad by adding a variety of other flavors and textures to your bowl. Every bite is guaranteed to be delicious.
- Add a crunch: Add tortilla strips or any of your favorite tortilla chips and break them into small pieces. Use the pieces to top the salad.
- Mix in more veggies: For more veggie variety, add in sliced red onions, bell peppers, green onions, pickled onions, black olives, and/or corn.
- Make it spicy: Spice-lovers love the addition of fresh jalapeno slices on top of the salad or diced jalapeños throughout. I love topping it with pickled jalapenos. Or, add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce on top for an extra kick.
- Get more protein: For more protein, toss in pinto beans or cooked black beans.
- Swap out the cheese: Feel free to use sharp cheddar cheese instead of the Mexican cheese blend. Or, use whatever cheese you have in the fridge.
- Stir in more sauces: Pico de gallo and guacamole are great sauce-y additions.
- Add a tang: For a tart, acidic tang, add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
- “Dress” it up: If you like a different kind of flavor to the taco salad, serve it with a side of ranch dressing, Catalina dressing, or this creamy tomatillo dressing.
Hot tip: Taco salad is a great option for hosting — so make it a ”taco bar” night! Set out the taco salad main ingredients in separate bowls and allow everyone to assemble their own salad with their favorite taco toppings.
Taco Salad Tips & Tricks
There’s really nothing to this taco salad recipe — I’m sure you already know these tips yourself. But, just in case…
- Crumble the beef: As the beef cooks, break any large pieces apart with a spatula. This ensures the beef cooks evenly and the salad has same-sized pieces of juicy beef in each bite.
- Cook the beef well: Cook the ground beef to 160ºF, as measured by a meat thermometer. Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness for ground meat.
- Assemble right before serving: This taco salad is best when served fresh, so assemble it right before serving. Beef tastes best when served warm.
- Prep the ingredients in advance: Instead of prepping the whole salad in advance, prep just the ingredients instead. This makes the salad a perfect weekly meal prep entree.
- Use a good taco seasoning: I love my homemade taco seasoning, but if you prefer to use a generic packet of taco seasoning, make sure it’s a good one. The seasoning is responsible for a large part of the flavor in this salad.
- Substitute if needed: Feel free to use any version of the veggies, or substitute the meat if needed. Instead of romaine lettuce, use iceberg lettuce, or instead of grape tomatoes, use any other tomato. If you don’t have ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey can work, too.
Storing & Reheating
This taco salad recipe makes about 6 servings, so in case you have leftovers, here’s how I recommend storing them.
- Refrigerator: It’s best to store the ingredients separately in an airtight container for up to five days so the salad does not turn to mush.
- Reheating: Reheat the beef in the microwave right before assembling the rest of the salad if you prefer the meat warm. Otherwise, cold tastes great, too! If desired, reheating in a skillet is a great option, too.
More Ground Beef Recipes
- Beef Enchiladas – Only six easy ingredients make these delicious enchiladas
- Old Fashioned Goulash – Tender noodles tossed with ground beef, veggies, and a savory tomato sauce
- Ground Beef Quesadillas – Easy, 30-minute quesadillas everyone will love
- Sheet Pan Nachos – Think of it as a taco salad over chips!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef 85% lean
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 10 oz Romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 1 large avocado chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions chopped
- 1 cup Mexican cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup salsa your favorite
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Using a medium sized pan, cook the ground beef until it reaches 160°F, as measured by a meat thermometer. Towards the end of the cooking time, add in taco seasoning and mix. Cover with a lid and set aside.
- To assemble the salad, place the lettuce on the bottom of a bowl.
- Layer on the beef, tomatoes, avocado, green onions and cheese. Top the salad with salsa, sour cream, and a cilantro garnish. Serve & enjoy while the beef is still warm.
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