• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Yummy Noises

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Salads » Super Simple Taco Salad

    Super Simple Taco Salad

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Taco salad is a quick and easy meal packed full of all the flavors and textures everyone loves in a classic taco, like tomato, lettuce, onion, and avocado! 

    Taco salad in a white bowl surrounded by ingredients

    Who doesn't love a good taco salad, really?

    All the tasty elements of a taco sprinkled over a crisp bed of lettuce just waiting to be forked into your mouth. There are so many great tastes and textures all put together - crisp fresh lettuce, juicy ripe tomato, bite from the onion, seasoned taco meat & hearty beans, and just a little bit of the classic toppings like creamy cheese, avocado & sour cream. Add some broken up tortilla chips for that crunch factor and I daresay this salad is pretty close to taco perfection.

    Closeup image of taco salad in a white bowl

    The thing that really makes THIS taco salad stand out to me is using the garlicky red wine vinaigrette - it's so simple, but not something I've often seen on taco salads! It adds a really nice punch of flavor but in a really light way. Shout out to my mother-in-law for that genius revelation!

    Making taco salad at home is super simple and a lot healthier than getting it at a restaurant. The crunched up tortilla chips replace the insanely calorie-packed tortilla bowl with WAY less calories and fat (and so much easier to eat). I also like using ground turkey instead of ground beef to lighten it up a little bit - with all of the other flavor-packed ingredients you wont miss the beef at all.

    Taco salad in a white bowl surrounded by ingredients, viewed from above
    Taco salad in a white bowl viewed from above

    To help with meal planning, you can reuse a lot of these ingredients to make this Taco Pizza or these Insanely Easy Refried Bean Tostadas!

    Yummy noises await you!

    5 from 1 vote
    Super simple taco salad served in a bowl
    Print
    Super Simple Taco Salad
    Prep Time
    10 mins
    Cook Time
    17 mins
    Total Time
    27 mins
     

    Taco salad is a quick and easy meal packed full of all the flavors and textures everyone loves in a classic taco! 

    Course: Main Course, Salad
    Cuisine: Tex-Mex
    Servings: 4 to 6
    Ingredients
    For the turkey taco meat
    • 1 lb lean ground turkey
    • 1 Tbsp chili powder
    • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp pepper
    • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/4 tsp onion powder
    • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
    • 1/2 cup water
    For the salad
    • 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
    • 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
    • 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
    • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    • 1 medium avocado, diced
    • tortilla chips, lightly crushed, for serving
    • salsa, for serving
    • sour cream, for serving
    For the Garlicky Red Wine Vinaigrette
    • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
    • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
    • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp pepper
    Instructions
    For the turkey taco meat
    1. In a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray, cook & crumble the ground turkey until no longer pink. Add spices and 1/2 cup water, simmer and stir until the water is fully evaporated. Set aside. 

    For the salad
    1. In a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, cooked turkey taco meat, beans, tomatoes, onion, cheddar and avocado.

    For the garlicky red wine vinaigrette
    1. Combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, salt & pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well to combine. 

    Serving
    1. Add dressing to taste and toss well to combine. Divide among individual bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream to taste.

    Recipe Notes

    I like to make a big batch of the taco seasoning and keep it in my spice drawer to make the process even easier. You can swap out a packet of taco seasoning if you like, but I really love this combination of spices! 

     

    This recipe is super flexible, so feel free to swap out ingredients based on your preferences or what you have on hand. 

     

    If you don't think you're going to eat the whole batch, I would recommend adding the dressing, crushed tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream individually, that way the salad wont get soggy.  

    Super Simple Taco Salad | YummyNoises.com - Taco salad is a quick and easy meal packed full of all of the flavors and textures everyone loves in a classic taco!
    « Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Roasted Mushroom, Arugula and Orzo Salad »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Victor Martin

      August 10, 2018 at 9:19 am

      Love this recipe!!

      Reply
      • Rachel

        August 13, 2018 at 10:04 pm

        Us too - it’s a staple!

        Reply
    2. Rich Ray [Dad}

      August 13, 2018 at 7:10 pm

      I do love healthy taco salad...the dressing sounds very interesting also. Your photography is what makes this recipe a winner. It looks so freaking good!

      Reply
      • Rachel

        August 13, 2018 at 10:04 pm

        Thank you!!! ????
        I love the vinaigrette on it!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Subscribe and get a free eCookbook with our top 21 recipes!

    Connect With Us!

    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Popular Recipes

    • Closeup image of Mushroom and goat cheese phyllo bites
      Mushroom and Goat Cheese Phyllo Bites
    • Piece of Spanakopita on a plate
      Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
    • Lebanese Garlic Sauce: Toum in a small bowl surrounded by garlic
      Lebanese Garlic Sauce: Toum
    • Dipping a copycat Domino's parmesan bread bite into marinara sauce
      Copycat Domino's Parmesan Bread Bites
    • Ethiopian spiced lentil soup in a bowl
      Ethiopian-Spiced Lentil Soup with Tangy Greek Yogurt
    • Classic lemon bars stacked on a plate
      Classic Lemon Bars
    • Closeup of roasted beets with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette
      Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction
    • the best classic guacamole in a bowl surrounded by tortilla chips
      The Best Classic Guacamole

    About Me

    Hi! I’m Rachel. Welcome to Yummy Noises, and thank you for visiting! I’m obsessed with food, and I think the absolute best way to gauge how good a recipe really is, is by the yummy noises. To me – that is how you know that your food is really awesome, and those are some of my favorite sounds in the world! More→

    Copyright © 2023 Yummy Noises on the Foodie Pro Theme