Taco Salad

Last updated on January 25th, 2026

When you want tacos, but you want something light…and you love salad – so you make a Taco Salad! This was the perfect easy weeknight meal that the whole family got down with! The warm taco meat with the flavor bursts from the fresh cold veggies, the shredded cheese, and sour cream – it was just perfect. That squirt of lime juice at the end, I mean it was a total flavor bomb! The best part about this dish was that all of the ingredients are so versatile, you could do anything with the leftovers!

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Did you know?

Lettuce was once used as a sleeping aid in ancient Egypt! Egyptians used it for calming purposes, also believing it had medicinal properties. Isn’t that interesting?!

What ingredients do I need to make this salad?

For the taco meat:

Ground Beef
Water
Taco Seasoning

For the taco salad:

Romaine Lettuce
Tomato
Green Onion
Cilantro
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips
Lime or Lemon Juice
Hot Sauce

How do I make it?

To make the taco meat:

In a large skillet on medium heat, brown ground beef until no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. Drain beef and return to skillet on medium.

Add in water and taco seasoning, stir until combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until thick.

To assemble the taco salad:

In a bowl, assemble the taco salad as follows. Lettuce, taco meat, cheese, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, hot sauce, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Tips:

• This recipe makes enough for 6 taco salads! We made 4 and had plenty of leftover ingredients for other recipes! With the leftovers you could have more taco salads, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, taco dip – whatever you’re feeling!
• Use up leftover taco meat within 3 days of making.

Check out some of my other Mexican inspired dishes!

• Tex-Mex Pasta
• Southwest Burritos
• Pulled Pork Carnitas
• Crispy Beef Smash Tacos

Taco Salad

The Wholesome Spoon

When you want tacos, but you want something light…and you love salad – so you make a Taco Salad! This was the perfect easy weeknight meal that the whole family got down with! The warm taco meat with the flavor bursts from the fresh cold veggies, the shredded cheese, and sour cream – it was just perfect. That squirt of lime juice at the end, I mean it was a total flavor bomb! The best part about this dish was that all of the ingredients are so versatile, you could do anything with the leftovers!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Mexican-American

Servings 6

Calories 400 kcal

Equipment

• Large Skillet
• Spatula
• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Juicer

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Ingredients

  

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For the taco meat:

• 1 lb Ground beef
• ⅔ cup Water
• 1 Packet taco seasoning

For the taco salad:

• 8 cups Romaine lettuce chopped
• 3 Green onions thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cups Roma tomato diced
• 1 ½ cups Shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ cups Crushed tortilla chips
• ¾ cup Sour cream
• 2 tbsp Cilantro minced
• Lime or lemon juice
• Hot sauce

Instructions

 

To make the taco meat:

• In a large skillet on medium heat, brown ground beef until no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks, 5-7 minutes
• Drain beef and return to skillet on medium. Add in water and taco seasoning, stir until combined.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until thick, about 3 minutes.

To assemble the taco salad:

• In a bowl, assemble the taco salad as follows. Lettuce, taco meat, cheese, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, hot sauce, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 2cupsCalories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 22gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 600mgPotassium: 450mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 950IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 260mgIron: 2.5mg

Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide

Keyword Ground Beef Ideas, Salad Recipes, Taco Inspired Recipes, Taco Salad Recipe, What to do with taco meat

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