How to Make a Taco Salad

This post will show you how to make your perfect taco salad. I walk you through all the options for lettuce, vegetables, beans, meat, and dressings, and at the very bottom, I have a recipe for my favorite go-to taco salad.

🧀 Taco Salad Ingredients

Taco salads have a mix of lettuce, meat, beans, vegtables, cheese, and dressing. I break down the most popular taco salad ingredients, how much you should use, and how to meal prep your taco salad.

Leafy Base - 3 Cups Per Salad

• Romaine Lettuce: Mild flavor, sturdy crip texture.
• Iceberg Lettuce: Mild flavor, cool crisp texture, but more tender than romaine lettuce.
• Spring Mix: This mix can be a combination of many things but usually includes baby lettuce, spange, and arugula; I think romaine and iceberg lettuce are better options, but this comes a close second.

Protein

Beans - ¼ to ½ Cup Per Salad

¼ cup per salad if you are also adding meat, and ½ cup per salad if you are not using meat.

• Black Beans- Firmer, smaller, and sturdier.
• Pinto Beans- Larger, softer, and creamier.
• Kidney Beans- Denser and slightly sweeter.

Meat - ½ Cup Per Salad (about ¼ pound of ground beef)

• Ground Beef Taco Meat - Brown 90% lean ground beef in a skillet, then add a packet of taco seasoning.
• Ground Chicken Taco Meat - Cook ground chicken in a large skillet and add taco seasoning.
• Shredded Chicken - My favorite way to make chicken for taco salads is by using three simple ingredients and a slow cooker. Get the recipe for this easy Mexican Shredded chicken.
• Ground Turkey Taco Meat: Cook ground turkey in a large skillet and add taco seasoning. For extra flavor, use this special turkey taco seasoning recipe.

Cheese - 2 tablespoon to ¼ cup Per Salad

• Sharp Cheddar Cheese- Strong flavor and the most popular choice.
• Mexican Cheese Blend- Milder flavors.
• Pepper Jack- Adds a little spice.

Vegetables - Total of ⅓ Cup Per Salad

• Sliced Green Onions
• Diced Red Onion
• Diced Bell Peppers
• Corn
• Diced Tomatoes or Sliced Grape Tomatoes
• Sliced Black Olives

Different Kinds of Dressings - 2 to 3 tablespoon or More Per Salad

• Chipotle Ranch
• Catalina Dressing - This is a sweet tomato-flavored dressing.
• Cilantro Lime Dressing
• A mixture of ⅓ cup salsa and ⅓ cup sour cream
• Guacamole and Sour Cream - Technically not a dressing, but adding a dollop of these to your salad will be delicious.

🔪 How to Make A Taco Salad

Step 1: Pick your leaf base, proteins, cheese, vegetables, taco toppings, and dressing from the list above.

Step 2: Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and toss.

Step 3: Taste and add more dressing or other ingredients from there.

👩‍🍳 How to Meal Prep Your Taco Salad

Step1: Add lettuce, cheese, beans, and vegetables to a meal prep container. You can store these in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Step 2: Add your meat to another smaller, airtight container. This should be good for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Step 3: Portion out your dressing in a separate container. These are good for 5-7 days.

Step 4: Lastly, portion out any taco toppings and store them separately.
When you are ready to eat, heat the meat in the microwave until warm. Add it to your lettuce bowl and then drizzle on the dressing and taco toppings.