Taco Salad
Updated Mar 05, 2026
Easy Taco Salad recipe with ground beef, lettuce, black beans, shredded cheese, and pico de gallo. Great weeknight dinner.
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Make taco salad meal prep bowls!
I love tacos, but some nights I just don’t feel like standing there filling them one at a time. That’s usually when I make taco salad instead.
It’s basically everything I’d put in tacos anyway: seasoned ground beef, lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo, black beans, and a little sour cream. The only difference is that this taco salad all goes in a bowl and gets served with tortilla strips or scooped up with tortilla strips. Same flavors, way less effort.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Taco Salad Ingredients
- Ground beef: I prefer lean ground beef for this recipe. You could also make it with ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Yellow onion: Chop it up and cook it in olive oil until softened. Read my tips on how to chop an onion. Then, after you add and cook the ground beef, stir in taco seasoning, salt, tomato paste, and water.
- For assembly: I like to start with a base of chopped romaine lettuce in each taco salad. After I add the taco meat, I like to add pico de gallo, black beans, sour cream, and tortilla strips. Don’t forget the shredded cheese! Cheddar, Mexican blend, or Monterey Jack are great options. This recipe is very versatile, so what goes in the taco salad is up to you!
How to Make Taco Salad
Taco Salad Recipe
Homemade Taco Salad with seasoned beef, crisp lettuce, black beans, and tortilla strips topped with sour cream.
Ingredients
Taco Meat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste (depending on seasoning)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
For Assembly
- 8 packed cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar, Mexican blend, or Monterey Jack
- 1 cup pico de gallo
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup sour cream
- Tortilla strips
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–7 minutes, until softened. Add the ground beef and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through. Stir in the taco seasoning, salt, tomato paste, and water. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until the mixture is saucy and well combined. Remove from heat.
- Divide the romaine lettuce among four bowls. Top each with taco meat, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, black beans, and sour cream. Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
My Top Tip: Cook the beef with a flat wooden spatula. This helps break it up in the skillet into smaller pieces so there are more browned edges.
Storage: Store the cooked taco beef in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. Reheat in the microwave and assemble fresh taco salad bowls. I recommend storing everything separately so the greens don’t wilt and the salad components stay as fresh as possible.
Freezing: You can also freeze the cooked taco beef for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm it up in the microwave when ready to eat. The salad doesn’t freeze well once assembled, so I recommend freezing only the cooked beef.
Nutrition
Serving: 3cups, Calories: 546kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 119mg, Sodium: 1175mg, Potassium: 875mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1146IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 290mg, Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Tips
- Keep ingredients separated until you’re ready to eat. With all the toppings and sauces, it’s important to keep everything in separate containers so the greens don’t wilt and the mix-ins all stay as fresh as possible.
- Use warm and cold ingredients. Warm taco meat and warm black beans pair well with cool, crisp lettuce, creamy avocado, and room-temperature toppings. If everything is cold, the salad will taste dull. But if everything is hot, the salad will feel heavy. Find a good balance!
Serving Ideas
- Corn: Corn Salsa, Mexican Street Corn Salad, Corn Ribs
- Rice: White rice, Cilantro Lime Rice
- Sauces: Avocado Crema, Guacamole, Peach Salsa
Comments
From what I have seen recipes are healthy especially the salads. Other meals looked and sounded easy and delicious.
Thank you!
Love your tips for making taco salad meal prep.
Love the recipes THANK YOU !!!
Yay! You’re so welcome!
Could you please tell me what brand your glass 3 compartment meal prep containers? They look really nice. Thanks you!
Great question. These are made by Bentgo, and you can get them on Amazon.
Here’s the affiliate link: https://amzn.to/2IpYNPp