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Listen, I love Taco Tuesday as much as the next gal, but Taco Salads are really where it’s at. I’ve always said that salad is the ultimate “fast food,” and I’m sticking to it. Think about it, they’re quick, easy, and almost always require very little cooking. When you want a little extra somethin’ special, this easy Taco Salad with lean ground beef is it. The homemade lime and sour cream dressing is what really sets this salad apart for me. It’s creamy, tangy, and brings the seasoned beef, crisp lettuce, black beans, corn, cheese, and crunchy tortilla chips together. You can make this salad at home for a fraction of the price and have enough to meal prep throughout the week.
“The sour cream dressing is amazing and pulls the whole meal together! I used a homemade taco seasoning as well and will 100% be making this again. 10/10”
Alexis
A Fully Loaded Salad That Actually Satisfies
This delicious taco salad recipe has everything you love about crispy beef tacos, but in salad form! I load it with plenty of crisp lettuce, black beans, corn, and fresh toppings, so it feels filling and satisfying without relying on the beef alone. After serving it to family and guests with different tastes, I’ve found that keeping everything separate is the easiest way to make sure everyone gets their perfect taco salad. It also helps the lettuce and tortilla chips stay crisp until it’s time to eat.
I personally like mine without the ground beef and always add extra beans…yum! Everyone else can pile on the seasoned beef, cheese, veggies, tortilla chips, and creamy lime dressing however they like. It’s one of those meals everyone can enjoy together and still leave the table feeling full and content.
Recipe Success Tips
- Use iceberg lettuce for plenty of sturdy crunch. I use iceberg because its crisp, firm leaves hold up well under the warm beef, beans, cheese, and creamy dressing. Its high water content keeps the salad fresh and crunchy, and its mild flavor doesn’t compete with the taco seasoning or lime dressing. It’s also an inexpensive way to add plenty of volume. Romaine will work, but I’d skip spring mix or other tender greens that wilt quickly.
- Don’t skip the homemade dressing. This lime and sour cream dressing is my “secret sauce” for pulling everything together. Sour cream creates the creamy base, lime juice adds tang, and the zest gives it a more fragrant lime flavor. I also add a little sugar to balance the lime’s sharper acidity, though you can adjust it to taste.
- Use the full ounce of taco seasoning. Taco seasoning usually combines chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic, onion, and salt. I add it directly to the lean ground beef rather than mixing it with water. This concentrates the flavor without introducing extra moisture that could make the salad soggy. Store-bought blends vary in salt and heat, so use one you already like! Or you can use 1 oz. of homemade taco seasoning for more control.
- Add the dressing and tortilla chips at the end. I only toss the amount of salad we plan to eat right away, then add the crushed tortilla chips after everything else is combined. The dressing softens the lettuce over time, and the chips also absorb moisture from the vegetables and sour cream. Keep both separate until serving so the salad stays crunchy, especially when prepping it ahead.
Budget-Saving Tips!
- I use lean ground beef, which means I don’t have to drain any fat and saves me a little time. However, the leaner the beef, the more expensive it tends to be. A less lean option works just fine if that fits into your budget better. Just cook it and drain the excess fat. You can also use ground chicken or turkey if you already have that to hand.
- Stretch the beef with rice! Use half the amount of ground beef and bulk it up with cooked white rice. It still tastes great and will keep you full!
- This salad is super flexible. Swap in whatever veggies, beans, or toppings you already have to save a trip and money at the store. I’ve shared some of my favorite add-ins under the step-by-step photos below!
Taco Salad
Cost $15.53 recipe / $2.58 serving
Ingredients
Dressing
- 4 oz. sour cream ($0.49)
- 2 limes (juiced and zested, $0.50)
- 1 garlic clove (minced, $0.08)
- ¼ tsp salt ($0.01)
- ¼ tsp chili powder ($0.03)
- ½ tsp granulated sugar ($0.01)
- 4 Tbsp olive oil ($0.88)
Ground Beef Mixture
- 1 lb. lean ground beef ($4.98*)
- 1 oz. packet taco seasoning ($0.54**)
Additional Toppings
- ½ red onion (julienned (thinly sliced) $0.37)
- 2 roma tomatoes ($0.56)
- 1 cup corn kernels ($0.42)
- 15 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed, $0.89)
- 1 avocado (diced, $0.99)
- 1 cup tortilla chips (crushed, $1.44)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded, (about 1/2 of an 8-oz. block) $1.25)
- 1 jalapeño (sliced into thin rings, $0.30)
- 1 head iceberg lettuce (chopped into bite-sized pieces, $1.79***)
Instructions
- Gather and prep all topping ingredients: julienne red onion, chop tomato, defrost frozen corn, drain and rinse black beans, dice avocado, crush tortilla chips, shred cheddar cheese, and slice jalapeño. Set aside or mix together in a large serving bowl.
- Chop iceberg lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine sour cream, juice and zest from limes, minced garlic, salt, chili powder, sugar, and oil in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add lean ground beef and taco seasoning packet to skillet. Break apart the ground beef with a spatula and mix in the taco seasoning. Cook until all of the ground beef has turned brown.*
- Top chopped lettuce with shredded cheese, prepped veggies and cooked ground beef. Toss all ingredients (except for crumbled tortilla chips) together.
- Drizzle a generous helping of dressing over the top with crumbled tortilla chips! Serve and enjoy.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Taco Salad step-by-step photos
Prep the toppings: Julienne (which means thinly slice) ½ red onion into strips. Chop 2 Roma tomatoes, thaw 1 cup frozen corn, drain and rinse one 15 oz. can of black beans, dice 1 avocado, crush 1 cup tortilla chips, shred 1 cup cheddar cheese, and slice 1 jalapeño into thin rings. Keep the tortilla chips separate so they stay crunchy.
