Last Updated April 19th, 2022 at 02:11 pm by Lisa
An easy Taco Salad recipe works as lunch, family dinner, or party food for a large gathering. This classic taco salad reminds me so much of summer time at the beach or lounging poolside with family and friends.
This simple taco salad hits the spot on so many levels, the fresh toppings like tomato, olives, onions, and bell pepper mixed with salty Frito chips and seasoned taco meat are scrumptious. For a twist, make a Dorito taco salad with crushed chips.
And the best part of this salad is of course the Fritos! A little cool crisp lettuce topped with all the flavors of tacos. What is easier than piling on the best ingredients, and dressing is not even necessary...
Add toppings you and your family love, like creamy avocado and sour cream, 25+ taco salad topping ideas are listed below. Plus learn my secret ingredients to the best taco meat mix, so easy and SO good.
You even can make your own homemade taco seasoning mix too.
And receive a free recipe ebook as our thank you.
How To Make The Best Taco Salad
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.
- 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 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, balances 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: Adds 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 to your as some are too hot.
- 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 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!
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
- cilantro
- grilled 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
- crushed Doritos (small pieces)
- crunchy tortilla strips
- pinto beans or kidney beans
- homemade pico de gallo
- refried beans
- rice
- sour cream
- radish slices
- baked taco shell bowls
- catalina dressing
- taco salad dressing
Taco Salad FAQ
There are so many things to serve with or on taco salad. Try guacamole, chips, and salsa. Or drizzle on some green taco sauce.
Drinks like CoronaRita Margaritas, Micheladas or my easy Margaritas will be perfect with a classic taco salad.
Another idea is to serve Mexican street corn (elotes), you can even cut the corn off and add it to the salad!
A hot bean and cheese dip would go great, a 7 Layer Dip, or dessert Churros would be amazing sides.
More Dinner Salad Recipes
Cobb Salad Dressing is loaded with delicious toppings like tomato, chicken, crumbled bacon, avocado, and chopped eggs. Made famous in Hollywood at the Original Brown Derby restaurant, it is served with a Special French Dressing.
Seven-Layer Salad also known as an overnight or "7 Layer Salad", is a colorful party food recipe that serves large groups for picnics, potlucks, 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 refreshing cookout side with hot grilled steaks, chicken, or shish kabobs. It works great for lunch with hot soup or a sandwich.
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Taco Salad ~ 25+ Topping Ideas
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
Instructions
taco meat
- In a large heavy (cast iron) skillet over medium heat add the ground beef, salsa, and taco seasoning.
- Brown the ground beef, and stir to mix well. You can drain the beef if you wish.
assemble taco 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.
- If you would like dressing, try either Catalina Dressing; 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. OR this Taco Salad Dressing; mix 1 cup ranch dressing, ½ salsa, and 1 tablespoon seasoning to make a homemade taco salad dressing.
Notes
dressing (optional)
You can add a dressing if you like, this recipe tastes amazing without one. If you would like dressing, try either Catalina Dressing OR mix 1 cup ranch dressing, ½ salsa, and 1 tablespoon seasoning to make homemade taco salad dressing.- Try either Catalina Dressing, 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 seasoning to make homemade taco salad dressing.
More Taco Salad Toppings
- cilantro
- grilled 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
- crushed Doritos (small pieces)
- crunchy tortilla strips
- pinto beans or kidney beans
- homemade pico de gallo
- refried beans
- rice
- sour cream
- radish slices
- baked taco shell bowls
- Catalina Dressing
- Taco Salad Dressing
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef – I like to use 80% Angus beef, you can drain the fat if you wish.
- 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.
- 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. You can buy this spice mix or make your own at home
- Lettuce: Romaine 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 are great, I like the mini little yellow and red tomatoes, but you can dice large 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, balances the spicy fire-roasted salsa and jalapenos.
- Cheeses: I used Colby and cheddar BOTH. Cause why not? But mixed Mexican cheese, mozzarella, or even pepper jack would all be great.
- Black Beans: Adds 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 Jalapenos: 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 as some are too hot.
- Black Olives: A classic in my family, these were always in the recipe growing up.
- Bell Pepper: Red and yellow peppers are so beautiful in the salad, and add more crunch.
OMG! This taco salad looks so good. This is one of my favorite dinners. I can’t wait to try you’re dressing!
One of the most amazing Taco salads I've ever eaten! Such an easy and delicious recipe. We love fire roasted peppers on this salad too.