Try this ground beef taco salad for a mess-free Tex-Mex meal!
Normally, the idea of salad does NOT excite me. But if the word salad is preceded by “ground beef taco…”
Ground Beef Taco Salad
Well, now, that’s a different story.
This salad is just tacos in a bowl! It has all the necessary ingredients, including savory beef, lettuce, and cheese- the works. Plus, Catalina dressing.
But it’s so much less messy. I like my tacos in my mouth, not on the table!
Every bite is delicious. How could it not be? With ingredients like seasoned ground beef, tortilla chips, and all your favorite taco mix-ins.
Even picky eaters won’t mind eating this salad for lunch or dinner. It’s just so darn good!
Plus, you can customize the ingredients. Just like a taco!
Ingredients
You’re free to customize your taco salad as you please with your favorite Mexican toppings and mix-ins.
But don’t skip these essential ingredients:
- Ground Beef: Any kind works, but I prefer 85/15. I find it has a nice balance of lean and fat. You can also use ground turkey or chicken.
- Taco Seasoning: Use low-sodium seasoning to help control how much salt goes into the dish.
- Iceberg Lettuce: While you can use leafy greens for this salad, I prefer iceberg or romaine lettuce. Their distinct crunch gives the salad more character.
- Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar is mild yet sharp, but I imagine a Mexican cheese blend will taste fantastic. You can try pepper jack for a nice kick. And queso fresco is absolutely delicious!
- Nacho-Flavored Tortilla Chips: Chips give the salad a nice crunchy element reminiscent of hard-shell tacos. Pick any brand and flavor you like!
- Catalina Salad Dressing: This dressing features ketchup, sugar, vinegar, oil, Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, and cayenne pepper. It has a lovely balance of sweet, tangy, savory, and spicy.
How to Make Ground Beef Taco Salad
The best thing about ground beef taco salad is it only takes 20 minutes to make! Once the ground beef is ready, it’s just a matter of assembling the salad.
You’ll find detailed instructions at the bottom of the post, but here’s the highlights:
1. Cook the ground beef.
- Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium heat. Stir the meat to break it into pieces and cook until no longer pink.
- Drain the liquid and mix in taco seasoning and water.
- Let the mixture simmer until the sauce is thick. Set aside to cool.
2. Prepare the salad accouterments.
- Chop the lettuce, crush the tortilla chips, shred the cheese, and ready the dressing.
3. Assemble the salad.
- Toss together chopped lettuce, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, Catalina dressing, and taco beef.
- Top with your favorite Mexican mix-ins.
Enjoy it as a light meal. Or pair it with chicken fajitas, Spanish rice, elote, or any Mexican dish. Serve it with chips for a delicious, scoopable treat!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Make the salad your own. Add corn salsa, black beans, avocado, sour cream, or pico de gallo.
- Change up the protein. This is one of my go-to shredded beef recipes, but it also works with chicken or turkey.
- Use pre-washed salad greens. It’ll speed up the prep and give you more variety.
- Add some heat. A few chopped jalapeños will do the trick.
- Make it veggie-friendly. Skip the cheese and replace the ground beef with 2-3 cups of beans.
How to Store
Ground beef taco salad is best served right away. But if you already know you’ll have leftovers, don’t toss the components together just yet.
Instead, assemble only what you can finish and store the ingredients in separate containers.
That way, the lettuce will stay crisp and the tortilla chips crunchy. It also makes reheating the beef easier.
To Store: Place individual salad components – beef, lettuce, tortilla chips, dressing, etc. – in separate airtight containers. Be sure the meat has cooled before storing.
Store everything but the tortilla chips in the fridge for up to 4 days. The tortilla chips can be stored at room temperature.
To Reheat: Reheat the ground beef on the stove at medium-low heat until warmed through. Or microwave for 1 minute.
Allow the meat to cool slightly before assembling the salad.
More Mexican Recipes You’ll Love
Easy Taco Casserole
Taco Bell Quesadilla Recipe
Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
Easy Taco Spaghetti Recipe
Easy Crockpot Taco Soup Recipe
Easy Ground Beef Taco Salad
6
servings5
minutes12
minutes416
kcalWant the best ground beef taco salad? Well, you just found it! This easy recipe is loaded with bold Tex-Mex flavors, fresh ingredients, and savory beef. YUM!
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 packet reduced-sodium taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
1 medium head iceberg lettuce, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups crushed nacho tortilla chips
1/4 cup Catalina salad dressing
Instructions
- Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium heat, about 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink. Break the meat into crumbles and drain. Mix in taco seasoning and water; bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes, or until thick. Let the beef cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, toss lettuce, cheese, beef mixture, crushed tortilla chips, and Catalina dressing. Serve and enjoy!
What are the quantities pleas for the Catalina dressing. You told us what it contains but not the quantities of each item. I think that is important or you could be experimenting all day and throwing loads away. Thanks.
Hi John!
You can find the quantities at the bottom of the post in the recipe card 🙂