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Ground Beef Taco Salad
4.9 from 168 votes

Ground Beef Taco Salad

This Ground Beef Taco Salad blends seasoned beef with fresh romaine, green onions, and cilantro, topped with cheddar, tomatoes, radishes, avocado, corn, jalapeños, and crunchy tortilla chips. The salad can be dressed with creamy tomatillo cilantro ranch or creamy salsa dressing for a zesty finish, combining textures from crisp vegetables to savory meat and creamy toppings.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 807 kcal
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the taco meat
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/4 cup taco seasoning or McCormick's Premium Taco Seasoning, homemade
  • 3/4 cup water
For the salad
  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 1/2 cup green onions chopped
  • 1 bunch cilantro chopped
Toppings
  • 1 & 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 & 1/2 cups cherry tomato or chopped tomatoes of any kind
  • 8 radish thinly sliced
  • 1/2 red onion chopped
  • 2 avocado chopped (and/or 1 cup guacamole
  • 1 cup corn thawed, frozen
  • 1-2 jalapeños sliced
  • tortilla chips or Fritos, crushed, Juanitas brand
  • sour cream to taste (optional)
  • salsa to taste (optional, restaurant style
  • lime to garnish, sliced
Creamy Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch (Dressing Option 1)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 (.4-oz) package ranch seasoning buttermilk flavor
  • 1 Serrano pepper roughly chopped
  • 2 tomatillos halved
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • 1 lime zest
  • 1 lime juice
  • milk if the dressing is too thick
Creamy Salsa Dressing (Dressing Option 2)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup salsa restaurant style
  • 1 teaspoon taco seasoning **
  • 1 lime zest
  • 1 lime juice

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Start with the taco meat.**Brown 1 pound ground beef in a skillet on the stove, over medium heat. Break up the meat into small pieces. Once it is no longer pink (3-5 minutes), remove from heat. Tilt the pan and scoop the grease into a foil-lined bowl (then refrigerate and toss when solidified). Return the pan back to the stove and set over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup homemade taco seasoning. (Or use 1/4 cup Premium Taco Seasoning. Or a regular taco packet will do, but add in a tablespoon of cornmeal along with the packet.) Add 3/4 cup water to the pan. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Turn off the heat when there is still thickened liquid at the bottom of the pan. If you cook until all the liquid has evaporated, you will have dry taco meat; no thanks. Set aside and keep warm, covered.
  2. Prep the lettuce and herbs. Chop the romaine into bite size pieces and dry in a salad spinner (or dry off with paper towels). Add 1/2 cup chopped green onions and 1 bunch of chopped cilantro. Spin to mix, or add to a large bowl and toss together.
  3. Prep your toppings. Grate 1 and 1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Chop 1 and 1/2 cups tomatoes. Thinly slice 8 radishes. Dice half a red onion. Chop 2 avocados (or make a quick guacamole with them by adding a bit of lime and salt). Thaw out 1 cup of frozen corn (I usually stick it in the microwave for 20 seconds and then let it finish thawing on the counter). Slice 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers. Crush some Juanitas or Fritos, but leave some whole for garnishing.
Decide which dressing you want to make:
  1. Creamy Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch (Dressing Option 1). In a blender, add 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 package ranch seasoning, 1 serrano pepper (roughy chopped), 2 halved tomatillos, half a bunch of cilantro, and the zest and juice from 1 lime. Blend until smooth. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time if it is too thick. (Leftover dressing will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks!)
  2. Creamy Salsa Dressing (Dressing Option 2). In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sour cream (OR Crema Mexicana!) with 1/3 cup Restaurant style salsa, 1 teaspoon taco seasoning,** and the zest and juice from 1 lime. (Leftover dressing will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks!)
  3. Assemble the salad. Divide the lettuce mixture between 4 large plates or wide bowls. Add about a quarter of the taco meat to each bowl. Add about a quarter of each topping ingredient to each bowl. Cheese, tomatoes, radishes, red onion, avocados, corn, jalapeños, and crushed chips. Top with sour cream, salsa, extra whole tortilla chips, and dressing of your choice. And guacamole and extra avocados if you want. Squeeze a lime over the whole thing for an extra zing. 
  4. Alternatively, you can place all the toppings in bowls on the table, and guests can build their own salad. If trying to impress, it's actually really helpful to post a list of ingredients nearby for people to check as they build. There's nothing sadder than getting halfway through eating your salad only to realize you're missing the guac! 

Notes

  • Cheddar cheese is traditional, but Cotija or Queso Fresco provide alternative flavors.
  • If using creamy salsa dressing, reserve a teaspoon of taco seasoning from the meat to season the dressing.
  • Additional toppings to consider include black olives, white onions, homemade Pico de Gallo, black or pinto beans, and different chips like Doritos.
  • For a meatless version, substitute cooked seasoned black or pinto beans prepared with garlic and onion for extra flavor.
  • For meal prep, keep lettuce and herbs dry and separately store meat, vegetables, chips, dressing, salsa, and sour cream to maintain freshness.
  • Nutritional information excludes the dressing options.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 807kcal (40%) Carbohydrates 48g (16%) Protein 37g (74%) Fat 56g (86%) Saturated Fat 20g (100%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g (29%) Monounsaturated Fat 24g (120%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 123mg (41%) Potassium 1574mg (33%) Fiber 16g (64%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 16163IU (323%) Vitamin C 48mg (53%) Calcium 424mg (42%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 807

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 807kcal 40%
Carbohydrates 48g 16%
Protein 37g 74%
Fat 56g 86%
Saturated Fat 20g 100%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Monounsaturated Fat 24g 120%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 123mg 41%
Potassium 1574mg 33%
Fiber 16g 64%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 16163IU 323%
Vitamin C 48mg 53%
Calcium 424mg 42%
Iron 7mg 39%

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