Taco Salad

This Taco Salad is quick, flavorful, hearty, a total breeze to make and it’s a dinner everyone can agree on both young and old alike! It doesn’t take much to make a satisfying meal and this simple salad is proof of that. This is a back pocket recipe you’ll want to make on repeat!
Servings: 5
Prep15 minutes
Cook10 minutes
Ready in: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Beef Filling

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1.25 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 cup bottled fire roasted salsa
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro

For Salad

• 1 head romaine lettuce or iceberg lettuce, chopped
• 5 oz. tortilla chips, slightly crumbled
• 1 cup Shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced (or 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes)
• 1 avocado, diced (optional)
• 5 Tbsp Sour cream or Mexican crema (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion (optional)
  

  Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Crumble in beef in chunks. Let sear until browned on bottom, about 3 minutes then turn an d break up beef and continue to cook until cooked through.
  • Drain fat from beef then stir in salsa, chili powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste and heat through, about 1 minute.*
  • Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
  • Layer lettuce among individual plates. Top with chips, beef mixture, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream and red onion if using. Serve immediately.
    

    Notes

    *If you used a thicker salsa you may want to add a splash of chicken broth or water to thin slightly.  If you used a watery salsa you can let it simmer for a few minutes to reduce.

    Time Saving Tips:

    • To make the most of your time and to get dinner on the table quickly I like to prep toppings while ground beef is browning.
    • You could even use pico de gallo and guacamole from the produce section of the grocery store in place of diced tomatoes and avocados to save prep time.
    • You can also buy a large bag of pre-cut romaine lettuce.Nutrition FactsTaco Salad

      Amount Per Serving

      Calories 558Calories from Fat 315

      % Daily Value*

      Fat 35g54%

      Saturated Fat 11g69%

      Cholesterol 101mg34%

      Sodium 749mg33%

      Potassium 916mg26%

      Carbohydrates 28g9%

      Fiber 6g25%

      Sugar 4g4%

      Protein 32g64%

      Vitamin A 1560IU31%

      Vitamin C 9.2mg11%

      Calcium 254mg25%

      Iron 4.3mg24%

      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.