Easy Taco Salad

Whip up this easy Taco Salad recipe loaded with all the best Mexican food toppings, two recipes for dressings, and all kinds of topping ideas. Plus get my secret ingredients for the most flavorful taco meat!

And the best part of Mexican taco salad is of course the Fritos or Doritos. Serve as a lunch, taco night family dinner with these taco bar ideas, or on taco Tuesday! And pile on your favorite ingredients...

This classic taco salad reminds me of summertime at the beach or lounging poolside with family and friends.

My Mom made this recipe every summer, it was our favorite as kids. And of course, she taught me how to make a taco salad her way!

So what goes into a taco salad?

The Best Taco Salad Recipe

This simple recipe 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 together.

Add toppings you and your family love, like creamy avocado and sour cream. There are 35+ topping ideas are listed below. For a twist, make a Dorito taco salad recipe with crushed chips on top. Or make it the way we always did with crunchy Fritos.

Taco Salad Ingredients

The ingredients for taco salad are straightforward, but like tacos, many people have their favorite toppings. Here are the basic ingredients of taco salad, and then make it just the way you want!

Taco Meat

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

Salad Toppings

• 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 (or Doritos)
• 1 cup Colby or cheddar cheese shredded

• Ground Beef – The taco seasoning and salsa make the BEST spicy 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.
• Fire Roasted Salsa – One of my favorite ways to make ground beef taste amazing. 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 meat, has classic Mexican spices like cumin, chili powder, and oregano plus many others. I love and highly recommend Lawry's Taco Seasoning! It is a Southern California company based in Los Angeles. Or use a homemade taco seasoning recipe.
• 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 for a lighter salad.
• Salad Chips: Okay, in my humble opinion taco FRITO salad is the best. But hey you can use white or blue tortilla chips, nacho cheese Doritos, or thin tortilla strips. Most people crush the chips so you can eat the taco salad with Doritos on 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, they add pretty color and creaminess that make the salad interesting. Be sure to squeeze on lime juice to keep them fresh and bright green.
• Sour Cream: Adds that cool and creamy, balance to the spicy fire-roasted salsa and jalapenos.
• Cheeses: I used Colby and cheddar cheese. A mixed Mexican cheese blend is great, mozzarella or even pepper jack are all delicious.
• Black Beans: Hearty black beans add protein and texture.
• Green Onions: Thinly sliced, and add a nice bite, you could also use pickled red onions or sweet onions like Vidalias diced finely.
• Pickled Jalapeno Peppers: 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, my Mom always added these!
• Bell Pepper: Red and yellow peppers are so beautiful on top, and add more crunch.
• Taco Salad Dressings: Popular dressings are the famous taco salad Catalina dressing or Taco Salad Dressing. Read on for how to make either or both of these!

Recipe Instructions For Taco Salad Meat Mixture

Use a heavy (cast iron) large skillet over medium heat.

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

You can drain grease from the browned ground beef if you wish.

Once the ground beef is browned over medium-high heat and no longer pink, add the salsa and a little packet of taco seasoning. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix and combine well.

And if you have leftovers, use up in ground beef tacos!

Assemble The Salad

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. For dinner time or at parties, it is nice to serve this buffet style. Place all the ingredients in separate bowls, and let people build their own. The whole family will be happy too!

Taco Salad Dressing

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

• 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, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce,½ cup vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper.
• Taco Salad Dressing: Mix 1 cup of Ranch Dressing, ½ cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning to make homemade taco dressing.

Taco Salad Bowls

So many people love taco bowls! I can remember when this first became popular at restaurants. Whether you buy taco salad shells at the store or use your favorite taco bowl recipe.

For a great presentation, a taco salad in shells is a nice presentation and would be fun for a party like a bridal shower or family cookout!

More Topping Ideas

There are so many different ingredients in a taco salad. To make a healthy taco salad, skip the Fritos and Dorito chips, go light on higher-calorie toppings like cheese and sour cream, and you can swap in ground turkey or ground chicken for ground beef.

Many of these ideas can also make a healthy taco salad recipe. Try some of these fun additions with links to my other recipes on Delicious Table!

• avocado salsa
• cilantro
• grilled sweet corn kernels
• red onion or pickled red onions
• baked strips of flour tortillas
• ground turkey, ground chicken, cubed chicken
• grilled tri-tip or carne asada
• guacamole
• hot sauce
• cucumber
• your favorite salsa or homemade 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 salad shell bowls
• Catalina dressing
• taco salad dressing

Taco Salad FAQ

More Salad Recipes

Cobb Salad is a classic 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 dish is served with a Special French Dressing.

Seven-Layer Salad also known as an overnight or "7 Layer Salad", is a festive and a perfect 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 an 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.