Taco salad recipe with turkey taco meat, tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, black beans, corn, tomatoes and romaine lettuce. Plus instructions on how to store for meal prep.
When I don’t know what to cook for dinner, a big salad it is! This taco salad recipe is a great ‘clean out the fridge’ meal because you can use up whatever veggies you need to use up.
After sharing my favorite homemade taco seasoning recipe, it’s time to share a recipe to use it in! These taco salad bowls are so easy to make and everyone in the family loves them.
In fact it’s barely a recipe and you can swap out ingredients for what you’d prefer. I’m also sharing my tips to convert this into a meal prep lunch!
Don’t forget to pin this post to save it for later!
We love this taco salad recipe because
- it can be ready in under 20 minutes
- you can enjoy it as a meal prep lunch
- you can swap out ingredients based on what you have in the fridge or pantry
How to make taco salad
Easy! Just take your favorite taco toppings and mix them all up in a bowl. Add tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream and you have yourself a meal!
Here’s how to make taco salad:
- cook taco meat– use my favorite (GF and low carb) Homemade Taco Seasoning and avoid the processed ingredients
- chop veggies while meat is cooking- I used tomatoes, romaine, corn, black beans and avocado
- shred up some cheese
- pick your favorite condiments– guacamole, salsa, sour cream these are all great options!
- toss it all together with tortilla chips (or strips) and enjoy!
How can you convert this healthy taco salad into a meal prep recipe? I highly recommend using mason jars! By layering the taco meat (and condiments) at the bottom of the jar and the romaine lettuce at the top, your lettuce will remain crisp for up to 4 days! Important: skip the avocado (or cut it fresh) and add the tortilla chips just before serving. For these taco salad bowls I recommend quart-sized jars
(4 cup/2 pint). Go big!
How do you serve a jar salad? You can eat it right out of the jar (give it a good shake up first), or you can bring a bowl and shake it all out into the bow. I prefer the bowl option, personally!
Can I make this healthy taco salad with chicken? Yes! Simply cut 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs into bite sized pieces, and cook as you would the ground meat. Cook through, then toss with water & taco seasoning and simmer until sauce is thickened.
How long does taco salad keep? Not very long once you toss everything up, however you can pre-chop your ingredients and store in containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also portion out in mason jars (layer with the romaine at the top and condiments + taco meat at the bottom). Don’t cut your avocados until just before serving.
What can I serve with taco salad? We find this to be a filling meal on its own that does not require separate side dishes. That being said, I wouldn’t be sad if it was served with chips & salsa, and maybe a good virgin margarita 😉
Tips & equipment for taco salad bowls
- to make ahead- chop veggies & store in this set of glass meal prep containers
- OR portion out into these quart-sized jars, keeping avocado and tortilla chips separate until serving
- looking for more big salad recipes? Check out this Harvest Lentil Salad, this Autumn Apple Farro Salad and this Thai Chickpea Mason Jar Salad
Taco Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
- 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning (or one package storebought)
- 1 cup black beans (from a can; drained & rinsed)
- 1 cup corn kerneals (from a can; drained & rinsed)
- 1 cup tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 4 handfulls romaine lettuce (or iceberg; washed, dried & cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 cup tortilla strips
Optional
- 1 avocado (peeled & chopped; optional)
- sour cream
- salsa
- guacamole
Instructions
- Cook turkey over medium heat in a non-stick pan, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook for 7 or so minutes, until no pink remains.
- Drain the pan from grease or liquid if necessary.
- Add 2/3 cup of water to the pan with the taco seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently until sauce is bubbly and thickened and meat is evenly coated.
- Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Combine all ingredients and divide between four bowls.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- condiments at the bottom
- taco meat
- black beans
- corn
- tomatoes
- romaine lettuce at the top
Nutrition
