Tasty Taco Salad
My husband and I are both taco lovers. Taco Tuesday is a regular weekly staple in our lives. He is a flour soft taco guy and I am a hard, corn tortilla kinda gal most of the time. This tasty taco salad is one version of a taco that we both agree on and enjoy each and every time it is ordered or made at home.
Like most recipes I like to cook, there is no set way that it has to be made. Ingredients can be substituted, flavors swapped, and type of protein updated. I have a recipe for Asian inspired veggie salad feast, that has many of the same elements of a taco salad, but with different flavors and selection of veggies. Small changes allow me to keep staple recipes simple, but add variety in both nutrition and flavor.
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Ingredients for Taco Salad
- Seasoned Beef
1 lb. ground beef – 80-85% lean (fear not, beef will be drained before adding spice)
2 Heap Tbsp Taco seasoning (see recipe below)
2 tsp. graeseed or vegetable oil
- Veggies
4-6 oz – crunchy greens, such as Lef Farms Crispy Green Lettuce, mixed with any lettuce variety.
1 hot chili, such as jalapeno or serrano
1/2 cucumber, seeded and sliced
1/2 heirloom tomato chopped into bite size chuncks
7 oz. canned corn, drained
7 oz. canned black beans drained
1 lime quartered for dressing individual plates
Cheddar, cotija or other cheese of your choice for sprinkling (1-1 1/2 ounce)
Taco Seasoning recipe
Note: this recipe will make enough seasoning for a number of uses.
- 1 heap Tbsp. Chili Powder
- 1 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. sweet paprila
- 1.5 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional – remove if you do not want the heat)
- 1-2 tsp. dried oregano
Add all ingredients in a jar and shake to mix. Store in dry location until use.
Instruction
Heat large frying pan to medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is shimmering, add in beef and begin breaking apart as it cooks. When beef is just browned and broken down, carefully drain any excessive oil in pan. You do not want your taco salad to be too greasy!
Add in the taco seasoning and combine. Cook until beef is just getting crispy. Put aside to cool a bit.
While the beef is cooking, wash and dry lettuce, slice and dice other veg, and arrange all vegetables on serving plate.
Add beef to middlle of plate and sprinkle some of the cheese over.
Put remaining cheese to the side for individual sprinkling.
Serving the Tasty Taco Salad
Serve family style, with cheese and lime wedges available for individual plates.
Servings: 4-6
If you like this recipe, take a look at my burger with baked french fries and all the fixins recipe!
