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5.0 from 6 votes

Easy Taco Salad with Ground Turkey

Whip up an easy taco salad recipe with ground turkey for a fast, hearty dinner salad! With cool crunchy iceberg lettuce, seasoned ground beef, crunchy tortilla chips, and a cool, creamy sour cream dressing, your whole family will be asking for salad for dinner!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 586 kcal
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral oil of choice
  • 4 corn tortillas cut into strips
  • 1 lb. ground turkey or ground chicken or beef, or extra black beans for vegetarian (see notes)
  • 15 oz. canned black beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning see notes
  • 2 tablespoons water plus more if needed
  • 4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce about 1 small head, or romaine
  • 4 oz. cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese or something similar, shredded
  • 1 large tomato diced
  • ½ cup diced red onion from about ½ of a medium onion
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional, see notes)
For the Dressing
  • ¼ cup sour cream or Greek Yogurt, or Mexican Crema
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice from about 1 lime
  • ½ large avocado or one whole small avocado
  • a few dashes hot sauce depending on spice level preferences
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves (optional, see notes)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • water, as needed to thin out dressing so it can be poured

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large heavy skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium heat. Add the 4 corn tortillas, cut into strips, and fry until golden brown crispy, flipping with a spatula every so often. Keep an eye on them as once they start to get golden brown they will cook quickly. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, keeping as much oil in the skillet as possible.
  2. In the same skillet, add the 1 lb. ground turkey and the drained and rinsed 15 oz. canned black beans, along with the 2 tablespoons taco seasoning. Cook until turkey is fully browned, breaking apart with a wooden spoon as much as possible so it is in small crumbles. Add 2 tablespoons water and stir to thicken it slightly and make a bit of a sauce, adding more if needed. Allow to cool slightly to thicken more and so it's not steamy hot when you add it to the salad, as this will wilt the lettuce almost immediately.
  3. To make the dressing: Add the ¼ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons lime juice, a few dashes hot sauce, ¼ cup cilantro leaves, ½ large avocado, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth and creamy. If you like, you can add water, as needed to thin the dressing out so you can drizzle it on top of the salad. Taste and add salt if needed.
  4. On a large platter, or evenly distributed among 4-6 salad plates, layer the 4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce, the cooked turkey and bean mixture, the shredded 4 oz. cheddar cheese, the crispy tortilla strips, the diced 1 large tomato, the ½ cup diced red onion, the ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro.
  5. Drizzle the salad with the dressing and serve.

Notes

  • Substitutions: Use ground beef or chicken instead of turkey, other beans such as pinto instead of black beans, omit the cilantro if you don't like the taste of it, and feel free to add or take away any of the other taco salad ingredients - throw in some corn, diced avocado, or other toppings if you want!
  • Make it vegetarian: use 2 cans black beans instead of ground turkey, or a vegetarian ground meat substitute or crumbled tofu.
  • Make it vegan/dairy-free: make it vegetarian plus omit the cheese (or use a vegan alternative) and just omit the sour cream in the dressing - the avocado will be creamy enough.
  • Leftovers are great as traditional tacos! Just microwave a tortilla topped with the turkey mixture and some shredded cheese, then top with whatever leftover fixings and sauce you have.

Nutrition Information

Calories 586kcal (29%) Carbohydrates 39g (13%) Protein 43g (86%) Fat 30g (46%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g Monounsaturated Fat 13g Trans Fat 0.05g Cholesterol 99mg (33%) Sodium 1072mg (45%) Potassium 1095mg (31%) Fiber 13g (52%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 1317IU (26%) Vitamin C 17mg (19%) Calcium 303mg (30%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 586

% Daily Value*

Calories 586kcal 29%
Carbohydrates 39g 13%
Protein 43g 86%
Fat 30g 46%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Monounsaturated Fat 13g 65%
Trans Fat 0.05g 3%
Cholesterol 99mg 33%
Sodium 1072mg 45%
Potassium 1095mg 23%
Fiber 13g 52%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 1317IU 26%
Vitamin C 17mg 19%
Calcium 303mg 30%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.