Epic Taco Salad

Our favorite taco salad recipe is an easy weeknight meal with fresh lettuce, tortilla chips, seasoned ground beef, cheese, and a creamy cilantro lime dressing.

We love tacos of all kinds (see all of our taco recipes as proof), but we really love taco salad. It’s fast, fresh, and super easy! You’ve got perfectly seasoned ground beef made with our homemade taco mix, crisp fresh lettuce, and all the best taco toppings.

You have a lot of play with when it comes to making this taco salad recipe, but I’ll walk you our favorite way to make it! It’s healthy, but doesn’t feel that way, so it feels like a splurge. We love topping this salad with our cilantro lime dressing!

Key Ingredients

• Taco Meat: I’ve used lean ground beef (90/10) for my salad in the photos, but you can substitute ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken without any changes. Instead of using a store-bought seasoning, we make our own with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt. When we cook the meat, we also add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, which helps make the meat extra tasty. You can also swap our seasoning below for our homemade taco seasoning, which is equally as delicious. (Here’s more about how to make taco meat if you are interested.)
• Lettuce: You want crisp, crunchy lettuce for this salad, so Iceberg or Romaine is perfect.
• All the Toppings: So this is where you get to have fun. Think of your favorite taco toppings, and then add them to this salad. I love pico de gallo, avocado or guacamole, and shredded cheese, but add your favorite toppings as you see fit!
• Taco Salad Dressing: My favorite dressing for this is our creamy cilantro lime dressing. Still, you can substitute your favorite store-bought dressing or go with another homemade dressing like this easy ranch dressing.
• Tortilla Chips: So these are optional and take away a little bit from the healthy angle, but I do love them! Make homemade tortilla chips or use some from your favorite store-bought bag, and add them to the top right before digging in. They add that corn tortilla flavor and lots of crunch. Some people prefer Fritos, but to be honest, I like to stick with regular chips. I’m such a fan!

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Taco Salad

Tip 1: Generously season the ground meat. I’m extra generous with the salt and seasonings for my taco meat. It may taste slightly too seasoned on its own, but when you scatter it all over the salad, it works! If you like spicy tacos, add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper to the spice blend.

Tip 2: Add lots of different textures. My favorite part about this salad is the variety of textures. We want to keep the prep to a minimum since this is very likely something you are making on a weeknight, but that doesn’t mean we can’t pack in lots of goodies. Avocado is creamy, tomato or pico de gallo is fresh, and the chips add some crunch. Think about other fridge staples like sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or pickled red onions. They will all work well in this salad!

Tip 3: Make the taco meat ahead of time. You can cook the ground beef with the spices, then keep it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This way, it’s ready for you when you are craving this taco salad. The dressing is great for making ahead, too!