Taco Salad | Easy 20 Minute Recipe with Ground Beef | Dinner, Meal Prep (2024)

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Updated: » This post may contain affiliate links » By: Megan » 2 Comments

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This easy Mexican-inspired Taco Salad recipe is ready in only 20 minutes and is loaded with ground beef and all of your favorite taco toppings! It's a healthy dinner or meal prep idea that you'll crave making again and again.

Taco Salad | Easy 20 Minute Recipe with Ground Beef | Dinner, Meal Prep (1)

Dietary note: this recipe is naturally gluten-free and paleo. It can be made dairy-free by leaving out the cheese. It's also Whole30 compliant as long as you use a taco seasoning that contains only herbs & spices. See the full recipe for more details.

Taco Salad Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 6 cups romaine lettuce
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
  • 1 (15 ounce) can corn
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • ½ red onion
Taco Salad | Easy 20 Minute Recipe with Ground Beef | Dinner, Meal Prep (2)

How to Make Taco Salad

Step 1: Cook the Beef

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook and crumble the beef, 5 - 7 minutes, until cooked through. Drain excess grease.

Step 2: Add Taco Seasoning

Add the taco seasoning and the recommended amount of water called for on the packet (most say ⅓ cup). Continue cooking until all of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat.

Taco Salad | Easy 20 Minute Recipe with Ground Beef | Dinner, Meal Prep (3)

Step 3: Assemble the Salad

Add a layer of romaine lettuce and then top with remaining ingredients: beans, corn, avocado, cheese, red onion, and avocado. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Step 4: Serve

Serve with lime wedges and your favorite salad dressing. Popular options are our Chipotle Ranch Dressing or a cilantro lime vinaigrette.

Storage

In the fridge: store leftover taco salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days. To help keep the ingredients fresh, store the avocado and dressing separately until you're ready to eat.

For meal prep: assemble the salad except for adding the avocado and the dressing (store this separately in small containers). Add the avocado and dressing just before eating.

Taco Salad | Easy 20 Minute Recipe with Ground Beef | Dinner, Meal Prep (4)

Ingredient Notes:

  • Cheese: swap out cheddar cheese for a Mexican blend or your favorite alternative.
  • Beef: ground beef or turkey are both tasty in this recipe.
  • Sour cream: drizzle sour cream over your salad for some added creaminess.
  • Salsa: salsa is a tasty addition to this recipe! Add a spoonful on top before serving.
  • Chips: serve your salad with a side of chips or crumble them on top for some added crunch.
  • Dressing: this recipe would be tasty with Chipotle Ranch Dressing, cilantro lime vinaigrette, or a creamy cilantro lime dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should taco salad be served hot or cold?

This is up to you! You can serve it with the beef while it's still warm or chill the salad so that it's cold.

How do you meal prep taco salad?

To meal prep this salad, toss together all of the ingredients except for the avocado and dressing. Store the salad in serving-size containers or jars. I like to also store the dressing and avocado in serving-size small containers.

Assemble the salad just before eating. To help keep your avocado fresh, squeeze some fresh lime juice on it before storing.

How do you make taco salad shells?

Taco salad shells are a fun & tasty way to serve this recipe! You can make a taco shell by baking a tortilla for about 10 minutes in a taco shell maker.

Taco Salad | Easy 20 Minute Recipe with Ground Beef | Dinner, Meal Prep (5)

Similar Recipes

For more healthy and easy Mexican-inspired dinners, check out these favorites:

  • Fajita Chicken Burrito Bowls
  • Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
  • Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Print

Taco Salad | Easy 20 Minute Recipe with Ground Beef | Dinner, Meal Prep (6)

Taco Salad

★★★★★5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Megan
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This easy Mexican-inspired taco salad recipe is ready in only 20 minutes and is loaded with ground beef and all of your favorite taco toppings! It's a healthy dinner or meal prep idea that you'll crave making again and again.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 6 cups romaine lettuce (about 1 head)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ red onion, finely diced
  • Salad dressing: Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette or Chipotle Ranch

Optional, for serving:

  • ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Cook the beef: heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook and crumble the beef, 5 - 7 minutes, until cooked through. Drain excess grease.
  2. Add taco seasoning: add the taco seasoning and the recommended amount of water called for on the packet (most say ⅓ cup). Continue cooking until all of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat.
  3. Assemble the salad: add a layer of romaine lettuce and then top with remaining ingredients: beans, corn, avocado, cheese, red onion, and avocado. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
  4. Serve: serve warm or cold with lime wedges on the side. Add your favorite dressing, like Chipotle Ranch or Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette.

Notes

Dietary Notes:

  • Gluten free: this recipe is naturally gluten free.
  • Keto: to make this recipe keto, leave out the beans and use corn sparingly.
  • Paleo: this recipe is paleo.
  • Whole30: this recipe is Whole30 compliant, as long as you buy (or make your own) taco seasoning that doesn't contain any extra ingredients other than herbs/spices.

