Easy Taco Salad

Last Updated January 2nd, 2023 at 06:25 pm by Lisa

Whip up this easy Taco Salad recipe loaded with all the best Mexican food toppings and Catalina dressing. Plus get my two secret ingredients for the best taco meat!

And the best part of Mexican taco salad is of course the Fritos. Serve as a lunch, taco night family dinner, or for taco Tuesday. What is easier than piling on your favorite taco ingredients...

This classic taco salad reminds me so much of summertime at the beach or lounging poolside with family and friends. My Mom made this recipe every summer, it was our favorite.

Add toppings you and your family love, like creamy avocado and sour cream, 25+ taco salad topping ideas are listed below. Plus try my secret ingredients for the best taco meat mix, so easy and SO good.

You even can make your own homemade taco seasoning mix too. For a twist, make a Dorito taco salad with crushed chips.

The Best Taco Salad Recipe

This simple salad hits the spot on so many levels, the fresh toppings like tomato, olives, onions, and bell pepper mixed with salty chips and seasoned ground beef are scrumptious...

What Favorite Toppings Go On It?

• Ground Beef – I like to use 80% Angus beef, you can drain the fat if you wish. 70% lean ground beef will work fine as well. You can also use lean ground turkey in this recipe or cooked diced chicken. The taco seasoning and salsa make the best spicy ground beef for this salad.
• Fire Roasted Salsa – One of my favorite ways to make ground beef taste amazing. I used to chop onions and garlic, now just toss in the salsa and you are done. Any salsa works, but fire-roasted packs a lot more flavor. Another option is to make your own homemade salsa.
• Taco Seasoning: An easy fast way to spice up your taco meat, has classic Mexican spices like cumin, chili powder, and oregano plus many others.
• Lettuce: Romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce work so well together, and I like using up lettuce this way. Fresh spinach or mixed greens would work fine.
• Chips: Okay, in my humble opinion FRITOS are the best. But hey you can use white or blue tortilla chips, Doritos, or thin tortilla strips. Most people crush the chips so you can eat the salad with a fork.
• Tomatoes: The little cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are great, I like the mini little yellow and red ones, but you can dice large juicy tomatoes too.
• Avocado: Need I say more? I love avocados, it adds pretty color and creaminess that makes the salad interesting.
• Sour Cream: Adds that cool and creamy, balance to the spicy fire-roasted salsa and jalapenos.
• Cheeses: I used Colby and cheddar cheese. Cause why not? But mixed Mexican cheese, mozzarella, or even pepper jack would all be great.
• Black Beans: Hearty black beans add protein and texture to the salad.
• Green Onions: Thinly sliced, and add a nice bite, you could also use red or sweet onions diced finely.
• Pickled Jalapeno Peppers: One of my personal favorite things in this salad, I like to chop them finely, but the whole is fine. They add a "spicy jalapeno twang". You could slice or dice fresh jalapenos too, just taste them before adding them as some are too hot out of the jar.
• Black Olives: A classic in my family, hey my Mom always added these.
• Bell Pepper: Red and yellow peppers are so beautiful in the salad, and add more crunch.

Taco Salad Ingredients

Taco Meat

• 1.5 lb ground beef 80/20
• 1 cup fire-roasted salsa
• ¼ cup taco seasoning

Salad

• 1 head romaine lettuce sliced thin
• ½ head iceberg lettuce sliced thin
• 1 cup black beans drained and rinsed
• 2 cups mini heirloom tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 avocado diced
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup red and yellow bell pepper square dice
• ½ cup pickled jalapenos
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• ½ cup green onions sliced thin
• 2 cups Fritos
• 1 cup Colby or cheddar cheese shredded

Taco Meat Mixture

Make the taco meat in a heavy (cast iron) large skillet over medium heat.

The secret to this delicious taco meat beef mixture is to add lots of flavors. Browned ground beef just doesn't have all the flavor.

You can drain the browned ground beef if you wish.

Once the ground beef is browned over medium-high heat, add the salsa and a little packet of taco seasoning. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix and combine well.

Assemble The Salad

Place the thinly sliced romaine and iceberg bed of lettuce on a plate, top with taco meat, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, bell pepper, pickled jalapenos, green onions, black olives, Fritos, and grated cheese.

Another option is to place all the ingredients in a large salad bowl, give it a good toss and let people add their own dressing they like.

For dinner time or at parties, it is nice to serve this salad buffet style. Place all the ingredients in separate bowls, and let people build their own. The whole family will be happy too!

Two Taco Salad Dressings

You can add a dressing if you like, this recipe tastes amazing without dressing, but many people love dressing.

• Catalina Dressing: To make Catalina Dressing, whisk 1⁄2 cup ketchup, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup red wine vinegar, ½ cup grated onion, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce,1 cup salad vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper.
• Taco Salad Dressing: Mix 1 cup Ranch Dressing, ½ salsa, and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning to make homemade taco salad dressing.

More Taco Salad Toppings

• avocado salsa taco sauce
• cilantro
• grilled sweet corn kernels
• red onion or pickled red onions
• baked strips of flour tortillas
• ground turkey or ground chicken
• grilled tri-tip or carne asada
• guacamole
• hot sauce
• cucumber
• your favorite salsa
• crushed Doritos (small pieces)
• crunchy tortilla strips
• fried corn tortillas
• pinto beans or kidney beans
• homemade pico de gallo
• refried beans
• rice
• crispy tortilla bowl
• sour cream
• radish slices
• baked taco shell bowls
• Catalina dressing
• taco salad dressing

Taco Salad FAQ

More Salad Recipes

Cobb Salad is a hearty salad loaded with delicious toppings like tomato, chicken, crumbled bacon, avocado, and chopped eggs. Made famous in Hollywood at the Original Brown Derby restaurant, this flavorful salad is served with a Special French Dressing.

Seven-Layer Salad also known as an overnight or "7 Layer Salad", is a festive salad and party food recipe that serves large groups for picnics, potlucks, and cookouts, or as a BBQ side.

Make an easy Roast Chicken Apple Salad topped with Blue Cheese Dressing that you "Make and shake" in a Mason jar, plus learn how to oven roast chicken breasts.

When it's hot or you are serving grilled food, try this icy cool Wedge Salad with Pistachio-Avocado Dressing. It is a easy recipe and refreshing cookout side with hot grilled steaks, chicken, or shish kabobs. It works great for lunch with hot soup or a sandwich.