Taco Salad

4.67 from 3 votes

This taco salad recipe is super customizable without compromising on its hearty and satisfying flavors. It's the ultimate meal prep salad!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Prep Time25

Cook Time5

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Total Cost: $15.53 recipe / $2.58 serving

Servings: salads (about 2 cups each)

Author: Jess Rice

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, $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

*I used lean ground beef, so I added my seasoning and beef at the same time. I didn't have any fat to strain off at the end, which saved me a little prep time. You could easily swap for ground chicken or turkey if you prefer. Vegetarian? No problem! This salad is crazy flavorful with or without the meat.

**I went for a pre-made packet of taco seasoning, but feel free to use a homemade taco seasoning! You only need 1 oz total for this recipe.

***If you are meal prepping, keep the wet ingredients (like the beef and salad dressing) separate so your veggies and lettuce do not wilt and the tortilla chips do not get soggy. Just dress and toss when you're ready for lunch.

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