EASY Homemade Taco Salad – A Beautiful Mess

This homemade taco salad recipe is one of those meals I throw together on busy week nights. It’s simple, easy to customize and tastes so fresh. Taco salad is basically a deconstructed taco but heavy on the salad greens or lettuce. I most often make this with ground beef, chicken or turkey but you could also use all beans, tempeh or tofu (like sofritas) for a vegetarian option.

I will sometimes serve taco salad in a tortilla bowl for a pretty presentation. But if I don’t have any my other favorite way to serve this is to melt cheese on to tortilla chips and then serve the taco salad on top. Sort of a taco salad nachos situation.

Related: More taco salad fillings to try include Carnitas, Al Pastor, or Barbacoa.

Ingredients

• Lean ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken)
• Taco seasoning
• Black beans
• Lettuce or salad greens
• Onion
• Tomato
• Bell pepper
• Tortilla bowls or chips
• Toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, etc.

How to make Taco Salad

First brown the meat and season with taco seasoning. Drain and add the beans to the last few minutes of cooking so everything gets warm together. Once the meat is cooked, set aside.

Next prep the vegetables. Rinse the lettuce, tomatoes and bell pepper. Chop up everything to how you like it for a salad. Some people prefer big pieces of bell pepper or onion, it’s totally up to you.

If you are using tortilla bowls that need warming or are making your own (like I do for this spicy tempeh taco salad recipe) do that now.

Assemble your taco salad: tortilla bowl or chips, lettuce, meat mixture, cheese, other vegetables, salsa and sour cream. This is how I layer it, you do you. Enjoy warm.

Notes and Substitutions

• You can swap the black beans for any canned cook beans you prefer.
• If you have leftovers, especially the meat and bean mixture, you can use it in other recipes like tacos, nachos or rice bowls.
• You could absolutely make your own toppings for this: salsa, guacamole, avocado salsa, mango salsa, pico de gallo.

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