Prepare the lettuce: Remove the core from 1 head of iceberg lettuce and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Wash the lettuce, then dry it very well. The pieces should feel crisp and dry, not wet or slick, before you assemble the salad.
Make the dressing: Add 4 oz. sour cream, the juice and zest of 2 limes, 1 minced garlic clove, ¼ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. chili powder, ½ tsp. sugar, and 4 Tbsp. olive oil to a small mixing bowl.
Whisk for about 30 seconds, or until the dressing looks smooth and glossy with no separate streaks of sour cream or oil (don’t worry about overmixing here, as you won’t overmix the dressing with a hand whisk!) It should be creamy enough to coat the salad but loose enough to drizzle from a spoon.
Brown the ground beef: Add 1 lb. lean ground beef to a skillet over medium heat and sprinkle 1 oz. taco seasoning evenly over the top. Use a spatula to break the meat into small crumbles so the seasoning is evenly distributed. Cook until the beef is browned throughout with no pink remaining and has reached 160°F, about 5-7 minutes.
I use lean ground beef, so I add the seasoning at the beginning. If using 85/15 or fattier beef, brown it without the seasoning, carefully drain off the excess fat, then return it to the skillet and stir in the seasoning. Cook for 1 minute more, or until the beef is evenly coated.
If preferred, you can let the beef cool for about 5 minutes before adding it to the salad to help avoid wilting the lettuce or melting the cheese.
Combine the salad ingredients: Top the chopped iceberg lettuce with prepped veggies and cooked ground beef.
Toss all ingredients together (not including the tortilla chips!)
Add the dressing: Drizzle a generous helping of dressing over the top of the mixed salad and top with 1 cup crumbled tortilla chips! Serve and enjoy.
This hearty taco salad with chips is sure to satisfy!
Variations & Ingredient Swaps
I make this taco salad a little differently depending on who I’m serving and what needs using up in my fridge. The recipe is filling and flavorful as written, but these are some of my favorite ways to change it up without losing the balance of fresh, creamy, savory, and crunchy ingredients:
- Make it meatless or vegan. I leave the beef off my bowl and pile on extra black beans instead. Pinto beans work too! One of our readers also made a vegan version by leaving out the cheese and using dairy-free sour cream in the dressing.
- Swap the protein. Ground turkey or chicken can be prepared using the same general method, but cook ground poultry to 165°F. Leftover carnitas, shrimp, tofu, or tempeh are all fair game too.
- Use up extra vegetables. This is one of my favorite clean-out-the-fridge meals! Try diced cucumber, bell pepper, shredded carrots, sliced radishes, roasted summer vegetables, or chili roasted sweet potatoes.
- Try pickled veggies. Swap the fresh jalapeño for pickled jalapeños for a tangier, milder hit or try pickled red onions in place of the fresh red onion! This swap is great if you don’t love the bite of raw onion.
- Add your favorite salsa! Pico de gallo, salsa, hot sauce, or a spoonful of chipotle sauce are also easy ways to add more flavor. I usually add wetter toppings to individual bowls so the whole salad doesn’t get soggy.
- Switch up the crunch. Tortilla strips, corn chips, or flavored chips can all stand in for the crushed tortilla chips. Add them at the last second. Nobody wants a sad, soggy chip in their taco salad!
Storage & Meal Prepping
To store this salad for meal prepping, it’s best to keep some of the components separate. Store the cooked ground beef in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Keep chopped lettuce and veggies in their own containers, and I recommend waiting to chop the avocado until just before serving, since it browns quickly. The sour cream dressing will keep in the fridge for about 4-5 days (just give it a good stir before using).
This taco salad meal prep method stops the ingredients from getting soggy and keeps it easy to assemble throughout the week! Please note that storage times can vary based on how fresh your ingredients are when you prep them.
More Hearty Salads to Try:
- This Turkey Taco Salad swaps the beef for taco-seasoned ground turkey and adds corn, black beans, tomatoes, cheddar, and a creamy avocado dressing.
- My Santa Fe Salad has many of the same Southwestern ingredients as my taco salad here, including corn, black beans, cheese, and tortilla chips!
- For a meatless option, this Roasted Sweet Potato Rainbow Salad combines black beans, charred corn, red onion, and filling roasted sweet potatoes with a creamy lime dressing.
What happened to the taco salad skillet recipe? Why does it redirect here now?
That recipe has been archived, but I just emailed you a copy to keep!
Recipe says 1 cup tortilla but in description 3 are used
Hey, John. I am not seeing that. The recipe card says, “Drizzle a generous helping of dressing over the top with crumbled tortilla chips! Serve and enjoy.***” and the description under the photo of the tortilla chip step says, “Add the dressing: Drizzle a generous helping of dressing over the top of the mixed salad and top with 1 cup crumbled tortilla chips! Serve and enjoy.”
But, you can use as many cups of tortilla chips as you want! Enough for some extra crunch, but you can add or remove according to your preferences.
I’m trying to get to the “Taco Salad Skillet” recipe but it keeps taking me to this recipe. The link appears to be broken.
Just emailed you that recipe!
The sour cream dressing is amazing and pulls the whole meal together! I used a homeade taco seasoning as well and will 100% be making this again. 10/10
I omitted the cheese and made a few substitutions to make it vegan, and it was great!
Ashton, I do that all the time when I make this recipe at home! The flavors do not disappoint! Thanks for sharing this.
Simple but yummy and we used up some veggies! Just the inspiration I needed! ❤️Thank you!
I gave 4/5 because we didn’t prefer the dressing, though when it was mixed in it was better.
Next time I might just mix some sour cream and chipotle sauce for a sauce.