This Taco Salad recipe will become your go-to meal when you want something quick and easy for lunch. It is loaded with tomato salsa, avocado slices, lettuce, and, of course, taco-seasoned ground beef.
This easy Taco Salad recipe is one of my favorite ways to eat salad and to taste the wonderful flavors of Mexican cuisine in a light, fresh dish. This salad is loaded with good ingredients, and it’s very low in calories and carbs.
This fresh taco salad recipe is dairy-free and beanless, which makes it a perfect salad recipe for those of you who are trying to eat lighter.
I love that this Ground Beef Taco Salad recipe has lots of veggies, good fats, and protein-rich meat. It’s also very colourful, quick to make, and so tasty! And on top of that, this salad is so filling that you feel like you’re eating a full meal.
Taco Meat Ingredients
- Olive oil — Extra virgin. You can also use avocado oil!
- Ground beef — Select lean ground beef at the grocery store. Grass-fed and organic options are also preferable.
- Veggies — White onion, red bell pepper, and fresh garlic.
- Homemade taco seasoning — Paprika, onion powder, coriander, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. You can also add a little bit of hot sauce.
- Broth — I use chicken broth. Vegetable stock can also be substituted.
Salsa Ingredients
- Tomatoes — I like using Roma tomatoes, but you can use any variety you’ve got on hand, such as cherry tomatoes!
- Vegetables — Red onion, green bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper.
- Cilantro — Fresh, chopped cilantro adds gorgeous color and tastes amazing.
- Lime juice — Adds delicious, zesty flavor!
- Garlic — One fresh clove, finely minced.
- Seasonings — Salt and pepper to taste and even garlic powder if you prefer.
Salad Ingredients
- Greens — Chopped romaine lettuce or preferred leafy greens, such as iceberg lettuce.
- Avocado — A bit of diced avocado adds creaminess and good fats.
- Seasonings — Salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish/Toppings — Fresh chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Optional: green onions and jalapeño.
Prepare taco meat:
- Measure olive oil into a large pot or a large skillet on the stovetop and turn heat to medium-high. Add ground beef, crumble with a spoon, and allow it to brown completely.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Drain grease if there is a lot. Add diced onion and red bell pepper and cook these three ingredients together until the onion softens (5-8 minutes).
- Stir in minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds longer. Then, mix in all of your seasonings!
- Last, add your chicken broth and bring everything to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid.
- Simmer for 20-30 minutes and stir every once in a while to prevent burning/sticking.
Make your salsa:
- Cut up your tomatoes, veggies, and cilantro. Finely mince garlic and place all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add lime juice and mix well. Then, add salt and pepper to taste!
Assemble salads:
- Chop the lettuce and slice the avocado. Portion leafy greens and avocado into serving bowls, then add ground beef mixture and fresh pico de gallo salsa.
- Add a bit more salt and pepper if desired. Garnish each bowl with a lime wedge and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
For extra heat, add some slices of jalapeño if you prefer.
If you are not doing Whole30, you can top your salad with shredded nacho cheese like cheddar cheese, a package of Mexican cheese blend, and a dollop of sour cream.
For an extra topping, add chopped black olives and radishes.
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Taco Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Taco Ground Beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- 1 cup white onion diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup chicken broth
For the Salsa
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon jalapeno chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
- Fresh cilantro chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 4-6 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- half avocado sliced
- lime wedges – for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
For the Taco Ground Beef
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over high heat. Add the ground beef and cook it until it gets completely brown. Set it aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add onion and bell pepper. Cook until onions are soft and translucent. It’s about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add all the spices (paprika, onion powder, coriander powder, chili powder, cumin powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper).
- Stir everything together and bring cooked ground beef to the pot. Give a stir and add chicken stock.
- Bring the ground beef mixture to a boil and then, lower the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 20-30 mins (the longer, the better), stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
For the Salsa
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
For the Salad
- In a large salad bowl, add lettuces, sliced avocado, salsa and half of the cooked ground beef.
- Squeeze some lime on top of the salad and season it with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chop ingredients up nice and small so you get a bit of everything in each bite.
- If you want to use pre-made taco seasoning, make sure to get a whole30 approved one with no filler ingredients.
- If making this ahead of time, you should hold off slicing the avocado as it’ll brown as it oxidizes.
- For the best flavour use fresh lime juice.
- To store: If this salad will be your lunch at work, bring the salsa and avocado in a separate container to avoid the salad getting soggy. Everything will keep well when separate for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat the beef separately in the microwave from the salsa and lettuce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi Olivia
Do you think we could swap the ground beef for tofu ?
Yes you absolutely can 😉
I need help. How does this only take 20 minutes? Am I doing something wrong? Great recipe though!
Thanks! The ground beef normally cooks very fast. Chopping veggies can take more time if you don’t have lots of practice chopping veggies. But you can always place all the veggies in a food processor or in a vegetable chopper to make things go faster. Hope it helps!
The recipe instructions say to cook the meat 30-60 minutes after adding broth. I haven’t made this yet and it might become obvious when I do, but should that be 30-60 seconds?
Thanks!
Sarah
Sorry it was a type. Actually you will simmer it for about 30 minutes.
This recipe is amazing! My family absolutely love it! Full of flavour and very quick to make! Love it
So so so happy to hear this 😉
Yum! So much flavor. I used ground turkey and it was every bit as good. The salsa is such a great “dressing”. Thanks!
Right? The salsa is great as dressing.
Ingredient amount?
In the recipe box/card!
Absolutely loved it! I added some cheddar cheese and tortilla chips to it. Absolutely delicious.
Glad to hear that!
Love this
The best!