This is the ultimate Taco Salad Recipe, filled with seasoned ground beef, fresh greens, cheese, and all of your favorite taco toppings! Drizzled with a homemade lime vinaigrette, the whole family will love this fresh take on the classic all-American Taco Salad! Ready in just 30 minutes!
My first memory of taco salads is with my mom. She loved to make the Doritos version (aka “Walking Tacos“) with homemade Italian dressing or French dressing. On busier nights, we’d order taco salads from El Pollo Loco. They would come served in a crispy tortilla shell topped with sour cream and guacamole and drowned in ranch dressing. So good!
The Best Taco Salad Recipe
The taco salads of my childhood were delicious, but this recipe is a million times better. Packed with delicious Tex-Mex flavors, it’s loaded with taco meat, crisp greens, veggies, cheese, sliced avocado, and sour cream and drizzled with the best homemade lime vinaigrette. It has all the things to make a super-satisfying, super-versatile weeknight dinner.
I’ve found that the best way to prepare dinner salads like this one is to wash and chop all of my favorite salad toppings and ingredients ahead of time and store them in separate airtight containers. With everything all ready to go, assembly (and dinner) will take just minutes to throw together.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
The meat: Lean ground beef is the classic and most common protein, but other options include ground turkey, baked chicken breasts, or chicken thighs. For a meat-free version, try substituting the meat for tempeh or sliced mushrooms.
The seasoning: I always like to make my own homemade taco seasoning, so I know it’s free from MSG and yeast extract, but feel free to use whatever you love.
The greens: Traditional taco salad recipes use iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce is just fine but lacks the vitamins and nutrients found in other greens. If I have the time, I’ll wash and chop two to three different greens including Romaine, kale, cabbage, and cilantro.
The veggies: Tomatoes, red onion, green onions, bell peppers, black olives, and corn. Less common veggies include pickled jalapeños, cucumbers, and shredded carrots.
The Toppings: I’ll usually top mine with cheddar cheese, Colby, or Pepper Jack. Other must-have options include sour cream (or Greek yogurt), avocado (or guacamole), homemade salsa, and tortilla chips.
Zesty Lime Vinaigrette
This homemade vinaigrette is an optional addition to your taco salad. As I mentioned previously, I grew up eating taco salads with my mom’s homemade Italian dressing or creamy store-bought ranch. Somehow, a light and refreshing lime vinaigrette felt more in line with this particular salad.
The ingredients: olive oil, fresh limes (for juice and zest), honey, red wine vinegar, fresh garlic, dijon mustard, cilantro, salt, and black pepper.
Recipe Tips
- Prepare the ground beef ahead of time: Ground beef loves to be prepared ahead of time and reheats perfectly. If I know I’m going to have an especially busy week, I’ll make a big batch of ground beef taco meat (or ground turkey taco meat) and have it ready to use in tacos, taco spaghetti, or stuffed bell peppers.
- Prepare the vinaigrette ahead of time: Make it the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator until you’re ready for it.
- Save time: Purchase pre-made dressing, vinaigrette, salsa, and guacamole. Homemade is great, but sometimes convenience is better. And unless you have your own garden, purchase pre-cut and pre-washed lettuce for super-fast prep time.
- Freshly grated cheddar cheese is better than pre-shredded. I know, I’m all about saving time, too, but the anti-caking stuff all over the cheese? No thanks.
- If you suspect that you’ll have leftovers, only add the ground beef, dressing, sour cream, salsa, or guacamole once the salads have been individually plated. This way you can save the leftovers.
Storage Tips
Storing taco salad leftovers does involve a little planning ahead. Here are some tips to avoid wasting food and those hard-earned dolla dolla bills.
- Separate everything: It may seem excessive, but the better things are separated, the fresher they’ll stay. Lettuce, tomatoes, and onions should be stored in their own airtight containers. Tortilla chips or crispy toppings should be stored in an airtight bag to avoid losing their crispness. Finally, the meat, cheese, and beans should all be stored in individual containers.
- Taco meat storage: Taco meat will last in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
- Vinaigrette storage: Store in a small airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Shake well before using.
- Assemble when ready to eat: This keeps the ingredients fresh and prevents any unwanted sogginess.
For even more fresh and flavorful salad recipes, my seasonal Butternut Squash Salad is packed with roasted veggies and fall-inspired flavors. Craving something crisp and classic? You’ll love my Greek Chicken Salad or Classic Wedge Salad with its crunchy iceberg, bacon, and creamy dressing. My La Scala Salad is a viral favorite—chopped, tangy, and totally addictive—while the Green Goddess Salad brings a vibrant herby punch that’s great on its own or as a side. For something light and colorful, try my Cherry Tomato Salad, or spice things up with my hearty and flavorful Buffalo Chicken Salad.
RECIPE CARD
Taco Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Ground Beef Taco Meat
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion - diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning - or homemade taco seasoning
- 1 cup tomato sauce
For the Taco Salad
- 8 cups Romaine lettuce - (or iceberg) chopped
- 2 large tomatoes - cored, seeded, diced
- ½ cup green onion - chopped
- ½ cup black olives - halved
- 1 medium jicama - peeled and chopped
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 cup tortilla strips
- 1 cup cheddar cheese - shredded
- 1 large avocado - peeled, pitted, and sliced or (homemade guacamole)
- ½ cup sour cream
- Salsa, black beans, diced bell pepper, jalapeño, Spanish rice, etc. - optional toppings
For the Lime vinaigrette (optional)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice - plus the zest of one lime
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro - minced
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
For the Ground Beef Taco Meat
- Sauté the onions – Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and diced onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Stir often to prevent burning and reduce heat to medium if needed.
- Cook the ground beef – Add the ground beef to the skillet. Use a large wooden spoon or spatula to break the beef into smaller and smaller bits and pieces. Fully cook your ground beef before draining approximately 3/4 of the liquid and fat from the skillet.
- Add the seasoning and tomato sauce – Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the taco seasoning and tomato sauce to the beef and mix well to combine. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes or so, stirring often.
For the VInaigrette
- Add all ingredients for the vinaigrette to a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
For the Taco Salad
- Assemble – Transfer lettuce to a large salad bowl. Top with the cooked ground beef, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, jicama, corn kernels, tortilla strips, shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, and any other additional toppings you wish.
- Serve – Divide salad to individual serving bowls and drizzle with the fresh lime vinaigrette or a desired salad dressing of choice.
Jessica’s Notes
- The vinaigrette is optional; however, it is a delicious, tangy, fresh addition that goes really well with this salad. I grew up eating taco salad with sour cream, guacamole, and homemade Italian dressing, but I also enjoy it with Homemade Ranch dressing or creamy Catalina dressing.
- Taco Meat Storage: Taco meat will last in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
- Vinaigrette Storage: Store in a small airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Shake well before using.
- Make your own baked tortilla chips! Brush several corn tortillas with olive oil and season with salt. Slice into wedges (or strips) and transfer to a greased baking sheet. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees F, turning once halfway through cooking.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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