Taco seasoning: you can also use homemade taco seasoning. Use 2 tablespoons.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican Inspired

Nutrition

  • Calories: 614
  • Sugar: 12.1g
  • Sodium: 794mg
  • Fat: 26.9g
  • Saturated Fat: 10.4g
  • Carbohydrates: 44.2g
  • Fiber: 11.6g
  • Protein: 50.5g
  • Cholesterol: 131mg

Keywords: taco salad, taco bowl, mexican, ground beef, meal prep

More Main Dishes

  • Chicken Fajita Salad
  • La Scala Chopped Salad
  • Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
  • Easy Egg Salad Sandwich

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle Holler

    Yum! Perfect combo of ingredients! A family favorite. Thumbs up!!!!

    Reply

  2. Tracy Cook

    Absolutely delicious and super easy to make.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Taco Salad | Easy 20 Minute Recipe with Ground Beef | Dinner, Meal Prep (2024)

FAQs

How long can taco salad last in the fridge? ›

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if the taco salad is undressed, 1-2 if it is dressed. I suggest storing the salad and meat separately so you can warm up the meat before using it to make a leftover salad.

Can you cook taco meat ahead of time? ›

Any night can be taco night when you keep your freezer stocked with seasoned and cooked ground beef! This make-ahead ground beef recipe is the easiest way to get ahead of dinner, and we're not just saying that.

How many calories in a taco salad with ground beef? ›

Taco salad, with beef, fried tortilla, cheese, lettuce, tomato, beans, avocado, olives (1 cup) contains 18.7g total carbs, 16g net carbs, 14.2g fat, 7.9g protein, and 232 calories.

What fast food makes a taco salad? ›

The Taco John's Taco Salad gives you the best of both worlds with crisp lettuce, cheddar cheese, salsa, tomatoes, and sour cream. You get 100% American beef (or can upgrade to grilled chicken or crunchy chicken) and your choice of dressing. We throw them all together in a crunchy tortilla bowl.

How long can a meal prep salad last in the fridge? ›

A: Normally, a meal prep salad can last up to five days in the fridge. To make sure it lasts as long as possible, avoid storing juicy vegetables like tomatoes in the same containers as your other vegetables. It's best to buy them fresh and add them to your salad right before you eat it.

Can you eat taco meat after 5 days? ›

I cooked ground beef 7 days ago - it has been refrigerated since. Can I eat it today without repercussions? Professional guidelines are three to four days max. A week is approximately double that (give or take a few hours) and as we all know, bacteria growth is exponential.

Can I eat week old cooked taco meat? ›

USDA recommends using cooked beef within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

How long is leftover ground beef taco meat good for? ›

How Long Does Cooked Ground Beef Last in the Fridge? Say you've cooked up a pound of ground beef for taco night, how long will that last you in the fridge? Like all leftovers, cooked meats will last in the refrigerator for three to four days, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Can you cook ground beef and use it later? ›

After you've cooked the ground beef to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees, you have about three to four days to eat it. You can also store a meal with cooked ground beef in the freezer for about four months without compromising the quality, the USDA says.

Is taco salad unhealthy? ›

Worst: Taco Salad

That's because they start with a deep-fried tortilla shell. That “bowl” alone can have nearly 400 calories and 22 grams of fat. Then it's filled with oversized portions of ground beef, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. This salad can weigh in at 800 calories or more!

Which is healthier tacos or burrito? ›

Both provide extra fiber, but corn tortillas are lower in sodium and fat, so they won't weigh you down as much as the oversize flour tortillas enveloping the average burrito. That said, an even better choice is to skip the tortillas and make those tacos or that burrito into a salad.

Is taco salad high in fat? ›

Most classic restaurant taco salads are doused in heavy, high-calorie dressings and overdo it on the high-fat toppings (the giant fried taco shell doesn't help either).

What does Wendy's put on their taco salad? ›

Try our freshly made salads with our hearty lettuce blend to find your favorite: Taco Salad: Looking for extra crunch and spice? It's Taco Salad time! This fan-favorite is made fresh daily with crunchy romaine lettuce, shredded cheddar, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips, and our famous chili.

Do they eat taco salads in Mexico? ›

Not likely to happen. There are no taco salads in Mexican kitchens. At least I have never, ever seen or heard of a taco salad either in Mexico or served in a Mexican's home, wherever that may be in the world.

Why was the taco salad discontinued? ›

The Short and Sweet Answer

Taco Bell often updates its menu to keep things fresh and exciting. The taco salad, unfortunately, didn't make the cut in one of these updates. It's all about introducing new flavors and items to keep customers coming back for more.

Will a salad last 7 days in fridge? ›

Stored correctly, an average salad will last up to five days in the fridge. Any longer than this, and you'll start to see soggy, wilting leaves. Stored incorrectly, and you could be looking at no more than a couple of hours!

Can you eat leftover taco salad? ›

Taco salad can be enjoyed warm or cold! We love it fresh as soon as the beef is done cooking, but it also makes for great leftovers if stored properly.

Is salad good after 7 days? ›

Most salads are good within four days.

Can you eat 5 day old salad? ›

- Consume Within a Few Days: Even with proper storage, leftover salad should be eaten within a few days. Green salads usually last 3–5 days in the fridge, while pasta or potato salads can last up to 5 days.

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