Taco Salad
This taco salad recipe is super customizable without compromising on its hearty and satisfying flavors. It's the ultimate meal prep salad!
Servings: 6 salads (about 2 cups each)
Calories: 804kcal
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Skillet
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 $6.92*
- 1 oz. packet taco seasoning $0.54**
Additional Toppings
- ½ red onion julienned (thinly sliced) $0.37
- 2 roma tomatoes $0.44
- 1 cup corn kernels $0.42
- 15 oz. can black beans drained and rinsed, $0.92
- 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, $0.44
- 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.
Video
Notes
*I used lean ground beef, so I could cook it with the taco seasoning without needing to drain off any fat. If you use a fattier ground beef, brown and drain it first, then stir in the seasoning. You could easily swap the beef for ground chicken or turkey if you prefer. Vegetarian? No problem! This salad is crazy flavorful with or without the meat. You can add in extra beans or use your favorite plant-based meat crumbles instead.
**Use 1 oz. of taco seasoning and add it directly to the beef without water. Store-bought packets can vary quite a bit in salt and spice, so choose a low-sodium blend if you’re sensitive to salt. You can also use 1 oz. of our homemade taco seasoning and adjust the salt as needed!
***Wash and dry the iceberg lettuce thoroughly. Any water left on the leaves can thin out the creamy dressing and make the salad soften more quickly. Romaine lettuce is a good swap for the iceberg.
Meal prep it: For meal prep, store the lettuce and vegetables separately from the beef, dressing, and tortilla chips. Let the beef cool before refrigerating, then assemble and dress each portion when you’re ready to eat so everything stays crisp.
Nutrition
Serving: 1salad | Calories: 804kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 55g | Sodium: 1228mg | Fiber: 13g