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A white plate full of taco salad topped with taco meat, grated cheese, Fritos, sour cream, black olives and tomatoes.
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5 from 2 votes

Easy Taco Salad ~ 35+ Topping Ideas

Taco Salad with 35+ topping ideas plus a delicious taco meat recipe. Works as lunch, family dinner, or party food for a large gathering.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: classic taco salad, easy taco salad recipe, taco meat, taco salad, taco salad recipe
Servings: 6
Calories: 795kcal

Ingredients

Taco Meat

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 juicy beef if you wish.

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.
  • 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 taco seasoning mix.
  • Store the leftover meat in an airtight container, and each topping in a separate container in the refrigerator. You can enjoy ground beef taco salad for several days or make tacos!

Video

Notes

dressing (optional)

You can add a dressing if you like, this recipe tastes amazing without one. If you would like dressing, try either these!
  • Try either Catalina Dressing, 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 salad vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper.
  • Taco Salad Dressing; Mix 1 cup Ranch Dressing, ½ cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon seasoning to make homemade taco salad dressing.

More Taco Salad Toppings

  • avocado salsa taco sauce
  • 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 or homemade salsa!
  • cooked diced chicken
  • 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

Ingredient Notes

    • 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.
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Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 795kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 1606mg | Potassium: 1312mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 12266IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 441mg | Iron: 6mg