Easy Taco Salad Recipe
A healthy Taco Salad, loaded with juicy ground beef, served over a bed of crisp lettuce and all of the best taco salad toppings.
We love tacos, from our famous Fish Tacos to our Carne Asada Street Tacos and even Taco Soup – Tacos are a fun menu item to make and tastes just as good as going out for tacos (except fresher and healthier).

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Taco Salad Recipe
A taco salad is basically a deconstructed taco so it is a low-carb option compared to traditional tacos. They are so satisfying and super easy to make. Try this with our homemade Pico De Gallo and you will be known for your taco salad.

How to Make Taco Salad
If you have made Ground Beef Tacos in the past, you already know how to make the salad. The process is very similar and even easier.
- Cook Beef: In a large skillet over medium heat, brown your beef, breaking it up with a spatula until no pink remains. Drain off excess fat, add taco seasoning and water, and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Assemble: Chop lettuce and divide into serving bowls. Top with ground beef.
- Serve: Add remaining desired toppings and serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice over the top.

More Taco Salad Toppings
We love the classic toppings of Mexican cheese, avocado, Pico, tortilla strips (or chips), sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges. You can change up Taco Tuesday’s with these fun taco bar options:
- Black beans, rinsed and drained
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Black olives, drained
- Red onion, diced
- Chives or green onion, chopped
- Guacamole
- Grilled Corn on the Cob

How to Serve Taco Salad
- Taco Bar – you can arrange all of the ingredients in separate bowls and let your guests build their own custom taco salads. We love this option when there are gluten-free or keto dinner guests. P.S. You can get gluten-free taco seasoning.
- Layered Salad – if you want to serve this as one large salad for a party, you can assemble it in a 9×13 glass casserole as a layered taco salad (similar to a 7-layer dip) starting with the lettuce then beef, and sprinkle remaining toppings evenly over the top.
- Taco Salad Bowls – serve this as a side salad or as a main course. Divide lettuce between bowls, add ground beef, and desired toppings.
Tips for the Best Taco Salad
Use Lean Ground Beef (90/10) – Ground beef with a higher fat content will release more fat. Tilt the pan for the fat to pool at the corn of the pan then spoon off the excess fat. If you don’t skim it off, the fat will solidify on the meat when it cools and you don’t want that.
Assemble just before serving – Mixed taco salad does not keep well as the salt in the pico and taco seasoning will wilt the lettuce over time. If you want to make this in advance, see the meal prep option below.

Common Questions
This is naturally a low-carb meal option. To make it healthier and lower-calorie, select lean ground beef. To make this a keto taco salad, skip the tortilla strips.
Yes, just about any ground meat will work. Try ground turkey for a turkey taco salad. Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken also works great.
You don’t need a dressing for taco salad because the sour cream and pico de gallo serve as a ‘dressing.’ If you prefer a dressing, try our Avocado Ranch or our Jalapeño Ranch with a little heat to it.
Meal Prep (Make-Ahead) Option
Meal planning with taco salad is genius – all of the ingredients keep well and taste just as good when made ahead in a meal prep container and you can combine all of the ingredients just before serving. Pack a lime wedge to squeeze over the top before serving.
- Pack your lettuce into sandwich-sized plastic bags for max freshness and place it into a meal prep container.
- Arrange toppings in strips: taco meat, cheese, and avocado (squeeze fresh lime juice over avocados to slow down the browning process).
- Pico and sour cream keep best stored in small lidded containers or zip bags.
- Pack tortilla strips separate since those will soften.

Taco Salad is a quick and easy meal. You can use this basic recipe over and over changing up the toppings to make dinner exciting.
Easy Taco Salad Recipe

