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Restaurants›Cilantros Mexican Cuisine Mandeville›Taco Salad Recipe

Taco Salad Recipe

Name: Cilantros Mexican Cuisine Mandevilles Taco Salad Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 each large flour tortillas (10–12 inch); 2 tbs vegetable oil; 0.25 tsp salt; 1 lb lean ground beef (90/10); 0.5 each small onion, finely diced; 1 tsp garlic, minced; 1 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp paprika; 0.25 tsp dried oregano; 1 tbs tomato paste; 0.25 cup beef or chicken broth; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 1 tbs lime juice (optional); 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts; 1 tbs olive oil; 1 tsp chili powder; 0.5 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp garlic powder; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 1 lb chicken breast, steak (flank/sirloin), or large shrimp (peeled & deveined); 1 tbs olive oil; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 1 each lime (for serving); 6 cups romaine or mixed lettuce, shredded; 1 cup ripe tomatoes, diced; 0.25 cup red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Inspired by Cilantros Mexican Cuisine Mandeville

Time45m

Serves4

Tortilla basket filled with ground beef or shredded chicken, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and shredded cheese | Grilled Chicken, Steak, or Shrimp

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Ingredients

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Tortilla baskets

4 each large flour tortillas (10–12 inch)

2 tbs Tuscany sunflower oil

1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

Ground beef taco filling (option 1)

1 lb lean ground beef (90/10)

1/2 each small onion, finely diced

1 tsp Garlic, minced

1 tsp Chili powder

1 tsp Ground cumin

1/2 tsp Watkins paprika

1/4 tsp Dried oregano

1 tbs tomato paste

1/4 cup beef or chicken broth

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tbs lime juice (optional)

Shredded chicken filling (option 2)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp Chili powder

1/2 tsp Ground cumin

1/2 tsp Watkins garlic powder

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Grilled protein add-ons (optional)

1 lb chicken breast, steak (flank/sirloin), or large shrimp (peeled & deveined)

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 each lime (for serving)

Salad components

6 cups romaine or mixed lettuce, shredded

1 cup ripe tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)

1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or thawed frozen)

Toppings & condiments

3/4 cup guacamole (store-bought or homemade)

1/2 cup Sour cream

1/2 cup salsa or pico de gallo

2 tbs Fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tbs jalapeño slices (optional)

4 each Lime wedges

Method

Tortilla baskets

preheat oven

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Lightly brush both sides of each flour tortilla with vegetable oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt over them.

Drape each tortilla over an inverted oven-safe bowl or place inside an oven-safe ramekin (tuck edges to form a bowl). Bake for 8–12 minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove and let cool to set into a bowl shape.

Ground beef taco filling (option 1)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes.

Add diced onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Stir in chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute to bloom the spices.

Add broth to loosen, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and lime juice if using. Keep warm.

Shredded chicken filling (option 2)

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) if not already. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Place on a baking sheet and roast 18–22 minutes (or until internal temp reaches 165°F/74°C). Remove and let rest 5 minutes, then shred with two forks. Toss with 1 tablespoon of reserved pan juices or a splash of broth to keep moist.

Grilled protein add-ons (optional)

If adding grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp: season protein with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill or sear over medium-high heat: chicken 5–7 min per side (depending on thickness), steak 3–5 min per side for medium-rare (adjust to preference), shrimp 2–3 min per side until opaque. Rest 5 minutes and slice if needed. Squeeze lime over before serving.

Salad assembly

Divide shredded lettuce evenly among the cooled tortilla baskets (about 1.5 cups per basket).

Top lettuce with a generous scoop (about 0.5–0.75 cup) of the chosen protein: ground beef or shredded chicken. If using grilled add-on, place slices on top.

Scatter diced tomatoes, sliced red onion (if using), black beans, and corn over the protein.

Sprinkle shredded cheese over each salad while the protein is still warm so cheese softens slightly.

Toppings & finishing

Add a dollop of guacamole and sour cream to each salad (about 2 tablespoons of guacamole and 1–2 tablespoons sour cream each).

Spoon salsa or pico de gallo over as desired and garnish with chopped cilantro and jalapeño slices if using.

Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side to squeeze over the salad. Encourage diners to break the tortilla rim and scoop to eat, or eat with fork and knife.