A taco salad is basically a deconstructed taco. It's a low-carb option compared to traditional tacos and taco salads are perfect for make-ahead meal prep.
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 4 Tbsp taco seasoning mix , or 1 packet
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 iceberg lettuce, medium head, chopped
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
- 1 cup pico de gallo, or to taste
- 1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend, or to taste
- 1/2 cup tortilla strips or chips
- 1/2 cup sour cream, or to taste
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
-
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown your beef. When there is no pink left on the meat, spoon out all of the excess fat then add 4 Tbsp or 1 packet of taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool until it’s lightly warm or room temperature.
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Chop lettuce and place into serving bowls (serves 6 as a side salad or 4 as a main course). Divide ground beef between the bowls over the lettuce.
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Add remaining toppings as desired: avocado, pico de gallo, cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over salad before serving. The sour cream and pico serve as the dressing for this salad.
Thinking about making this recipe for July 4th weekend….does it keep well in the fridge or would you recommend not using for a multi day event?
Hi Angie, we found it best fresh. It may work to pre-chop everything ahead and mix just before serving. I hope that helps!
Absolutely inedible! Since I was making it for the first time, I followed receipe exactly. It should never have called for an entire envelope of taco seasoning! Did you actually feed this to your children? Probably half a packet of seasoning would have been plenty but I will not go back to this recipe.
Hi Jewell, I’m sorry you had this experience. I use a 1 ounce packet of taco seasoning (about 4 tbsp). Did you by change use a larger packet, reduce, or leave out some of the ingredients in this recipe? I find this to be a good balance between the lettuce and all the other ingredients but you can always use less, many of my readers adjust this to their taste preference.
I understand the need to express your disappointment but adding in that snarky comment about feeding it to her children was just mean and ugly. Shame on you.
Every taco meat recipe I have ever seen uses 1 packet of taco seasoning mix for the 1 lb of meat. This is standard. Not sure how this would have resulted in a inedible dish?????
I’m sorry, but a recipe for taco salad should include ingredients for taco “seasoning”…. I’d hate to think you meant that packaged store bought poison….
Hi Christel, yes, packaged taco seasoning is what we used in this recipe. For those who’d like a healthier option, you can create your own taco seasoning with your preferred ingredients (such as chili powder, garlic, onion, paprika, cumin, etc.) However, I do not have a recipe for this at the moment.
Can I make mini taco bowls with small tortillas to serve this in?? Can I make them ahead of time or will they get soft?
Hi Fran, I think that would work. If you fill the taco bowls, I think they would get soft. So it’s best to prep it and put them together before you serve them.
Hi Natasha, First, I want you to know I am continuing to pray for your family and friends in the Ukraine. My heart aches for them !
Now, I am having 6 ladies for lunch next week and thought I would make a generous taco salad, a mixed fruit salad…and of course, a dessert. Wondering, can you help me with the quantities for the taco salad?
Hi Sue, thank you. This recipe serves 6 people as a side salad. If you want to have generous servings you can increase by 1/2 or double it. If you scroll down to the recipe card and put your cursor over the number “6” in red, you can adjust the serving size of the recipe. I hope this helps.
Great recipe! Another idea for this salad is by using small bags of nachos. You cut with scissors the side of the bag, then spoon in your burger and all the fixings. Kids love it this way with their own little salad – plus no dishes to clean!!!
Hello JP, Thanks for the tips and ideas. That’s a good one!
I’ve been thinking of what recipes would be easy for my husband to make for dinners. I had surgery Thanksgiving day w/broken ankle and still recuperating. So my husband is the cook now. I was thinking of easy dinners. Your taco salad looks so good and easy for him. I love your recipes!
This is a very EASY recipe! I’m so glad you both loved it! I hope your recovery goes smoothly and quickly!
I was wondering what I can use besides pico de gallo? I can not have anything spicy in my food I have a very sensitive stomach?
Hi Brittany, you can make the pico de gallo without the jalapeno to make it not spicy. I hope that helps and you love this recipe!
All your recipes are just perfect; but I ant seem to print the secrets for a better cook. Thanks for all your recipes, I’m Greek and even my family likes the, and my fuzzy daughter and granddaughter. Stay with it.
Hi Georgia, the 5 secrets come into your email inbox when you sign up using one of the forms on our blog (there is one at the top of the site on the homepage). You should be able to print from your email. I’m so glad you love the recipes!
I really enjoy your food blogs. Good recipes and so easy to follow.
You’re so nice! Thank you!
Love this recipe!!
Glad you loved it!
Could i leave out the avocado , and sub cucumber for it
Hi Sheila, we love it with Avocado, but I bet that could work.
This is almost exactly how I make our Taco Salads, which is a favorite in our household. I am sure others will come to enjoy it as much as we do. Thanks Natasha!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Looking forward to trying something new for Taco Tuesday tonight; looks too good to pass up, indeed!
I hope this becomes your new favorite!
I never thought of taking taco salad like this. Love love love this idea and have used it on several days. Thanks for the idea.
You’re welcome, I hope this becomes your new favorite recipe!
Yummy! I love a good taco salad, so I’ll definitely have to try this one as soon as possible! So excited!
Hi Beth, please do! We would love to hear your feedback too after you try it.
I love how easy and delicious this Taco Salad is!! I will definitely be making this tomorrow for lunch! YUM!
I hope you love this recipe! We love Taco Salad around here!